Witch and Hound

Witch and Hound
First light novel volume cover
魔女と猟犬
(Majo to Ryōken)
GenreDark fantasy[1]
Light novel
Written byRainy Kamitsuki
Illustrated byLam
Published byShogakukan
ImprintGagaga Bunko
Original runOctober 21, 2020 – present
Volumes6
Manga
Written byRainy Kamitsuki
Illustrated byMinori Tsukahara
Published bySquare Enix
English publisher
ImprintGangan Comics UP!
MagazineManga Up!
Original runMay 18, 2023 – July 4, 2025
Volumes4
Anime television series
Directed byTakanori Tsujimoto
Written by
  • Jun Tsugita
  • Rainy Kamitsuki
Music byYuki Hayashi
StudioTriF Studio

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.

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, Bud Grace sets off with a group, including Rollo Duvel, to find seven witches who could help protect Campusfellow from the rise of Amelia.

Characters

Rollo Duvel (ロロ・デュベル, Roro Dyuberu) / Black Dog
A young man and assassin who participates in the quest to protect Campusfellow.
Delirium Grace (デリリウム・グレース, Deririumu Gurēsu)
Bud's only daughter and one of Rollo's companions.
Bud 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 plot, 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 Rollo 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 him to illustrate the series after he expressed an 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
1October 21, 2020[3]978-4-09-451864-1
2June 18, 2021[6]978-4-09-453009-4
3June 17, 2022[7]978-4-09-453070-4
4May 18, 2023[8]9784--09-453115-2
5March 18, 2024[9]978-4-09-453184-8
6December 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
1March 15, 2024[1]978-4-7575-9111-0November 24, 2026[16]979-8-8554-3492-7
2March 15, 2024[17]978-4-7575-9112-7——
3December 18, 2024[18]978-4-7575-9577-4——
4August 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][22]

Reception

The series ranked in a 2024 poll by Anime! Anime! about light novels that readers wished to see adapted into an anime.[23]

References

  1. 1 2 魔女と猟犬 1 (in Japanese). Square Enix. Archived from the original on June 17, 2026. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 独占インタビュー「ラノベの素」　カミツキレイニー先生『魔女と猟犬』. LN-News.com (in Japanese). October 21, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  3. 1 2 魔女と猟犬 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  4. 1 2 魔女と猟犬　６ (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  5. ↑ Mateo, Alex (January 24, 2025). "Shogakukan Releases 'Novelous' Light Novel/Manga App Using AI-Assisted Translation in U.S., Canada". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  6. ↑ 魔女と猟犬 ２ (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  7. ↑ 魔女と猟犬 ３ (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  8. ↑ 魔女と猟犬 ４ (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on June 17, 2026. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  9. ↑ 魔女と猟犬 ５ (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on June 17, 2026. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  10. ↑ 鏡の魔女 - ①. Manga Up!. Square Enix. May 18, 2023. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  11. ↑ 長き旅路へ - ② (in Japanese). Square Enix. July 4, 2025. Archived from the original on November 1, 2025. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  12. ↑ 『魔女と猟犬』のコミカライズが決定　人々から恐怖される魔女と暗殺者のダークファンタジー. LN-News.com (in Japanese). June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  13. ↑ 『魔女と猟犬』のコミカライズ連載が開始　厄災の魔女を巡るダークファンタジー巨編. LN-News.com (in Japanese). May 20, 2023. Archived from the original on June 18, 2026. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  14. ↑ 7人の凶悪な魔女を仲間にせよ、カミツキレイニー「魔女と猟犬」のマンガ版1・2巻同発. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. March 15, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  15. ↑ Mateo, Alex (May 16, 2026). "Yen Press Licenses Moscow 2160, Love at the City's Edge on a Moonlit Night, Terrarium in a Drawer, 14 More Manga/Novels". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  16. 1 2 "Witch and Hound, Vol. 1". Yen Press. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  17. ↑ 魔女と猟犬 2 (in Japanese). Square Enix. Archived from the original on June 17, 2026. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  18. ↑ 魔女と猟犬 3 (in Japanese). Square Enix. Archived from the original on June 17, 2026. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  19. ↑ 魔女と猟犬 4(完) (in Japanese). Square Enix. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  20. ↑ 「魔女と猟犬」TVアニメ化、PV＆ビジュアル公開 シリーズ構成にカミツキレイニー参加. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. July 2, 2026. Retrieved July 2, 2026.
  21. ↑ 『魔女と猟犬』TVアニメ化決定！ ティザーPV＆ティザービジュアルが公開！. Animate Times (in Japanese). July 2, 2026. Retrieved July 2, 2026.
  22. ↑ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (July 1, 2026). "Witch and Hound Fantasy Light Novels Get TV Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 2, 2026.
  23. ↑ アニメ化してほしいライトノベル・小説は？ 3位「あやかし課」、2位「不死探偵」、1位は…＜24年上半期版＞. Anime! Anime! (in Japanese). June 24, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
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