Ichi the Witch is a new manga available on Manga+ that quickly pulled me in with its quirky dialogue, gorgeous art, and super interesting main character.
Ichi, the protagonist, is the manga’s biggest selling point
The biggest selling point of the Ichi the Witch manga is the protagonist. The young boy is an orphan, left to die in the woods by himself. However, Ichi has a strong self-preservation instinct. In a dire situation, he discovers the laws of nature, which also saves his life. Kill or be killed, that’s the name of the game. If something wants to take your life, you’re fully justified in doing the same. With that new life motto acquired, Ichi honed his hunting skills over time. Now he’s a well-respected hunter in his village.
This is a fantasy manga set in a world ruled by magic. There is just one issue, though: Only women have an aptitude for magical energy. Witches keep people safe in this world, mostly because certain magical beings called Majik roam around the place.
The Majik
Majik are another central piece of this story. They are magical beings that can use magic in various ways. The manga didn’t focus too much on them and their abilities, but we do know enough. For example, to “tame” a Majik and use its powers, you have to finish its trial.
These vary from Majik to Majik, and we saw one in the first chapter. King Uroro, the most dangerous Majik in the world, awakens. His Trial says that no woman can scratch his heart. That is problematic, considering all the witches in the world are women. Well, we have a certain young hunter who’s been taking tabs on King Uroro. Ichi saw this majestic beast while it was sleeping, and he immediately knew It was a dangerous being that would kill without hesitation. That’s everything that Ichi needs, as he’s a special little psychopath who strictly follows his “Death for Death” ideology.
The Exception
And since King Uroro, like the witches, completely disregarded this strange little fellow, he made a fatal mistake. You see, you don’t need magic to complete these trials and acquire Majik and their powers. However, doing so without magic is extremely difficult. But as a real hunter, Ichi was well-prepared for King Uroro, with traps and all, and just waited for his opportunity to strike.
While both Desscaras and King Uroro didn’t acknowledge the boy as he entered their battlefield, quickly, it became apparent that Ichi was a very dangerous opponent. By utilizing his hunting experience and expertise, Ichi managed to do the impossible. He pierced his heart. Thus, Ichi became the very first male witch in the world. Not only that, but he managed to tame a Majik that had been causing chaos for a long time.
The first male Witch is kind of a psychopath
The problem with this is that Ichi is a very strange child. If he senses bloodlust, he will immediately attack on the spot. That’s exactly what he did when Desscaras showed hostility towards him; Ichi immediately went for her throat on the spot, as he felt his life was in danger. As I said before, our protagonist is by far the most interesting part of this manga.
Now, since Desscaras took Ichi under her wing (King Uroro’s power is too powerful and destructive to be left alone, she recruited Ichi to protect him from others that want to get their hands on Uroro since, you know, no one has been able to overcome his trial in a VERY LONG TIME) she plans to take him with her to the Witches Association so they can figure out what to do with the first-ever male witch. Desscaras also took him on a minor Majik hunt to see what he was capable of.
In the third chapter, we see a minor, Majik, who wields the power of lighting. Of course, it’s an evil Majik that wants to use its powers to hurt people. Naturally, Ichi’s hunting skills make short work of the lighting Majik. Desscaras is impressed with his unusual way of taming Majik, as he views these beings in a completely different way than the witches do.
Ichi the Witch manga has a lot of potential
So far, the brilliant dialogue, the superb action scenes, the art and the humor are absolutely reason enough to pay attention to this manga. Ichi, on his own, is a super cool protagonist with a very specific mindset, and he kind of reminds me of Gon in some ways. He’s childlike, very much so, but is sharp-witted, intelligent, and very ruthless when he needs to be. All traits of an experienced and capable hunter, but one with a powerful Majik at his disposal, mind you.
Ichi the Witch manga is available right now on Manga+, so if you have free time, you should go and read the first four chapters that are available. You can do it via your browser or your phone, whichever you prefer.
If you want to check out more stuff from the Weebfanatikz gang, we have various cool anime reviews, manga reviews, and much more available.
As always, thank you for reading, and see you in the next article, which hopefully won’t take another 4 months to write!
