The anime adaptation of Kenta Shinohara’s Witch Watch continues to charm audiences with its blend of supernatural comedy and heartwarming slice-of-life moments. Episode 3, which aired on April 20, 2025, dives deeper into the overarching plot while maintaining the series’ signature humor. Titled “Fresh Transparent Fashions For Spring; Witch’s Delivery Service; Lost Dogs and the Patter of Rain,” this episode delivers a mix of comedic mishaps, character development, and hints of a looming threat.
A Glimpse into the Future: Ibuki’s Prophecy
The episode opens with a peek into Nico’s family background, specifically her mother, Ibuki Wakatsuki. Ibuki is shown performing prophetic magic, utilizing a unique method involving numbers whispered by a book. This technique allows her to extract words from specific pages, lines, and positions to form prophecies. The prophecy revealed in this episode is ominous: “dogs and raindrops will bring disaster.” This cryptic message sets the stage for the episode’s tension and foreshadows future challenges for Nico and Morihito.
Fashion Faux Pas and Magical Mishaps
The first skit of the episode revolves around Nico’s desire to improve her fashion sense. Feeling self-conscious about her usual attire of old linen smocks, she decides to use magic to replicate an outfit from a fashion magazine. However, the “Pulp Fashion” spell has a hilarious drawback: it only copies the front of the outfit, leaving her backside exposed. This leads to a series of comedic attempts to hide her predicament from Morihito, who, oblivious to her magical mishap, compliments her on the outfit.
This segment highlights Nico’s reliance on magic for everyday problems and her desire to fit in. It also showcases the series’ ability to blend humor with character development, as Nico’s fashion struggles reveal her insecurities about feeling out of place in modern Japanese society.
A Delivery Service Gone Wrong
The episode’s second skit features Nico attempting to help with household chores by using magic to move her extensive manga collection. She replicates herself multiple times to create a one-person moving crew. However, the spell evenly distributes her strength and size among the duplicates, rendering the effort futile. This segment reinforces the theme that hard work and responsibility are just as valuable as magic.
The Ogre’s Quiet Morning
The episode also provides insights into Morihito’s character. The episode opens up with Morihito enjoying his morning coffee before Nico interrupts him. According to reports, this highlights the importance of routine for Morihito.
Kanshi Kazamatsuri: A New Protector Enters the Scene
The final and arguably most impactful scene introduces a new character: Kanshi Kazamatsuri. As Morihito remains vigilant, guarding Nico in case the disaster brought on by “dogs and raindrops” is near, a dog-headed person attacks them. Kanshi intervenes, revealing himself to be a tengu (a Japanese mythological creature) and Nico’s crow familiar from her training days. He explains that he was sent by Ibuki to protect Nico, presumably in response to the prophecy.
Kanshi’s introduction adds a new dynamic to the household, as both he and Morihito are now tasked with protecting Nico. It also expands the series’ supernatural elements, introducing the concept of tengu familiars and further exploring Nico’s connections to the witch community.
Themes and Narrative Development
Episode 3 of Witch Watch effectively balances comedic elements with more serious undertones related to the prophecy. The episode expands the show’s universe by introducing witch sanctuaries, tengu familiars, and prophetic magic. It also establishes a potential threat looming over Nico, creating anticipation for future developments.
Several key themes are explored in this episode:
- The balance between magic and hard work: Nico’s reliance on magic for everyday tasks often leads to comedic failures, highlighting the value of effort and responsibility.
- The desire for acceptance: Nico’s fashion struggles and attempts to impress Morihito reflect her longing to fit in and be liked.
- The looming threat: Ibuki’s prophecy and Kanshi’s arrival foreshadow future dangers and add a layer of suspense to the series.
- Romantic Tension: The episode emphasizes the growing romantic feelings Nico has for Morihito and Morihito’s obliviousness to them.
Overall Impression
“Witch Watch” Episode 3 is a strong installment that builds upon the series’ established strengths while introducing new elements and deepening the overarching plot. The episode’s blend of humor, character development, and supernatural intrigue makes it an enjoyable and engaging watch. The introduction of Kanshi Kazamatsuri promises exciting developments in future episodes, as the trio navigates the challenges of high school life and the dangers of the witch world.
Reception
Critics and fans alike have generally responded positively to Witch Watch Episode 3. Praised for its humor, animation, and the introduction of Kanshi, who is a fan favorite. Some have noted that the first skit, focusing on Nico’s fashion mishaps, was weaker than the other segments, with some feeling it relied too heavily on fan service. However, the overall consensus is that Episode 3 is a step in the right direction for the anime, setting the stage for a compelling and entertaining season.
Looking Ahead
With the introduction of Kanshi and the looming threat of the prophecy, Witch Watch is poised to deliver an exciting and engaging season. Future episodes will likely explore the dynamics between Nico, Morihito, and Kanshi, as they work together to protect Nico from the dangers foretold in Ibuki’s prophecy. The series will also likely delve deeper into Nico’s connections to the witch world and the challenges she faces as a witch-in-training.
Witch Watch continues to be a delightful blend of comedy, romance, and supernatural adventure. Episode 3 solidifies the series’ strengths and sets the stage for a captivating season.
