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The Witch and the Knight Will Survive #1
The Witch and the Knight Will Survive, Vol. 1
Agredios, the son of a local landowner, arrives home from a long hunt...only to find his village silent and devoid of its usual laughter and commotion. What he discovers is an unimaginable agony that sparks a desire to avenge his fallen people by slaying the witch of the forbidden woods. But is the witch truly as vile as rumors say? A new quest begins: to discover the truth, save lives, and survive.
204 pages, Paperback
First published February 4, 2022
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121 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 14, 2025
Underwhelming plot. Great artwork with confusing panel themes. Word bubbles were most of the time confusing, who was speaking. The overall theme is what genuinely attracted me to read, knights and witches all day. The cliff hanger at the end was very ambiguous. Sort of a last minute thought on how to keep the series alive and worth someone’s time. Is it me or does a lot of the manga coming out these days seem loosely developed or is it a poor translation issue?
April 15, 2023
Definitely worth a second volume, because it's clear that there's something else at work here than a "witch." Gee, what organization has a bad history of vilifying powerful women as "witches"...?
April 25, 2023
An extended sojourn into the forest delays Agredios’ return home, which turns out to be a blessing when his entire village has died in the interim. He seeks revenge on the forest witch as the perpetrator, but she’s not exactly what he was expecting…
Mix a little revenge story with some survivor’s guilt and a lot of survival in general and you have a story that, on paper, has all the ingredients, but to me feels like somebody left the oven off.
It might be bearing the brunt of my expectations; this starts off as dark and moody and doesn’t really go that route (though it’s still pretty grim) once Agredios decides to stop torturing the witch. Which, I get that he’s upset, but having no proof save his superstitions and need to blame somebody doesn’t make him come off any better.
And the witch herself feels like she’s out of a whole other story. Her childlike mannerisms are one of those character beats that drive me a little crazy, and it really doesn’t fit the tone of an entire village being wiped out. Yes, she’s otherworldly, yes, she’s learning to communicate with humans, but conveying that with her flailing just did not work for me.
You could argue that this new partnership is what will enable the village to survive, and given how incredibly nebulous the narrative is right now, I’d be inclined to agree. Don’t worry though! The church IS evil, in case you were worried this might be the one manga where they weren’t (I don’t disagree with the sentiment, but, seriously… Every. Single. Time.).
And the ecology of this place doesn’t make a lick of sense and that is my dusty biology degree finally making itself useful, but come on. So they can go fishing and get regular old fish and shrimp, but on land there are giant bees full of bees and massive bull things? That’s such a weird pull.
Between Agredios and his sister (no bonus points will be awarded for sussing out that the mystery figure in the helmet is actually… a girl!?) figuring their way forward and the people they meet along the way, the basic functions of life being at the fore makes for the most interesting stuff in the story. Even with my complaining about the local fauna, the story gets the struggle across solidly.
The slowly expanding family unit of the village is subsequently well done, and I particularly like the two young girls who lose their parents and are incredibly strong about it until they absolutely are not. That portrayal of delayed grief is on a level I wish everything else had achieved; it’s really, really good.
I don’t mind a grim fantasy story - this one has a pall of despair over it that’s lightly leavened with hope, which is a solid base for a story. There are mysteries afoot and plot hooks and the question of how these people are going to manage.
And yet, it left me absolutely cold for most of the reasons I gave above. I don’t mind low fantasy, but I do want more cohesion than I got here. Some books just aren’t for me and I freely admit that this one isn’t. Once in a while I can’t see the forest for the tree and that’s the case here.
3 stars - that said, it might be for you, and if you aren’t annoyed by the witch being so inscrutably childish or don’t ask the kinds of pointless questions this brought to my mind, there are definitely things to like here.
Mix a little revenge story with some survivor’s guilt and a lot of survival in general and you have a story that, on paper, has all the ingredients, but to me feels like somebody left the oven off.
It might be bearing the brunt of my expectations; this starts off as dark and moody and doesn’t really go that route (though it’s still pretty grim) once Agredios decides to stop torturing the witch. Which, I get that he’s upset, but having no proof save his superstitions and need to blame somebody doesn’t make him come off any better.
And the witch herself feels like she’s out of a whole other story. Her childlike mannerisms are one of those character beats that drive me a little crazy, and it really doesn’t fit the tone of an entire village being wiped out. Yes, she’s otherworldly, yes, she’s learning to communicate with humans, but conveying that with her flailing just did not work for me.
