After years of hype about generative AI increasing productivity and making lives easier, 2025 was the year erotic chatbots defined AI’s narrative.
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But what if we told you there’s a secret third option—one that scratches the Shirahama itch to bask in her bespoke artistry and trades the unspeakable horrors awaiting Coco for a side-splitting, utterly riotous comedy? Well, good, because we are. That option is her slept-on, pre-Witch Hat Atelier manga, Eniale & Dewiela.
If Witch Hat Atelier is Shirahama in her grand adventure, Dragon Ball Z era, Eniale & Dewiela was her at peak Dr. Slump whimsy.
Set in a world where heaven and hell coexist, the manga follows the unruly yet wildly endearing friendship between Eniale, the angel, and Dewiela, the demon—two gals tasked with collecting souls on Earth, a job they’d much rather procrastinate on by going shopping. Unfortunately for them, celestial bureaucracies run a tight ship, so shirking their duties only piles more work onto them.
So they have their fun wherever they can get it by diving into a generational rivalry of soul-dollect, ducking exorcists, and doing the absolute most in the process to one-up each other. Naturally, their daily angel-devil routine spirals into chaos, ranging from the benign to the apocalyptic, making for a hilarious, short-but-sweet read.
For comparison, Eniale and Dewiela’s dynamic gives Bayonetta and Jeanne a touch of Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt, but with the debauchery dialed down from a raucous 11 to a mischievous five. In Witch Hat Atelier terms, Eni and Dewi read like the proto-blueprint for Agott’s tsundere bite and Coco’s sheepish naïveté reimagined as a madcap buddy comedy duo. Watching Shirahama remove her limiters and let these two wreak havoc—whether sabotaging each other’s soul quotas or teaming up to do the bare minimum—is a delight. And when they’re not butting heads, they’re simply gals being pals: shopping, scheming, and trying to live their best lives.
What I love most about the manga is that it’s Shirahama fully in her comedic bag, writing slapstick gags with an elasticity and confidence that feel distinctly aged-up, in line with Witch Hat Atelier‘s gentler whimsy. With each chapter, you can feel her stretching, riffing, and letting herself be unserious in ways that WHA‘s tone doesn’t always allow. Coincidentally, the manga also teases her natural aptitude for sapphic-tinged storytelling that WHA fans—especially Arkco-truthers (we see you)—will clock immediately. Shirahama’s genuinely funny here, but she’s also effortlessly flexing her ability to weave emotionally stirring beats into her gag comedy manga.
For readers who adore WHA’s visual splendor, rest assured: Eniale & Dewiela carries the same hallmarks. The panel work is exquisite, the ornate borders feel like thumbing through an ancient tome, and the intricate detailing is as gobsmacking as ever. But here, that craft is in service of pure comedy. Across its three volumes, Shirahama unleashes a cavalcade of supernatural disasters born from the duo’s joint dumbassery—raising hordes of zombies while trying to turn a priest into both an angel and a demon, splitting the sea like Moses to find a missing earring, and firing a sky‑beam of souls straight into the heavens.
And when the manga isn’t serving killer runway fashion, heavenly‑hellish hijinks, or a few sapphic glances, it’s got heart. The standout moment comes in chapter eight, where Dewiela goes from hovering over an old woman like a vulture waiting to collect her soul to befriending her and her “fugly” guard cat. That chapter made me misty-eyed, I’m not gonna lie.
So if you need a quick, delightful read while you deliberate over whether you’re going to stockpile Witch Hat Atelier episodes or are simply craving more of Shirahama’s work (outside her Pokémon card illustrations—she contains multitudes), Eniale & Dewiela is absolutely worth your time.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Witch Hat Atelier has quickly become one of, if not the, must-watch anime of the season. So much so, you can’t fault fans for hitting a common anime adaptation impasse: watching weekly, banking episodes for a finale-day binge, or giving in and reading ahead in Kamome Shirahama‘s beloved manga. Decisions, decisions.
