Secrets of the Silent Witch — The Struggles of a Socially Awkward Sage

Many argue that necessity and progress are the main driving forces behind innovation — they’re not. The true driving factors for innovation are laziness and antisocial behavior. Do you really believe that man invented the wheel to make transportation easier? Absolutely not. We invented the wheel to avoid walking in crowds. The more we innovate, the less we need hard labor and socialization. For Monica Everett of Secrets of the Silent Witch, the opening monologue is less the ramblings of an introvert and more of a bona fide way of life.

Serving as the “that’s so me” show for all the introverts (and misanthropes) out there, Silent Witch: Chinmoku no Majo no Kakushigoto leans heavily into social anxiety. But how well does it tackle it?

Secrets of the Silent Witch — If Bocchi Were a Sage

How far would you go to avoid speaking in public? Most of us would fake an illness or ghost an appointment. However, by Monica Everett’s standards, those excuses are normie behavior (and no self-respecting person engages in normie behavior). The kawaii witch so loathed public speaking that she managed to do the impossible; she figured out a way to cast magic without chanting.

Yet, as impressive as that is, Monica’s accomplishments stretch farther than Luffy’s nuts. Apart from her unparalleled mage craft, Monica is renowned for defeating the legendary Black Dragon and being the youngest member of the Seven Mages. Yet, despite her prestigious accomplishments, Monica is woefully ignorant of the phrase “self-confidence.” Monica, suffering from crippling social anxiety, wanted nothing more than for others to leave her alone as she studied mathematics. But when her kingdom’s second prince found himself in the crosshairs, Monica found herself assigned as his bodyguard. A task she had to complete by attending his school as a student!

A Quintessential Kawaii Waifu Anime

Sometimes you watch an anime because of all the hype it receives. At other times, you watch a show because you’re familiar with the source material. However, true men of culture watch anime because of kawaii waifus. And this season, Secrets of the Silent Witch’s Monica Everett is the most kawaii waifu around. Her expressions and freak-outs are endearing. You can argue that using social anxiety as a comedic device is a crappy thing to do. But at no point does Silent Witch: Chinmoku no Majo no Kakushigoto trivialize Monica’s social anxiety. Throughout the story, Monica proves to be quite competent. Social anxiety doesn’t equate to a lack of skills, and that’s something I wish more people would realize. Unfortunately, the “loner” stigma is still prevalent.

But that’s where anime like Secrets of the Silent Witch shines. The show gives you an adorable character you can cheer for, and as she’s forced into situations she would rather avoid, she has no choice but to grow. The producers always handle that growth so eloquently that even Monica doesn’t realize it until other characters point it out to her. Silent Witch: Chinmoku no Majo no Kakushigoto is a moe-heavy show, and it sells a kawaii story. If you’re a fan of shows like this, then this anime is for you. But, if you want action, boobies, and guns — this is a hard pass.

Secrets of the Silent Witch — Production and Franchise Details

Studio Gukumi handled the adaptation of Silent Witch, and although I can’t recall any other shows by them, their animation and art style seamlessly complement this title.

Fans of KonoSuba and Princess Connect’s art style would feel right at home with Silent Witch. The anime’s art is among this season’s best, and when the action scenes don’t take a comedic approach, they’re surprisingly fluid. You’ll see some CGI, but at this point, CGI is like censorship. Unless someone takes extremist measures against it, it’s part of life.

I’d bet my Kantoku doujins that Saya Aizawa (Monica’s VA) has struggled in life. Not only can she perfectly capture Monica’s strife, but she’s also the VA behind Nana in Food for the Soul, Norn in Mushoku Tensei, and Hina in NEET Kunoichi. Either the homegirl is on a serious typecasting streak, or every producer in Japan knows she’s an A+ introvert at heart. Can I prove that? I cannot. But I know when I’m hearing the voice of someone who understands the struggles of those who can’t socialize, and Saya-san has that voice.

Matsuri Isora released Secrets of the Silent Witch between February and October 2020 via Shosetsuka ni Naro, a user-generated novel website. In June 2021, Fujimi Shobo’s Kadokawa Books acquired the title. Since then, they have published ten volumes along with two short stories, all featuring illustrations by Nanna Fujimi. The franchise also has a prequel light novel, Silent Witch -another- Rising of the Barrier Mage. Yen Press publishes both titles in English.

Enterbrain’s B’s Log Comic manga website serializes the Tobi Tana-illustrated Secrets of the Silent Witch manga. Silent Witch -another- Rising of the Barrier Mage was also adapted into a manga, featuring illustrations by Azu Azuko.

Random Thoughts

I mentioned that Silent Witch: Chinmoku no Majo no Kakushigoto has a strong KonoSuba and Princess Connect! Re:Dive feel to it. That’s because Takaomi Kanasaki serves as the anime’s chief director and scriptwriter. Kansaki-san worked as PriCon’s and KonoSuba’s director and worked on both series’ storyboards. Additionally, Cygames provided the OST and music for Secrets of the Silent Witch. Many of us watch shows based on the production staff, so this was worth mentioning, even if I had to add an appendix to do so.

Is this one of the better shows of the season? I’d put it toward the upper-middle, but I’m a sucker for slice-of-life and moe anime. Are you watching Secrets of the Silent Witch? If so, let us know what you think about the series! Crunchyroll is streaming this series.

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