The Witch and the Beast anime, a Japanese manga series by Kousuke Satake, has not been a major hit. Despite its popularity, it has not reached on the top 10 or 20 best anime series. The series, which began serializing in Young Magazine 3rd in November 2016. It has been a hidden gem of the winter season. It has been collected in 10 tankōbon volumes as of August 2022. The Witch and the Beast, alongside The Apothecary Diaries, is the most anticipated anime of this season. But has not received the attention it deserves. It is suggested that it should receive another season and more people should tune in.
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1: A Captivating and Unforgettable Plot
The Witch and the Beast is a captivating anime series that follows two main characters. They are Ashaf and Guideau, on a mission to hunt down witches. The story revolves around Ashaf, a mysterious agent of the Order of Magical Resonance, and his unruly partner, Guideau. Guideau is a powerful, masked beast. They are tasked by the Order to solve cases involving magic, particularly witches. As they travel the world, they encounter the infamous witch, Angela Anne Huell, who casts a curse on Guideau.
Forbidden Instruments, dark magical tools that grant wielders immense power at the cost of blood sacrifices, are being spread worldwide. Angela and a coven of witches and mages are prophesized to become a “great enemy” to society. It is causing the order and the church to scramble to stop them. The main cast includes Toshiyuki Morikawa and You Taichi, with Morikawa’s roles. That includes Minato Namikaze from Naruto and King Julius from Black Clover.
The Witch and the Beast is known for its brutal violence and grotesque elements. The storyline never steers far of course, with twists and twists throughout the series. The characters are engaging from the start of each episode to the end. With more characters to be introduced throughout the series.
2: A Flawlessly Solid Production
The Witch and the Beast is an animated series by Yokohama Animation Lab, set in a Victorian era with breathtaking architecture. Art Director Hirotsugu Kakoi, who has worked on big-name anime such as Inuyasha, Space Brothers, and Future Diary. He delivers crisp character designs and solid sound design. The story takes place in a fictitious magical world of eight continents where magic, fantastical creatures, and modern society exist side-by-side.
Magic is deeply intrinsic in the world and can be found even in the air, with natural disasters having traces of magic due to this. Spells are commonly performed by writing runes or imbuing pre-written runes with magic power. The Global Holy Church, located on the First Continent in the west, oversees the development and regulation of magic. The eighth continent develops its own unique brand of magic technology, allowing it and the seventh continent to have prosperous societies. On an isolated island between the seventh and eighth continents, there is a bottomless pit called “The Fall” with seventeen levels.
Each level with its own independent world created by the “Origin Witches.” The Paladin Corps, the only army in the world that can deal with witches, deal with large-scale magical cases. The Executioners, a clandestine group dedicated to killing witches, resort to violent means to achieve their goals. The church has three holy women: the Healer, the Defender, and the Seer, who awaken every few decades to foretell the “Great Flow” or important events in the future.
Witches are the most powerful and dangerous beings in the world, with the strongest beings being “Archmages”. Magic is incompatible with machines and electronics, but purifying certain objects will enable spellcasting. Mages draw upon magic within their bodies, and depleting their reserves or damaging their fingers is one way to combat them. Other supernatural beings, such as magicless yet nearly immortal vampires, can also fight against mages.
The Order of Magical Resonance, made up of mages, witches, and other supernatural beings, deals with magic-related issues. The two factions tend to clash due to their respective agendas, but both groups have an unofficial agreement to never go to war.
3: The New Must-Watch After “Undead Girl Murder Farce”
The Witch and the Beast, a lesser-known anime, has been overlooked in the Best Anime of Summer 2023 rankings. Both series follow two opposite-minded characters, Tsuguru and Ashaf, who work together to solve mysteries for the main female character. Both anime are produced by lesser-known studios, Studio Lapin Track, and have great fighting animation and choreography.
Undead Girl Murder Farce cracked the top 10 in the first week of the Summer 2023 rankings, while The Witch and the Beast has failed to do so three weeks into the Winter 2024 season. However, both series have great fighting animation and choreography, and they both started their respective seasons underrated.
The Witch and the Beast excels in world-building, character dynamics, and unique themes, such as necromancy, magical factions, and hidden dimensions. Its rich universe, chemistry between Ashaf and Guideau, and exploration of dark themes, gore, and violence set it apart from more mainstream anime.
Final Thoughts
The Witch and the Beast is a Japanese manga series by Kousuke Satake. The series is set in a Victorian era with a captivating plot. The series follows two main characters, Ashaf and Guideau, on a mission to hunt down witches. The story revolves around Ashaf, a mysterious agent of the Order of Magical Resonance, and Guideau, a powerful masked beast. The series is known for its brutal violence and grotesque elements, with twists and turns throughout the series.
It is produced by Yokohama Animation Lab and features a blend of character designs and sound design. The series is a must-watch after “Undead Girl Murder Farce”. It has been overlooked in the Best Anime of Summer 2023 rankings. The Witch and the Beast excels in world-building, character dynamics, and unique themes, setting it apart from more mainstream anime. Now go and watch “The Witch and the Beast” on the Crunchyroll.