But what if we told you there’s a secret third option—one that scratches the Shirahama itch to bask in her bespoke artistry and trades the unspeakable horrors awaiting Coco for a side-splitting, utterly riotous comedy? Well, good, because we are. That option is her slept-on, pre-Witch Hat Atelier manga, Eniale & Dewiela.
If Witch Hat Atelier is Shirahama in her grand adventure, Dragon Ball Z era, Eniale & Dewiela was her at peak Dr. Slump whimsy.
Set in a world where heaven and hell coexist, the manga follows the unruly yet wildly endearing friendship between Eniale, the angel, and Dewiela, the demon—two gals tasked with collecting souls on Earth, a job they’d much rather procrastinate on by going shopping. Unfortunately for them, celestial bureaucracies run a tight ship, so shirking their duties only piles more work onto them.
So they have their fun wherever they can get it by diving into a generational rivalry of soul-dollect, ducking exorcists, and doing the absolute most in the process to one-up each other. Naturally, their daily angel-devil routine spirals into chaos, ranging from the benign to the apocalyptic, making for a hilarious, short-but-sweet read.
For comparison, Eniale and Dewiela’s dynamic gives Bayonetta and Jeanne a touch of Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt, but with the debauchery dialed down from a raucous 11 to a mischievous five. In Witch Hat Atelier terms, Eni and Dewi read like the proto-blueprint for Agott’s tsundere bite and Coco’s sheepish naïveté reimagined as a madcap buddy comedy duo. Watching Shirahama remove her limiters and let these two wreak havoc—whether sabotaging each other’s soul quotas or teaming up to do the bare minimum—is a delight. And when they’re not butting heads, they’re simply gals being pals: shopping, scheming, and trying to live their best lives.
What I love most about the manga is that it’s Shirahama fully in her comedic bag, writing slapstick gags with an elasticity and confidence that feel distinctly aged-up, in line with Witch Hat Atelier‘s gentler whimsy. With each chapter, you can feel her stretching, riffing, and letting herself be unserious in ways that WHA‘s tone doesn’t always allow. Coincidentally, the manga also teases her natural aptitude for sapphic-tinged storytelling that WHA fans—especially Arkco-truthers (we see you)—will clock immediately. Shirahama’s genuinely funny here, but she’s also effortlessly flexing her ability to weave emotionally stirring beats into her gag comedy manga.
For readers who adore WHA’s visual splendor, rest assured: Eniale & Dewiela carries the same hallmarks. The panel work is exquisite, the ornate borders feel like thumbing through an ancient tome, and the intricate detailing is as gobsmacking as ever. But here, that craft is in service of pure comedy. Across its three volumes, Shirahama unleashes a cavalcade of supernatural disasters born from the duo’s joint dumbassery—raising hordes of zombies while trying to turn a priest into both an angel and a demon, splitting the sea like Moses to find a missing earring, and firing a sky‑beam of souls straight into the heavens.
And when the manga isn’t serving killer runway fashion, heavenly‑hellish hijinks, or a few sapphic glances, it’s got heart. The standout moment comes in chapter eight, where Dewiela goes from hovering over an old woman like a vulture waiting to collect her soul to befriending her and her “fugly” guard cat. That chapter made me misty-eyed, I’m not gonna lie.
So if you need a quick, delightful read while you deliberate over whether you’re going to stockpile Witch Hat Atelier episodes or are simply craving more of Shirahama’s work (outside her Pokémon card illustrations—she contains multitudes), Eniale & Dewiela is absolutely worth your time.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Witch Hat Atelier has quickly become one of, if not the, must-watch anime of the season. So much so, you can’t fault fans for hitting a common anime adaptation impasse: watching weekly, banking episodes for a finale-day binge, or giving in and reading ahead in Kamome Shirahama‘s beloved manga. Decisions, decisions.
