At the beginning of this month, the anime adaptation of Witch Watch, a new comedic series from Bilbury Animation Studio, premiered on TV. In the release of the second episode, the series made several humorous references to the manga Hunter x Hunter by Yoshihiro Togashi, along with various nods to other anime and manga.
The story, based on the manga of the same name by Kenta Shinohara, follows the everyday life of a teenage witch named Nico. While attending school with her childhood friend Morihito Otogi, she often finds herself inadvertently showcasing her powerful magic in absurd ways.
In Episode 2, Nico accidentally transforms a classmate’s long hair into a wild mane, causing her to exclaim: “That girl has turned into Gon from Hunter x Hunter!”, a clear reference to the main character from Hunter x Hunter. This anime cleverly intertwines various references, including a line from a teacher: “Gon Freecss has enrolled in our school, hasn’t he?!”, before continuing with “This is a dream, isn’t it? And if it’s real, my favorite character is definitely Kurapika.”
Witch Watch references both Demon Slayer and Dragon Ball
The Witch Watch manga is currently serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump, the same magazine that has published Hunter x Hunter since its debut in 1998. As a flagship title for Shonen Jump, the anime adaptation is not shy about incorporating popular IPs from other major franchises. Episode 2 also includes an intelligent reference to the hit series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.
In one scene, a teacher walks into the classroom and finds students sitting at their desks on the roof of a building, pondering. She exclaims, “Did I just walk into the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters?”, hinting at the iconic structure of the Demon Slayer Corps. She also mentions Nakime, a powerful demon controlling the Infinity Castle in Kimetsu no Yaiba.
Beyond Hunter x Hunter and Demon Slayer, Witch Watch also features direct references to the Dragon Ball series by Akira Toriyama. In one scene, a student humorously mimics the iconic Kamehameha energy wave of Son Goku. In another classroom scene, Nico’s magical powers allow her classmate to levitate in the air, showcasing a style reminiscent of the Z Fighters. The narrative even presents a teacher character as “an otaku who wishes to be a character from Dragon Ball.”
Meanwhile, students in the adjacent classroom compare their mundane activities with those depicted in the shojo manga Fruits Basket, which conveys a contrasting emotional depth.
Originally launched in February 2021, Witch Watch is one of nine manga titles that Shonen Jump has chosen to introduce to the next generation of readers. The anime adaptation is set to air in two consecutive seasons throughout Spring 2025.
Source: CBR
