Maybe my expectations were too high, but I was very disappointed. This is such a generic fantasy, and I couldn’t understand what was happening. The art is beautiful, but that’s all. The characters are paper thin, the plot is slow, and it was a slog. If it wasn’t for the gorgeous art style, this would’ve been easily forgotten.

Thank you to Kodansha Comics and NetGalley for a digital ARC!

This series starts with Guideau and Ashaf, mysterious companions who are looking for the witch that cursed Guideau while also taking care of magical problems along the way.

I do want to note, the art style of this volume was lovely. The inking was very well done, and I really enjoyed the fight sequences.

One thing I wanted more though was context: I felt that the story threw you into the middle of the plot, but little background was given on the world we are in. As such, there were a few moments where I was a bit confused of what were the plots/narrative boundaries..

Overall, I did enjoy the book, but I do hope that volume 2 provides more background and context of the world.

I've been seeing this title all over mangagram and mangatube and I got really excited to read it. I'm always up for a good dark fantasy manga, which is quite hard to find these days. The whole premise seemed interesting enough so... here we are.

A bit of warning, this manga is very slow paced which might be a big turn of for someone. I didn't mind that much but I definitely felt it at places. Did premise deliver? Well, not really. I mean, it WAS interesting and I was curious about what's to happen next but whole pacing made it hard. Very hard. I got also confused my main characters - their names are very hard to remember and I wish they were introduced more. Maybe in next volumes, who knows.

Satake's art is beautiful though and it was very nice to look at. Each panel was a little treat to read. This is definitely not the manga for everyone. Though it focuses on witches, we don't get to see them that much. Series has a great potential but it's yet to be determined whether it delivers or not.

Beautiful art, slow pacing and dark themes - that's what you can expect. It's up to you whether you try it or not.

I couldn't finish this book due to the slow pace, unlikeable characters, and generic art style. I hoped is would be a good story.

**eARC provided by NetGalley for honest review**

This was a dark fantasy manga about witches and the anti-hero(?) magic users who fight them. To be honest, it wasn't for me. I thought it was gonna be more detective-y and lighthearted than it was. Instead, it was a lot of gruesome scenes for no real reason and no real characters to root for. Hopefully, someone else will enjoy this series, but I will not be continuing.

Not my cup of tea ( manga). I did not like to be confused and the story wasn`t something i enjoyed sadly. I liked the two main character fine, the witch was meh

I received this from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for am honest review.

To be honest I was kind of expecting more from this. I enjoyed the characters and the plot had potential but I just felt like one stpry arc finished and another one started to quickly. I wish the first story arc would have been drawn out longer to fill the entire first book.

This manga has an interesting premise that made me eager to read it. First, let me say that the artwork in this manga is amazing, definitely one of my favorites so far. The story is a little weird, but the more I continued reading the more I liked. Both character's Guideau and Ashaf are a great contrast to one another and I can't wait to see how their relationship evolves. I am not hoping for a romance between the two but a strong friendship would be wonderful. While this volume does setup the story somewhat there was a lot more action then I thought their would be and I cannot wait to see where this story goes.

Overall, a very good start to a story I want to see unfold.

This manga was a blast to read and I ended up going through the entire book in one sitting! I found it to be engaging and fast-paced with a great plot. There were just enough twists to keep me guessing and the ending left me wanting to immediately go and find the next book. I will need to find other manga comics by this author because if they are anything near as good as this was they will be worth the read.

The cover is really pretty and the art illustations for every panel is very pretty. The concept was catchy and I would say despite not liking the characters in some parts it was an okay read.

I didn't like the heroine in which I forgot her name (it was hard to spell), she was rather unlikable .

I would just like to point out that this graphic novel is very fast paced that I just felt like some parts were cut off and there are just many points left out because of it that just took my enjoyment away.

Overall, it was an okay read. I like the art, it was very pretty, the concept as well, just my cup of tea.

I really like the stories and oh my god THE ART. Though I feel like the paneling can be a little bit confusing at times especially on the first pages, but I quickly get used to it. The pacing though, I think could be improved. I feel like a lot happened in the first volume while not really moving the plot forward? But that's totally understandable if you want to get the readers hooked from the start without giving too much away.

All in all, great read! Will probably pick up the rest of the manga when available.
3.5/5

2.5 Stars ( I received an e-arc from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review)

This was an okay manga not one of my favourites but decent. I do like the twist on the beauty and the beast trope and the way magic is shown is not like anything I have ever seen. The majority of the first volume has one main plot line being that the two main leads being part of a magical police like organization. As well as hunting for answers to the beasts curse and looking out for witches, the illustrations at times are quite messy/busy (because manga never really looks messy). The beast character was very impulsive jumping into situations without a thought and has a very animalistic mindset. The beauty isn’t bad but kind of a know-it-all and is constantly having to reel back in the beast. The panels can get a bit gruesome and gory although the colouring only being black and white does make it easier to deal with. One thing I do love is the cover design for this volume and it gives a different impression of what the story inside is like.