But what if we told you there’s a secret third option—one that scratches the Shirahama itch to bask in her bespoke artistry and trades the unspeakable horrors awaiting Coco for a side-splitting, utterly riotous comedy? Well, good, because we are. That option is her slept-on, pre-Witch Hat Atelier manga, Eniale & Dewiela.
If Witch Hat Atelier is Shirahama in her grand adventure, Dragon Ball Z era, Eniale & Dewiela was her at peak Dr. Slump whimsy.
Set in a world where heaven and hell coexist, the manga follows the unruly yet wildly endearing friendship between Eniale, the angel, and Dewiela, the demon—two gals tasked with collecting souls on Earth, a job they’d much rather procrastinate on by going shopping. Unfortunately for them, celestial bureaucracies run a tight ship, so shirking their duties only piles more work onto them.
So they have their fun wherever they can get it by diving into a generational rivalry of soul-dollect, ducking exorcists, and doing the absolute most in the process to one-up each other. Naturally, their daily angel-devil routine spirals into chaos, ranging from the benign to the apocalyptic, making for a hilarious, short-but-sweet read.
For comparison, Eniale and Dewiela’s dynamic gives Bayonetta and Jeanne a touch of Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt, but with the debauchery dialed down from a raucous 11 to a mischievous five. In Witch Hat Atelier terms, Eni and Dewi read like the proto-blueprint for Agott’s tsundere bite and Coco’s sheepish naïveté reimagined as a madcap buddy comedy duo. Watching Shirahama remove her limiters and let these two wreak havoc—whether sabotaging each other’s soul quotas or teaming up to do the bare minimum—is a delight. And when they’re not butting heads, they’re simply gals being pals: shopping, scheming, and trying to live their best lives.
What I love most about the manga is that it’s Shirahama fully in her comedic bag, writing slapstick gags with an elasticity and confidence that feel distinctly aged-up, in line with Witch Hat Atelier‘s gentler whimsy. With each chapter, you can feel her stretching, riffing, and letting herself be unserious in ways that WHA‘s tone doesn’t always allow. Coincidentally, the manga also teases her natural aptitude for sapphic-tinged storytelling that WHA fans—especially Arkco-truthers (we see you)—will clock immediately. Shirahama’s genuinely funny here, but she’s also effortlessly flexing her ability to weave emotionally stirring beats into her gag comedy manga.
For readers who adore WHA’s visual splendor, rest assured: Eniale & Dewiela carries the same hallmarks. The panel work is exquisite, the ornate borders feel like thumbing through an ancient tome, and the intricate detailing is as gobsmacking as ever. But here, that craft is in service of pure comedy. Across its three volumes, Shirahama unleashes a cavalcade of supernatural disasters born from the duo’s joint dumbassery—raising hordes of zombies while trying to turn a priest into both an angel and a demon, splitting the sea like Moses to find a missing earring, and firing a sky‑beam of souls straight into the heavens.
And when the manga isn’t serving killer runway fashion, heavenly‑hellish hijinks, or a few sapphic glances, it’s got heart. The standout moment comes in chapter eight, where Dewiela goes from hovering over an old woman like a vulture waiting to collect her soul to befriending her and her “fugly” guard cat. That chapter made me misty-eyed, I’m not gonna lie.
So if you need a quick, delightful read while you deliberate over whether you’re going to stockpile Witch Hat Atelier episodes or are simply craving more of Shirahama’s work (outside her Pokémon card illustrations—she contains multitudes), Eniale & Dewiela is absolutely worth your time.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Waymo is working to crack down on the practice, the company confirmed Friday, after reports of new mid-ride age-verification checks began to float around on social media. The company has “policies in place” to help it identify violations of its terms of service, Waymo spokesperson Chris Bonelli wrote in a statement to WIRED. “We are continuing to refine our system and processes for accuracy over time.” Violating its terms of service can lead to temporary or permanent suspension of an account, Waymo says.
