Burn the Witch

Burn the Witch is a 2020 animated adaptation of Tite Kubo’s one-shot manga, set in the same broad universe as Bleach but centered on Reverse London, a concealed counterpart to ordinary London. Its leads, Noel Niihashi and Ninny Spangcole, are witches working for Wing Bind, the western branch of Soul Society. Their duties concern dragons, creatures invisible to most ordinary residents but capable of causing severe accidents when humans come into contact with them. Noel is portrayed as restrained and methodical, while Ninny is outspoken and is a member of the pop group Cecile Die Twice. Their contrast shapes everything. drives much of their banter as they travel on broomsticks and carry out Wing Bind assignments. The story begins when Balgo Ywain Park, a student at South Braxton School, becomes a Dragonclad, a person unusually prone to attracting dragons. Balgo also acquires a small doglike dragon called Osushi. Wing Bind treats contact between ordinary people and dragons as dangerous, so Noel and Ninny are assigned to manage the situation. Their operation becomes more complicated by the appearance of a Dark Dragon, a corrupted dragon classified as especially hazardous. The anime follows the manga’s core premise while presenting its action visually. Through fast aerial chases and magical combat, the adaptation gives Reverse London a distinct visual identity. Tatsuro Kawano directed the project at Studio Colorido, with Tite Kubo credited for the original work. It premiered on October 2, 2020, and its material was issued both as three episodes and as a single feature-length presentation. Shochiku distributed the film theatrically in Japan. The anime uses the source’s terminology, including Dragonclads and Dark Dragons, instead of treating its witches as generic fantasy spellcasters. Its setting deliberately connects to Soul Society’s western branch, making it a companion work to Kubo’s earlier Bleach series in continuity. The original one-shot was published in Weekly Shonen Jump in 2018, before the animated version arrived. Kubo later expanded Burn the Witch as a serialized manga beginning in 2020. The animated project received a further installment titled Burn the Witch #0.8, adapted from the prequel chapter and released in 2023. That episode shows Noel and Ninny before the events involving Balgo, including their early work with Wing Bind. Across these adaptations, the central conflict is not simply dragon slaying: Wing Bind regulates dragons while trying to protect both the hidden magical city and people in regular London. They remain central.