Bibi & Miyu, Volume 1

Bibi & Miyu #1

by Olivia Vieweg, Hirara Natsume (Illustrator)

When a new student from Japan shows up at Bibi Blocksberg's school, she fits in immediately. But Bibi's suspicious; she knows Miyu's hiding something, and she's determined to find out what! Bibi's journey takes her all the way to Japan, and while learning about all the new rules and magic in this foreign land, she realizes that maybe she and Miyu can be friends after all!

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Comics, Witches, Young Adult, Childrens

176 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 2, 2019

About the author

Olivia Vieweg is a German author and cartoonist.

She studied Visual Communication at the Universtiy of Weimar.

Reviews

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, more manga. Manga seems to be an ongoing trend for me during the pandemic. It's fun, full of pretty pictures and relatively easy to read. It's the kind of guilty pleasure book that makes me forget about all of the insanity in this world.

Bibi and Miyu first pulled me in because of the absolutely gorgeous, pink cover! It brings joy, whimsy and fun to this TokyoPop title. Covers that look magical like this bring a lot of my attention to it!

Now for some of our characters, that are introduced right at the beginning of the book with little bios: Bibi Blocksberg, a young 13 year old, popular witch, is our lead. Miyu is our other lead, but we don't know much of her as the book starts. Wasabi is adorable. There's a guy named Bernard, which just gave me the Santa Clause vibes - I never hear about characters named Bernard!

And time for the plot: Miyu is the new girl at Bibi's school. She's from Japan, has great hair and is passing out candy to people. But Bibi is suspicious... something is different about this girl! Especially when a small fox creature comes out of nowhere! As Bibi learns more about Miyu, she figures they can be friends. Oh, and lots of adventures happen along the way, like going to Japan!

This story is just loaded with cuteness and fun! The spells that are cast remind me of the fun I used to have watching 4TNZ Winx Club and Magical Melodies (yeah, you can totally place a date on my childhood. I'm a Millennial. Woo). The sweetness packed in this book just made me feel good.

I can see anyone from middle grade all the way up to us good old adults loving this series. It's a fun, quick read with lots of magic and sweetness packed tight in it! It's the feel good book of 2020 that I needed! You don't need to be the typical manga lover to enjoy it either. It's simplistic and lovely!

Overall, this book is excellent! I need more books like this in my life!

Four out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

[Liz Weasleyhead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bibi Blocksberg im anderen Format mit neuem Design hat mir unglaublich gut gefallen 😍
Ich bin selbst überrascht was für einen tollen positiven Eindruck der Manga bei mir hinterlassen hat. Während ich den Manga gelesen habe und die Story rund um Bibi und Miyu verfolgt hatte, kam mir immer wieder die Stimme der Hörspiel Bibi Blocksberg in den Kopf. Darüber hinaus hatte ich einfach ein so schönes und nostalgisches Gefühl ❤️
Die Zeichnungen finde ich wunderschön und sehr zart, passend zur Geschichte. Miyu und Wasabi finde ich zuckersüß und Bibis neuer Look empfinde ich als sehr erfrischend und toll gelungen.
Ich bin durchweg begeistert von dem Manga und kann die Fortsetzung kaum erwarten ❤️

[aikaterine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an entertaining and cute read!

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The story starts in Germany, where Bibi lives and in the very first chapter, a new girl arrives to her school from Japan. Bibi is magical, like her mother and unlike her father, and, as she soon discovers, Miyu is hiding her own magical secret. The girls become fast friends and Miyu invites Bibi to Japan for school break. Thus, the adventure begins!

This was an incredibly fluffy and cute story, with impressive, well-drawn and cute illustrations, manga-style.

I loved how the differences between the German and Japanese educational systems are also brought up and explored. You can't be anything but impressed.

This is perfect for both dedicated fans to the manga genre and people with no experience in it. For the latter population, this story will introduce them to this genre and will make them love it for ever.

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley, for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Bianca · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 Sterne - Super süß und witzig! Für Bibi Blocksberg Fans, sei es ist oder war, einen Blick wert, wenn man es mal mit Manga ausprobieren möchte. Wenn man davor bereits Manga gelesen hat, könnte dieser einen leicht enttäuschen, da er doch eher kurzweilig und vergleichsweise unaufregend ist.