The company uses cameras inside its cars to check that riders aren’t violating its rules. Its privacy policy notes that the company records video inside the vehicle during trips. Waymo says its support workers “may review video under certain circumstances” and, “in more urgent circumstances,” access live video during a trip. The company says it does not use facial recognition or “other biometric identification technologies” to identify individuals.
The news comes a month after several California labor groups, including the California Gig Workers Union, filed a formal complaint with a state regulatory agency, accusing Waymo of violating the terms of its permit to operate in the state by knowingly transporting unaccompanied minors. The matter was assigned to a judge this week. The state is evaluating new rules that could allow solo riders under 18 in driverless cars, perhaps patterned after a program that permits ride-hail companies with human drivers to transport minors in California.
So far, several fresh-faced adults have been caught in the crossfire. On Tuesday, San Francisco machine learning engineer Nicholas Fleischhauer was about five minutes into his Waymo ride when the car connected him to support. A voice came over the line asking Fleischhauer to verify his age. He told the worker the truth: He’s 35. “I had messy and wet hair and a backpack on me,” he says, by way of explaining why he might have been flagged by Waymo’s system. Plus, “people have told me that I look young for my age.” Fleischhauer says he takes Waymo weekly, but this marked the first time he had been asked about his age.
Since last summer, Waymo has allowed parents in the Phoenix area to set up teen accounts for riders ages 14 to 17. The accounts allow the teen riders’ adults to track their real-time locations during their trips. Waymo says a specially trained team of support agents deals with any issues its teen riders might have. Waymo says that “hundreds” of Phoenix families use the service each week.
In Waymo’s other markets across the US, adults are allowed to ride with guests under 18, though children under 8 must be in a secured car or booster seat.
Ethan S. Klein is 23, but his 26th LA Waymo ride on Thursday—plus the music he was listening to—was interrupted by an in-car call from a support agent who asked him, for the first time, to verify his birth date. Klein is an adult, but his first impulse was almost teen-like. “I was a little startled,” he says. “I thought I was in trouble!”
By law, autonomous vehicles aren’t allowed to carry unaccompanied minors in California. Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving-car company, doesn’t allow kids under 18 to ride alone anywhere outside of metro Phoenix, Arizona. But that hasn’t stopped some time-strapped parents from using their own accounts to transport their kids to school, extracurricular activities, and even social outings. Some have reported that the lack of drivers makes them feel safer.
Waymo is working to crack down on the practice, the company confirmed Friday, after reports of new mid-ride age-verification checks began to float around on social media. The company has “policies in place” to help it identify violations of its terms of service, Waymo spokesperson Chris Bonelli wrote in a statement to WIRED. “We are continuing to refine our system and processes for accuracy over time.” Violating its terms of service can lead to temporary or permanent suspension of an account, Waymo says.
The company uses cameras inside its cars to check that riders aren’t violating its rules. Its privacy policy notes that the company records video inside the vehicle during trips. Waymo says its support workers “may review video under certain circumstances” and, “in more urgent circumstances,” access live video during a trip. The company says it does not use facial recognition or “other biometric identification technologies” to identify individuals.
The news comes a month after several California labor groups, including the California Gig Workers Union, filed a formal complaint with a state regulatory agency, accusing Waymo of violating the terms of its permit to operate in the state by knowingly transporting unaccompanied minors. The matter was assigned to a judge this week. The state is evaluating new rules that could allow solo riders under 18 in driverless cars, perhaps patterned after a program that permits ride-hail companies with human drivers to transport minors in California.
So far, several fresh-faced adults have been caught in the crossfire. On Tuesday, San Francisco machine learning engineer Nicholas Fleischhauer was about five minutes into his Waymo ride when the car connected him to support. A voice came over the line asking Fleischhauer to verify his age. He told the worker the truth: He’s 35. “I had messy and wet hair and a backpack on me,” he says, by way of explaining why he might have been flagged by Waymo’s system. Plus, “people have told me that I look young for my age.” Fleischhauer says he takes Waymo weekly, but this marked the first time he had been asked about his age.
