There are a lot of anime out there full of excitement, suspense and thrills, especially if they involve magic and fantasy. Flying Witch is... not that type of series, and its anime adaptation especially is much more chill than thrill. Part of the iyashikei subgenre of slice-of-life stories, the series is incredibly relaxing and almost therapeutic in its storytelling.
While some may want to take in this calming story in anime form, others might want to read the manga instead, as its story extends beyond the anime. Here's more about what Flying Witch is about, as well as how those looking for light subject matter can enjoy an easy, breezy read or watch.
The Plot of Flying Witch
Flying Witch follows Makoto Kowata, the titular witch who moves from her home in Yokohama in order to better hone her magical skills. Having recently turned 15, she journeys to the town of Aomori with her friend Chito and moves in with her cousins. There, along with the normal routine of a regular teenager, she also engages in witchcraft.
This sees her experiencing all kinds of zany misadventures, such as her encounter with anthropomorphic dogs and other magical endeavors. After a while, however, she's not the only one using magic! These events are rarely taxing and instead many times relaxing, making Makoto's adventures almost sedative, although in a still exciting way.
Where to Read the Flying Witch Manga
The Flying Witch manga was created by Chihiro Ishizuka, beginning its run in 2012 in the pages of Bessatsu Shonen Magazine. The manga has been running ever since, with the material so far being collected into 10 different volumes. Vertical has handled the Western localization for the manga since 2017, and with the 10th volume about to drop internationally, all of the series so far is available in English.
For those who want to read the Flying Witch manga physically, it's hard to find a store where it's not sold. Along with obvious retailers like Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million, it's also available at Walmart and Target. Online stores like Bookshop and Hudson Booksellers also carry the series in its entirety so far, while Kindle and Comixology carry the volumes digitally.
Where to Watch the Flying Witch Anime
The Flying Witch anime began in 2016, right before the manga was about to be brought over to the West. It was handled by J.C. Staff, who are known for anime such as A Certain Magical Index, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. and the different seasons of Date A Live, as well as Edens Zero and How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom.
While most of those shows are full of wacky and fantastical elements, Flying Witch is much more laid back and low-key, which is all part of the charm. Everything feels extremely naturalistic and quiet, with the serene setting of a small Japanese town only accentuating how temperate it all is. Another big selling point is the orchestral music, which makes everything feel somehow epic despite its mundanity.
So far, there's only one season of Flying Witch comprised of 12 episodes, which reached about the fourth volume of the manga. Since then, the source material's length has almost doubled, so a second season could eventually be made. The first season is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, VRV, HIDIVE and the Crunchyroll streaming service.