The anime "The Witch and the Beast," which will begin airing in January 2024, is a dark fantasy about a prince who is turned into a beast by a witch... or rather, a beast named Guido who is turned into a beautiful girl by a witch. The story follows his partner, the magician Ashaf, as they solve witch-related cases, track down the witch who put a curse on Guido, and exact revenge! It is set in a world where magic is a natural part of life, and at first glance it may seem like the late 19th century, but it is also a world where mechanical technology and fantasy creatures such as vampires and the undead are prevalent! Here we have compiled some of the terms that appear in this work!
Glossary Part 1: Witches
Since the distant past, witches have stood at the pinnacle of sorcery. Witches living today are considered the pinnacle of sorcery, inheriting the magical powers, rituals, and knowledge of the 17 original "Origin Witches." With few exceptions, witches are destined to reach the end of their lifespan, with their bodies decaying within 200 years. However, they will not age or decay until then.
Glossary Part 2: Witch's Curse
A witch's curse. The curse seals the victim's powers, and because it is difficult to break, it is considered an eternal curse that cannot be broken until death. There are two ways to break a curse: a kiss of love from a prince on a white horse (a heartfelt kiss from a person who loves you back) or the whim of a hated witch (the curser breaks the curse herself). However, there is actually a third way: a kiss from a witch. However, this method only temporarily breaks the curse, and it can only be done once per witch.
Glossary Part 3: The Witch of Origin
The 17 Witches of the Beginning. Among them is Angela Anne Fuel, the "Eternal Witch" who cursed the protagonist, Guido. With a few exceptions, modern witches carry on the lineage of the Witch of Origin. However, Angela Anne Fuel's ability to transfer bodies allowed her to escape her fate of dying in 200 years and continue to live to the present day. Six lineages have been revealed in the story so far: "Eternal Witch," "Mysterious Witch," "Mysterious Witch," "Formidable Witch," "Great Witch," and "Giant Witch." The other 11 lineages have yet to be revealed.
Glossary Part 4: The Magical Cult
The organization to which the protagonists Guido and Ashaf belong. It's a magical organization for magic, by magic, for magic, and every member of the cult is a unique and powerful character. Among its members are witches and vampires, who solve cases involving magic. The cult is staffed with a diverse range of personnel, with the most appropriate person assigned to solve each case. Members are prohibited from interfering with each other through contract magic.
Glossary 5: Undead
A deceased person resurrected by a necromancer. While resurrection magic is widespread, there are ethical issues surrounding its resurrection, and clear rules govern its use. Undead require regular maintenance, otherwise they will go berserk. Depending on the caster, Shijin can be divided into three states: autonomous (a state in which the caster does not interfere at all and the Shijin can act freely based on its own will), brainwashed (a state in which the Shijin's consciousness remains intact but the caster has imprinted some kind of goal on it), and controlled (a state in which the caster completely takes over the Shijin's consciousness and controls it as if it were their own body).
Glossary 6: Resurrection of a Corpse
Regarding the resurrection of a corpse, there is a rule that "resurrection techniques are prohibited without the consent of the living 'mystic' or a relative within the second degree of kinship." Furthermore, the 'mystic' must disclose all information regarding the resurrection technique to the 'mystic' before the procedure. In addition, there are numerous other strict screening procedures. While strict screening is required before resurrecting the dead due to ethical considerations, the primary reason is that they cannot live forever. Upon a second death, their souls will fall out of the cycle of reincarnation and fall into the void, suffering eternal torment. Unauthorized resurrections are called "strays."
Glossary 7: Necromancer Knights
Powerful necromancer warriors under the command of necromancer Fanora Christofle. These knights, who have dedicated themselves to Fanora and followed her, knowing that becoming necromancers would send them into nothingness, are so named for their history.
Glossary #7: World Holy Church
A border organization of the World Altar. Commonly known as the Orthodox Church, it has an army known as the Holy Knights and an organization known as the Executioners. The headquarters of the Orthodox Church is located on the First Continent, and the closer an organization is to the headquarters, the greater its influence.
Glossary #8: Holy Knights
The Holy Knights are a magical military force owned by the World Holy Church, dedicated to protecting world peace. Their military duties include solving large-scale, violent crimes committed through magic, and they are the only military organization capable of dealing with witch incidents. While they are a business rival of the Magical Echoes, which seeks to contact witches, they have a tacit understanding that they do not interfere with each other. According to Ashaf, an all-out war between the Magical Echoes and the Holy Knights would destroy the world.
Glossary #9: Executioner
A shadowy organization of the Holy Church. Their philosophy differs from that of the Holy Knights. Their primary mission is to secretly hunt witches who are detrimental to the Church, without appearing in public. They are even permitted to use forbidden weapons during these activities. They generally work in pairs, and when revealing their true identities, they wear white masks.
Glossary 10: Forbidden Tools
Dark magical tools whose use is strictly forbidden. While they possess powerful effects, such as allowing ordinary people to use magic or brainwash others, they also come at a heavy price. The price can be a sacrifice or the user's own lifespan, but there are also forbidden tools whose price remains unknown.
Glossary 11: Castle (Base)
The Holy Knights' headquarters during operations. It's a floating castle surrounded by dozens of barriers. Many Holy Knights are stationed inside, and their basic strategy for dealing with witches is to use human wave tactics to defeat them.
Glossary Part 12: Albino Soldier (Seeker)
A dummy created by a Holy Knight. Even if destroyed while in white robes, it has no significant effect on the original. It returns once it has replenished its magical energy from a tank stored in its "castle (base)." The Holy Knights' basic witch-hunting tactic is a human wave strategy, surrounding the target with a barrier and continuously sending in an endless supply of immortal soldiers.
Glossary 13: Hierarchical World (Fall)
A hole leading to another world on an isolated island between the Seventh and Eighth Continents. Various worlds spread from the first to the seventeenth floors, and elevators are used for travel. Because elevators can only carry a few people at a time, the risk of invasion is low, allowing independent cultures to exist there, and each floor is a world created by the Origin Witch.
Glossary Part 14: Fourth Floor: Orencia Set
The fourth floor of the Fall world. This floor is relatively similar to the upper world, and is said to be set approximately 100 to 200 years before the upper world. Furthermore, since there are no objects or people possessing magical powers, which are the source of magic, magic itself does not exist. This is also a world inhabited by vampires, and is home to two factions: the Concrads (Blood Tribe) and the Gnir (Night Tribe).
Glossary 15: Vampire
Vampires are a race virtually indistinguishable from humans, possessing sharp fangs and physical abilities far surpassing those of humans. Their bodies regenerate even after damage, meaning there are no fatal injuries. Even crushing their heads temporarily incapacitates them, but they regain their strength, making them virtually immortal. However, their bodies burn when exposed to sunlight, limiting their movement during the day. Furthermore, they lack magical powers and cannot use magic. Vampire society is generally male-dominated, resembling a lion-like society, with strong men at the top and women forming a pack.
[The Witch and the Beast] Glossary Summary
I've compiled a list of terms that appear in The Witch and the Beast! The setting and worldview are well-constructed, and the more you read into it, the more fascinating it becomes! While there are elements of suspense and mystery surrounding the witch-related incidents, the battle scenes, which seem to reach the pinnacle of inflated power from the very beginning, are incredibly powerful and worth watching! I'm really looking forward to seeing how these powerful scenes turn out in the anime! The anime will begin airing in January 2024, so if you're interested, be sure to tune in!
