Witch Craft Works is an anime series that was released in 2014 in the fantasy genre. Before the anime, the first steps of the series were taken by RyĹ« Mizunagi in 2010. The original is a manga series, and the anime is only a partial adaptation of the manga. Seven years have passed since the first episode of the anime was shown to 2000 people in Tokyo’s Cinemart Shinjuku theater. It was created by the same studio as the record-breaking anime One Punch Man and Food Wars!, a work of the studio J.C.Staff. The anime, licensed by Crunchyroll, originally aired in Tokyo MX between January 5, 2014 – March 23, 2014. The second season of anime has not been screened so far, but anime fans have been waiting for years. So, can the anime have a second season despite the time that has passed? Let’s first recall an anime plot and then see what we know about the second season so far.
What was the plotline of the anime?
Takamiya Honoka is a student with classic student problems. Every day he gets on the same bus with the girl named Kagari, referred to as the princess at school and almost adored by all students. Although their desks were side by side with Kagari at school, they never spoke. Even for the slightest thing between them, the princess’ fan club would torment Takamiya.
One day, while Takamiya is in the schoolyard, part of the school building falls on him. Kagari saves Takamiya, who thinks he will die. However, Kagari is in witch clothes and is standing on a broomstick. Without having a chance to understand what happened, this time, warrior rabbits attack Takamiya. Kagari, who also burned them down, tells Takamiya that she no longer has to protect him secretly; she will protect him openly.
Thus, the mysterious relationship between the two begins, but others in the school are not happy with it. Although they do not want to see the princess with such a person, the princess does not intend to leave her “master”. However, the other party has no intention of letting go of Takamiya. A group of 5 witches will be transferred to Takamiya’s class. Thus, the story takes shape.
Will there be a second season of Witch Craft Works?
As of May 28, 2022, at the time of writing, J.C. Staff or any related company with the anime has not yet renewed the anime for a second season. The anime’s first season was released in 2014, but there has been no leak for a new season so far. We have often seen that the animes have been confirmed for new seasons despite the years that have passed. In line with this possibility, there may be a new season of Witch Craft Works because the manga still has some script the create a new season.
As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, the Witch Craft Works manga is written and illustrated by RyĹ« Mizunagi. The manga started to publishing by the famous manga publisher Kodansha on March 5, 2010, and it is ended on February 7, 2022. The manga series also has an English version and consists of 15 volumes at the time of writing. The first 6 volumes were adapted into the anime’s first season. Therefore, for the second season of the anime, the manga should have continued for a long time to provide sufficient source material. As of today, 11 volumes have not been adapted into the anime, and there is sufficient source material for a second season.
Another important factor is disc sales; although the disc sales were not as strong as before by the increase in digitalization in recent years, it was very valuable in the years, Witch Craft Works was first published. Considering the years it was published, the animes were expected to sell at least 6,000-7,000 copies. When it was below this number, the decision committee wouldn’t see a second season profitable.
A total of 6 volume discs were sold for the anime. With an average of 4,377 units, it achieved a sales figure that is not far from the target but cannot be considered a success. While Haikyuu averaged sales of 25,514 units in the same period, Love Live’s 2nd season had a strong sale of 67,341. In total, 145 anime were on sale at the time, and Witch Craft Works was ranked 38th. Considering that animes do not renew for the new season very often, we cannot say that this ranking is very promising.
Exclusive distribution of an anime (on platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon) or the release of a smartphone game adaptation increases the possibility of a new season. However, Witch Craft Works doesn’t have any of these. When we look at the current popularity, we cannot see a strong expectation. The anime’s Twitter account is followed by 10k people. This shows that expectations are low in Japan. Considering all these, it is difficult to see another season of the anime, but it is not impossible since its manga contains source material to adapt. However, since this possibility is very low, we recommend fans read the manga series from the 7th volume. Let us remind you that an English version of Witch Craft Works manga is also available. If a new season is approved, we can see a new season of the anime in 2023 – 2024. Stay tuned!