You could argue that this new partnership is what will enable the village to survive, and given how incredibly nebulous the narrative is right now, I’d be inclined to agree. Don’t worry though! The church IS evil, in case you were worried this might be the one manga where they weren’t (I don’t disagree with the sentiment, but, seriously… Every. Single. Time.).
And the ecology of this place doesn’t make a lick of sense and that is my dusty biology degree finally making itself useful, but come on. So they can go fishing and get regular old fish and shrimp, but on land there are giant bees full of bees and massive bull things? That’s such a weird pull.
Between Agredios and his sister (no bonus points will be awarded for sussing out that the mystery figure in the helmet is actually… a girl!?) figuring their way forward and the people they meet along the way, the basic functions of life being at the fore makes for the most interesting stuff in the story. Even with my complaining about the local fauna, the story gets the struggle across solidly.
The slowly expanding family unit of the village is subsequently well done, and I particularly like the two young girls who lose their parents and are incredibly strong about it until they absolutely are not. That portrayal of delayed grief is on a level I wish everything else had achieved; it’s really, really good.
I don’t mind a grim fantasy story - this one has a pall of despair over it that’s lightly leavened with hope, which is a solid base for a story. There are mysteries afoot and plot hooks and the question of how these people are going to manage.
And yet, it left me absolutely cold for most of the reasons I gave above. I don’t mind low fantasy, but I do want more cohesion than I got here. Some books just aren’t for me and I freely admit that this one isn’t. Once in a while I can’t see the forest for the tree and that’s the case here.
3 stars - that said, it might be for you, and if you aren’t annoyed by the witch being so inscrutably childish or don’t ask the kinds of pointless questions this brought to my mind, there are definitely things to like here.
January 4, 2025
C'était un très bon premier tome, j'ai hâte de lire la suite. Juste dommage que le format du livre soit si petit, ça ne rend pas justice aux dessins magnifiques.
September 28, 2023
Les Survivants d’Ormélion, fruit de la collaboration entre les talents de Gonbe Shinkawa et Dai Chikamoto, apporte une bouffée d’air frais à l’univers de l’heroic fantasy en combinant habilement les thèmes de la vie, de la survie et de la reconstruction. Dans un récit émouvant et visuellement captivant, les auteurs nous guident à travers les ruines d’un monde déchiré par la tragédie, où la vengeance se heurte à la nécessité de réparer et de guérir.
Narration et Intrigue :
Le manga démarre sur les chapeaux de roues, plongeant le lecteur dans une scène brutale où le protagoniste, Aglédios, découvre l’horreur du massacre qui a décimé son village. Dès lors, l’intrigue se construit avec une tension palpable entre la soif de vengeance d’Aglédios et la réalité urgente de la reconstruction. Les auteurs réussissent à maintenir cet équilibre subtil tout au long du récit, en explorant les dilemmes moraux auxquels sont confrontés les survivants.
Personnages :
Les personnages sont l’épine dorsale de l’histoire, chacun portant son propre fardeau de douleur, de culpabilité et d’espoir. Aglédios est particulièrement bien développé, passant d’un jeune homme avide de vengeance à un leader en quête de rédemption. Les auteurs évitent les clichés habituels, donnant à chaque personnage une profondeur qui rend leurs choix et actions plus crédibles et poignants.
Univers Visuel :
Le travail artistique de Les Survivants d’Ormélion est une véritable splendeur. Les détails minutieux des décors post-apocalyptiques, des créatures fantastiques et des émotions des personnages sont superbement rendus. L’utilisation judicieuse de la mise en page et des séquences d’action dynamiques plonge le lecteur dans ce monde avec une immersion totale.
Thèmes et Réflexions :
Le manga explore des thèmes complexes tels que la vengeance, le deuil, la résilience et la rédemption. À travers les choix et les interactions des personnages, les auteurs nous incitent à réfléchir sur ce qui est vraiment important après une tragédie : la justice punitive ou la construction d’un avenir meilleur. Cette réflexion profonde donne à Les Survivants d’Ormélion une dimension philosophique qui le distingue.
