Witch and Hound
Japanese fantasy light novel series
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Witch and Hound (Japanese: 魔女と猟犬, Hepburn: Majo to Ryōken) is a Japanese light novel series written by Rainy Kamitsuki and illustrated by Lam. It began publication under Shogakukan's Gagaga Bunko imprint in October 2020; six volumes have been published as of December 2024. A manga adaptation illustrated by Minori Tsukahara was serialized on Square Enix's Manga Up! web service from May 2023 to July 2025, with its chapters compiled into four volumes between March 2024 and August 2025. An anime television series adaptation produced by TriF Studio has been announced.
| Witch and Hound | |
First light novel volume cover | |
| 魔女と猟犬 (Majo to Ryōken) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Dark fantasy[1] |
| Light novel | |
| Written by | Rainy Kamitsuki |
| Illustrated by | Lam |
| Published by | Shogakukan |
| Imprint | Gagaga Bunko |
| Original run | October 21, 2020 – present |
| Volumes | 6 |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Rainy Kamitsuki |
| Illustrated by | Minori Tsukahara |
| Published by | Square Enix |
| English publisher | |
| Imprint | Gangan Comics UP! |
| Magazine | Manga Up! |
| Original run | May 18, 2023 – July 4, 2025 |
| Volumes | 4 |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Takanori Tsujimoto |
| Written by |
|
| Music by | Yuki Hayashi |
| Studio | TriF Studio |
Plot
The Kingdom of Amelia, ruled by its eponymous queen, has become a feared power known for its strength and use of magic. This threatens the existence of the kingdom of Campusfellow, known for its weapons industry. Following reports about a witch known as the Mirror Witch causing a massacre in the nearby kingdom of Levee, Lord Vad Grace sets off with a group, including Roro Duvel, to find seven witches who could help protect Campusfellow from the rise of Amelia.
Characters
- Roro Duvel (ロロ・デュベル, Roro Dyuberu)
- A young man and assassin who participates in the quest to protect Campusfellow. He is nicknamed the "Black Hound".
- Delirium Grace (デリリウム・グレース, Deririumu Gurēsu)
- Lord Vad's only daughter and one of Roro's companions.
- Vad Grace (バド・グレース, Bado Gurēsu)
- A lord from the kingdom of Campusfellow, who wants to protect it from the rise of Amelia.
Development
Rainy Kamitsuki, a novelist from Okinawa Prefecture, originally moved to Tokyo to pursue film making, but started writing novels after being unable to find work. They made their debut in October 2011 with the release of their novel Kōshite Kare wa Okujō o Moyasu Koto ni Shita (こうして彼は屋上を燃やすことにした) after winning an award from Shogakukan's Gagaga Bunko imprint. They initially started working on Witch and Hound after completing their light novel series Nanoka no Kuigumi (七日の喰い神). The initial concept for the series came after dreaming about witches on broomsticks flying around dinosaurs.[2] After this, they originally wanted to name the series after dinosaurs, but the idea was rejected by their editor. Ultimately, they decided on ryōken (猟犬; 'hunting dog') instead.[2]
Kamitsuki continued working on the plat, scrapping multiple drafts and ideas. At some point, their original plan for a series about bringing together witches had instead resembled a "fighting for the throne" plot similar to Game of Thrones, resulting in fourteen drafts before the final concept was finally approved.[2] In addition to Game of Thrones, which they had become a fan of during the series' conceptualization, the series was also inspired by fairy tales, a common influence in their work. The Mirror Witch herself had been inspired by notable cats from fantasy stories, such as the titular cat in Puss in Boots and the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland.[2] Developing Roro Duvel, the protagonist, proved to be a challenge, with Kamitsuki thinking of various personalities for him.[2]
The artist Lam illustrated the novels' cover and illustrations. The two initially met while working on the video game Altdeus: Beyond Chronos, with Kamitsuki offering her to illustrate the series after she expressed interest in working on light novels.[2]
Media
Light novels
Written by Rainy Kamitsuki and illustrated by Lam, the series is published by Shogakukan under their Gagaga Bunko imprint. The first volume was released on October 21, 2020;[3] six volumes have been released as of December 18, 2024.[4] The novels are available in English on Shogakukan's Novelous service.[5]
| No. | Release date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 21, 2020[3] | 978-4-09-451864-1 |
| 2 | June 18, 2021[6] | 978-4-09-453009-4 |
| 3 | June 17, 2022[7] | 978-4-09-453070-4 |
| 4 | May 18, 2023[8] | 9784--09-453115-2 |
| 5 | March 18, 2024[9] | 978-4-09-453184-8 |
| 6 | December 18, 2024[4] | 978-4-09-453225-8 |
Manga
A manga adaptation illustrated by Minori Tsukahara was serialized on Square Enix's Manga Up! web service from May 18, 2023, to July 4, 2025.[10][11][12][13] Four tankōbon volumes were released between March 15, 2024, and August 6, 2025.[14] The manga is licensed in English by Yen Press,[15] which will release its first English volume on November 24, 2026.[16]
| No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | North American release date | North American ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 15, 2024[1] | 978-4-7575-9111-0 | November 24, 2026[16] | 979-8-8554-3492-7 |
| 2 | March 15, 2024[17] | 978-4-7575-9112-7 | — | — |
| 3 | December 18, 2024[18] | 978-4-7575-9577-4 | — | — |
| 4 | August 6, 2025[19] | 978-4-7575-9985-7 | — | — |
Anime
An anime television series adaptation was announced on July 2, 2026. It will be produced by TriF Studio and directed by Takanori Tsujimoto, with Okamoto serving as assistant director, Kamitsuki handling the series composition with Jun Tsugita, who will also write the screenplay, Kengo Saitō designing the characters, and Yuki Hayashi composing the music.[20][21]
Reception
The series ranked in a 2024 poll by Anime! Anime! about light novels that readers wished to see adapted into an anime.[22]