The Witch and the Beast is an interesting manga about partners Ashaf and Guideau whose job is to take care of magical problems, all the while Guideau’s main concern is finding witches because she has a curse and needs it lifted. Ashaf is very mild mannered and carries a coffin around on his back and Guideau is all about wanting to punch things in the face. It would be even better if it was the witch that cursed her (if only she could remember who that witch was apparently?).
***
So far this is a fun enough manga with an enjoyable art style but the story itself isn’t anything particularly new or outstanding. I’d be willing to give volume 2 a go to see if it changes my mind about continuing further along though.
***
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

While I enjoyed "The Witch and the Beast," I didn't feel like I was reading volume 1 of a series. I had so many immediate questions after the first couple of pages. Unfortunately, I still have many of those questions unresolved. Hopefully I'll get more answers in the next volume. I enjoyed the artwork quite a lot. Some of the panels reminded me of "Gunslinger Girls" in their style. I look forward to learning more about the curse, how kissing a witch is an alternate way to break a curse (and how do you learn that?), and more information about the witches in general.

I'm not sure how I would book-talk this title but I can think of some library patrons who will love this manga when they find it themselves. I will be recommending our library add this title as it fills a need for more serious, action-packed manga on our shelves.

The Witch and the Beast by Kousuke Satake is a manga to watch out for!

Do you love fantasy? Thrills? Incredible art and illustrations? Then grab this manga!

This one took me a bit to get into, but honestly it's a fun little read. It's a series I wouldn't mind continuing on with if I got the chance. Hunting down a witch isn't easy, and I'm sure this is gonna take a few volume (at a minimum!) to deal with this witchy problem. Oh, did I mention there is lots of magic?

Overall, this is a great manga to add to your collection if you want some fantasy and action.

Three out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodsansha Comics for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

First of all: WOW! I LOVED THIS FIRST BOOK!
In this first instalment of ‘The Witch and the Beast’ we meet Guideau, a girl moved by a vendetta against a witch, and Ashaf, a mage that carries a coffin behind his back everywhere they go. Together, they hunt witches in order to find one in particular. In the meantime, they also complete other tasks helping people following their organization’s orders.
I loved the drawing style of the manga and the supernatural feeling in it. The worldbuilding and the atmosphere reminded me a lot of the manga series ‘Tokyo Ghoul’ which I loved.
I believe this is an incredible first instalment. Action-packed, with an incredible female character and a story with a lot of potentials. Unfortunately, I believe it has no Anime series yet.

This graphic novel was a quick read. It follows two people, Ashaf and Guideau, who are hunting witches. The reader is slowly introduced to these characters in more depth. There is a lot of action surrounding these two. I really got into the story, and I was very disappointed that it ended on a cliffhanger. I definitely would like to read the next one.

My only complaint is that it is sometimes difficult to understand what's going on due to the action sequences, and the character bubbles can get a bit confusing due to poor placement or shape. I found myself rereading some panels to make sure I understood who was doing the talking. Overall, I really enjoyed the story and the characters, and I can't wait to see more adventures with them, as well as more character development.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for giving me access to read and review this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are solely my own.

The art and the worlding building is great! I love the premise and can't wait to see the final battle between the witch and the beast as well as figuring out WHY the beast was cursed by the witch to begin with.

However, as a debut manga for the series, the first volume is a bit weak. The first story and introduction to what the series will follow excited me but the rest of the volume was a disappointment. I am interested in reading the second volume only in hopes of meeting the witch but with the second half of the manga being filler, my hopes aren't high.


***I was provided a free copy of the book through Netgalley for an honest review***

In The Witch and the Beast, Kousuke Satake presents readers with a very unique spin on Beauty and the Beast.

The story follows Guideau, a feral girl with fangs and the eyes of a beast, and her partner Ashaf, a ghoulish man with a coffin strapped to his back. They both belong to the Order of Magical Resonance: a group that “works by magic, for magic, and of magic.” Their job is to hunt witches. However, for Guideau, it's personal. She’s looking for the witch who cursed her, and she’ll remove anyone in her way that tries to stop her.

First off, I’ve got to talk about the characters. Their dynamics are fantastic and they complement each other like peanut butter and jelly. Ashaf is the cool and collected one while Guideau is the hot-headed and reckless one. This story feels a little police procedural tropey, but if you’re into those kinds of trope dynamics, you’re in for a hell of a ride.

And it is one hell of a ride. Rather than a slow, winding first volume bogged down with exposition, the story gets off to an explosive start. Quit literally. This is a fast-paced page-tuner that I devoured in one sitting, and since it ends on a serious cliffhanger, I'm already left craving the next volume.

I need answers.

The story goes out of its way to tell us that witches are evil, which makes me even more suspicious that things aren’t so black and white in this world and that we’re dealing with morally gray characters with complex motives here. That’s what I’m hoping for at least. Since this is only the first volume, only time can tell what shape this story will take.

Last but not least, I’ve got to talk about the artwork. It’s gorgeously atmospheric and has a brooding, gothic quality to it. There are these haunting panels where my mouth literally dropped and it gave me goosebumps. There’s also the occasional gorgeous panel with filigreed borders, so it very much serves to frame the story as a grim and twisted fairytale. Because yes, this story does get gruesome at times.

Overall, The Witch and the Beast Vol. 1 comes out of the gates with a promising start and it’s a fantastic hook. I fell head over heels in love with the characters and I want to find out more about them and the unique world they live in, so if you’re looking for Witch Hunter Robin in a steampunk setting, this one might be right up your alley too.

Overall, I enjoyed the characters and the story, but I was often confused about what was happening. I have never read a manga before so the reading right to left threw me off a little bit. The panels where big events were occurring with no words were hard for me to follow and the story seemed a little all over the place. The characters were well developed and I'm interested to see what's next.