Conclusion :
Les Survivants d’Ormélion de Gonbe Shinkawa et Dai Chikamoto est une œuvre exceptionnelle qui redéfinit les contours de l’heroic fantasy. Avec sa narration captivante, ses personnages profondément humains et son esthétique visuelle époustouflante, le manga parvient à créer un équilibre habile entre la quête de vengeance et la nécessité de reconstruire. À travers son exploration intelligente de thèmes universels, il laisse une empreinte durable dans le cœur et l’esprit des lecteurs. Une lecture incontournable pour les amateurs de fantasy et au-delà
Narration et Intrigue :
Le manga démarre sur les chapeaux de roues, plongeant le lecteur dans une scène brutale où le protagoniste, Aglédios, découvre l’horreur du massacre qui a décimé son village. Dès lors, l’intrigue se construit avec une tension palpable entre la soif de vengeance d’Aglédios et la réalité urgente de la reconstruction. Les auteurs réussissent à maintenir cet équilibre subtil tout au long du récit, en explorant les dilemmes moraux auxquels sont confrontés les survivants.
Personnages :
Les personnages sont l’épine dorsale de l’histoire, chacun portant son propre fardeau de douleur, de culpabilité et d’espoir. Aglédios est particulièrement bien développé, passant d’un jeune homme avide de vengeance à un leader en quête de rédemption. Les auteurs évitent les clichés habituels, donnant à chaque personnage une profondeur qui rend leurs choix et actions plus crédibles et poignants.
Univers Visuel :
Le travail artistique de Les Survivants d’Ormélion est une véritable splendeur. Les détails minutieux des décors post-apocalyptiques, des créatures fantastiques et des émotions des personnages sont superbement rendus. L’utilisation judicieuse de la mise en page et des séquences d’action dynamiques plonge le lecteur dans ce monde avec une immersion totale.
Thèmes et Réflexions :
Le manga explore des thèmes complexes tels que la vengeance, le deuil, la résilience et la rédemption. À travers les choix et les interactions des personnages, les auteurs nous incitent à réfléchir sur ce qui est vraiment important après une tragédie : la justice punitive ou la construction d’un avenir meilleur. Cette réflexion profonde donne à Les Survivants d’Ormélion une dimension philosophique qui le distingue.
Conclusion :
Les Survivants d’Ormélion de Gonbe Shinkawa et Dai Chikamoto est une œuvre exceptionnelle qui redéfinit les contours de l’heroic fantasy. Avec sa narration captivante, ses personnages profondément humains et son esthétique visuelle époustouflante, le manga parvient à créer un équilibre habile entre la quête de vengeance et la nécessité de reconstruire. À travers son exploration intelligente de thèmes universels, il laisse une empreinte durable dans le cœur et l’esprit des lecteurs. Une lecture incontournable pour les amateurs de fantasy et au-delà
March 24, 2023
Agredios returns to his home village to find everyone dead from a plague, his parents included. His father has left him a letter that points at a witch in a nearby forest, so in his grief and rage, he rushes to kill her, but she won’t die. After several attempts, he finally listens to what she has to say and realizes she’s not responsible. A curse is and it'll return. Ag takes her to his village where a few survivors soon gather. The first volume is about a found family and figuring out how to survive, since outside help isn’t coming.
This was a good story with fierce battle scenes, but a bit gloomy—and the ending promises more gloom to come. Ag is an earnest young man who takes his responsibilities seriously. The witch is a childlike creature, not entirely human (despite being drawn as the ultimate manga babe) who’s only imitating what others do. She’s terrified of Ag after what he did to her, but opens up with others, especially with Ag’s sister. The world is medievalesque with frightening monsters like bees the size of a car.
Illustrations were black and white and good. The witch was there to be ogled at, but otherwise the characters looked and behaved like regular humans.
I received a free copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
This was a good story with fierce battle scenes, but a bit gloomy—and the ending promises more gloom to come. Ag is an earnest young man who takes his responsibilities seriously. The witch is a childlike creature, not entirely human (despite being drawn as the ultimate manga babe) who’s only imitating what others do. She’s terrified of Ag after what he did to her, but opens up with others, especially with Ag’s sister. The world is medievalesque with frightening monsters like bees the size of a car.
Illustrations were black and white and good. The witch was there to be ogled at, but otherwise the characters looked and behaved like regular humans.
I received a free copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
April 20, 2023
The Witch and the Knight Will Survive interested me a lot, both plot and art wise. It didn't let me down either! The main character is Agredios, who's a local landowner's son, finally returning home. But, the village is no more as all the residents are dead as well as his parents. The corpses look like they are sleeping too. Agredios wants to revenge the people and decides to kill the witch of the forbidden forest only to learn that the witch isn't what he thought. This is a slow series with mysteries and eerie feeling to it, which is perfect. It reminds me of Miyazaki's Nausicaä a lot. Agredios' inner thoughts are so normal and he keeps analyzing everything around him, which kind of carries to story onward. The witch is a weird one, but it adds to the odd and distant feeling of the series.
