Get ready for some magical mayhem! The upcoming TV anime adaptation of Witch Watch, the fantasy rom-com from Kenta Shinohara (creator of SKET DANCE and Astra Lost in Space), is gearing up for its big debut. First announced last August, the series has been a hit with readers for its charming and hilarious story.
Last night (Feb. 16), a brand-new key visual and promotional video dropped, revealing that the opening theme will be performed by the chart-topping duo YOASOBI. The anime is set to premiere in April 2025 and will run for two consecutive cours.
Witch Watch began its serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump back in 2021, marking Kenta Shinohara's first new series in four years after concluding "Astra Lost in Space." The manga quickly gained traction, even snagging second place in the Print Manga category at the Next Manga Award 2022.
The story follows Morihito Otogi, a boy from a family of ogres who has suppressed his immense strength since accidentally hurting someone as a child. His life takes a wild turn when his childhood friend, Nico Wakatsuki, a witch, returns from her magical training. Despite her power, she's still a total klutz. Nico asks Morihito to become her familiar and moves in with him, all at the request of her mother. And so begins their cohabitation and their first semester of high school.
The new key visual captures the main trio—Nico Wakatsuki, Morihito Otogi, and the tengu descendant Kanshi Kazamatsuri—unleashing their unique abilities. Also featured are the headphone-wearing Keigo Magami and fellow witch Nemu Miyam, perfectly showcasing the series' whimsical and fantastical atmosphere.
Music powerhouse YOASOBI is contributing a brand-new song, "Watch me!," as the opening theme. The track is said to revolve around protagonist Nico's pure and innocent crush on her childhood friend, Morihito.
Ayase of YOASOBI shared his excitement, revealing he's a huge fan of Kenta Shinohara's work, starting with "SKET DANCE." "It's a massive honor to create a song for 'Witch Watch'!" he said. "This song, 'Watch me!,' is all about Nico's pure feelings for Morihito. I wanted to express her adorable side, and I hope this song helps everyone fall in love with her character!"
Animation production is being handled by Bibury Animation Studios, the team behind recent hits like The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You, Magical Destroyers, and the second season of The Quintessential Quintuplets.
▼ "Witch Watch" TV Anime Promotional Video
Fans of the original manga and newcomers alike should mark their calendars for the April premiere. It's a fun and adorable series that's definitely worth checking out!
STAFF
Original Work: Kenta Shinohara (Serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump)
Director: Hiroshi Ikehata
Assistant Director: Masao Kawase
Series Composition: Deko Akao
Character Design: Haruko Iizuka
Art Director: Xue Ping (Kusanagi)
Music: Yukari Hashimoto
Animation Production: Bibury Animation Studios
CAST
Nico Wakatsuki: Rina Kawaguchi
Morihito Otogi: Ryota Suzuki
Kanshi Kazamatsuri: Kouhei Amasaki
Keigo Magami: Kaito Ishikawa
Nemu Miyam: Tomori Kusunoki
Yuri Makuwa: Mikako Komatsu
Kara Minami: Rie Takahashi
Kukumi Ureshino: Konomi Kohara
Tenryu Kiyomiya: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
Ibara Ibu: Miyuki Sawashiro
Yuzuru Kenmochi: Jun Fukuyama
Syrup: Rie Kugimiya
Kuromitsu: Misaki Kuno
Roro Kurimichi: Noriko Hidaka
Bakuretsu: Kenta Miyake
Kyoki Saiko: Jun Fukushima
Daiki Sakai MKII: Hikaru Midorikawa