[Bine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice read. Ich mochte die Charaktergestaltung der Blocksbergs richtig gerne. Bernhard und Barbara hätte ich auch ohne Kontext sofort erkannt. Bibi ist wirklich ziemlich angepasst, aber dennoch sie selbst. Ich mochte es, dass die Story an sich sich wirklich wie eine Bibi Blocksberg-Folge angefühlt hat. Das ist leider dann aber auch der Punkt, warum ich die Serie wohl nicht weiterverfolgen werde. Die Geschichte ist eben einfach zu simpel und mir keine 8 € wert. Man hat es einfach viel zu schnell durchgelesen. Dennoch freue ich mich sehr über diese Adaption, weil ich sie total gelungen finde und sie meiner Kindheitsheldin tatsächlich gerecht wird. Und Bernhard mit seiner leicht cholerischen, aber lieben Art ist einfach wie geschaffen für Manga. Er ist und bleibt einfach meine Lieblingsfigur aus dem ganzen <3

[Leni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alleine schon aus Nostalgie Gründen war es toll❤️

[Jolien ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this starting series!

I really loved the story so far. I do hope to read more of this series in the future however as for right now that probably has to wait. The art is totally my style and I enjoyed reading about Bibi and Miyu. I loved Miyu's dog/fox Wasabi it was such a cute touch.

I also just in general really enjoyed the characters. They weren't over the top hyperactive but also weren't so boring that you don't want to continue the book. The characters in this book are happy and easy going so no worries there.

I do have to say that I'm getting mayor lgbtq+ vibes from the two main characters but that could just be me heheheheh

I would give this one 5/5 stars :D

[Erika Sarutobi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t think these types of middle grade manga are for me. Things are too easy going and instantaneous and nothing but happy go lucky in every aspect. There's barely any substance to any of the “conflicts” and “problems” introduced. Also, bit of a plot twist but she travels to Japan to go to school rather than sightseeing???? Then what was the point of waiting for the vacation when she could have just transferred schools?

Overall, I didn’t like the story much but the artstyle was cute enough to finish through for me.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy for an honest review.

[Iryna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ein wirklich schönes Projekt von Tokyopop. Ich selbst war nie Fan von Bibi Blocksberg (Benjamin Blümchen hatte mich als Kind mehr fasziniert, haha), aber der Manga ist wirklich schön. Niedlich erzählt und wunderschön gezeichnet, sehr angenehm zu lesen Den Manga empfehle ich jedem, der Bibi Blocksberg kennt und mag oder generell gern einen aufmunternden Manga für Zwischendurch braucht. Mir hat er jedenfalls den Tag versüßt und ich werde sehr wahrscheinlich auch den nächsten Band kaufen.

[lena☀️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Tokyopop for providing me with an arc for review!

This was cute and I can definitely see myself loving future volumes but this one just didn't come together for me.

There were a few things that just didn't make sense to me and everything seemed quite rushed. However it was cute and I like the characters and I'm hoping with further development and deeper dives into topics I'll be able to enjoy it more!

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richtig süß und liebevoll gestaltet. Kann mir gut vorstellen, dass der Manga Kindern gefällt, die Bibi mögen und Interesse an japanischer Kultur zeigen oder japanischen Kindern, die in Deutschland leben, vielleicht auch als Austausch untereinander.
Werde es sicher irgendwann meinen Nichten zeigen, wenn sie noch etwas besser lesen können.

[Kai Van · Rating 3 out of 5]

the art is wonderful and the overall story of a young German witch making friends with a yokai-hunting girl from Japan and going on adventures is super fun. But the execution feels a bit chaotic as everything happens so fast. I would definitely be interested in future volumes and hopefully the pacing is better then. Bibi and Miyu volume 1 is still worth checking out if you're into magical, fun, cute things.

copy recieved from netgalley for review. thank-you!

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bibi & Miyu Vol. 1 follows the life of Bibi Blocksberg, who is a popular 13 year old witch in Newton. Bibi is a headstrong young girl and loves to do daring things which may not always turn out the best, but she always makes things better in the end. However, once Miyu arrives to Newton, Bibi is incredibly curious as to who the mysterious Miyu is, after she sees her on a fox.

This is my first proper manga I've read, and oh my gosh it didn't let me down. I absolutely loved it. This manga highlights the importance of friendship throughout the story of Bibi and Miyu, as they tackle travelling to Miyu's home town and having to fight a demon whilst on their travels. This wasn't something I was expecting within this story. I expected it to be a lot fluffier and just cute in general, but I did end up enjoying the demon aspect.

