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If Witch, Then Which? #1
魔女らば魔女れば(1)
Ever since a lifesaving blood transfusion, Haruka Kuze has been indebted to Maruna Rinjou. The only How do you show your gratitude to someone who barely gives you the time of day? So when he finds out she's actually a witch, Haruka swears he'll do whatever it takes to help her graduate from magic school-even if it means cross-dressing as a girl! But does Maruna really hate him, or is there another reason she gets so flustered when he's around?
Comic
First published October 12, 2019
3 people are currently reading
96 people want to read
About the author
Ato Sakurai
58 books32 followersSAKURAI Ato
Name (in native language): 桜井亜都
Associated Names:
桜井 崇子
SAKURAI Takako
Blood Type: A
Zodiac: Taurus
Used to work under the pen name SAKURAI Takako (桜井崇子).
Was the assistant of FUKUCHI Tsubasa.
Name (in native language): 桜井亜都
Associated Names:
桜井 崇子
SAKURAI Takako
Blood Type: A
Zodiac: Taurus
Used to work under the pen name SAKURAI Takako (桜井崇子).
Was the assistant of FUKUCHI Tsubasa.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
September 25, 2020
Years ago, Haruka was in an accident and his life was saved by a blood transfusion from Maruna, the girl next door. He’s been trying to repay her for years, but she hates his guts (sure she does). Obviously this leads to Haruka posing as a girl to help Maruna achieve her dream of attending witch school.
Obviously.
Wow, this book. This is a fake yuri Harem Potter story that is basically examining what would happen if a less competent but more hot-headed Captain Kirk was starting to fall for a more oblivious Mr. Spock. No seriously.
Honestly, I shouldn’t like this book as much as I do, but it has a real pedigree for me. Ato Sakurai was the mangaka behind Today’s Cerberus, which remains one of my absolute favorite harem manga - it lost a little towards the end but it had a big heart and the first volumes were amazing (though I was less critical then so I do imagine I overrated them a touch).
Maruna is very textbook tsundere, trying to hide how much she likes Haruka. This works at all because Haruka so far has the sexual appetites of a stick of butter. If it wasn’t for a couple brief moments (it’s amazing that Maruna doesn’t explode during the fitness test) he would be the first asexual protagonist in a harem story.
However, he is utterly devoted to helping Maruna and she is such a good friend (to others) and trying so damn hard that they make a great pair. He is analytical to a fault and it’s a surprisingly hilarious take on the usual dry self-insert hero (this book has the distinction of having possibly the only breast size joke to make me cackle since I was 18 years old).
And, yeah, it’s funny! Haruka’s disguise is fittingly detailed, and a mishap during the entrance exams leads to our duo being marked as a yuri pairing in the making (the degree to which a large chunk of the student body is behind this is very amusing).
I also love that there is an admitted female rip-off of Draco Malfoy who doesn’t do much except get dragged by her hangers-on and is completely ignored by Maruna, who can never remember who she is.
The art is not quite as good as Today’s Cerberus, but I do like it. There is a Moment during the entrance exam which is drawn for all it’s worth and I’m always on the lookout for those in my books. It is sweet and powerful and after I went back to read that sequence a second time I knew I was into this series for the long haul (this faith is rewarded with another cracking spread later on).
My major complaint is how the book starts adding new characters a little too fast towards the end. The shy girl with the nuisance cat (believable cat, that one) is barely falling for Haruka before Hibiki is introduced and then SHE is shoved to the side even more quickly for the mysterious class prodigy.
The overarching plot is thus far pretty predictable, though I do appreciate how good Haruka is at thinking his way out of situations. Give me a well-written story hitting old beats over anything poorly written any day.
And the characters do impact the story - it’s pretty clear from the Headmaster’s speech and the advice from Maruna’s grandmother that Haruka’s theory about Maruna’s power is way off base. It works because it’s truth-adjacent, but if I’m wrong about that I will eat my pointy hat. It’s a smart way to use one of your main character’s strengths against them.
3.5 stars rounded up because I smiled a lot during this book (sometimes that’s all it takes). I don’t necessarily love cross-dressing stories (manga rarely does this well when it’s played for laughs, in my experience) or tsundere tropes, but this book made them work and had a lot of other good bits around those parts.
Certainly not a book out to reinvent the wheel, but definitely one making a damn fine wheel from what’s come before it. Added to my pull list.
Obviously.
Wow, this book. This is a fake yuri Harem Potter story that is basically examining what would happen if a less competent but more hot-headed Captain Kirk was starting to fall for a more oblivious Mr. Spock. No seriously.
Honestly, I shouldn’t like this book as much as I do, but it has a real pedigree for me. Ato Sakurai was the mangaka behind Today’s Cerberus, which remains one of my absolute favorite harem manga - it lost a little towards the end but it had a big heart and the first volumes were amazing (though I was less critical then so I do imagine I overrated them a touch).
Maruna is very textbook tsundere, trying to hide how much she likes Haruka. This works at all because Haruka so far has the sexual appetites of a stick of butter. If it wasn’t for a couple brief moments (it’s amazing that Maruna doesn’t explode during the fitness test) he would be the first asexual protagonist in a harem story.
