Brief Manga Thoughts: Witchriv
### Synopsis
I don’t read much manga, but Hakuri’s newly serialized Witchriv (available in English on MANGA Plus) stirred my interest thanks to its one-shot predecessor Meririrarariri. Set in a world where most humans detest mages, magic in Meririrarariri requires composure from the caster — get flustered or panicked by the situation, and you won’t be able to use magic to save your life. That becomes something protagonist Meriri, born to a mage mother and a human father, has to surmount when her life is directly threatened by a witch hunter. The composure requirement was a big reason I was curious about Witchriv — when you face constant discrimination and danger, and your best means of defense is remaining calm no matter what, how would that affect the character development and worldview of the protagonist in a serialized work? Sadly for me, Witchriv opts for a different system where each mage specializes in one particular type of magic (based on what’s been shown so far, at least). Nona, the protagonist in Witchriv, has sewing powers, while her mother has surprisingly lethal and destructive comb magic, with its ability to slice up people highlighted in a couple of large, violent panels. Another big difference (among others) is that instead of living in seclusion in a forest, Nona resides in a town and even has a human friend who keeps her identity as a witch a secret. This creates a situation later in the first chapter that bluntly showcases the terror of state-sanctioned and -enforced persecution and othering (something that easily recalls events from…
### What’s going on
Details aren’t fully clear from the source, but this item is developing—hit the link for the latest specifics.
### Key details
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– Names and staff as noted in the article
There’s No Freaking Way I’ll be Your Lover! Unless… Sequel Reveals Main Trailer, Main Theme
### Synopsis
A main trailer for yuri harem anime sequel There’s No Freaking Way I’ll Be Your Lover! Unless… ~Next Shine~ has been released, less than three weeks before it hits Japanese theaters on November 21 JST. Included in the trailer is a preview of the newly announced main theme song “Dear My Special, Precious, Marvellous, Sweet Darlings,” which is performed by Quintet (that’s main voice actors Kanna Nakamura, Saori Onishi, Yukari Anzai, Kana Ichinose, and Takako Tanaka in-character). There’s No Freaking Way I’ll Be Your Lover! Unless… ~Next Shine~ is a five-episode (Episodes 13 to 17) follow-up to the Summer 2025 anime season’s There’s No Freaking Way I’ll be Your Lover! Unless… (WATANARE) TV anime. The official synopsis reads: “I want to learn to love myself—just the way I am!” Renako Amaori, a former gloomy and socially awkward girl, reinvented herself for high school and successfully made her debut. She even managed to join the top tier popular group… only to be suddenly confessed to by two of its brightest stars?! One is the school’s ultimate prince, Mai Oduka. The other, the beloved angel of the campus, Ajisai Sena. There’s no way she can handle both their affections—no freaking way! While still struggling to give them an answer, Renako agrees to help her friend Kaho by joining a cosplay event. It’s the perfect excuse to delay her reply… or so she thought. But as she witnesses Kaho’s passion firsthand, something begins to stir inside her. What is it that she truly wants? What is she truly searching for? Can she really not become someone’s lover? Or has that “no freaking…
### What’s going on
Details aren’t fully clear from the source, but this item is developing—hit the link for the latest specifics.
### Key details
– See source for final dates/platforms
– Names and staff as noted in the article