The Witch and the Beast

Episode 9

When your new episode opens with three minutes of recap, it's probably a good sign to adapt this arc more judiciously. That's right, I'm talking to you, The Witch and the Beast. Either pare it down to three acts or supplement enough original material to fill the full four. Pick one.

I normally don't harp on recaps; they're a cornerstone of the episodic structure, and in the right circumstances they can be a smart way to fit into your running time without allocating resources that could be better applied elsewhere. This example just feels particularly egregious because I felt the churn last week. These considerations are an important part of what separates strong manga adaptations (like this season's Delicious in Dungeon) from more mechanical ones. It's not only animation quality. It's pacing, editing, improvisation, vision, direction, and the myriad of other creative choices that add up to a motion picture.

It's a shame TWatB's adaptational struggles come to a head here because otherwise, I like how this storyline wraps up. It's not surprising, but it is satisfying. Guideau experiences the joy of going beast mode again. Cugat has his valiant yet futile stand against the demon sword. Ashgan goes down swinging (but not completely down). Helga reunites with a friend and gains some new ones. Ashaf smokes more cigarettes. The Executioner loses all four limbs. Everyone gets a happy ending! It's to the writing's credit that these character beats each feels strong and authentic despite hewing closely to the cliches one would expect from a story of this ilk.

The Witch and the Beast is one of those series that looks dumb (and frequently revels in its dumbness) but is actually clever. For example, I laud its restraint. This is the ninth episode, yet it's only the second time we've watched Guideau's true form lurch out of their coffin. The less you see of something, the cooler it is. While this axiom has been proven time and time again, you see so few series have the gumption to follow it. Along the same lines, I like how little we know about Guideau and Ashaf. We've spent almost a full season with them and so many questions unanswered. Most pertinent to the events in this episode is the question of what, precisely, Guideau is. We have no idea! This episode introduces the idea that their smaller, necrotic-looking right arm is their more powerful one, with no further explanation given. And we don't need one right now. Like Ashaf, TWatB is in no hurry to reveal its entire hand. It will only dole out just enough info to keep the audience invested in seeing more. That's smart writing.

Unfortunately, the smartest writing in the world can't salvage this episode's “climactic” battle scenes. The animation quality and action direction are rather important when adapting the final fight of a storyline. While TWatB salvages what it can with some shiny postcard memories, the rest of the action is ugly and unintelligible. Cugat's big cloud ghosts look especially horrible and out of place. You can, however, tell what's happening in those scenes. Elsewhere, the herky-jerky cuts and extremely limited animation make it hard to discern what's happening. This is a place where, if I were producing and/or directing this adaptation, I'd look at my resources, cut this sequence down to a couple of minutes, and get away with making this arc a tight yet satisfying three episodes.

In the end, though, I'm no less fond of The Witch and the Beast after this week. The strong denouement to the action reinforces the things I've come to love about this series. The Executioner's fate is hilariously macabre—I laughed when I saw Guideau sniping those stones at him from miles away. And I'm glad to see both Helga and Cugat be allowed to indulge in a smidgen of sadism towards the bastard who wronged them. These aren't good people, and these stories don't wrap up neatly. That's what fiction (especially dark fantasy) should be about. And it's not like the conclusion isn't a happy one. The slightly still-alive Ashgan realized that he'd grown fond of Helga doting over him. Even a demon sword betrayed in the past and blinded by vengeance can find it in his hilt to love. Doesn't that just warm your cockles?

Rating:

The Witch and the Beast is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Steve is on Twitter while it lasts. He can be your witch or your beast. Or none of the above if that's cool. You can also catch him chatting about trash and treasure alike on This Week in Anime.