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メリー・ウィッチーズ・ライフ ~ベルルバジルの3人の未亡人~ [Merry Witches Life: Berle Basil no 3-nin no Miboujin] #1
Merry Witches' Life, Volume 1: The Three Widows of Berlebagille
A quirky and unexpected manga series exploring themes of grief and friendship in a heart-warming, light-hearted fantasy setting with plenty of humor, Merry Witches' Life is a story about three women determined to learn magic and be the agents of their own happiness!
Zoe, Shishka, and Eliza have very little in common. Zoe is a failed witch and a hopeless romantic, Shishka is a shop owner with a mysterious past, and Eliza is… well, a scarab beetle. However, the three of them do share something they are all recently widowed, and none of them are willing to give up on their beloveds!
From spells that go hilariously wrong to uncovering their island home’s hidden past, this story of romance and friendship is truly magical!
Zoe, Shishka, and Eliza have very little in common. Zoe is a failed witch and a hopeless romantic, Shishka is a shop owner with a mysterious past, and Eliza is… well, a scarab beetle. However, the three of them do share something they are all recently widowed, and none of them are willing to give up on their beloveds!
From spells that go hilariously wrong to uncovering their island home’s hidden past, this story of romance and friendship is truly magical!
216 pages, Paperback
First published April 7, 2023
11 people are currently reading
109 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
July 29, 2025
Despite some heavy themes -- death, grief, suicidal thoughts -- this is one of those warm and cozy fantasy manga that has the members of a small town just hanging out and getting to know one another, helping each other and forming relationships. It's just that while most of them are regular people, some of them are witches and others are insects, animals, ghosts, and animated pieces of furniture.
Three charismatic widows living together in the manor house overlooking the village have decided to develop their magic abilities with the hope of one day resurrecting their dead husbands. So their daily life is practicing little spells with middling to poor success amid various slice-of-life moments.
A bigger plot and mythology is hinted at, and I'm hoping those developments will keep this low-key series from becoming repetitive and boring in future installments.
FOR REFERENCE:
Contents: Chapter 1. The Village of Berlebagille -- Chapter 2. The Lighthouse Keeper -- Chapter 3. Noe and Marion -- Chapter 4. A Magic Book and a Fairy Tale -- Chapter 5. The Owl and Broom-making -- Chapter 6. Baudouin -- Chapter 7. Before the Festival (#1) -- Chapter 8. Before the Festival (#2) -- Chapter 9. Thge Day of the Festival -- Bonus Stories -- The World of Berlebagille -- Afterword -- Character Gallery
Three charismatic widows living together in the manor house overlooking the village have decided to develop their magic abilities with the hope of one day resurrecting their dead husbands. So their daily life is practicing little spells with middling to poor success amid various slice-of-life moments.
A bigger plot and mythology is hinted at, and I'm hoping those developments will keep this low-key series from becoming repetitive and boring in future installments.
FOR REFERENCE:
Contents: Chapter 1. The Village of Berlebagille -- Chapter 2. The Lighthouse Keeper -- Chapter 3. Noe and Marion -- Chapter 4. A Magic Book and a Fairy Tale -- Chapter 5. The Owl and Broom-making -- Chapter 6. Baudouin -- Chapter 7. Before the Festival (#1) -- Chapter 8. Before the Festival (#2) -- Chapter 9. Thge Day of the Festival -- Bonus Stories -- The World of Berlebagille -- Afterword -- Character Gallery
June 3, 2025
I received this book from Edelweiss/the publisher in exchange of an honest review.
This started OK, but I got bored around chapter 4/5 and then I struggled. Don't get me wrong it was quite nice and I love the setting but I would have liked to see more of Clive and Zoe instead of just memories, that would for me have worked better and made me root more for her. Now it just felt like a, sorry to say, plot convenience given how fast it happened/how young they are. Plus, I would like to see Zoe just set bigger steps in being a witch, but it takes SO LONG. At this pace she will be waiting forever. I did like the beetle girl and loved seeing her get a chance to explore the world as a human. I am curious if she will go for a romantic relationship with that person or if she will stay true to her dead beetle hubby. Plus, the small town was adorable and I loved there was so much lore around it, including some witchy lore. And I really did like the art, though some characters looked way older (or younger) than they probably are, haha.
Not sure if I will continue reading this series, though I may give the first chapter of the second volume a shot.
