A Fair Yet Stellar Adaptation of a Hidden Dark Fantasy Gem The Witch and the Beast is an enchanting masterpiece of dark fantasy that transcends conventional storytelling boundaries. Its allure lies not only in its captivating plotlines and stunning visuals but also in its profound exploration of symbolism and metaphor. Kousuke Satakes masterful craftsmanship is evident throughout the series as he skillfully weaves intricate layers of meaning into every chapter. The characters such as Guideau and Ashaf are not merely vessels for the plot but embodiments of deeper themes and concepts. Each page is imbued with rich symbolism and deep metaphors inviting readers to delve into the complexities of the narrative and uncover hidden truths. As I found myself immersed in the world of The Witch and the Beast I discovered that my appreciation for the series extended far beyond its genre conventions. It became not just a dark fantasy tale but a profound meditation on the human condition and the nature of existence itself. For those seeking a truly transformative reading experience The Witch and the Beast is more than just a mangait is a journey into the depths of the soul. The manga is one of my personal favorite dark fantasy manga. With that said the anime adaptation has come and gone and I have some things to say about it after having seen every episode. This adaptation was easily one of my most anticipated anime of 2024 and I didnt hear any red flags surrounding the anime or the studio adapting the manga. The anime itself has an addictive OP and a stoic EP and they both capture the symbolism and themes of the manga perfectly. After watching every episode I did have some questions about the choices the studio made and why they would make these kinds of choices. Some choices were good and other choices were okay but it didnt have any negative effect on me since Im mostly judging this anime based on how well it adapts the material that its based on. The studio was very faithful to the story the lore and the worldbuilding they werent disrespectful to the authors vision and I respect that. In terms of adaptations sake this studio did a great job at bringing this story to life. Now in terms of characters and voice acting I was quite surprised with how much I enjoyed the VA. Guideau is so much fun to see and the voice actress playing her is excellent. The writing of her character in both the anime and manga is splendid. I would however point out that her true form looks much better in the manga than it does in the anime. The mangas version of Guideaus true form looks more detailed and more ferocious. The animes version does feel a bit desaturated yet the closeups of her true form are pretty good. Then theres Phanoras voice actress who does an excellent job of keeping the cold and chilling atmosphere of her character. Helgas sub and dub actress is good at capturing the characters strong personality while wanting a relationship. The female characters of Witch and the Beast are lovable and I was impressed with the voice acting surrounding them. Some of the flaws Ive noticed were that a few moments were missing in the anime that were in the manga which I felt like they couldve kept in and still made the narrative impactful. Some moments feel a little rushed and other moments are a little strange with how they execute some of the mangas more surreal moments. Even in moments with Guideau and Ashaf only a few instances felt a bit desaturated compared to how those moments were executed in the manga. With that said the flaws in this adaptation are made up for with how well everything else around it is brought together. The symbolism metaphors rhetorics theories and poetic writing are still done with the utmost respect. The themes of the manga are captivating and the way they are portrayed in the anime is pretty good though not perfect. But Guideaus themes of revenge are executed brilliantly in the adaptation especially when they are shown in the last two episodes through their flashbacks. Overall I quite enjoyed this adaptation. There were a few moments that I believe couldve been done a little better but I was satisfied with what we got. Aesthetically I think they nailed the way everyone appears though some appear better in the manga than in the anime and from a narrative perspective I appreciated the way they handled the lore and worldbuilding that the author came up with. Guideaus VA does an amazing job while the English VA also handles the character quite well. The Witch and the Beast is one of my new favorite dark fantasy manga and the anime does a great job at remaining faithful to Kousuke Satakes story. Rating: 8.5/10