Review: Witch Watch: Watch Party completely sold me

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I like going to the movie theater to watch a few episodes of a new anime before it officially launches. It's a fun way to get a taste, see if it's something I want to keep watching, and to do so with an audience that will likely be pretty receptive to what they're watching. Of course, it also helps that these programs tend to be mostly for shows that are already likely to be home runs. Dan Da Dan: First Encounter was a big hit for me. My husband and I watched the rest of the show after it came out, and loved it. Last month's Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning- was an enjoyable intro to that show, which I think I'll probably continue once it starts rolling out.

But both of these pale in comparison to Witch Watch: Watch Party, which GKIDS released in theaters this past weekend. As is my wont, I went into this blind, and oh my god, I am so completely in love with this show already. This thing is a total home run, from its fun premise to its comedic timing to its great performances to its playful structure. I am foaming at the mouth for more. This is officially becoming a Witch Watch fan blog. 

Like the Dan Da Dan theatrical release, Watch Party starts with a little behind-the-scenes footage to introduce the series. Voice actors Ryôta Suzuki (Morihito) and Rina Kawaguchi (Nico) start things off, talking about their characters and the premise of the show a bit. Then series director Kenta Shinohara talks about his approach to the series. For the show, they recorded the dialogue first, trying to capture the overlapping, lively comedic timing of manzai, which is a Japanese comedy form where two people have funny conversations. So the animators have the dialogue to work off of, allowing the show to capture some of the unpredictability and in-the-moment lightness that can sometimes be hard to capture in animation, since everything has to be created from scratch. There isn't usually so much room for improv in the medium.

It pays off in huge dividends here. This is easily one of the funniest anime I've ever seen. The premise is set up super quickly: Nico is a witch who's returning to her hometown after years training in the Witch Holy Land. She's going to move in with her childhood friend Morihito, who is descended from ogres and thus, has super strength. He's going to be her familiar (basically her bodyguard), which is especially important at the moment, as there's a prophecy that tragedy is going to befall Nico within the next year.

I immediately fell in love with Nico. She's such a disaster, but the kind of disaster that you can't help but root for. She's always quick to cast a spell, even when it isn't necessary, even when she doesn't fully know all the ins and outs of what's going to happen. She's so enthusiastic and upbeat, and the results of her constant spell-casting are pretty much always laugh-out-loud. After reuniting with Morihito, she is immediately smitten, so she wants to impress him with her magic. She tells him she can turn anything flat as paper. To prove it, she casts the spell on herself. And then this Flat Stanley-fied Nico promptly flies out the window. It's so silly, and animated with such verve, performed with the perfectly level of adorableness by Kawaguchi. It's all exactly right. 

This three-episode package does a nice job of really getting you invested in the world. The first episode introduces the characters, the premise, and gets Nico's obsession firing on all cylinders. The characters feel fully fleshed-out from the get-go: not just Nico's wild abandon, but also Morihito's charming dedication and frequent exasperation. The second episode broadens the world, following our two leads to school, where some of the biggest laughs are to be found. I especially loved the (secret) otaku teacher, whose references to Hunter x Hunter and Demon Slayer immediately endeared her to me. The third episode widens the scope a bit more, giving some screentime to Nico's mother and ending with the introduction of another character who I presume will become another main character.

I love how the episodes are structured, too. After the premiere, the episodes are sliced up into smaller bits focusing on specific spells, gags, or story beats. It makes each episode feel like a grab bag of goodies. And all of them are good! There was never a moment where I wanted to move on to the next thing. I was always happy, giddy even.

As far as this kind of theatrical release goes, I can't imagine a better one. The BTS stuff was cool (there's a bit more after the episodes, including discussion about ad-libbing and teasing future episodes), and the show is a total knockout. I will be enthusiastically tuning in when it starts airing next month.