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Ichi is a hunter—always has been, always will be. Abandoned in the mountains when he was small, he’s lived his young life under a simple code: kill to survive, but only kill to survive.

His life of hunting simple game comes to an end when his mountain is invaded by witches. But they aren’t attacking him. They’re after Uroro, the King of the creatures known as Majiks. In this world, witches obtain their spells by subjugating Majiks, and Uroro is being hunted by the greatest witch of them all: Desscaras, the Abyssal Witch.

But the trial to obtain Uroro comes with a catch, one that prevents any current witch from bringing him to heel. Only a new witch can stop Uroro, and that witch is none other than Ichi! There’s just one tiny, inconsequential problem, no big deal, really… Boys aren’t supposed to be able to use magic!

Standing Out From the Crowd

I discussed the battle manga genre way back when I reviewed and recommended Black Clover, but it can’t be overstated how this action subgenre is one of the defining genres. In most places in the world, if you mention anime, they will likely think of monster collectors, magical girls or kung-fu fighting aliens who shoot energy beams at each other.

So if you’re writing a story in the same genre as mega-famous titles like Dragon Ball Z, Naruto and My Hero Academia, you need to have something special to help you stand out. Ichi the Witch has a lot going for it in this way, both in the story and behind the scenes.

Bringing Magic to Life

In the world of Ichi the Witch, magic is a living thing. This isn’t metaphorical or poetic—magical spells quite literally take the form of living creatures known as Majiks. These Majiks can be acquired by women by passing a trial of the Majik’s choosing. Most Majiks are interested in being acquired, and thus present trials that are difficult but ultimately achievable and relatively safe—sleep on an iceberg and you get ice powers, drink several gallons of water in one sitting and you get water powers, things of that nature.

The antagonists of our story are the Anti-Human Majiks. These Majiks have unfair trials ranging in difficulty and lethality based on how much they hate humanity—obtain this orb before getting electrocuted to death, kill this Majik before it kills you, or pierce the unbreakable barrier protecting the Majik’s heart. These Anti-Human Majiks hate humanity for subjugating their fellow Majiks. However, as I said, the majority of Majiks actively seek to be acquired. The reason for this state of affairs is one of the core mysteries at the heart of our stories.

Our Hero

Ichi’s unique outlook and hunting experience bring a new point of view to the world of witches. He approaches the hunt for Majik the same way he would approach the hunt for wild game, which gives him an edge over more animal-like Majiks.

Like many battle manga protagonists, Ichi is smart but simple-minded. He’s extremely knowledgeable about hunting and survival, but he has an exceedingly straightforward view of morality. He has a somewhat harsh, realistic and almost nihilistic philosophy when it comes to fighting, which he describes as “Death for Death.” That is to say, if someone tries to kill him, a friend or an innocent, he’ll kill them first.

It’s a shockingly brutal outlook for a protagonist under the Shonen Jump imprint, yet Ichi’s bright, cheery and friendly attitude runs counter to it. He’s a hunter who loves and respects life, but that veneration comes in the form of brutally putting down anyone who threatens the sanctity of life. It’s an apparent contradiction that makes perfect sense in the context of this intriguing character.

His Mentor

Desscaras is similarly a walking contradiction. Rude, arrogant, selfish and fickle, Desscaras seems like the worst person to have as a mentor. She doesn’t even seem to consider Ichi as much of a student, but rather as a servant and pet to use for her amusement.

And yet that sense of pride goes both ways. She’s too prideful to sit idly by and let Ichi put his life on the line to save the world. She has to save the day and protect everyone because that’s what the greatest witch in the world would do.

Most of all, she lives up to her own hype. She’s a mentor in the same vein as Kakashi from Naruto or Gojo from Jujutsu Kaisen—someone who is part of the upper echelon of the main character’s craft, showing the peak of what warriors like them are capable of. Like these mentors before her, Desscaras is seemingly crass and heartless, but in truth, she is fiercely loyal and an admirable mentor.

Her personality is more than enough reason to adore the character, but the quality of her design heightens her appeal all the more. There’s a lovely attention to detail in the braiding of her hair and the way her palms are a lighter complexion than the rest of her dark skin tone.

I fell in love with this character quickly, and I’ll gladly admit she’s half the reason I wanted to make this post.

Art and Behind the Scenes

The excellent art comes courtesy of Shiro Usazaki, who first garnered popularity for her fan art on Twitter. Usazaki-sensei has a beautiful art style, and her character designs are astonishingly detailed for a weekly manga series.

Our writer is Osamu Nishi, who continues to write and draw Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun—an excellent comedy series that you should also be reading!

Not only is our creative team a pair of hardworking and talented artists, but they also stand out as two women succeeding in a male-dominated manga magazine. I’ve talked before about the changing trends in Shonen Jump with the success of series like Akane-banashi and RuriDragon, and I see the success of Ichi the Witch as another part of that changing tide. While it isn’t unheard of for women to thrive in manga magazines aimed at young boys—Rumiko Takahashi has done so for decades—Weekly Shonen Jump has almost exclusively focused on male artists, editors and lead characters for the entirety of its 50+ year history. So it’s cool to see that trend change for the better!

Conclusion

Ichi the Witch has a lovely mix of something that feels familiar with something entirely new, taking elements from popular manga genres, while putting two unique leads at the center of the story. This series is funny, thrilling and dramatic, often igniting a series of emotions in rapid succession as the story goes along. And all of that is topped off with some beautiful art. Ichi the Witch is totally worth your time.

If you need further convincing, check out this free motion comic preview of the first chapter, featuring Kikunosuke Toya, the voice of Denji from Chainsaw Man!