My favorite anime this season is a quiet, one-of-a-kind masterpiece
This winter brings strong entries across the board, from Sentenced To Be A Hero and SHIBOYUGI to returning heavyweights Jujutsu Kaisen and Frieren. Still, the series likely to linger longest is Journal with Witch, a quietly emotional work from director Miyuki Ooshiro and Shuka that finds its magic in everyday feeling rather than physical spectacle.
The story follows 15-year-old Asa Takumi moving in with her aunt Makio Kōdai after her parents’ death. Makio, a solitary novelist, adjusts to sudden domestic life and tries to do right by a niece she barely knew. An early scene—Asa singing while making breakfast, Makio asking her to sing a Justin Bieber song amid scattered pages—captures how they meet in the middle, while the show reveals the tragedy behind their living arrangement slowly and without flashback melodrama.
Journal with Witch dwells in small, meaningful moments: cooking together, sorting paperwork and meeting people important to each character.