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Never would I think that any Type-Moon visual novel (VN) would make it overseas or that I would be giving it a review, but alas, Kinoko Nasu’s Witch on The Holy Night HD Remaster has now been localized.
A visual novel about a young witch growing up in 1980s Japan, it may not have the notoriety of Fate or Tsukihime, but Witch shows everything that makes Nasu’s writing so enduring. Nuanced, well-developed characters, detailed lore that ties into its shared multiverse, and a good mixture of comedy alongside intense action. If you’ve ever been interested in Type-Moon but can’t be bothered to get a translation patch up and running, this is a good game to start with.
The Haunted House on The Hill
Witch on The Holy Night centers around Aoko Aozaki, a young mage in training learning to become the head of the Aozaki mage clan alongside her housemate and magic prodigy Alice Kunoji. The two live together in Alice’s old mansion on top of a hill looking over Misaki Town.
Soon, they’re joined by a third housemate. An odd young man from the country named Soujuurou Shizuki accidentally discovers their occult activities and after trying to kill him, they then force him to live with them until they can wipe his memory. Meanwhile, a rogue entity is attacking Alice’s magic barriers leading the trio to investigate and stop the mysterious assailant.
The Life of a Modern Mage
The visual novel is split up into 13 chapters totaling roughly 20-25 hours total. Unlike previous Type Moon VNs, Witch on The Holy Night is completely linear, meaning it has no multiple routes or branching choices. That may be turned off for those that want a bit more interactivity in their VN but it works for the story that is being told.
Witch is primarily a slice-of-life, coming-of-age story. The vast majority of the novel explores the three main leads, living their lives, going to school, and arguing, a lot, all while occasionally diving into the world of magecraft. I will say the first four chapters of the VN (around 5-6 hours of playtime) might be a little on the slow slide as it takes a lot of time to set up the plot but once you get to further through, it really starts to pick up.
Once the three leads are together, the story moves a steadier flow. It always feels like you’re learning something new. Soujuurou befriending Alice, learning more about Aoko’s past, the lore of mage society, and so forth. That’s not to say there’s no action either. The VN has some draw-dropping fight scenes that make for creative and downright badass action that push the characters to their limit.
The Witch and Her Roommates
A review of Witch on The Holy Night wouldn’t be complete without talking about its three central characters: Aoko, Alice, and Soujuurou. These three are the heart of the novel and Nasu is able to draw a lot of character out of each of them as individuals and as a team.
Aoko Aozaki
I first knew of Aoko through Tsukihime but her younger self here is a very different character. She’s a delightfully flawed protagonist, hot-headed and impulsive yet kind and even mischievous at times. I really like her conflict over being a mage. She can be prideful and remorseless as you’d expect from a Nasuverse magician, yet also rebellious and willing to bend the rules, especially if it involves protecting someone she cares about (not that she’d there admit it of course).
Alice Kuonji
Alice Kuonji was a real surprise. She’s an icy-cold traditional mage at the start of the novel, anti-social, and has no issue killing to protect her magic lineage. As you can imagine, she defrosts as the story goes on but I like that this defrosting isn’t just making her cute (although she does have her moments). The story shows that she can often be quite vindictive, especially when Aoko tries to one-up her. She shows a lot of personality for someone who talks so little and I really liked her subtle mannerism that depict her shifts in mood.
Soujuurou Shizuki
Finally, there’s Soujuurou, the goodest boy. Being born in the mountains without electricity or running water, his lack of modern knowledge makes him naive yet very earnest, being open to both new technology and magic and wanting the believe the best in people even when it’s difficult.
Despite all this though, the guy is not an idiot. As he’s further exposed to the modern world he quickly picks up on new concepts and even if he doesn’t completely understand, he learns better how to maneuver around them. The two girls often take advantage of him but he’s quick to get used to it and even comes with a few snappy comebacks of his own. Overall, with how morally grey Aoko and Alice can be, Soujuurou’s straightforward and down-to-earth earnestness, makes him very sweet and someone you want to see get a happy ending.
It would have been very easy to make these three just the tsundere, the kuudere, and the bland self-insert but like Nasu’s best work, they’re more than that. Each character has nuance in how they speak, their different moods, and how they reflect on each other. Aoko and Alice’s competitive magic talk, Aoko getting embarrassed by Soujuurou not having a clue, and Soujuurou and Alice setting down for tea, realizing they may have more in common than they first thought. It’s enchanting to be around these three and see them go from unlikely allies to true friends.
I can’t talk much about the villains due to spoilers but they’re also a lot of fun in their own right, and lead to some fantastic fight scenes later in the VN.
Unlimited Budget Works
Graphics may not be the first thing most people think of with a visual novel, yet Witch really takes things up a whole new level, it looks stunning. Like the Tsukihime Remake, the sprites are highly expressive with each character giving a good range of emotions and reactions that range from funny, to cute, to heartfelt.
More impressive however are the graphics and effects which are incredibly kinetic. The story goes beyond just one or two sprites on a screen, peppered with the occasional key visual. Instead, Witch implements various effects, animations, panning shots, and dynamic camera movement to add a real sense of motion to the story. You don’t just see an image of a character fighting, you see a quick animation of them swinging their arm, or shooting an all-encompassing laser across the screen. I don’t think I’ve seen a visual novel that popped off the screen the way this one does.
It really shows how important the visual side of the visual novel genre is. The pristine flair of the art and animation enhances the experience and makes it feel even more immersive.
Witch on The Holy Night
To end this review, Witch on The Holy Night is not only a great visual novel but serves as a great introduction to the Type-Moon universe. Not only does it connect to the various themes and factions of the world but gives an overall great impression of Nasu’s writing and characters.
While some may be turned off by the slow pacing and wordy dialogue, the story has a good balance of slice of life with the deeper mysteries of magecraft. The action is well-choreographed with great artwork and overall it’s just fun to be around these characters. Aoko, Soujuuro, and Alice may be among three of my favorite Type-Moon characters, each getting a great amount of personality and development.
Overall if you’re interested in reading more about the Type-Moon Universe, there are few better places to start than with Witch on The Holy Night.
Witch on The Holy Night is available for Switch and PS4.
This review of Witch on The Holy Night was conducted on the Nintendo Switch version.
The Review
Witch on The Holy Knight
PROS
- Well written story with great world building
- The three main characters are interesting and well developed
- Visuals are dynamic and stunning
CONS
- The beginning may be a little too slow paced for some people
