Since there's no shortage of comparisons between the two aforementioned works, I first need to elaborate on the differences:
- Totsukuni is a low fantasy story with a touch of influence from Norse paganism, while Mahoutsukai is high fantasy, inspired by fairy tails and Celtic mysticism. The former focuses on an otherwise normal medieval setting inflicted with a curse, while the latter is set in modern times and treats magic as commonplace.
- Shiva (Totsukuni) is a young child, while Chise (Mahoutsukai) is a teenager.
- The relationship between the two protagonists in Totsukuni is strictly familial, while Mahoutsukai employs elements of romance.
- Mahoutsukai focuses more heavily on character interactions and relationships, while Totsukuni's focus is on the mysteries of the world and its curse.
- Mahoutsukai boasts a wide cast of characters, while Totsukuni prioritizes the two protagonists.
- Totsukuni follows a linear storyline, while Mahoutsukai pursues an episodic formula.
- While both stories have occasional slice of life bits, they're much more frequent in Mahoutsukai. Totsukuni's dismal tone is relentless, and you never truly feel at ease.
- The art of Mahoutsukai is much more realistic, while Totsukuni's artwork is heavily stylized and unique.
- While both stories are under the same publisher, Totsukuni feels like it belongs to a seinen serialization, rather than shounen (this is just my opinion, of course).
- Not that it matters all too much, but I keep seeing others say that both stories are female-oriented, of which I strongly disagree. Mahoutsukai's author is female, while the creator of Totsukuni is male (I actually saw someone in the recommendations section incorrectly state that it had a female author), but both stories can be appreciated by anyone.
So now that you understand that the only real similarity between the two works is the dynamic of a mystical horned man/creature and a young human girl to whom he acts as a teacher, let's get to what I love about this manga.
Totsukuni is a somber, low fantasy tale with a setting very similar to that of 14th century Europe in the wake of the Black Death. Now for those who may be unfamiliar with the term, low fantasy, or "intrusion fantasy" is when you have an otherwise normal world in which some mystical or magical element intrudes on their way of life. In this story, it's referring to the curse that plagues the kingdom (and this curse is where I've drawn many similarities to the outbreak in medieval Europe). I also mentioned that the story also has ties to Norse paganism and mythology, but it's never showcased in a "magical" way. This is primarily seen through the design of the creatures that result from this world's curse, and their ties to the earth that slowly become more obvious over the course of time. While the groundwork of the story might not be particularly unique or revolutionary, it comes as a breath of fresh air in a genre that's so commonly littered with cliches and tropes.
The story begins with the introduction of a young child named Shiva and her mysterious "Sensei," a strange yet eloquently spoken humanoid creature with pitch-black skin and horns. He is an outsider: a cursed being who will transfer his affliction via any contact with a human (or as they're called, "insiders"). Aware of the circumstances, he makes it clear to Shiva that she must never touch him for any reason, and as he shows a deep affinity for the child, he puts her well-being above everything else. From the get-go, author Nagabe employs a "show, don't tell" tactic, and he slowly unveils the details of the world little by little, rather than through long-winded exposition. The relationship between Shiva and Sensei is natural from the start, but only through delving further into the story will one begin to understand how they ended up in their peculiar living arrangement. Furthermore, the use of cliffhangers works toward making this a wonderfully addicting read, and as the mysteries begin to unfold, the picture becomes far grimmer than one might expect from the start. I might also add that the manga includes a few small elements of dramatic irony; while the story is usually either told from the perspective of Shiva or Sensei, the reader is often given insight to events happening in the world around them, helping to build the tension leading up to our protagonists' inevitable revelations.
Moving on, I must say that the art of Totsukuni is absolutely spectacular. Similar to that of old children's picture books, it possesses an elegant, painterly quality that feels truly unique amidst the generic design of other fantasy works of recent years. I, for one, am a huge fan of heavily stylized designs that take risks, stepping outside the norm of what we see in most anime and manga. Each panel is simply gorgeous, and while the tone of the art is bleak and dreary, it works wonders for the dark fantasy setting, perfectly emulating the kind of serious and melancholic mood I would expect for such a tale. Just go and take a look at the first chapter; skim through a few pages and you'll see exactly what I mean. I understand that art is subjective and that people have varying tastes, but I personally can't help but praise the style of this manga, and to be completely honest, this has very quickly become one of my favorite series, aesthetically speaking.
Overall, if you're a fan of fantasy, I strongly recommend giving this series a chance. If you were initially skeptical or hesitant to try it due to its apparent similarities to Mahoutsukai no Yome, I hope I was able to explain how drastically different they are at their core. I'm not saying that one is better than the other, but this is one of those rare cases where I felt I needed to defend this work in particular, due to the obvious bias that comes from assuming something is just another copycat. I've thoroughly enjoyed every page of Totsukuni, and I eventually plan to collect the entire series in print.
