Anime isn’t short of witches, magical creatures and associations that try to deal with all that – from the magical girls of Madoka Magica (2011) to the unhinged members of the Union in Undead Unluck (2023). Yet, it had been a while since an anime as dark and intriguing as The Witch and the Beast, the 2024 series produced by Yokohama Animation Lab, graced the screens of Japanese TV. Gothic in setting and tone, closer to the likes of Black Butler and Moriarty the Patriot than anything more recent, The Witch and the Beast follows Guideau and Ashaf on their journey to get rid of the curse unleashed on them by a witch that no one seems able to find.Acting as Guideau’s companion and watchdog, the infallibly handsome Ashaf follows Guideau on every mission. Together, the two form an odd – yet invariably entertaining – duo, in charge of restraining magical creatures and witches alike. In this 19th century-esque world populated with beasts and monstrous human beings, Guideau and Ashaf travel around alternately like explorers and judges come to pronounce a sentence. Despite a shining first episode, The Witch and the Beast has only managed to scrap up a 7.18 score on MAL, down from the 7.20 of a week ago. With a strong central pair and the chance to build a fascinating world, however, this anime could actually come up on top, proving to be the sleeper hit of the Winter season.It doesn’t end there. What allows the two to beat the witch is Guideau’s temporary freedom from their curse, which they obtain by kissing the witch and which allows them to turn back to their original form, that of a muscly masked man with the power of a beast. The plot twist that the episode ends on – Guideau actually being a man – is what really hits the audience, leaving them puzzled and curious for more. Yet, the whole twenty minutes is carefully crafted and assembled, from the bickering back-and-forth that Ashaf and Guideau never let go of, to the ambiguous morals of witches and their unknowability, from the quick, sleek fight scene to the somber ending, leaving the apprentice girl as well as the audience unclear on what to believe in.
Anime isn’t short of witches, magical creatures and associations that try to deal with all that – from the magical girls of Madoka Magica (2011) to the unhinged members of the Union in Undead Unluck (2023). Yet, it had been a while since an anime as dark and intriguing as The Witch and the Beast, the 2024 series produced by Yokohama Animation Lab, graced the screens of Japanese TV. Gothic in setting and tone, closer to the likes of Black Butler and Moriarty the Patriot than anything more recent, The Witch and the Beast follows Guideau and Ashaf on their journey to get rid of the curse unleashed on them by a witch that no one seems able to find.
Acting as Guideau’s companion and watchdog, the infallibly handsome Ashaf follows Guideau on every mission. Together, the two form an odd – yet invariably entertaining – duo, in charge of restraining magical creatures and witches alike. In this 19th century-esque world populated with beasts and monstrous human beings, Guideau and Ashaf travel around alternately like explorers and judges come to pronounce a sentence. Despite a shining first episode, The Witch and the Beast has only managed to scrap up a 7.18 score on MAL, down from the 7.20 of a week ago. With a strong central pair and the chance to build a fascinating world, however, this anime could actually come up on top, proving to be the sleeper hit of the Winter season.
It doesn’t end there. What allows the two to beat the witch is Guideau’s temporary freedom from their curse, which they obtain by kissing the witch and which allows them to turn back to their original form, that of a muscly masked man with the power of a beast. The plot twist that the episode ends on – Guideau actually being a man – is what really hits the audience, leaving them puzzled and curious for more. Yet, the whole twenty minutes is carefully crafted and assembled, from the bickering back-and-forth that Ashaf and Guideau never let go of, to the ambiguous morals of witches and their unknowability, from the quick, sleek fight scene to the somber ending, leaving the apprentice girl as well as the audience unclear on what to believe in.
#Anime #Sleeper #Hit #Winter #Season
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