Warning: Spoilers for The Witch and the Beast episode 4
The Witch and the Beast on Crunchyroll has so many promising formulas, but the dark fantasy thriller’s first three episodes sadly don’t execute them effectively enough in one way: delivery. It’s the anime’s fourth and latest episode that finally demonstrates how these formulas should have been executed. Ironically, episode 4 features a new set of characters who don’t fully reflect the series’ title when one of the original protagonists is the eponymous beast, and the other is the titular monster she and her partner hunt.
Adapted from the original manga by Kousuke Satake, the anime adaptation’s initial focus on witch hunting as portrayed in the first three episodes is unfortunately driven by a compelling narration that overshadows the events of the actual story, which then drags on without any meaningful developments until their respective final scenes.
Beginning a story with narration is sometimes a necessary form of storytelling, but when it serves as the main highlight, there’s a problem, especially if there isn’t an immediate payout.
The Witch and the Beast’s Fourth Episode Shows How Best To Build Upon Narration
Produced by Yokohama Animation Laboratory and directed by Takayuki Hamana
The exposition in question is the highly captivating intro in episode 1 where the narrator goes over two of the three ways to kill a witch. Ironically, the fourth episode follows the same pattern with the rules of necromancy when the story switches its focus to necromancer hunting, but the story builds upon these rules more effectively. Ironically, episode 1 accomplishes this to some effect when the events of the story reveal what the third way to kill a witch is. However, the end result is a small payout that only occurs once and won’t likely happen often.
Moreover, episodes 2 and 3, which are a two-parter called “The Witches Pastime”, don’t introduce anything new in terms of lore, and the third way to kill a witch isn’t explored again the way viewers wanted. In comparison, the rules of necromancy in episode 4 are followed by a highly nuanced view of how those raised from the dead by necromancers usually act in certain situations and the various methods of necromancy that result in different outcomes to help explain the characters’ current plight.
The Witch and the Beast Proves It Isn’t Always Good To Rely on Mystery
“The Witches Pastime” serves as a worse offender than episode 1 because its length naturally exacerbates the problems of the first episode. Like episode 1, the delivery of “The Witches Pastime” is slow, and with no additional lore, whereby the true emotional impact isn’t realized until much later. All that’s apparent is that people are getting randomly killed, with the main set of intrigue being contingent on the hidden identity of the witch.
Although the rogue necromancer is also a mystery in episode 4, the implications of their crimes are expedited and transpire more frequently, with the promise that the necromancer’s reveal will likely deliver more, much like the first two stories in episodes 1 and 3. Luckily, the anime still has many strong points to keep viewers watching through the first three episodes, including its compelling sets of protagonists, since their bonds are affected by something supernatural similar to Undead Murder Farce. However, their interactions weren’t enough to truly move the first three episodes forward in this Crunchyroll winter series – that is, until the next episode of The Witch and the Beast.
The Witch and the Beast is simulcasting on Crunchyroll
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