I have a bunch of animation shows saved coming out of China, but one that somehow caught my attention more than others is Release that Witch. Kind of a funny title, but I saw the trailer and knew I would likely watch it someday instead of it just being saved in my library. I believe these types of animation shows from China are called Donghua? I’ve seen some in the past, and a lot of them put me off because the animation style was just so off putting. Most viewers, like myself, have been spoiled by watching popular and highly regarded Japanese anime. Just like everything else, quality production costs money, and many of the Chinese studios just couldn’t compete in that area. Fortunately, they have been gaining traction, and some of the ones I’ve seen look really excellent.

Release That Witch takes place in medieval times, where females with supernatural powers were feared and labeled as witches and demons. It’s a typical and familiar setting for those times with a fantasy background as well. We follow Roland Wimbledon, the 4th prince in a sprawling empire. However, he is relegated to protecting only a small border town that has seen few good days. Instead of persecuting witches, he decides to save one instead. His plan is to use them to help fight against the upcoming winter battle where demon animals and beasts roam the land. Instead of packing up the town for winter and heading inland as is traditional, Roland will instead make a stand with the help of the witches. Along with the witches and peasant army, Roland has one other trick up his sleeve that will turn the tide of battle. In the very first episode, we see that a different soul has reincarnated into Roland’s body. Instead of being the lazy prince, he somehow mysteriously transforms into a completely different person. It would seem that his new soul is from a future timeline. Roland is now possessed with an incredible knowledge of future information to help aid his people in the upcoming war. For instance, he is able to help create cement, a steam engine, and a musket gun, all with the help of the witches.

Release That Witch season one only contains eight episodes and ends on a cliffhanger. A quick research shows that the studio behind it has a bunch of problems, and now future episodes are in jeopardy. There is the manga to read for those really interested, but I don’t think the story through the eight episodes so far has generated enough interest. The story progression has been very slow so far, which makes me believe that season one should have had a lot more episodes prior to it being cut off. Other than Roland, none of the other characters really stood out that much. I would obviously have loved to see a battle between the town and the wild beasts prior to the cutoff, but now, I might never know.