IKIGAI DAYS

One of the series that started airing in the Winter of 2025 is Journal with Witch. Like the title, it is really a hidden gem of a series that deserves more praise and attention for what it’s worth. I don’t blame people for missing this, or not having this on their watchlist, as the series is competing with more popular series such as Frieren or JJK and the visuals don’t really appeal for you to pick it up

Synopsis from MAL:

Thirty-five-year-old novelist Makio Koudai never had a good relationship with her older sister Minori, who always berated her for being different. Due to this, Makio is not stricken with grief upon hearing the news that Minori and her husband died in a car crash. But when Makio is asked to identify their bodies, she runs into her 15-year-old niece, Asa Takumi, whom she has not seen in years.

As Asa struggles to process her parents’ death, Makio reassures her that her complicated feelings are valid and suggests that the teenager start writing in a diary as a way to cope with the loss. Upon learning that no other relatives wanted to take in Asa, Makio decides to become her guardian despite her lack of experience. In a world full of uncertainty, the novelist and teenager must learn to live with each other while figuring themselves out.

So what’s the series about? Journal with Witch is a slice of life anime and it focuses on the main character Asa, who unfortunately loses her parents to a car accident at the age of 15. This series focuses on her dealing with the grief of losing her parents, her personal struggles and the relationships surrounding her. Makio, who is the aunt and younger sister of Asa’s mother ends up being the legal guardian of her, and the main story focuses mainly on these two characters and the life that follow

I’m going to share my thoughts, which will be over all over the place! SPOILERS AHEAD!

Exploration of themes

The series touches on a variety of themes that you can relate to on a personal level, such as sexuality, grief, familial relationship, romantic relationships and societal expectations. What this series does well is that it does not over exaggerate these topics and it’s not a “in your face”. It doesn’t try to push for a “this is right or this is wrong” but provides a point of view from both sides. It allows you to really think through of what has been said and let you decide. One such example of societal expectations was the conversation between Kasamachi and Touno, especially with the stereotype of how males should act. I really resonated with this, as you should be who you are, regardless of gender and this series depicts this well; those who chose to be themselves and those who go against the social norms. In saying that, you have others who also believe this is not the right thought, as made apparent by Kasamachi’s father

Writing and visuals

The writing of this series is done in a way where it’s subtle, combined with the imagery tells a story that isn’t in your face, but beautifully blends in with what they want to convey. One example and a defining one was Emiri dealing with her sexuality, where she came over to Asa’s house and Makio having an inkling that Emiri was dealing with her sexuality, recommended her a film. The scene of this does not explicitly show the actual title of the film, but it just shows the film titled “Tomatoes”. I initially had no idea what this was in reference to, but after searching, it referenced the movie “Fried Green Tomatoes”, which touches on the relationship of same sex relationships. I have not watched this film, and just basing it off a summary I have read! So excuse me if I’m wrong!

Character Development

he characters are unique in this series, with each character portraying a certain notion or thought, and you can relate to the experiences of these characters. These characters are not one dimensional, and are also human with their own emotions. In most series, you always have characters that are one dimensional and their characters are portrayed like that, never to develop. In Journal with Witch, it’s a totally different story. You have, Makio, who is one that goes against societal norms and lives the life that she wants. Then you have her sister, Minori, the mother of Asa, who is one who followed what society expects of people. Is there a right or wrong to how they both lived their lives? Definitely not, as everyone has their own views!

Character relationships

Character relationships have been done really well in this series. For example, an apparent one was the relationship between Makio and her sister Minori, Asa’s mother. At the start, you have Makio who couldn’t stand her older sister and shared different views, and Asa who constantly reminded her of her older sister. As the series progresses, Makio understands more of her sister, and the side that she didn’t see of her through Asa. Asa’s mother was perceived as someone dislikable but then as the series goes on, you start to understand more of Minori as a character, so you couldn’t really be mad at her as you can empathise with her. Then you have the romantic relationship between Makio and Kasamachi, who broke up in the past, but then sort of rekindled their love later on, and depicting that when it comes to love and heartbreak , it is a difficult thing to overcome, especially when Kasamachi still has feelings for Makio, but also understands that she didn’t want any romantic relationships with him.

Final thoughts

I could go on and on about what makes this series great and this review doesn’t really do it the justice as it deserves. There’s so much more to discuss and write about, but it will become too long!

This series is one that you definitely have to watch, especially if you love slice of life and one that makes you ponder about life and the topics that is explored through the series. It will probably not garner crazy attention, but definitely a hidden gem that really deserves more praise for what it’s worth. A truly hidden gem that is a masterpiece. It is definitely going to be in my top 10 anime of all time for sure

I’ll end with this: It left me with an impression at the end that we all struggle with our own issues in one way or another, and we are all just trying to do our best and live life the best we can, whether our choices are right or wrong