‘The Witch and the Beast’ Anime Review: Is It Worth Watching?

The Witch and the Beast is a manga series that first appeared in 2016 and is still ongoing. The author is Kousuke Satake, and the series is a dark fantasy with thriller and adventure elements that follows a mage called Ashraf and his companion, Guideau, who seeks to undo a witch’s curse that was cast upon her by finding the witch who cursed her. Ashaf works for The Order of Magical Resonance and is paired with Guideau, as they travel the fictional world of the series. In 2024, the anime adaptation of The Witch and the Beast started, and in this review, we are going to tell you whether it is worth watching or not.

The story of The Witch and the Beast is relatively intriguing. The first episode does well to set up the world and the characters, telling us about all the important interpersonal relationships, as well as elements of the lore that we actually have to consider. Unlike the recent Metallic Rouge (which cannot be compared to this series, but this is a structural remark), The Witch and the Beast doesn’t flood us with information, and it does well to wrap up the narrative lines it has, but also to keep us wanting more, as it sets up the future episodes.

The Witch and the Beast is a dark fantasy setting that combines magic with a somewhat Victorian setting, which is a common stylistic choice in dark fantasy works. We find out that the world is full of magic and that there are various mages, beasts, and witches in the series. All of these creatures form part of the series’ lore, and the anime does well to establish that aspect. The two protagonists, Ashaf and Guideau, are not the most original characters you’ll find, but they aren’t caricatures either. Ashaf seems to be somewhat more interesting in that aspect, as Guideau is more or less a template character, but Guideau – on the other hand – provides us with more entertainment as the series goes on.

The initial episode doesn’t really reveal much about the world of The Witch and the Beast, tempting us to stick around to find out more, which is good, especially when it is paired with the fact that it does give just enough hints to keep us interested. There are several important questions that have yet to be answered, and the series does well to intrigue us.

The animation is fine, we’d say – it’s not spectacular, and you can see that Yokohama Animation Laboratory is not a major studio – but it’s not something that will cause any issues while watching. What we did like in that aspect was the world design, as the authors did well to recreate the manga’s atmosphere through these visuals, as well as the coloring, which was somewhat odd but absolutely perfect for a series such as The Witch and the Beast. This atmosphere is actually a very strong point of the series.

The main issue we’d point out is that The Witch and the Beast is a show for a certain type of audience. It doesn’t have universal value, and if you’re not into dark fantasy settings involving witches, magic, and strange creatures, then you won’t really find much entertainment in The Witch and the Beast. It is not a groundbreaking anime but rather a work made for a niche audience that prefers this type of series. There are both Hellsing and Vampire Knight, as well as Devil May Cry vibes in The Witch and the Beast, which is enough to reveal to you whether you’ll like the show or not.

The fanservice is minimal, and the series does not shy away from graphic content, which is a plus, but the lack of depth might be something that some fans will not like, although the series does show a lot of promise.

The Witch and the Beast should be perceived as entertainment for those who like dark fantasy works. It is intriguing, it is interesting, and the overall impression is that this anime series does show a lot of promise. If things are executed well over the next few episodes, The Witch and the Beast might become a silent fan favorite for some during this winter season. But, those who don’t like this kind of genre won’t find too much in the series, as it has little universal value overall. Our initial impression is that The Witch and the Beast is a show with a lot of potential, so we definitely recommend it.

Score: 7.5/10