When ufotable picks up an anime project, you can bet that it’s going to be one of the very best you will see that year. With a record that boasts franchises such as the Demon Slayer and the Fate franchise, it has announced its next project [Witch on the Holy Night]. It has a strong legacy with Tsukihime, one of TYPE-MOONS’ best projects, and Kara no Kyoukai.
- Would it breathe through the pressure and forge its name onto the golden blocks?
- or would it fail to rise to the occasion and tarnish the studio’s name?
Look no further as in this article, I will be exploring the new movie’s potential success and if there’s any chance of it competing with the upcoming big-hitters of the Shonen genre. Stay updated with every new gossip of the anime community by subscribing to Spiel Anime’s Newsletter, which will give you premium access to some of our best recommendations and in-depth secret breakdowns of shows and their characters.
Witch on the Holy Night
Witch on the Holy Night, or Mahoutsukai no Yoru, is set near the end of the Showa Period. The story is set to be the prequel to Tsukihime and centers around the trio – Aozaki Aoko, Kuonji Alice, and Shizuki Soujurou. When Aoko’s grandfather decides to name her his heir instead of her older sister, she is sent to an old mansion where a witch resides to learn magecraft.
- She is tasked with protecting the land that the Aozaki family governs.
- However, mysterious intruders have been invading the restricted field of Misaki which leads Aoko and Alice to investigate the area.
During one of their investigations, they end up fighting the intruders, and Soujurou ends up as an eyewitness. He is brought along with them to the mansion, where more events occur for the true mastermind to reveal themselves. An action-packed supernatural tale with thrilling twists that would remind you of Lancer’s fight with Archer in Fate Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works.
The Nasuverse: Where does this movie fit in?
The Nasuverse refers to the interconnected stories written by the author, Nasu Kinoko. This universe includes multiple light novels, visual novels, anime adaptations, and games.
- Tsukihime:Â Starting off as the first TYPE-MOON project, this show centers around the life of the teenage boy Shiki Tohno, who receives the ability to see the lines between life and death, known as the [Mystic Eyes of Death], when he finds himself in an accident.
- Fate Universe:Â The most popular franchise from the author, Fate includes various visual novels and anime adaptations following Humanity’s attempt at fulfilling their deepest wishes and trying to save themselves when they face the consequences of those wishes.
- Kara no Kyoukai:Â This is set in an alternate universe following Ryougi Shiki, a girl with multiple personalities, who finds herself in an accident similar to Shiki Tohno, and receives the [Mystic Eyes of Death].
Witch on the Holy Night is a story that precedes the story of Tsukihime, being the first story Nasu ever wrote. Due to its failure to gain traction in the author’s initial days, it is not very well-known. However, after years of gaining incredible recognition, this iconic first story is making its comeback.
Can it continue the legacy?
The Nasuverse is an engaging universe of exhilarating stories filled to the brim with breathtaking visuals. This makes it exceedingly difficult for any of its following series, may it be a prequel or a sequel to the existing shows, to receive the same attention. Marked with strict and high expectations from the yet-to-release movie, it seems the chances are quite slim for this to end up being a mega-hit.
It is being animated by ufotable, which alone boosts its reach, however, a studio alone cannot save a movie. When compared to the other shows the studio has animated, it faces an even harsher standard to live up to. With two legacies to carry, it would be a miracle for it to blast through and be worthy of adding its name to it.
Truth be told, the Nasuverse is a pretty underrated universe, with only the Fate franchise being popular enough to be known by many. The rest of the verse, which includes Tsukihime and Kara no Kyoukai, is quite underrated and only known within the consistent and loyal fanbase of the author and his Fate franchise. This could potentially hamper the success this movie should have received. While as a standalone movie, it is expected to be blessed with humongous success, the same cannot be said when it comes to the legacy it has to inherit.