The art looks great and fits well wit the story. There's some humor in too, but it burns with a small flame. There's no ecchi stuff basically, which is a hooray from me. The Witch and the Knight Will Survive is dark and depressing with lots of hope, a nice contradiction. Finally a fantasy series with a refreshing plot and angle to it!
The art looks great and fits well wit the story. There's some humor in too, but it burns with a small flame. There's no ecchi stuff basically, which is a hooray from me. The Witch and the Knight Will Survive is dark and depressing with lots of hope, a nice contradiction. Finally a fantasy series with a refreshing plot and angle to it!
February 21, 2024
Agredios is shocked to come home to a village whose people have been slaughtered so he confronts the witch he thinks is to blame.
This volume surprised me. There was more here than the typical fantasy manga. I assumed it would be Agredios and the witch, journeying somewhere after a confrontation and heading toward many more confrontations with bigger and bigger bads. Instead there is a cast of people: Agredios and the witch, two rescued children, Agredios' sister, and a family of beekeepers. Having more than just two people allows relationships to build and more interesting conversations to occur. I'm looking forward to the next volume.
This volume surprised me. There was more here than the typical fantasy manga. I assumed it would be Agredios and the witch, journeying somewhere after a confrontation and heading toward many more confrontations with bigger and bigger bads. Instead there is a cast of people: Agredios and the witch, two rescued children, Agredios' sister, and a family of beekeepers. Having more than just two people allows relationships to build and more interesting conversations to occur. I'm looking forward to the next volume.
August 16, 2023
Not really working for me. Mostly because the forest witch is so jarringly childlike that she honestly doesn't feel like she belongs here. Most of the characters in this book are fairly realistic and react in fairly realistic ways. This may be most striking with the young children: their parents have suddenly died, and at first they seem to be taking their deaths well. Their delayed reaction is believable and even moving, especially because it's such a small, mundane thing that sets it off. In comparison, the witch feels like a crude caricature.
December 27, 2024
The Witch and the Knight Will Survive was my first manga, so there was definitely a learning curve (especially trying to read it on my phone). Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite grab me. There’s something off with the characters that I couldn’t really stay interested (idk the witch annoyed me), even though I think the story seems to be heading in an interesting direction. The illustrations are sick & I’m very glad I branched out a bit to try this.
June 25, 2024
Engaging premise and engaging story but I found the dialogue to be a bit too unnatural and the pacing a bit off. You get used to it with a lot of manga but the skipping over details/scenes, that would make the story flow better, happens quite a bit. Action scenes were a bit hard to follow but the artwork is solid and the character designs distinguishable so far.
April 19, 2023
A great start
I usually don't read fantasy manga, but this book caught my attention. A group of likeable characters trying to survive in the face of a seemingly hopeless situation. The art is nice as well. Def recommended.
I usually don't read fantasy manga, but this book caught my attention. A group of likeable characters trying to survive in the face of a seemingly hopeless situation. The art is nice as well. Def recommended.
November 19, 2024
The art is simply gorgeous! But the story didn't catch my interest... something is missing. I can't connect with the characters. They feel somewhat... flat?
I will give it a second chance with a second volume, but only because I'm in love with the art.
I will give it a second chance with a second volume, but only because I'm in love with the art.
April 27, 2023
The drawings are really pretty, but oml I just cant handle the witch. She is so annoying to me.
March 30, 2024
Woah... this is incredibly interesting. There are definitely deep forces at play from the onset. It's going to take a few volumes for me to make heads or tails of Cetia...
September 15, 2024
2.5 stars
June 21, 2025
3.5
Meandering, middle of the road manga. I do enjoy the artist's work, but personally I prefrered the art of The Wolf never Sleeps more.
Meandering, middle of the road manga. I do enjoy the artist's work, but personally I prefrered the art of The Wolf never Sleeps more.
February 13, 2024
Frankly, I hated this, but I don't think I'm the target audience. I found it bland, with nothing unexpected, or new to make it stand out from the crowd. For the people who this book is for, however, the art is beautiful, the writing is easy to follow, and the art is lovely. I wanted to give three good points...
July 26, 2025
Sort of a slow start, but I’m happy it has exceeded my low expectations.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews