English Dub Review: Brave Witches “On a Holy Night”

Pray for us.

Brave Witches delivered a fun series entry in “Good Luck.” Now, with “On a Holy Night,” Brave Witches continues its epic. Once again, there’s a pleasant balance of lighthearted elements and drama.

It’s December, and with winter comes colder weather. Nipa takes Hikari sledding. Unfortunately, Hikari comes down with a fever after catching a cold. So Nipa and her fellow witches attempt to boost Hikari’s spirits by kicking off the Saturnus Festival. Though food rationing initially meant the fest would be canceled, Nipa fought to reinstate the Saturnus Festival as a means to help Hikari feel better. Because of her weak magical power, Hikari caught a cold.

“On a Holy Night” does a lot well. There’s continuity with previous Brave Witches lore. Hikari still battles low magical powers. This continuity further reinforces a cohesive series. Moreover, the newfound relationship between Nipa and Hikari persists and lends an endearing quality to the show.

This episode features one of my favorite moments. The witches eat strange mushrooms and end up cracking up. As such, Nipa is the only witch capable of fighting. It’s an empowering setup for Nipa. I was rather surprised about the admittedly subtle though still obvious drug reference.

Overall, “On a Holy Night” ranks as a delightful episode. Like a holiday, it’s pretty cheery. The entire series maintains an upbeat vibe, but “On a Holy Night” is even more positive and bright. Hikari is overjoyed at the frozen river. It’s still a bit predictable and the fan service remains completely unnecessary. But “On a Holy Night” proves why Brave Witches is such a successful series. It’s simply fun and charming.