This started OK, but I got bored around chapter 4/5 and then I struggled. Don't get me wrong it was quite nice and I love the setting but I would have liked to see more of Clive and Zoe instead of just memories, that would for me have worked better and made me root more for her. Now it just felt like a, sorry to say, plot convenience given how fast it happened/how young they are. Plus, I would like to see Zoe just set bigger steps in being a witch, but it takes SO LONG. At this pace she will be waiting forever. I did like the beetle girl and loved seeing her get a chance to explore the world as a human. I am curious if she will go for a romantic relationship with that person or if she will stay true to her dead beetle hubby. Plus, the small town was adorable and I loved there was so much lore around it, including some witchy lore. And I really did like the art, though some characters looked way older (or younger) than they probably are, haha.
Not sure if I will continue reading this series, though I may give the first chapter of the second volume a shot.
January 1, 2026
It was slightly odd, and has some dark themes, but I enjoyed it. Eliza is so cute. Curious to find out what happens next!
August 26, 2025
This is so cute and adorable😭🫶 And also kind of mysterious?? I really do ship a few of these characters, but I’m also terrified after that ending🫣
July 25, 2025
Nice middle of the road manga with some darker (mostly emotional) elements to it as it deals with grief among things. While this is an ok/decent read for me, it's not too memorable/outstanding so far. I have a few petpeeves but I'll give the second volume a read as well before making up my mind on this one.
I love the beetle character.
I love the beetle character.
June 22, 2025
4.25 stars. This was charming, sweet, and gently humourous, and I was especially tickled by Eliza and Marion. I’m already looking forward to seeing how the story continues in the next volume, and to spending more time getting to know these characters.
May 12, 2025
This was a cute and cozy story despite the premise of grief. Zoe, Shishka, and Eliza have all lost their husbands. Zoe, a unsuccesful witch, decides to learn proper witchcraft to bring them back alive. It’s not an easy task, but while they study, the three women (or two and one beetle turned into a human) make new, interesting friends and help the villagers. The first volume ends before they get to try resurrecting their husbands.
While this was a lovely, quirky story, I found it slightly uninteresting. I probably wouldn’t read more, even to find out if it’s more important to resurrect the husbands or give a change for new love. Art was nice.
I received a free copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
While this was a lovely, quirky story, I found it slightly uninteresting. I probably wouldn’t read more, even to find out if it’s more important to resurrect the husbands or give a change for new love. Art was nice.
I received a free copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
May 24, 2025
This manga can't decide if it wants to be zany or cozy or wistful and ends up not being any of them well. At its best with zany, but not consistently enough to be called a comedy. Not bad, but not really anything special either. I keep trying to describe it by what it isn't, which is probably because there isn't much there! Skippable
September 2, 2025
"I want to visit next year's festival with Clive! Let's work even harder so we can bring our husbands back by next year!"
I had so much fun reading this manga, and I don't think I could've picked a better time than now to read it with Halloween being 2 months away. I wasn't expecting this manga to be as cute or funny as it was, but boy was I pleasantly surprised! Though this manga does touch on some dark, and at times, gruesome subjects. But the author was always able to mix in lighthearted and fun humor amongst the darker topics which helped to alleviate the more heavier scenes in the book.
All of the characters were very unique and interesting to read. From the kind-hearted witch Zoe, to her mysterious best friend Shishka (who is an absolute treasure of a friend), to her new friend Eliza who happens to be a scarab beetle! Lol! All three of these women have lost their husbands due to tragic accidents, and their plans are to bring them back to life by using magic... which seems very necromantic, but the three of them seem innocent in their endeavor to try, though Shiska seems doubtful at times and even seems to be humoring her friends ideas.
I'm greatly looking forward to reading more about these three friends continuing their studies on the art of resurrecting the dead, as well as learning about the mysterious lighthouse keeper who can see ghosts and the strange newcomer with a mysterious past who has recently moved to their small village. This book greatly surprised me and I'm glad I gave it a chance.
I had so much fun reading this manga, and I don't think I could've picked a better time than now to read it with Halloween being 2 months away. I wasn't expecting this manga to be as cute or funny as it was, but boy was I pleasantly surprised! Though this manga does touch on some dark, and at times, gruesome subjects. But the author was always able to mix in lighthearted and fun humor amongst the darker topics which helped to alleviate the more heavier scenes in the book.
All of the characters were very unique and interesting to read. From the kind-hearted witch Zoe, to her mysterious best friend Shishka (who is an absolute treasure of a friend), to her new friend Eliza who happens to be a scarab beetle! Lol! All three of these women have lost their husbands due to tragic accidents, and their plans are to bring them back to life by using magic... which seems very necromantic, but the three of them seem innocent in their endeavor to try, though Shiska seems doubtful at times and even seems to be humoring her friends ideas.
