Hello, TheAnimeRealm community! I hope you are all doing well, just like me, full of joy and happiness. As always, I like to share a summary or review of some anime with you every week, and today we'll do one in particular that I never thought I would like, but as I always say, don't judge a book by its cover, and in this case, Witch Craft Works is an anime that is quite explosive in colors, with excellent animation, funny touches of comedy, and powerful fights between bears and rabbits. Here is my brief analysis or review...
Witch Craft Works is a work created by Ryu Mizunagi, from March 2010 to February 7, 2022. The light novel has a total of 17 volumes and belongs to the genres of magic, urban fantasy, comedy, action, and romance. Its anime adaptation was made in 2014 by JC Staff, which I will discuss later. JC Staff is a great animation studio, and they put a lot of effort into making this adaptation, for which they have my respect.
The synopsis of this explosive and funny story begins with our beloved protagonist Honoka Takamiya, an average student whose biggest problem is sitting next to Ayaka Kagari, the school's unattainable idol. Eeeh... I'm not exaggerating, he just sat next to her and the disaster began. That woman is admired as if she were a queen or something. But his life takes an explosive turn (literally) when a school tower almost crushes him and Ayaka saves him... dressed as a witch, flying on a broomstick and with fire coming out of her hands. It's like we're watching a female, animated version of Harry Potter. It turns out that Ayaka has been secretly protecting him because Honoka harbors magical powers. From that moment on, a war breaks out between two factions of witches: those of the Workshop (protective) and those of the Tower (chaotic), with Honoka as the grand prize.
Now let's talk about our colorful characters, starting with our two heroes.
🔥 Ayaka Kagari
The “princess” of the school. Tall, imposing, expressionless, and with an attitude that screams “I don't need anyone except Honoka.” She is a fire witch with physical strength that would make anyone tremble. Her devotion to Honoka is so intense that she carries him like a princess whenever she can. I'm not lying, you have to see it. Her evolution is subtle but powerful: from being a stoic bodyguard to showing a tenderness that melts even magical ice. She has absolute control over fire. She is practically immortal as long as Honoka is nearby. She protects him with almost obsessive devotion. There is a magical bond between them that transfers damage from him to her.
😱 Honoka Takamiya
The tragic protagonist of this story seems to have been taken straight out of a manual on “how to be an average boy in anime.” At first, he is passive, confused, and constantly in danger. But as the story progresses, he begins to make decisions, understand his power, and want to protect Ayaka. His development is slow but satisfying, like a cake that takes time to bake, but it's worth it.
There are also factions within the witch group, including the workshop witches, which are made up of the following:
Kazane Kasagari:
Ayaka's mother, head of the workshop witches in the city, and president of Tōgetsu High School, who has been alive since the Crusades. Kazane has earned several nicknames throughout her life, including “Dragon Tooth.” Kazane is a hot-tempered, violent, heavy smoker with little tolerance for problems. While she is somewhat intelligent, that's right folks... and dumb in other ways... she tends to handle things with great power rather than thinking them through, resulting in misunderstandings and missing important details. But she is also a very powerful witch, and now I see where her daughter gets her powers from.
Kasumi Takamiya
Honoka's younger sister, who is also a witch in the workshop, has a familiar in the form of a colorful teddy bear that can transform into a giant combat robot she calls Maka-ron. She has an extreme sibling complex with Honoka. As such, she is extremely jealous of Ayaka and often fights with her, especially when she finds her and Honoka in very suggestive situations.
The story of Witch Craft Works begins like a typical school anime... for about 30 seconds. Then a tower falls from the sky, a giant rabbit tries to kill the protagonist, and the prettiest girl in school reveals herself to be a witch who throws fireballs. Welcome to enchanted chaos.
Honoka Takamiya becomes the target of the Tower Witches—a group of sorceresses who seem to have been cast as video game villains, but with more clumsiness than malice. The reason: within him resides the mysterious Evermillion, an arcane power that can upset the magical balance of the world.
What's interesting is how this threat triggers an unusual dynamic in the anime: Ayaka Kagari becomes his magical bodyguard, protector, driver, occasional nurse, and, in general, his personal battle tank. Honoka goes from being an ordinary guy to being at the center of a witch war, without even understanding how a wand works.
Behind the explosive rabbits and battles between witches, there is a lore that unfolds like secret scrolls: the origin of Evermillion, the shared past between Ayaka and Honoka (surprise: it's no coincidence that they are so close), and a larger war between two factions of witches that have been in dispute for centuries. Each episode adds layers, from blurred memories to dramatic family connections.
The animation studio JC Staff does not disappoint in any way. The animation is fluid, the magical effects are colorful, and the character design is appealing. The flames emanating from Kagari have a beautiful effect that make her look very powerful. Although the use of CGI is noticeable in some scenes to save money, the visual style maintains a vibrant and consistent aesthetic. Honestly, it's not bad at all, and it doesn't feel awkward in any way. It's very fluid, beautiful, and the color tones are not exaggerated at all. It's very cute. The magical battles are well choreographed, with special effects that are not overwhelming but still impressive.
In conclusion, this anime does not attempt to be a philosophical odyssey, nor does it seek to reinvent the genre. What it does, it does with style: it mixes the funny with the epic, the romantic with the explosive, and the tender with the ridiculously powerful (we're talking about Ayaka carrying Honoka around like she's her handbag).
What's more, it has something special: a leading chemistry that doesn't follow the mold. The dynamic between Ayaka and Honoka not only subverts expectations, but also builds a sincere relationship that evolves between heated exchanges and sweet moments. If you're looking for a story that will entertain you without asking you to solve existential mysteries... but still leave you thinking about the beauty of unlikely connections, this anime has something special. It comes highly recommended.
Well my people I say good bye, if you do not see me often now as before is because I took a job, and I really do not like the truth but I do not earn badly, I'm on probation and I have had to make small sacrifices, among them is this, and leave a little video games, it is difficult to make a publication or to play this game when the mind is exhausted of so much as to solve the things in your place of work, and the truth I am very sorry, I will try to make an effort to continue active to the community, so take care of yourselves a lot and see you in the following post...
In making this publication, the images were originally taken in DVD format and then transferred to my PC for use. The following tools, programs and websites were also used:
Bandicam: Photos or images
Canvas: Banners or dividers
Movavi Video Converter 21 Premium: Gifs creation
Deelp: Spanish - English Translation