Dark atmosphere, black magic, cruelty, bloodshed – it's all here.
The witch hunt goes on forever – even in a fantasy world where everything is at your fingertips: from runes and sorcery to megacities. An interesting example of dark fantasy about witches was released this year – The Witch and the Beast – and you probably missed it.
In 2016, Kousuke Satake's dark manga Majo to Yaju was published – about a fragile-looking girl with a brutal character who travels with a tall and annoyingly polite man.
The two follow the witches in search of the one who imprisoned one of the characters in another's body. The tandem is prepared to sift through hundreds of candidates in their quest to find the cursed one.
What Is The Witch and the Beast About?
Guideau is a rude, eternally hungry and incredibly strong girl. Ashaf is a tall, dark-haired man with black boots and a coffin on his back. Both represent an order that takes note of all strange, bloody, and dangerous incidents involving magic.
And there is a lot of it in this world, because the universe of The Witch and The Beast is a charming combination of different eras. Technological progress coexists with ancient runes. Ancient castles stand not far from modern police stations.
After a contact with magic, the main couple is ready to go anywhere, if only a rumor about the presence of a witch spreads.
The Witch and the Beast Has a Well-Thought-Out and Expansive World
In The Witch and The Beast, attitudes toward magic and witches vary depending on where you live. In rural areas, witchcraft is feared like fire, and all problems are ready to be blamed on a hapless orphan with a sorcerer's pedigree.
In a modern metropolis where a witch helps the townspeople, she is treated like Gothamites treat Batman: the first sign of trouble, they call for help. In another city, dark and foggy, a witch is more likely to be associated with a bloodthirsty maniac who cannot be caught without victims.
Each action is placed in the only suitable environment, outside of which it simply could not be realized. This world is heterogeneous, which only emphasizes its scale.
Where to Watch The Witch and the Beast?
If you want to dive into the cauldron of dark fantasy, where the life of witches and humans is equally short, then The Witch and the Beast is a perfect choice.
The Witch and the Beast is available to stream on Crunchyroll.