English Dub Season Review: The Witch and the Beast Season One

Based on the Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kousuke Satake. The story follows Guideau (Pronounced Gee-Dough), a fierce individual on a quest for revenge against the witch who cursed her. To achieve her goal, she joins the Order of Magical Resonance, teaming up with the enigmatic yet charismatic chain-smoking mage Ashaf. Together, they tackle magical cases while hunting the elusive witch across a fantastical yet dangerous world of magic, curses, and intrigue…

On the technical side, the Anime adaptation was produced by Yokohama Animation Laboratory and directed by Takayuki Hamana. Yūichirō Momose is writing the scripts, Hiroya Iijima handling the character designs, and Hanae Nakamura and Natsumi Tabuchi composing the music. The opening theme song is “Soumonka”, performed by Sokoninaru, while the ending theme song is “Hikari no Trill”, performed by Yoshino Nanjo.

In the realm of supernatural anime, “The Witch and the Beast” navigates a fine line between success and stumbling. While its dark tone occasionally veers toward edge lord territory, the series even if it stumbles a bit. Yet it finds its footing in the dynamic partnership between Ashaf and Guideau with a plot that feels somewhat reminiscent of the Hellsing franchise while attempting to do its own thing, the narrative at first utilizes a “villain of the week” episodic structure with occasional character-focused diversions, fleshing out the world’s magical intricacies and societal dynamics.

The series establishes a world where magic breeds danger, with witches wielding powers tied to lineage and marked by symbolic tattoos. Rules and regulations governing magic add depth to the setting, while Guideau’s unique curse adds a compelling twist to her character. However, the story’s pacing suffers from episodic detours and uneven animation quality, detracting from its overall impact.

Despite its engaging character dynamics and world-building, the series struggles to maintain focus, with the last four episodes serving more as setup than resolution. The animation quality varies, with a European-inspired aesthetic and scenery that complements the supernatural themes that further utilize darkness and vibrant scenery to enhance the supernatural elements. While many of the action sequences can be hit-or-miss, the art style and world-building hint at a rich lore that remains underexplored.

Overall, while the show has almost unrealized potential with its unique characters and intriguing world but falls short of fully realizing it. Despite its flaws, the series offers compelling mysteries and hints at a deeper narrative, leaving viewers eager for more. While the series sets up intriguing stakes and character backstories in its final episodes present potential, the proceedings ultimately leave more to be desired from its unfinished narrative. And with the manga currently on hiatus as I’m typing this, it remains uncertain if another Season will ever happen, but it’s worth exploring further if the story somehow continues.