A Magical Hidden Gem — ‘Wandering Witch: The Journey Of Elaina’
by Tito W. James
Inspired by her favorite book, Elaina the Ashen Witch ventures out to see the world. She soon visits all sorts of mysterious and fascinating countries, meets and befriends a range of personalities, and most importantly, fulfills her lifelong thirst for exploration.
Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina is like a cross between Harry Potter and Kino’s Journey. Each episode centers on a fantastic country that explores a specific theme. Each story is relatively self-contained with a roster of recurring characters, which makes for a relaxing and cozy viewing experience.
But don’t let the bright visuals fool you, Wandering Witch will take Elaina to some very dark places. One episode was so horrific that there was even a graphic content warning. I wouldn’t recommend the series at all to kids. The show will appeal to fans of cute anime that can get dark like Magical Girl Madoka. The magical battles are also pretty hardcore for a slice of life series.
Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina was a joy to watch with enchanting characters and an easy- going atmosphere. Its moments of visceral terror or genuine emotion sneak up on you. The creators managed to take the boilerplate concept of a world of witches and create something truly special.
I can understand why many viewers probably slept on this anime because it doesn’t have a high concept or hook like many other big name series. But if you’re willing to give it a chance, Wandering Witch is a journey worth taking.
Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina is now streaming on Crunchyroll.