I'm greatly looking forward to reading more about these three friends continuing their studies on the art of resurrecting the dead, as well as learning about the mysterious lighthouse keeper who can see ghosts and the strange newcomer with a mysterious past who has recently moved to their small village. This book greatly surprised me and I'm glad I gave it a chance.
August 30, 2025
This manga was honestly super cute! It has darker undertones, such as the three main characters all being widows, and dealing with the grief of losing their husbands. But it still manages to have levity and has almost a slice of life vibe to it. There are hints of darker elements in the plot, but it feels like it will be a slow-burning type of plot. All of the characters introduced are interesting, and it makes you very curious to see how all of their stories will play out and how they're interwined with each other. The reason why these women are learning magic is fairly dark, but understandable. I'm very curious to see where their magical learning journey takes them!
August 24, 2025
🧹 5 stars 🧹
3rd manga for my 30 manga in 30 days: 2025 edition challenge
What do you get when three grieving, slightly magical, widows get together? A cozy adventure as they try to learn magic to bring their beloved husbands back to life.
Oh my goodness, this volume was so soft and sweet. Even though it is a story about grief and trying to bring back lost loved ones, many moments were like a warm compress for your heart. I enjoyed getting to know each of our main characters in this volume — Zoe, Shishka, and Eliza — and learning about their backstories, as well as meeting their husbands. There are still plenty of mysteries to uncover and discover in future volumes, though! Like the crazy cliffhanger revolving around two of our main characters. I definitely look forward to continuing this series and might make a quick trip to the bookstore to pick up Volume 2 tomorrow.
tropes: witches, grief, cozy, whimsical, widow(s), loss of a loved one, animal companions, found family
I would love some manga recommendations like this series. I would love to see more with family found, learning a new skill, and cozy autumn vibes.
3rd manga for my 30 manga in 30 days: 2025 edition challenge
What do you get when three grieving, slightly magical, widows get together? A cozy adventure as they try to learn magic to bring their beloved husbands back to life.
Oh my goodness, this volume was so soft and sweet. Even though it is a story about grief and trying to bring back lost loved ones, many moments were like a warm compress for your heart. I enjoyed getting to know each of our main characters in this volume — Zoe, Shishka, and Eliza — and learning about their backstories, as well as meeting their husbands. There are still plenty of mysteries to uncover and discover in future volumes, though! Like the crazy cliffhanger revolving around two of our main characters. I definitely look forward to continuing this series and might make a quick trip to the bookstore to pick up Volume 2 tomorrow.
tropes: witches, grief, cozy, whimsical, widow(s), loss of a loved one, animal companions, found family
I would love some manga recommendations like this series. I would love to see more with family found, learning a new skill, and cozy autumn vibes.
August 6, 2025
This was absolutely adorable. I wasn’t sure how a graphic novel would translate on my Kindle, but I was pleasantly surprised—it read really smoothly, and the artwork popped more than I expected!
The story itself is cozy, quirky, and packed with charm. Three recently widowed women (plus one beetle—yes, a scarab beetle) forming an unlikely coven in a magical little island town? I'm in. There’s a lovely balance of humor and heart, especially when it touches on themes of grief, healing, and friendship.
That said, it did feel like it dragged in parts. The plot takes its time getting anywhere, and I found myself wondering when things would actually start happening. But by the end, there's definitely a hint of a bigger story and deeper lore that I’m hoping future volumes will explore to keep the series feeling fresh.
It’s low-stakes, low-key fantasy with a whimsical vibe and a big heart. If you're looking for something soft and magical to unwind with, this could be your next comfort read.
The story itself is cozy, quirky, and packed with charm. Three recently widowed women (plus one beetle—yes, a scarab beetle) forming an unlikely coven in a magical little island town? I'm in. There’s a lovely balance of humor and heart, especially when it touches on themes of grief, healing, and friendship.
That said, it did feel like it dragged in parts. The plot takes its time getting anywhere, and I found myself wondering when things would actually start happening. But by the end, there's definitely a hint of a bigger story and deeper lore that I’m hoping future volumes will explore to keep the series feeling fresh.
It’s low-stakes, low-key fantasy with a whimsical vibe and a big heart. If you're looking for something soft and magical to unwind with, this could be your next comfort read.
July 29, 2025
I got this book because I found a story about three widows trying to learn about magic to bring their husbands back to be an original prompt. I was going to be a cynic at first and hope they fell in love with each other in their mansion or enjoy their lives without a man, but the author did a great job out of making me care about their husbands, particularly Clive (and when I say great job, I mean it absolutely broke my heart how good he was to his wife).
