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Summary
For fans waiting for news aboutRecord of Ragnarok’sinevitable season 3 announcement, another seinen tournament manga is heading to North America soon:The War of Greedy Witches. Its premise is familiar, blending a similar tournament arc concept while giving its participants a chance at a new life and pulling them away from their grim fates inspired by historical events.The War of Greedy Witchesperfectly complementsRecord of Ragnarok, trading mythology and gods toward mythologizing historical figures in this exciting tournament manga.
The War of Greedy Witches,known initially asMajo Taisen, has been running chapters monthly since 2020 in Coamix’s Monthly Comic Zenon. It follows a superpowered tournament structure where its fighters gain abilities based on their past lives and ambitions as they pounce on an opportunity for a new life.
However, the tournament, Walpurgisnacht, can only have one winner, with each match being a brutal fight to the death, and one participant, Jeanne D’Arc, is its greatest enigma.
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The War of Greedy Witches Shares Common Ground With Record of Ragnarok
Coamix’s Monthly Comic Zenon Brings Another Hit Overseas
Aside from bothThe War of Greedy WitchesandRecord of Ragnarokbeing seinen tournament manga, they are both printed in Monthly Comic Zenon in their original Japanese release. However, withYen Press' latest announced slate of acquisitions, the fighting witches manga joins the New York-based publisher’s lineup. At the same time,Record of Ragnarokremains on VIZ Media’s mature VIZ Signature label. However, flipping through the pages of either manga,it’s easy to see the styles heavily reflected in one another.
The War of Greedy WitchesfollowsRecord of Ragnarok’spattern of featuring deadly mortal combat and backstories, with the most interesting characters often crowned winners.
Much likeRecord of Ragnarok,The War of Greedy Witchesfeatures a deadly clash where human fighters gain godly abilities based on their personalities or feats. Some, like Jeanne D’Arc, have yet to have fully defined abilities, seemingly drawing on the wishes and desires of their opponents to enhance their own. In contrast, others, like Marie Antoinette, have singular desires like control, manifesting in terrifying ways in combat. However, unlikeRecord of Ragnarok,The War of Greedy Witchesis a 32-fighter bracket featuring only human fighters in a one-on-one elimination tournament, with no teams and only one possible winner.
The War of Greedy Witches Raises the Stakes in More Ways Than One
Backstories and Character Designs Are Likely Popular Topics
Given that it’sa seinen series and not shonen,The War of Greedy Witchesis no stranger to fanservice in its designs for the fighters featured. Still, they’re also captivating in their own right with compelling, dramatized versions of their backstories. Jeanne D’Arc receives the most focus, being the closest to a protagonist while sharing a common element with each character. Much as the title suggests, many are revealed to be transported to another world inThe War of Greedy Witches, saved moments from dying, often from public execution, such as Jeanne D’Arc who was about to be burned as a witch.
La Voisin
Florence Nightingale
The result is an impressive array of nationalities and historical figures, from warriors and nobles to novelists and artists, each given unique fighting abilities.
Each character fights in Walpurgisnacht to win the tournament, earn a new life, and fulfill their greatest wishes. In the case of Amelia Earheart, this premise is fascinating because it means that her disappearance could be reversed in this scenario, and perhaps more entertainingly,it’s explained as her falling into an isekai plotline. However, the stakes are raised in more ways than one, as only one winner can be declared inThe War of Greedy Witches.
An Isekai Witch Tournament Is a Tantalizing Anime Prospect
Unlikely for Several Years, but an Enticing Premise
IfRecord of Ragnarok’ssurprising anime dominance on Netflix is any indicator, viewers crave intent action spectacles with similar premises, soThe War of Greedy Witchesis a perfect fit. However, with chapter #43 being the latest release in May 2024 and new monthly installments, some extra years would be needed so the anime doesn’t encounter significant gaps in adapting the series.Still, the concept lends itself to an entertaining animefull of bombastic character costumes, over-the-top weapons, and glorious fatalities.
This is incredibly enticing because isekai anime is on the rise,so one that fits into numerous other popular niches seems like a naturally appealing prospect. Combining that with witches, a death battle tournament setting and historical figures ranging from Mona Lisa to Lakhshmibai to Agatha Christie is the perfect combination of absurd yet endlessly compelling. But readers might notice an uncanny familiarity withThe War of Greedy Witches,thanks to its impressive creator team.
The War of Greedy Witches Creators Include Popular Kakegurui Author
An Impressive Creative Team Backs This Coamix Tournament Saga
The War of Greedy Witchesfeatures the creative talents ofKakegurui(Compulsive Gambler’sauthor), Homura Kawamoto, and artist Makoto Shiozuka, who worked previously onMeminisse, Ningen Card,andShinba Ra Da.The artistic aesthetic is similar yet arguably more refined thanRecord of Ragnarok’s, and the premise feels suitable withKakegurui’sauthor behind it, as the characters of varying likeability are playing at the highest stakes possible in this tournament. It feels sufficiently unique yet perfectly fits the tournament manga niche and any other contemporary series.
In addition to each fight allowing readers to see the witches explore their motivations and backstory,they’re treated to numerous changing character designs, including specialized armor for their battles. Shiozuka’s weapon and armor design is on point, creating memorable weapons like Jeanne D’Arc’s cross-shaped bladed shields, Tomoe Gozen’s Blade of a Thousand Wills, and Marie Curie’s Dual Bayonet Pistols. But with thirty-two fighters and only a fraction of the planned fights having happened, plenty of action lies ahead inThe War of Greedy Witches.
The Massive Fighter Ensemble Means Fan Favorites Will Die
Never Get Attached in a Tournament Arc
Due to the nature of Walpurgisnacht, every fight means a brutal death for the loser, as every combatant is urged to fight to their last breath.
Due to the nature of Walpurgisnacht, every fight means a brutal death for the loser, as every combatant is urged to fight to their last breath. While it may seem surprising to especially entitled characters like Marie Antoinette, they will each exercise their strengths in battle, including such cases as Cleopatra, where they can cause grievous harm with mere words. It creates a thrilling premise where certain characters like Jeanne D’Arc will likely survive longer,but it doesn’t guarantee every enjoyable character will survive.
Such is the case inRecord of Ragnarokand many other tournament series, but withThe War of Greedy Witches, there are no sides, only victory or death for all the fighters and one possible winner. As the manga comes West courtesy of Yen Press in the coming months, readers can pick up the series and enjoy everything it offers. However, it’s best to keep an open mind about which characters to root for, as several rounds have already concluded, ending the short runs of several Walpurgisnacht fighters inThe War of Greedy Witches.
