First Impression: The Witch and the Beast

Three things can undo a witch’s curse: a prince’s kiss, a change of the witch’s heart, and…roll OP. Guideau, a blond, tough-talking girl with multiple piercings and a permanent scowl, and Ashaf, a tall, dark, mysterious man with piercing blue eyes and a coffin slung across his back, have business with a witch. They’ve just arrived in town, a slightly steampunky kind of place, reminiscent of Victorian London only more expansive in its brickwork and plagued by…giant shark men?! Is this Sharknado? Luckily for the hapless town dwellers, the local witch, Lady Ione, is a true heroine and guardian angel of the city, dispatching the monstrous beast with the flick of her hand, releasing her delicate rune-powered magic. But Guideau and Ashaf are skeptical of this celebrity witch and the way she has managed to win over the entire populace. As an auspicious anniversary approaches, the two occult detectives are confident that the witch’s true colors will soon be revealed. The question is, will it be too late? And will she be as evil as they fear? And while we’re asking questions, just why exactly does Guideau have a monster shark-sized chip on her shoulder and what on earth is in that coffin?!

Wow. That was pretty spectacular! First off, the animation fairly sparks and crackles with brutal beauty—be warned, there are some gory flashes—while the direction reaches truly cinematic heights. This is the best animation I’ve seen so far this season! The cinematography is a sight to behold, enriched by detailed, layered backgrounds, excellent lighting, and the kind of framing that can take your breath away. I was not familiar with studio Yokohama Animation Lab before this, but seriously, color me impressed! The character designs are really cool, as in, these are hip MCs, fairly oozing in appeal, drawing the eye and the viewer’s interest, despite the raging bad attitude and foul mouth on the part of Guideau who, by the way, is far, far more than she seems! The ending leaves me with a ton of questions, which is exactly where I like to be as the credits roll. The pacing is excellent, setting up a detective plot initially, infused with history and lore, and then transforming into a brief burst of horror, followed by full on supernatural fantasy. In other words, this is an episode that keeps you hooked, and makes 23 minutes feel like about 12. What we’ve seen of the magical system so far is inventive, particularly visually, but it’s really the characters and their snappy interactions that make this one so much fun to watch. I also really appreciate how the opening ellipses is filled in by the end of the episode, meaning that the writers are not stingy when it comes to answering questions, and don’t need to string us along on a MacGuffin for half a season or more. This promises much richness to come in terms of worldbuilding and plot. Can’t wait to see more of this series! 

The Witch and the Beast can be streamed on Crunchyroll.

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