Tite Kubo's Burn The Witch is his first published project since Bleach ended in 2016. The one-shot manga is about two witches named Noel Niihashi and Spangle Ninii who work for the western branch of the Soul Society and is set in the same world as Bleach. Only two short years have passed since the events of Chapter 686, but the focus of Burn The Witch is not on ushering dead souls into the afterlife or fighting Hollows. Instead, this story follows a day in the life of the two witches and ends with them slaying a monster that takes over corpses, called a Disguiser.
In Bleach, Ichigo Kurosaki, a teenage boy who can see ghosts, is given the ability to fight monsters (called Hollows) by a Soul Reaper named Rukia Kuchiki. Over the course of the 16-year-long publication of the manga, Ichigo leads a double life, becoming a substitute Soul Reaper (basically the personification of death/responsible for getting souls to the afterlife) while attending high school at the same time.
As fans followed Ichigo while he grew and time passed in his life, it was impossible not to get deeply attached to the characters and the storyline. From daring rescues, hard-won battles, losing his Soul Reaping powers and then gaining them back again and winning the final battle in the series, the entire narrative was made to be described as epic. So, it's understandable that there are high hopes for Kubo's next big work.
Burn The Witch, set in "reverse" London, begins with Noel being harassed on her way to work by Balgo, a pervy boy who always asks to see her panties. Yes, his mouth-breather behavior makes us all uncomfortable, but Noel just kicks him away and enters reverse London using a magic coin and a phone booth. Soon after she arrives, it is revealed that her job as part of the Wing Bind is to protect and control the dragons that the people living in "Front London" can't see. Specifically, in the Conservation Rangers, which is the department Noel and her partner Spangle are in. The focus there is on working with domesticated dragons.
While helping a farmhand harvest some crops, Noel gets an emergency call from her supervisor requesting that she and Spangle do an extermination because the dragon is in Noel's neighborhood, and there was no one else available. The second they arrive, a battle with a Dark Dragon begins. Balgo (the creepy perv) is hiding nearby with his friend Selvie, even though they can't see what they're hiding from. It turns out Balgo's dog, Osushi died, and the Dark Dragon took over his corpse -- which means that the Dark Dragon is a Disguiser. While Noel is fighting it, Selvie tries to run away and Spangle chases him, only to learn that Selvie is also a Disguiser when he transforms into a dragon and breaks her arm. The fight continues, because Noel won't give up and all the mayhem can't stop -- and won't stop. In the end, the day is saved, but not everyone gets the happy ending they were hoping for.
Not surprisingly, there are quite a few similarities between Bleach and Burn The Witch. Like Ichigo Kurosaki, the main character of Bleach, Noel Niihashi, has supernatural abilities. Her young age and the fact that she is in high school also tie the two characters together. Ichigo's original ability to see ghosts is enhanced when Rukia gives him her power to fight Hollows when she becomes injured. Noel's gifts as a witch are all her own and her physical appearance is slightly more supernatural because -- even though she looks human for the most part -- she has one small horn growing on the left side of her head. Although she is a witch and agent of the Wing Bind, not a Soul Reaper, Noel's ties to the Soul Society also bring Bleach to mind.
All in all, there is something for everyone in both Bleach and Burn The Witch. Fans of Kubo's best-known work won't be disappointed with his new story. The only dissatisfying thing about it is the fact that there won't be an eight-year run of this manga as well.