"Do you know how to break a witch's curse?
Method 1: A loving kiss from a prince on a white horse."
----- "Never met one." -----
"Method 2: Hope the wrathful witch has a change of heart."
----- "I'm in this mess 'cause I can't find that bitch!" -----
In the interest of function over form, here’s a quick yardstick to judge if you’ll enjoy reading The Witch and the Beast, for those in a hurry:
- Are you looking for a seinen manga replete with explosive action, intriguing characters and a mature tone?
- Do you want something that will keep you thinking after you put it down?
- Can you enjoy
...
exquisite paneling and detailed line art for its own sake?
- Do you prefer world-building spread out in layers like an onion rather than exposited through info-dump-trucks?
- Are you a fan of neoclassical/old world European architecture and characters with a sense of fashion?
- Are you ok with starting in-media-res & episodic storytelling?
- Did you admire the conceptual vibe of Magical Beasts and Where to Find Them, but wanted something better?
- Are you curious what Men in Black would be like if it was about witches instead?
- Have you ever asked yourself what it would be like if Sean Connery was a pretty-boy archmage? Or what if Wolverine was a petite blond girl?
- Are you tired of save-the-world stories about defeating a demon king or some-such?
- Is Power from Chainsaw Man your waifu?
If the answer to most of the above is no, then this manga isn’t for you. If everything was a yes, then why are you still here? Go look up chapter 1 already! Though, if you want a little bit more convincing, then keep reading.
THE REVIEW:
Now then, what follows is as much a review of and speculation on W&B as it is an effort to get my thoughts in order and vent my frustration at how overlooked this manga seems to be, at least in the English-speaking community. Up to the time of writing, W&B has successfully pieced together the skeleton of what could become a gripping story with compelling narrative stakes, well realized main characters (given more time), an intriguing antagonist that thus far eschews genre tropes and an impressively memorable art style that elevates it above most of its peers. The only lingering question in my mind is if Satake will continue the measured pacing of both the stated narrative and the meta narrative (Guideau's slow character development) that has allowed its aforesaid strengths to grow and come to the fore organically over about the first 5 volumes.
PRESENTATION (art & storytelling conventions):
Satake understands ‘show, don’t tell’. Time and again I’ve seen manga put the cart before the horse and fail at this most basic principle, typically in the form of exposition dumps; W&B for the most part avoids this pitfall by simply giving just enough info upfront to contextualize what will happen, and leaving the rest to be explained afterwards by characters reflecting on events or presenting narrative/artistic clues for readers to interpret.
The storytelling is directed in a cinematic style - both visually and verbally. The detailed European style cityscapes provide an atmospheric visual metaphor that informs the overall style and tone of the manga. Contrast this with the fluid yet intense character art in the action scenes and you have a captivating combination that makes for eye candy on every page.
And in line with the cinematic presentation, as a rule we are usually not privy to any of the characters inner voices. The importance of this paradigm to maintaining the necessary mystery and suspense for W&B to succeed as a thriller cannot be understated. This is a manga that will reward you for pausing and admiring the slight changes in facial expressions from one panel to the next, as well as contemplating what the characters say versus what they don't say. Indeed given that we cannot know with certainty the true motivations of even the main characters, much of your takeaway in terms of whether you find them intriguing or too lacking in definition for your taste will come down to how much you are willing to read into body language and facial expressions - as well as how much you are willing to speculate on what unstated motivations the main cast may have. At least, that's how things stand at present.
NARRATIVE (minimal spoilage):
The basic setup of W&B is fairly straightforward: witches are more or less universally powerful, and as a result, universally feared. Our protagonists work for a secret society of mages that sends them out to ‘deal’ with problems involving magic in general, and witches in particular. The narrative hook here lies with who and what exactly our main characters are; the ‘first class mage’ Ashaf and his partner Guideau - an ill-mannered girl burdened with a witch's curse. As the opening words posit, this is a story of Guideau's quest for a cure (and revenge).
As Ashaf and Guideau's episodic adventures progress, the narrative sticks to its original personal-level goal rather than doubling down the cliched rabbit hole of saving the world - and in fact it pulls off a somewhat tongue-in-cheek parody/sidestep of the trope in the vol 4 that's more apparent looking back afterward than at the time of reading. The first few volumes may leave the story feeling rudderless, but from vol 5 onwards, things begin coming together defining a clear direction.
ANTAGONIST (minor spoiler):
One final spoiler, but it really illustrates how W&B's approach to the mystery/thriller angle works. We are 6 volumes in and the main antagonist (the titular Witch) cannot be conclusively deemed a villain, insofar as the one-sided understanding of events presented via following Ashaf & Guideau's POV, combined with our lack of knowledge of events preceding chapter 1, allows for conflicting interpretations of the Witch's true motives and character. Indeed, given what Guideau may be/have been, one can speculate quite compellingly that her curse may have been justified.
The reader can imagine, for instance, the antagonist as a spiteful witch who seeks to torment an innocent Guideau, like the villain of a children's fable - as Guideau's character claims her to be. Or one can imagine a sane witch who perhaps sought to protect people by (spoiler) sealing Guideau's power via a curse. Or again the story is open to a third interpretation: the Witch as a completely amoral actor who has (not too surprisingly) grown egotistical and self-absorbed from possessing the power and lifespan of a witch, in which case, Guideau's curse is nothing more than a temporary relief from boredom in her eyes with no malice behind it. In fact, the story so far allows for all three interpretations to be true to a degree - and I certainly hope that's the direction it moves in.
CONCLUSION:
I could go on further, but at this point if your curiosity hasn't been piqued I'm not sure what else I could say to sway you. If for nothing else, W&B is at least worth checking out for the artwork alone.
Jun 24, 2021
Majo to Yajuu
(Manga)
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"Do you know how to break a witch's curse?
Method 1: A loving kiss from a prince on a white horse." ----- "Never met one." ----- "Method 2: Hope the wrathful witch has a change of heart." ----- "I'm in this mess 'cause I can't find that bitch!" ----- In the interest of function over form, here’s a quick yardstick to judge if you’ll enjoy reading The Witch and the Beast, for those in a hurry: - Are you looking for a seinen manga replete with explosive action, intriguing characters and a mature tone? - Do you want something that will keep you thinking after you put it down? - Can you enjoy ... |
