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The Witch and the Beast: Everything we know

Key visual for The Witch and the BeastCrunchyroll

The Witch and the Beast, the anime adaptation of Kousuke Satake’s manga, is almost here. Here’s everything you need to know, including its release window, cast, and more.

First appearing in 2016 in Young Magazine the 3rd, Kousuke Satake’s The Witch and the Beast series has only grown in success. Now, seven years later, with 10 volumes and even an English-language version, it’s finally getting an anime adaptation.

The anime adaptation of the steampunk series was first announced back in August 2022. However, no other details were released until a sudden flurry of Twitter announcements in 2023.

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So, with its TV debut right around the corner, here is everything we know so far about The Witch and the Beast’s anime adaptation.

The Witch and the Beast anime release window

The Witch and the Beast is set to debut in January 2024.

In July 2023, The Witch and the Beast’s official Twitter page announced alongside a 70-second trailer that the anime adaptation will debut in January 2024 on TBS/BS11 in Japan.

Although if you don’t live in Asia, you don’t need to worry, because Crunchyroll is licensed to stream the dark fantasy series at the same time as it airs in Japan. Crunchyroll also held the anime’s world premiere screening at Anime NYC in November 2023.

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The Witch and the Beast plot

“Wherever a witch goes, only curses and disasters follow.”

The story revolves around two main characters: Ashaf, a soft-spoken young man with a coffin strapped to his back, accompanied by an entourage of black crows, and Guideau, a wild girl with long fans and the eyes of a beast – the result of a curse cast by an evil witch.

Their journey leads them to a small town ensnared by the clutches of a powerful witch, prompting the question: could this witch hold the key to lifting the curse? Once they capture the witch, a dark saga of magic, power, and revenge unfolds in this seinen fantasy series.

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The Witch and the Beast trailer

The official trailer for The Witch and the Beast was released in July 2023.

“Now it’s time for revenge.” With an English-subtitled version available for international fans of the series and all the popular tropes from the steampunk genre (trains, mysterious characters and – of course – an eye-catching airship, the trailer provides an exciting glimpse of what’s to come.

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The Witch and the Beast cast & crew

Alongside key visuals, as of November 20, the anime’s official website has unveiled the majority of cast and crew. This includes Final Fantasy VII star Toshiyuki Morikawa and Demon Slayer’s You Taichi.

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The cast includes:

  • Ashaf voiced by Toshiyuki Morikawa
  • Guideau voiced by You Taichi
  • Ione voiced by Yoko Hikasa
  • Kiera Haines voiced by Junko Minagawa
  • Mary voiced by Noriko Shibasaki
  • Shulk voiced by Atsushi Takasaka
  • Reuben Cole voiced by Hidenobu Kiuchi
  • Loran voiced by Takuma Terashima
  • Johan voiced by Ryota Osaka
  • Phanora Kristoffel voiced by Saori Hayami
  • Jeff Enker voiced by Hozumi Goda
  • Necromancer voiced by Nozomu Sasaki

Takayuki Hamana from The Prince of Tennis is directing the anime adaptation of The Witch and the Beast at studio Yokohama Animation Lab. While character designs are by Hiroya Iijima, known for the hit anime Afro Samurai.

Keep an eye out for updates as we approach the official release date, which is yet to be announced, with only two months remaining.

How to watch Crunchyroll from outside your location in 2023

Crunchyroll is the world’s best hub for streaming anime, whether it’s One Piece, Attack on Titan, or Jujutsu Kaisen – and thanks to ExpressVPN, you can access the platform’s full library even if you’re outside the US.

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If you’re abroad, here’s what you need to do to access Crunchyroll’s full selection – and it really is this simple:

  1. Sign up for ExpressVPN, which has ultra-fast servers and offers a secure, private connection wherever you are in the world
  2.  Connect to a location anywhere in the US; Express VPN allows you to choose from 24 different spots, from New Jersey to Santa Monica
  3.  Visit Crunchyroll online and start streaming all of your favorite animes – and perhaps some you’ve never watched

Accessing Crunchyroll’s US roster makes a difference; for example, Hong Kong users only have access to less than 100 titles, while the US has nearly 1,000 movies and TV shows.

You can also stream anime on Crunchyroll for free with an ad-supported plan, or you can pay for a subscription – there’s even a 14-day free trial if you can’t quite make up your mind.

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You can check out our other anime coverage here.

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