I ended up feeling a little frustrated because the story seemed to not be able to decide between having a plot or following the characters simply enjoying themselves, and introducing small-town plots and secondary characters. To be fair, most, if not all, of those small plots started to make sense at the end, but I still felt like the book went on for too long without anything happening, and I wish the author had found another way to show us time passing.
Thank you to Edelweiss and TOKYOPOP for this DRC.
I ended up feeling a little frustrated because the story seemed to not be able to decide between having a plot or following the characters simply enjoying themselves, and introducing small-town plots and secondary characters. To be fair, most, if not all, of those small plots started to make sense at the end, but I still felt like the book went on for too long without anything happening, and I wish the author had found another way to show us time passing.
Thank you to Edelweiss and TOKYOPOP for this DRC.
December 20, 2025
4.5 rounded up to 5 stars.
Cute, spooky, witchy and fast-paced, this manga was such an easy read! The story grips you from the first chapter, and it is so well illustrated I wish I had a print-out of some characters. Eliza wins best character of the month by a long shot, especially her reaction in the museum. I loved the inclusion of aps at the end and the doll layouts. One small change I would make is having those extra pages at the beginning, because I did not realise they were available until the end, when I had already built my own mental map. I can't wait to see what scary continuation the story will have, and what snarky comments half-lady will make.
Cute, spooky, witchy and fast-paced, this manga was such an easy read! The story grips you from the first chapter, and it is so well illustrated I wish I had a print-out of some characters. Eliza wins best character of the month by a long shot, especially her reaction in the museum. I loved the inclusion of aps at the end and the doll layouts. One small change I would make is having those extra pages at the beginning, because I did not realise they were available until the end, when I had already built my own mental map. I can't wait to see what scary continuation the story will have, and what snarky comments half-lady will make.
July 20, 2025
Three magical widows try to find a spell to raise their husbands from the dead.
This felt like a weird mashup of cute/silly slice-of-life and rom-com that ignores the pathos potential of the plot.
I was hoping for friends supporting each other and being sources of strength in a fantasy slice-of-life of life, but what I got was silly clutz heroines with meet-cute flashbacks interspersed in it, and breadcrumbs of ticking drama bombs.
This felt like a weird mashup of cute/silly slice-of-life and rom-com that ignores the pathos potential of the plot.
I was hoping for friends supporting each other and being sources of strength in a fantasy slice-of-life of life, but what I got was silly clutz heroines with meet-cute flashbacks interspersed in it, and breadcrumbs of ticking drama bombs.
July 30, 2025
They are works decent and the characters are fun enough and yes everybody who knows me is rolling their eyes cause he gets an extra point because it has a witch in it however I found the story to be kind of just mediocre I had a hard time really getting into it. Maybe it’s better in the later volumes. I just found there wasn’t a whole lot to it
May 27, 2025
Great and cute stories! The characters were good. I’m eager to know more about them (particularly Shishka and Clay). Now that there are two cliffhangers, I’m curious and eager to read the next volume!
June 14, 2025
A story of grief, community, and friendship. My favorite character is Eliza, the bug. There are definitely some odd things happening around this village that make me wonder what's going on. But outside of that, I felt like the story was simply "okay."
August 24, 2025
🧹✨I was looking for something cozy and slightly spooky and this manga fit the bill. It’s giving small town. 3 witches in training who are all widows, trying to practice magic, navigate through grief and also trying to fit into small town life while keeping their secret.
May 15, 2025
This was a cute manga ~ I’d like to read future volumes. The three widow witches are so cute. I hope we get more development for Shishka, she’s so mysterious!
June 3, 2025
honestly pretty cute despite the dead husbands.
June 10, 2025
This was cute! I'm curious to see what happens next and to get to know the characters a bit more.
i-bailed-dnf
July 6, 2025Jul 6, 2025 - read the first two chapters, not interested
August 30, 2025
An amazing tale of female friendship and loss. I couldn’t put it down.
September 14, 2025
meh....not my cup of tea
October 14, 2025
Interesting. Interesting enough to probably read the second in the series and see how it goes.
October 14, 2025
The story is a bit clunky but charming. I don't think I can be persuaded to pay for the next volume but I may continue reading online (legally.)
October 28, 2025
Kind of cute but I don't feel the need to read a second volume
November 23, 2025
I'm on the fence with this one. Full thoughts here: https://youtu.be/nsVrCSKsOXM?si=9Zkzz...
July 23, 2025
I think the concept is interesting and I like Menota’s art (especially the bugs, so cute) but something was missing so that I wasn’t fully invested. Hopefully volume two does it for me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews