In reality, Witch Watch is okay, but it’s not original or refreshing in the slightest. Some people might find it fun because of the comedy, but that mostly boils down to the female MC constantly flirting with the male MC in weird ways, or dumb setups that try (and fail) to pull out some emotional reaction from him. None of it feels like it actually moves the story forward.
Quick TLDR before the full review: This show feels pointless. The characters are stupid, one-dimensional, and overloaded with every cliché in the book. I cannot stress enough how bloated this anime is, mainly because of its sluggish pacing. The animation? Yeah, it looks good—but that doesn’t save it from being a generic, forgettable story. Honestly, you’re better off picking something from your Plan to Watch list. (End of TLDR)
Just from the first episode, you might think this has some original ideas or could turn into something interesting—but it immediately starts tanking. From there, it begins shoveling in every basic anime trope: the “we’re in the same class” thing, schoolgirls gossiping at the local diner, the female MC teasing the male MC in class, then later turning into sexual teasing (since you know, they are male and female in the same household). You get the idea. And it never lets up—it just keeps running similar overused tropes and clichés episode after episode.
Now, don’t get me wrong—tropes and clichés aren’t always bad. If used well, they can still be entertaining. But this anime is like the dictionary definition of uninspired. It checks off every single trope, every single episode. I don’t think there’s a single scene here that hasn’t been done before, almost beat for beat, in some other anime.
That said, Witch Watch isn’t terrible. It’s just painfully predictable and aggressively unoriginal. The characters aren’t awful—they’re just generic. You’ve seen their personalities and decision-making a hundred times already. The story? Not offensively bad, just dull. The only thing holding this anime together is the romance between the leads, and even that isn’t anything to write home about compared to basically any halfway decent romance anime.
To be real, I can’t fully call it a bad anime—but there are so many better things you could be watching instead. If you want a good slow-burn romance, watch Spice & Wolf {Remake}. Want a psychological drama? Steins;Gate. Solid seasonal romance? The Too-Perfect Saint is doing a better job. And let’s not kid ourselves—you’ve got a dozen anime in your PTW that would be a way better use of your time. That’s the main point here: just go watch something you've been putting off. Those shows have been sitting there for years anyway.
Being fair and not just throwing blanket hate here—I’d say give it until episode 4. If it hasn’t hooked you by then, just drop it. By episode 7, nothing major has changed. If you do end up liking it, then hey—this anime is probably hitting your niche, and that’s totally fine. Enjoy what you like. But if you’re like me, you’ll probably get more satisfaction finally watching that one anime you’ve been meaning to start since 2022.
6/10. Not objectively bad, just not worth recommending over the dozens of better shows you could be watching instead. If you truly have nothing else lined up, this is fine. But let’s be honest—you probably do have something else to watch, you just don’t feel like starting it.
