English Dub Review: The Dawn of the Witch: “I’m Not Afraid to Die”

Overview: Saybil (Travis Mullenix), Hort (Kimmie Britt), Kudo (Joe Cucinotti) and Los (Monica Rial) arrive at the village to find that it is being held hostage by a witch and mercenary. 

Our Take: The village under the local witch and mercenary’s grip is haunting, beginning to show the darker side of how they operate, but perhaps not just her but also the headmaster herself. With the headmaster potentially having schemed for Saybil and the other’s demise, it not only shows Saybil’s wits in deducting it but the possible depths of cruelty mages will go to. The priest overseeing the village, Shinpu, is an intriguing figure with his suspicious and unknown nature in what his true allegiance and intentions are, especially when welcoming Saybil and the others and seemingly caring for the villagers with them also vouching for him. Shinpu’s exchange with Los also highlights how clever she is in her own right as a seasoned mage in how smart she is to figure out that he is deceitful and probably fed the mercenary info about them. 

Saybil makes some steady progress as a character in discovering what his life means to others and how that affects them, even when he sees no value in it, with Kudo and Los playing a major role in helping him realize this. The deeper understanding in how Saybil prioritizes his memories as well as his friends show’s just how much he wants to preserve everything and everyone that makes him who he is. Kudo and Los’ candid talk with him also cements their wholesome friendship in them giving him the necessary and truthful advice, not mincing words especially in Kudo’s case with how blunt he is. Putting herself in Saybil’s shoes, Hort shows how much perspective she has in realizing Saybil is still deciphering his emotions as a whole and not realizing that she is his friend. Although their reunion is soon cut short when after meeting a friendly little girl and of a beast race most likely, she is betrayed by Shinpu and captured. 

Kudo also gets some good character work in understanding just how far he is willing to go in pursuit of his dream to become a mage knight and save his friends. Kudo is tested when not seeing any point to taking on a witch, someone that he believes outclasses him and the gang. With Kudo momentarily leaving, the beastman mercenary and his attempt to recruit him, acts as a heartfelt challenge for the lizard man in caring for Hort and the gang’s well-being with the mercenary’s intent to kill them. Saybil’s convictions are also reinforced well for both Hort and Los as he seeks to protect them both as the priest traps them in a cell with the much-talked-about witch.