However, he is utterly devoted to helping Maruna and she is such a good friend (to others) and trying so damn hard that they make a great pair. He is analytical to a fault and it’s a surprisingly hilarious take on the usual dry self-insert hero (this book has the distinction of having possibly the only breast size joke to make me cackle since I was 18 years old).
And, yeah, it’s funny! Haruka’s disguise is fittingly detailed, and a mishap during the entrance exams leads to our duo being marked as a yuri pairing in the making (the degree to which a large chunk of the student body is behind this is very amusing).
I also love that there is an admitted female rip-off of Draco Malfoy who doesn’t do much except get dragged by her hangers-on and is completely ignored by Maruna, who can never remember who she is.
The art is not quite as good as Today’s Cerberus, but I do like it. There is a Moment during the entrance exam which is drawn for all it’s worth and I’m always on the lookout for those in my books. It is sweet and powerful and after I went back to read that sequence a second time I knew I was into this series for the long haul (this faith is rewarded with another cracking spread later on).
My major complaint is how the book starts adding new characters a little too fast towards the end. The shy girl with the nuisance cat (believable cat, that one) is barely falling for Haruka before Hibiki is introduced and then SHE is shoved to the side even more quickly for the mysterious class prodigy.
The overarching plot is thus far pretty predictable, though I do appreciate how good Haruka is at thinking his way out of situations. Give me a well-written story hitting old beats over anything poorly written any day.
And the characters do impact the story - it’s pretty clear from the Headmaster’s speech and the advice from Maruna’s grandmother that Haruka’s theory about Maruna’s power is way off base. It works because it’s truth-adjacent, but if I’m wrong about that I will eat my pointy hat. It’s a smart way to use one of your main character’s strengths against them.
3.5 stars rounded up because I smiled a lot during this book (sometimes that’s all it takes). I don’t necessarily love cross-dressing stories (manga rarely does this well when it’s played for laughs, in my experience) or tsundere tropes, but this book made them work and had a lot of other good bits around those parts.
Certainly not a book out to reinvent the wheel, but definitely one making a damn fine wheel from what’s come before it. Added to my pull list.
November 15, 2020
This is a bit of an odd duck. It definitely gets better as it goes on, mostly because Maruna becomes less frantically annoying. There's real potential here (I'm not counting out that Haruka may be able to use magic because of Maruna's "gift" when they were little), but at this point it's going to depend on how Maruna is written.
The art's adorable, though.
The art's adorable, though.
October 22, 2020
2020 Read #660
The premise is cute and chipper, but there’s no real new ground here for a magical academy story, a cross-dressing scenario, childhood friends becoming more over time, or any of the other trope-y things used in the story thus far. There just isn’t enough interesting material so far for me to feel pushed to continue.
The premise is cute and chipper, but there’s no real new ground here for a magical academy story, a cross-dressing scenario, childhood friends becoming more over time, or any of the other trope-y things used in the story thus far. There just isn’t enough interesting material so far for me to feel pushed to continue.
September 4, 2021
Ridiculous, adorable, and somehow not as creepy as it should be. I love the seriousness of Kuze mixed with the anxiety ridden heart fluttering reactions of Rinjou!
March 18, 2023
I loved this a lot, I don’t normally read romance type manga but it was a nice change. I even bought the next two volumes after this 😂
February 4, 2022
The artwork was nice. Unnecessary teen nudity, it doesn’t add to the story. I don’t like Maruna’s character, she’s just awful. She’s a tsundere but she’s ridiculous.
It’s also kind of transphobic when Haruka, who identifies as a boy, puts on a sailor suit it’s suppose to be funny that a boy put on girl clothes. How did find a wig, sailor outfit, padded bra, and everything else so fast and so late at night? How did he just offhandedly know how to put himself together as a girl so well? That takes practice! It also didn’t make sense that a small child could consent to donating blood, only adults can donate blood. Also how fast they made enemies in the witch school didn’t make sense, the bully was just such a flat character.
It’s also kind of transphobic when Haruka, who identifies as a boy, puts on a sailor suit it’s suppose to be funny that a boy put on girl clothes. How did find a wig, sailor outfit, padded bra, and everything else so fast and so late at night? How did he just offhandedly know how to put himself together as a girl so well? That takes practice! It also didn’t make sense that a small child could consent to donating blood, only adults can donate blood. Also how fast they made enemies in the witch school didn’t make sense, the bully was just such a flat character.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2021
It’s Halloween season and what better way to get into it by reading a manga on witches.
The art in this manga is just beautiful and the colored pages are really the icing on the cake! Each character including the background “mob” characters are uniquely designed. The amount of effort it took to draw this is just commendable. That said the manga uses the current modern style of focusing and highlighting a character’s expression and emotions instead of elaborate and busy backgrounds. Both styles are great but the modern style suits this manga’s execution.
Our main characters have pretty common personalities as seen in stories. Haruka Kuze is straightforward, factual and doesn’t seem to let anything get him down. Maruna Rinjou on the other hand, has a strong sense of determination and commitment, is blunt and a little clueless. They’re a really cute couple although it’s not formalized yet. However, Kuze drops so many statements which can be taken as confessions or indications of his feelings making Rinjou blush like crazy.