I absolutely adored the manga art within this, it was absolutely gorgeous and so very colourful. Another random thing I absolutely loved in this manga was the addition of the table of contents, which I'm a sucker for in any form of book! I loved it all!

I can't wait to continue reading more manga, especially this series! I need Volume 2 ASAP!

Thank you very much to Diamond Book Distributors and Tokyopop for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

[hoerbuchzeilen · Rating 4 out of 5]

omg es ist einfach cute! 😂😍 wenn man mit bibi groß wurde, ist es doch praktisch ein muss dieses buch zu lesen!

[Cass · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bibi & Miyu introduces us to Bibi Blocksberg, a German teenager and (secretly) a witch. She's constantly trying to hide her powers and mishaps from others, as magic is a secret.

When Japanese exchange student Miyu joins the class, Bibi has a strange sense about her. Soon they bond over Miyu's background as a yokai-hunter, catching ghosts in Japan. Bibi even visits as an exchange student, staying with Miyu's family.

Natsume has a lovely art style, and I particularly loved her artwork of Wasabi, Miyu's fox - beautiful flowing lines. I also liked the little twist on the anime protagonist being late - instead of Bibi rushing off somewhere, it's her mum trying to get out the door! Bibi and Miyu rely on each other for comfort and support, holding hands or leaning on each other often.

I also enjoyed the endpages, interviewing Vieweg and Natsume about their process to create the manga, from character sketches to a finished page.

While their friendship is very sweet and wholesome, it felt a bit fast - Bibi and Miyu go from just having met and barely speaking to each other, to international travel in a short time! Also, I'd like to have seen more of Taki, Miyu's best friend.

At times the story and dialogue felt a bit too much like exposition about Japanese culture and ettiquette. Readers familiar with manga will most likely already know these things.

For future volumes, I would suggest introducing some context around Bibi's character and her life in Germany - I had assumed she was American until later when she was introduced to the class in Japan!

I would recommend this title for younger manga readers, or kids curious about Japan.

I was provided a free digital copy of this book by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, so thank you to Netgalley and Tokyopop.


#BibiMiyuVol1 #Netgalley

[Allissa H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this title by NetGalley for an honest review
3.5 stars.Bibi is a witch and Miya hunts “ghosts” a tale of new friends and fun adventures awaits you! The art was absolutely amazing and the story was a really fast pace but left a little to be wanted. The book could have more detail. If this is your first time with a manga then it would be a good read.

[Nika Schnarr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here comes two things which I really love together: Bibi Blocksberg and Manga.

The beautiful cover caught my attention and as an Bibi Blocksberg fan I wanted to check out the manga. And it is really beautiful and lovely.

The character design is great. All known characters have their typical identities in their own manga style way. It seems like a typical Bibi Blocksberg story but has a lot of Shoujo Manga elements like Japan, Onigiri, sakura blossoms, school life, first romance (a little bit), friendship, festival…It is an authentic Bibi Blocksberg story which good be one of the children audiobooks of this series. The Bonus sites were interesting as well.
I am totaly love it and looking forward to volume 2.

[Allissa H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this title by NetGalley for an honest review
3.5 stars. The are was absolutely amazing the story was a really fast pace but left a little to be wanted. If this is your first time with a manga then it would be a good read.

[The Half-blood Reader]

22/04/20 - Free atm at https://www.tokyopop.com/together

[Frank Chillura (OhYouRead) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick and cute read, perfect for fans of Yokai Watch, Cardcaptor Sakura, and Kiki’s Delivery Service.

Bibi is a Witch. A new foreign exchange student arrives at her school who happens to be a Ghost Hunter and they quickly become friends. With the help of Miyu’s shape shifting Fox (he turns into a stuffed keychain charm) named Wasabi, they learn to capture Yokai together.

This is def meant for a younger crowd, but I’ve always loved Magical Girl books. I enjoyed it, but it could have had a more prominent plot.

