The Elegant Courtly Life of the Tea Witch Vol. 1

[thebookishescape]

AUTHOR: Ameko Kaerudo, Yorifuji (illustrator)
RELEASED: December 31, 2024 by Titan Manga
SERIES: The Elegant Courtly Life of the Tea Witch (#1)
GENRE: Romance, Adventure, Fantasy
AGE RANGE: Teen
RATINGS: ★★☆☆☆
SYNOPSIS: Come and read a manga that’s a cosy and comforting as a nice warm cup of tea! At the royal court, the weakest mage is the tea witch, who uses their powers to make tea for the noble lords and ladies… but Remy has some incredible powers that will result in all kinds of courtly intrigue! The first volume in a heart-warming and cosy ongoing series, The Elegant Courtly Life of a Tea Witch tells the tale of Remy, a lowly tea witch using her magic to brew the finest cuppa for the noble lords and ladies. All she really wants is a quiet life creating gorgeous displays for shop windows… but she’s slowly drawn into a world of intrigue as her incredible powers of transformation make her the gossip of the court… and the object of affection for a naïve princess!




REVIEW: The title and cover of this manga appealed to me as a nice cozy manga. It's about Remy, a tea witch who makes tea according to every individual's taste. Not many responsibilities are associated with her court position, and she would like to keep it that way.

She is harassed by the Kingdom Princess, which draws too much attention to her. Throughout the book, I found the Princess annoying, and then I discovered she was twelve years old. She is treated as a mature adult, including the arrangement of her marriage, based on her appearance.

Despite my best efforts, I don't believe it is simply childish behavior. The Princess's interest in Remy is treated as something serious, and Remy responds by showing interest in her back. The story would have been better if it was about a big sister and a little sister. If the Princess had been the same age as Remy when the story had gone romantic, it would have been more believable and enjoyable—the age difference and how the characters interact to make the story feel forced and uncomfortable.

I cannot give it three stars because the relationship is too icky. In this case, I do not wish to continue.

Overall, the manga's premise had potential, but the uncomfortable relationship dynamics and the Princess's characterization made it unenjoyable for me.