Since last summer, Waymo has allowed parents in the Phoenix area to set up teen accounts for riders ages 14 to 17. The accounts allow the teen riders’ adults to track their real-time locations during their trips. Waymo says a specially trained team of support agents deals with any issues its teen riders might have. Waymo says that “hundreds” of Phoenix families use the service each week.
In Waymo’s other markets across the US, adults are allowed to ride with guests under 18, though children under 8 must be in a secured car or booster seat.
Ethan S. Klein is 23, but his 26th LA Waymo ride on Thursday—plus the music he was listening to—was interrupted by an in-car call from a support agent who asked him, for the first time, to verify his birth date. Klein is an adult, but his first impulse was almost teen-like. “I was a little startled,” he says. “I thought I was in trouble!”
By law, autonomous vehicles aren’t allowed to carry unaccompanied minors in California. Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving-car company, doesn’t allow kids under 18 to ride alone anywhere outside of metro Phoenix, Arizona. But that hasn’t stopped some time-strapped parents from using their own accounts to transport their kids to school, extracurricular activities, and even social outings. Some have reported that the lack of drivers makes them feel safer.
Waymo is working to crack down on the practice, the company confirmed Friday, after reports of new mid-ride age-verification checks began to float around on social media. The company has “policies in place” to help it identify violations of its terms of service, Waymo spokesperson Chris Bonelli wrote in a statement to WIRED. “We are continuing to refine our system and processes for accuracy over time.” Violating its terms of service can lead to temporary or permanent suspension of an account, Waymo says.
The company uses cameras inside its cars to check that riders aren’t violating its rules. Its privacy policy notes that the company records video inside the vehicle during trips. Waymo says its support workers “may review video under certain circumstances” and, “in more urgent circumstances,” access live video during a trip. The company says it does not use facial recognition or “other biometric identification technologies” to identify individuals.
The news comes a month after several California labor groups, including the California Gig Workers Union, filed a formal complaint with a state regulatory agency, accusing Waymo of violating the terms of its permit to operate in the state by knowingly transporting unaccompanied minors. The matter was assigned to a judge this week. The state is evaluating new rules that could allow solo riders under 18 in driverless cars, perhaps patterned after a program that permits ride-hail companies with human drivers to transport minors in California.
So far, several fresh-faced adults have been caught in the crossfire. On Tuesday, San Francisco machine learning engineer Nicholas Fleischhauer was about five minutes into his Waymo ride when the car connected him to support. A voice came over the line asking Fleischhauer to verify his age. He told the worker the truth: He’s 35. “I had messy and wet hair and a backpack on me,” he says, by way of explaining why he might have been flagged by Waymo’s system. Plus, “people have told me that I look young for my age.” Fleischhauer says he takes Waymo weekly, but this marked the first time he had been asked about his age.
Since last summer, Waymo has allowed parents in the Phoenix area to set up teen accounts for riders ages 14 to 17. The accounts allow the teen riders’ adults to track their real-time locations during their trips. Waymo says a specially trained team of support agents deals with any issues its teen riders might have. Waymo says that “hundreds” of Phoenix families use the service each week.
In Waymo’s other markets across the US, adults are allowed to ride with guests under 18, though children under 8 must be in a secured car or booster seat.
Ethan S. Klein is 23, but his 26th LA Waymo ride on Thursday—plus the music he was listening to—was interrupted by an in-car call from a support agent who asked him, for the first time, to verify his birth date. Klein is an adult, but his first impulse was almost teen-like. “I was a little startled,” he says. “I thought I was in trouble!”
Samsung’s flagship Galaxy Book 6 Ultra laptop has the premium build, processor and graphics muscle required by creative pros. Can it replace a MacBook Pro?
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