[Rose Peach · Rating 3 out of 5]

** 3,5 Sterne **

[tollpatschki · Rating 4 out of 5]

vor allem gut, wenn depris reinkicken <3

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Olivia Vieweg, Hirara Natsume, Tokyopop, and Diamond Book Distributors for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very quick Middle-Grade manga. There was very little text on each page, which made it go by quickly. The story of Bibi and Miyu's friendship is quite cute, and so is the art. The one thing that bothered me was the swiftness of the friendship. Miyu transfers to Bibi's school in Germany and they become random quick friends. By the way, Bibi is a witch and Miyu is a yokai demon hunter. They barely even meet when Bibi is invited to Japan with Miyu and nobody questions this, it just happens, and it happens quickly.

While the story is adorable, the character and plot development could have much more time taken on them, though I believe a middle school age girl would love this manga regardless.

Overall, cute, quick, and holistically satisfied with this one.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this is a very cute manga, the story feels a bit underdeveloped. The plot moves way too quickly, and I feel that this manga could benefit from being just a little bit longer. However, the art for this manga is absolutely adorable, and I can't wait to find out what happens next for these characters.


Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[DeAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

I loved the sound of this manga and it instantly gave me Kiki's Delivery Service vibes so I wanted to pick it up. The art style is vibrant and fun while still having that classic manga style. I did feel that the story moved along really quickly as it was really more vignettes of Bibi and Miyu's adventures together.

I would definitely be interested in seeing where this series go and what other situations they get themselves into.

[Eliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute and lovable story!! The start of the friendship between Bibi & Miyu was sweet and this was a good read. I look forward to their next adventure.

[Yub Yub Commander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received an eARC from Netgalley for an honest review.

Personal enjoyment: 3 stars (maybe 2.5)

This is a perfect starting manga for kids or even teens that have never read manga before. It's light and fluffy with a high-stakes adventure that reads like a 30 minute anime/TV show episode. It's really cute, and the artwork is pretty.

Just a note, it reads as a western book, not like traditional manga. I was about 50 pages into it and super confused when I found this out. It also jumps around in the plot. The story flies by with very little development or explanation on anything. Again, it feels more like an episode in a kid's cartoon than anything.

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, it's a great start for Bibi and Miyu. As they begin a friendship filled with adventure and magic. Bibi is a wonderful friend to Miyu when she arrives at Bibi's school, while she doesn't approach her right away, they do become friends and it's clear that they will be wonderful friends. Miyu invites Bibi to come with her to Japan, and we meet Miyu's childhood best friend. While, there isn't a lot of Taki in this book, I can't wait to see the three of them become great friends. As they all work together, it would be fun if Taki went back to Germany with the girls. I did receive an ARC from edelweiss but this does not affect my thoughts or opinions of what I read.

[Eule Luftschloss · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new student comes to Bibi Blocksberg's class: Miyu from Japan.
Bibi soon begins to suspect that her new friend has something to hide.

Full disclaimer: I grew up with Bibi Blocksberg audio dramas, and to this day know more about it than I'd care to admit. Which means that I was quiete shocked to see the translation of Kartoffelbrei, Bibi's magic broom, to Apple Pie - yes, sure, they probably wanted to keep the rhyme. But from mashed potatoes to apple pie?

The parts that play in Germany fit in neatly. It's fun to see German culture in a manga, even when you have a manga by German artists, most often they don't depict stuff I'd recognise from my life.
They even kept the itchy witch nose, and I still feel the curiousity about Barabara Blocksberg's work I felt first as a toddler.

But we have some plotholes on our hands.
Since vacations are coming up, Bibi convinces her parents to let her travel to Japan for the two weeks, so Miyu can show her everything. I won't even talk about the cost of the airplane tickets when they have magic, or the unanswered question where Miyu lives in Germany - but how come they have to go to school when they're only there on vacation for two weeks?

Despite that, I had fun. I like the update. I'd even go so far as to say I want more and will be sure to recommend this to my local library.
You need no knowledge about Bibi Blocksberg to delve into this, but I think it might be interesting if you have some. Apart from that: Teenage witch befriending another person and going on adventures. If that description appeals to you, read it.

I recieved a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thanks NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC of this title!

Bibi and Miyu is a cute manga series about two girls with magical powers, with one being from Germany and the other being from Japan. They start off not liking each other at first, but become fast friends as they learn about each other's culture.

As a Youth Services Librarian, I find it difficult to find appropriate manga for my younger readers, but there is nothing in this volume that I think parents would find concerning. (nudity/swearing/etc.) I would buy this series for my juvenile collection in a heartbeat.