Hibiki's Magic

Hibiki's Magic
Cover of volume 1 of Hibiki's Magic, published by Tokyopop, showing Hibiki.
ヒビキのマホウ (Hibiki no Mahō)
Genre	Drama, Fantasy
Manga
Written by	Jun Maeda
Illustrated by	Rei Izumi
Published by	Kadokawa Shoten
English publisher	NA Tokyopop (discontinued)
Demographic	Shōnen
Magazine	Shōnen Ace (former) Comp Ace
Original run	August 2004 – May 2016
Volumes	6

Hibiki's Magic (ヒビキのマホウ, Hibiki no Mahō^?), subtitled a continental chronicle in the original version, is a Japanese manga series written by Jun Maeda and illustrated by Rei Izumi. The story centers on a young girl named Hibiki who is the apprentice to a very skilled wizard named Shirotsuki. Hibiki does not have much skill with magic, and the only thing she is really good at is making tea. After an accident where her teacher nearly dies, Hibiki comes to stay at a famous magic academy and works as a teacher herself.

Hibiki's Magic started serialization in the August 2004 issue of Kadokawa Shoten's Shōnen Ace, but later transferred to Kadokawa's Comp Ace in November 2005, and concluded in the May 2016 issue. Tokyopop licensed the series in North America, and released the first two volumes in 2007. The manga is described by Anime News Network as having an "inspirational tone" with a very cute style of storytelling. IGN Comics describes the manga as a "solid story that breaks out of that cuteness mold."

Hibiki's Magic revolves around the title character Hibiki, a lonely young girl under the wing of a skilled wizard named Shirotsuki. At the story's onset, Hibiki is living with Shirotsuki and is in training as an assistant to learn the art of magic. Shirotsuki, whom Hibiki refers to as "Master", is searching for the key to immortality. He is a renowned expert at the craft known as Magic Circles, which draws its power from the art of elaborate circles that enact various enchantments. Even though Shirotsuki invites Hibiki to learn what he knows, she is unskilled in magic and rarely succeeds in anything she does. In spite of repeatedly failing, she keeps trying with her teacher's encouragement.

Shirotsuki's research is interrupted when a group of men break into his house during an experiment. Shirotsuki's soul becomes trapped inside a squirrel-like creature called a gusk, and his real body is lost in a fire that results from his magical protection wards; Hibiki and the gusk barely escape alive. With nowhere else to go, Hibiki takes up residence in the nearby capital city Kamigusk. Hibiki is surprised that Shirotsuki's reputation precedes him, and she is taken to the local Kamisaid Magic Academy where she is given the position of professor. Hibiki's attempts to convince the administration of her shortcomings meet with failure. Hibiki is forced to learn to cope with being a professor in the most famous magic school in the country and meets many new people that help her along the way.