The original work is a short light novel by Shiraishi Jounari. In 2019, it was adapted into a manga with characters by Azuru, and an anime adaptation is scheduled to begin airing in October 2020. The main character, Elaina, is inspired by a book called "Nike's Adventures" and dreams of becoming a witch and traveling. After becoming a witch, Elaina visits various places and people during her journey, and each story is generally self-contained in one episode. Additionally, "Lilielle and the Land of Prayer," published by GA Bunko, is a sequel that continues the worldview of this work. While this work has few main characters, we would like to introduce some of the characters that are expected to appear in the anime.
Elaina, the Ashen Witch
The protagonist of this work, a genius girl who became a witch at a young age. Inspired by the "Adventures of Nike" she read as a child, she became a witch with the dream of traveling the world. Elaina believed she could help many people with her witchcraft powers, but the reality is not so sweet, and she learns the truth along the way. She generally has a personality that cannot leave people in trouble alone, and despite her aversion to trouble, she often finds herself embroiled in it before she knows it. The name "Ash Witch" was given to her by her mentor, Fran, and is derived from Elaina's hair color.
Fran, the Stardust Witch
Elaina's mentor and a great witch who teaches at the Royal Celesteria Magic Academy. She has a free-spirited personality, even taking unauthorized leave from teaching during the year she taught Elaina. The reason she wasn't fired was because Elaina had become a fine witch, proving that Fran's year there hadn't been wasted. Fran owes it all to Elaina (lol). She has high magical abilities and is the only person who understands Elaina, who is shunned by others. She's so confident in her abilities that she calls Robetta's witches fragile.
Saya, a Mage in the Making
After bumping into Elaina in the Wizarding Kingdom, this mage ends up learning magic from her. She refers to herself as "I," but she's actually a girl. She and her younger sister were aiming to become witches, but when her sister passed the apprentice witch promotion exam and returned to her hometown, she frantically asked Elaina to teach her. She agreed to do so only after she found Elaina's brooch, but Saya had found it, and returning it would mean she'd be alone again, so she kept quiet about it. Saya is lonely and timid, but she grows rapidly as Elaina teaches her magic. Her straightforward personality makes her a quick learner. After being lectured by Elaina, she begins to strive to become a witch on her own, even passing the promotion exam. Her goal is to become a witch and meet Elaina.
Solor, the Gatekeeper of the Flower Kingdom
This gatekeeper finds fault with the flowers Elaina is carrying when she visits the Flower Kingdom. He's a former flower seller and Artemisia's older brother, who lived in the flower fields. He's been waiting for his sister's return. He dotes on his younger sister, and hates the fact that her popularity as a flower seller has drawn people to him. With each passing day, he increasingly refuses to let her leave the house. Eventually, he is despised by those around him as a wicked relative in love. It's unclear whether he noticed his sister's message, "Don't come," but in the flower fields, he and his beloved sister are poisoned by the flowers.
The Young King Who Relies on Fortune Telling
In a country with high prices, Elaina works as a fortune teller to earn a living. Hearing rumors, she asks him to predict the country's future. There were rumors that the new king had been selling counterfeit coins, causing prices to rise, but the young king had no such authority and in fact it was his aide who was in charge of economic policy, with the young king being his puppet. The king trusts his aide, but he doesn't feel like the country's affairs are going well and he wanted to find peace of mind through fortune-telling. Thanks to Elaina's efforts, the aide's misdeeds are exposed and the king realizes that he must lead the country himself and not rely on fortune-telling. The king didn't notice the lies of his aide, and he didn't notice Elaina's lies until the very end. The king is an honest and sincere king, but there is a worry that he will be deceived by someone again.
Emil, the Innocent Boy Who Collects Happiness
Emil is a boy Elaina meets while flying through the grasslands. He is the only son of the village chief and an innocent young man unaware that his father is a slave trader. He converts happiness into magical energy and collects it in a bottle for his servant Nino, and is unusually skilled in magic for a man. He can be quite forceful, inviting Elaina to visit the village and invite her over for dinner, but he still shows a childlike side, blushing and becoming embarrassed when talking about Nino. Emil is innocent and loves Nino, but what will happen when he finds out about his father's job and the circumstances that led to Nino's arrival?
Nino, a servant in Emil's household
Nino is the servant Emil has feelings for, but she's actually a slave purchased by Emil's father in the Orient. Having been treated as a slave, she's always fearful of something and rarely smiles. When she breaks a glass, Nino is moved to tears by Elaina's reaction, treating her like a person, not a slave. What was Nino thinking when Elaina showed her the happiness of others and told her she would make her happy? After hearing Elaina's words, Nino likely realized she couldn't attain that happiness herself. In the end, she ended her life with her own hands.
Abel, a Weakened Young Man
Abel is bedridden, afflicted with an illness that cannot be cured with village medicine. Everyone else has given up, but his girlfriend, Nina, is the only one who persists. Feeling sorry for Nina, who is becoming emaciated because of him, he spreads rumors of a cure-all and helps her escape the village. Realizing that he is a burden to the village, Abel asks Elaina to kill him with magic. Realizing the truth, Abel steps aside for his lover's sake. Perhaps Abel's time with Elaina, who resembles Nina, was his final moment of peace.
Introducing Characters Who Will Appear in the Anime! Summary
What did you think? There aren't many characters in each episode, and the story primarily revolves around the interactions between Elaina and another character. It'll be interesting to see who will be the voice actors!
