Welcome to This Week in Shonen Jump, our weekly check in on Viz’s various Shonen Jump series. Viz has recently changed their release format, but our format will mostly remain the same. We will still review the newest chapters of one title a week, now with even more options at our disposal. The big change for our readers is that, even without a Shonen Jump subscription, you can read these most recent chapters for free at Viz.com or using their app.
This week, Robbie checks in with “Witch Watch.” If you have thoughts on this or any other current Shonen Jump titles, please let us know in the comments!
Witch Watch 131: The Day of the Disaster, part 18
Written and illustrated by Kenta Shinohara
Translated by Adrienne Beck
Lettered by Annaliese “Ace” Christman
Reviewed by Robbie Pleasant
From the earliest chapters of “Witch Watch,” there’s been a prophesied disaster heading towards the main characters, but the specifics were unclear and shrouded in mystery. We’ve had some false starts and red herrings, but these past dozen-and-a-half chapters have shown us what the disaster truly is, and now we get the fallout and resolution (for now).
And credit to Kenta Shinohara, “Witch Watch” has developed far beyond my initial expectations; what first struck me as a basic romantic comedy with magic and a bit of wish fulfillment has grown into a series filled with fleshed-out and unique characters, each with their own quirks and drives. We’ve followed them for the past 130 chapters, slowly letting each of them develop so we can feel invested in the entire cast.
That made the end of the last few chapters leading into this one all the more powerful. For context: the Big Bad of the series has made his entrance, and defeated protagonist Morihito by… shooting him. It was unexpected, but surprisingly practical and dark. Nico saved him by sacrificing the time they spent together and her memories, which turned into butterflies of light.
This leads into what is ostensibly the next arc for the series: searching for Nico’s lost memories. So chapter 131 is focused both on wrapping up the “Day of the Disaster” arc and leading into this one.
While the battle against the warlocks ends with their boss walking away, no longer having a use for Nico, it still establishes him as a threat for the chapters to come while giving the other warlocks time to accept their defeats and figure out what to do next with their lives. It gives each of them a good little moment of reflection and change, even with a little bit of comedy.
But the chapter does still hit some important emotional moments, like the look on Morihito’s normally stern face as the de-aged Nico doesn’t recognize him. It also establishes the need to collect and return the butterflies containing her memories (which, admittedly, reminds me of the plot of “Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles”), while transitioning to the new current state of the manga. It’s shifted Morihito’s role from Nico’s familiar and love interest to more of a paternal role, alongside the other characters that have joined the cast over the run of “Witch Watch.” All in all, it’s a good transition.
Visually, there’s nothing too crazy or stunning about this chapter, but the artwork is still incredibly solid all around. Kenta Shinohara’s artwork is nicely detailed, especially when it comes to the scenery, making the world feel more vivid and lived-in. The character designs are all distinctive, and some of the characters introduced recently have particularly memorable looks. Overall, the artwork is remarkably clean, with clear and strong linework to make everything stand out, and nice inking and shading to add volume and life to each panel.
The artwork does a great job portraying characters’ emotions as well, using both lighting and facial expressions to sell the mood. The use of shading to match the atmosphere for more dramatic moments, along with action lines to sell the shock of more comedic or energy-filled scenes, really helps convey the tone and carry us along with the story.
“Witch Watch” has done a great job carrying both the comedy, action, character-centric, and story-driven moments throughout its run, and chapter 131 is no exception. It’s solidified its place in Shonen Jump’s lineup, and transitioned smoothly to the next arc, so we can look forward to seeing what’s to come.
Final Verdict: 8.1 – A solid chapter that showcases Kenta Shinohara’s strengths from an artistic and storytelling perspective, while carrying the story from the end of one arc to the start of the next.
