Secrets of the Silent Witch – Episode 1

What’s it about? Monica Everett, the titular Silent Witch, has a skill no one else has: the ability to use magic without speaking. With it, she’s single-handedly defeated the Black Dragon, a legendary beast known to bring destruction everywhere it goes. Monica has but one weakness: she’s incredibly shy, which is why she learned silent magic in the first place. But that’s all going to change when she’s called on to go on a top-secret mission…

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There’s something about witches and all their derivatives that keep drawing me back in. I think it’s because as of late, they’re closely linked to cozy fiction, and while that genre definitely can be tiresome to folks who want a bit more “oomph” in their fantasy fiction, I’ve been finding stories about a witch’s journey rather engaging.

Enter Secrets of the Silent Witch, an anime which promises more of the fulfilling witchy narratives my quiet heart craves. Question is, will this premiere spark magic within me, or is that spell dead on delivery? Time to find out!

Episode 1, “A Colleague Arrives and Acts Unreasonably” opens in the midst of a battle with a fearsome dragon. In this realm, this is a common occurrence: thankfully, there’s battle mages equipped to set up incantations and tackle the problem. But when a walking, flying disaster–a.k.a. the Black Dragon–appears, it seems that all is lost.

Enter Monica, the titular Silent Witch, a young woman who lives a sheltered life in the woods. True to her moniker, she speaks very little, only parting her lips when necessary. This includes for her work with spells. Then trouble on two legs come walking in and recruits her to the front lines of the draconic wars, soundly establishing the dynamic at play: Monica, the rather quiet witch, will need to step outside her comfort zone for the sake of the lives in her realm.

I’ll fully admit that I’m a sucker for a mage story. This extends to alchemists, witches, elven magic users—you get the point. I groove on this kind of story no matter the setting, and typically find it goes down easy whether or not there’s a unique twist. In Monica’s case, her twist is that she’s extremely shy and has severe social anxiety, which led her to study a way to master uncharted spellcraft and shot her to the top of the top of magic users in society.

It’s a small twist, but it distinguished Monica enough to at least make me feel moderately invested in this premiere enough to focus on it until the end. And I think it’s worth it: the background music elevates the easy on the eyes animation while also serving to help establish the foundations of this story. It makes for a perfectly digestible twenty-four minutes of viewing.

That said…this is just pretty okay. We’re dealing with your typical pseudo-European world with dragons, magic, and a magic school to boot. There’s very little unfamiliar from the trappings of this specific subgenre. But that’s not really what dinged it for me: it’s the pacing. The opening is packed with action, but it immediately halts when Monica comes onto the scene. Once we leave her cottage, things pick up, but it’s borderline whiplash from how much the sluggish bulk of this premiere. 

Will it improve? Yeah, more than likely, but as a first impression…this one’s a bit rough around its magical edges.

Even with my complaints, I still ultimately really liked Secrets of the Silent Witch. I see what it’s trying to do, what it’s angling for, and how the plot will complicate Monica’s previous peaceful life with school and the pressures of the spotlight in a grander conflict. That alone has me willing to give this series at least a three episode try.

It’s definitely got some pacing issues, but I will say, Monica’s little pig-selling song kind of won me over in the end. Mild joking aside, I’d like to see this premiere become something more. I think this has the potential to be more than just fine, especially since the elements of a better story are here. Expect a check in from me later this season: I’m not sure this will be a dark horse, but I’m sure it’ll be pretty solid fun.