What is Ichi the Witch? Everything to know about Weekly Shonen Jump's new fantasy manga

Weekly Shonen Jump's new fantasy manga, Ichi the Witch, has brought a fresh breath of air to the magazine with its sensational debut on September 9, 2024. Penned by Nishi Osami, the reputed mangaka behind Welcome to the Demon School! Iruma-kun and illustrated by the Act-Age author, Shiro Usazaki, the fantasy series promises plenty with only one chapter.

From the onset, the manga exudes the artistic splendor of Nishi Osmai, who has mastered the art of infusing humor with action. Shiro Usazaki-san's fabulous art compliments the narrative, adding feathers of brilliance to the work. Undoubtedly, Weekly Shonen Jump had been missing a manga with light-hearted fantasy.

Ichi the Witch might just be the missing puzzle the magazine was searching for. The juxtaposition of action, fantasy, and unique lore contributes to the fantasy manga's excellence. As a result, readers are compelled to turn pages and become mesmerized by the panels.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from Ichi the Witch manga.

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Exploring the appeal of Ichi the Witch, Weekly Shonen Jump's latest fantasy manga

Plot overview

Weekly Shonen Jump's new fantasy manga series, Ichi the Witch, enlivens Nishi Osamu's fantastical vision through Shiro Usazaki's mesmerizing illustrations. The story is set in a fantasy world where magic is alive. Witches must hunt down the Magic, or what they call, "Majiks," and complete their trials to acquire magics.

With this setting acting as the narrative's scaffold, Nishi Osamu introduces Ichi, the protagonist. At the age of six, Ichi was abandoned in the mountains, left with only a knife and a little bit of food. The boy walked tirelessly day in and day out to desperately try and survive in the wilderness.

Ichi learns to hunt, as seen in Ichi the Witch manga (Image via Shueisha)

However, his legs gave out and all he could see in front of him was death. At that moment, Ichi wondered whether he had been given the knife to end his life. Yet, when he used the knife to pierce through a wild wolf to defend himself, the boy realized his life's value, and how hard he wished to cling to it.

As such, Ichi learned to live in the wilderness. From catching fish to foraging edible plants and hunting wild beasts for sustenance, the boy embraced his new life. According to the Ichi the Witch manga, the villagers, who lived at the foot of the mountains were kind to the boy as they treated him like their own.

Ichi vows to follow his "Death for Death" motto (Image via Shueisha)

They even wanted Ichi to live with them. However, Ichi had an objective: he wanted to live in the mountains and hunt based on his "Death for Death" principle. Ichi vowed to kill only those who evoked a murderous aura.

So, how did Nishi Osamu connect the story of Ichi to the fantastical setting? The first chapter of the Ichi the Witch manga introduced readers to the witches, who tried to hunt down the Uroro, a majik that lived in the same mountain where Ichi lived.

Dessacaras, as seen in the Ichi the Witch manga (Image via Shueisha)

It was revealed that a long time ago, living magics called Majiks contacted humanity and put them under various types of trials. Had they accomplished their tasks, the Majiks would teach their spell/magic to them. That's how the concept of Majik Hunters, also called the Witches, came to be.

However, it was believed that only women had the aptitude for magic. Yet everything changed when the Witch, Dessacaras, challenged Uroro Majik to a battle. While Dessacaras fought valiantly, she couldn't defeat Uroro.

Ichi transforms into a Witch (Image via Shueisha)

According to the Ichi the Witch manga, Uroro told Dessacaras that he refused to allow the Witches to acquire him. The only way to acquire him was to complete his trial, which was to stop his heart. However, no woman could scratch his heart.

At that moment, Ichi joined the fray out of nowhere and challenged the Majik. He pierced Uroro's heart to end the Majik's life and acquire his powers. The act also transformed the boy's outlook into that of a Witch. That's how Ichi turned the Magic world upside down by becoming the first male witch.

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Thematic and narrative significance of the Ichi the Witch manga

From a thematic point of view, the Ichi the Witch manga centers around fantasy and action, with a dash of humor. The lore build-up has been excellent thus far, with the first chapter providing fans with ample details regarding Majiks and the Witches. In other words, the series has already established its scope with the first chapter.

The protagonist's resolve as a hunter and his eventual transformation into a witch lend the narrative its freshness. Furthermore, Ichi's unique position in a world where witches are all female provides the narrative its ex-factor.

Uroro and Dessacaras, as seen in the first chapter of Ichi the Witch (Image via Shueisha)

Obviously, Nishi Osamu would like to explore the lore more in the future and expand the world, something that he has already done with his magnum opus, Welcome to the Demon School! Iruma-kun.

As a result, the fantasy narrative and theme will only get enriched in the future, should Weekly Shonen Jump continue with the manga's serialization. Moreover, the typical humor aspect has made the first chapter an interesting read.

Aside from the fantasy elements, the narrative will contain plenty of humor, as evinced by the debut chapter. Moreover, the concept of the Majiks gives the manga scope for growth.

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Conclusion

Ichi becomes the first male witch (Image via Shueisha)

The Ichi the Witch manga's strength lies in the fact that two great mangaka, Nishi Osamu and Shiro Usazaki, are working on it. Shiro-san's return to the Weekly Shonen Jump has been brilliant as the mangaka expertly illustrated Nishi Osamu's vision in the manga form.

Likewise, Nishi-san has perfectly set up the narrative, with interesting characters. From Ichi's keen resolve as a hunter to the witches' glamor and splendor, the Ichi the Witch manga has numerous elements to look forward to. Now, it remains to be seen how the authors continue with the story.

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