Side characters; we have quite a few of them and none are a disappointment. We have our shy and understanding character, the hyper crazy character, the hidden yet powerful character, and the one who thinks they’re the best. So we come full circle when it comes to the range and since it’s an all-girls school, there are no males except Kuze. My favorite character aside from the two mains has to be a cute little kitty by the name of Nana-chan. Nana-chan is really cute and has a running gag of throwing things out of her owner’s hand.
The story follows Kuze and Rinjou’s school life and they complete many witching activities together. Each chapter is its own mini story so there is a mini time skip between each but they build upon each other seamlessly. Since it’s a witch school setting, the chapter revolves around our main characters trying to complete the learning activity to further their studies. The story doesn’t indulge in the activities much as they are common and primarily focuses on our characters ups and downs.
Honestly, this is my first gender-bender type story and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I enjoyed the budding dynamics between Kuze and Rinjou and that neither of them looked down on others. They encourage their friends and have their own way of looking out for them. Also, the slight element of suspense with the addition of a new character who knows their secret has me really excited to read the next volume!
xxMysticxx
Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf
The art in this manga is just beautiful and the colored pages are really the icing on the cake! Each character including the background “mob” characters are uniquely designed. The amount of effort it took to draw this is just commendable. That said the manga uses the current modern style of focusing and highlighting a character’s expression and emotions instead of elaborate and busy backgrounds. Both styles are great but the modern style suits this manga’s execution.
Our main characters have pretty common personalities as seen in stories. Haruka Kuze is straightforward, factual and doesn’t seem to let anything get him down. Maruna Rinjou on the other hand, has a strong sense of determination and commitment, is blunt and a little clueless. They’re a really cute couple although it’s not formalized yet. However, Kuze drops so many statements which can be taken as confessions or indications of his feelings making Rinjou blush like crazy.
Side characters; we have quite a few of them and none are a disappointment. We have our shy and understanding character, the hyper crazy character, the hidden yet powerful character, and the one who thinks they’re the best. So we come full circle when it comes to the range and since it’s an all-girls school, there are no males except Kuze. My favorite character aside from the two mains has to be a cute little kitty by the name of Nana-chan. Nana-chan is really cute and has a running gag of throwing things out of her owner’s hand.
The story follows Kuze and Rinjou’s school life and they complete many witching activities together. Each chapter is its own mini story so there is a mini time skip between each but they build upon each other seamlessly. Since it’s a witch school setting, the chapter revolves around our main characters trying to complete the learning activity to further their studies. The story doesn’t indulge in the activities much as they are common and primarily focuses on our characters ups and downs.
Honestly, this is my first gender-bender type story and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I enjoyed the budding dynamics between Kuze and Rinjou and that neither of them looked down on others. They encourage their friends and have their own way of looking out for them. Also, the slight element of suspense with the addition of a new character who knows their secret has me really excited to read the next volume!
xxMysticxx
Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf
August 28, 2021
A fun start to a magic school story that also has a cross dressing mc!
Art: The art is very clean. But that also goes for the shading, I feel everything's solid if colored. If that makes sense lol. The composition is alright, nothing really that caught my eye. At the more important points I think it does add some more flair though. There are some really pretty scenes here. The characters designs I also really like, they're simple but illustrate the characters quite well even though everyone's in uniform.
Characters: The characters were probably the weakest trait. Haruka is alright, he's not a blank slate or standard manga boy protag. The manga seems to focus on a character's quirky traits to add to the comedy. So Haruka is tied to activating Rinjou's powers. I like that he's okay with cross dressing and doesn't make a deal about it. You could make a case for him being genderqueer from this volume alone. Rinjou on the other hand came off as pretty annoying at first. But she does get a little better by the end of the volume. She's a typical tsundere but I guess it works for the story, and she does show signs of a character arc. Rather have a character with alot of personality that might be annoying than no personality. The side characters are pretty cute and unique, they make the world feel bigger as they all have their own quirks with magic.
Story: The story is pretty fast paced right now. It's a magic school story revolving around Haruka trying to help Rinjou as he feels indebted to her. Their relationship and activating Rinjou are the bulk of the story. It can get a bit repetive but the various magic school shenangins and characters help it stand out. While not the most complex story, it's just a fun little read, with a little annoying fanservice.
Art: The art is very clean. But that also goes for the shading, I feel everything's solid if colored. If that makes sense lol. The composition is alright, nothing really that caught my eye. At the more important points I think it does add some more flair though. There are some really pretty scenes here. The characters designs I also really like, they're simple but illustrate the characters quite well even though everyone's in uniform.
Characters: The characters were probably the weakest trait. Haruka is alright, he's not a blank slate or standard manga boy protag. The manga seems to focus on a character's quirky traits to add to the comedy. So Haruka is tied to activating Rinjou's powers. I like that he's okay with cross dressing and doesn't make a deal about it. You could make a case for him being genderqueer from this volume alone. Rinjou on the other hand came off as pretty annoying at first. But she does get a little better by the end of the volume. She's a typical tsundere but I guess it works for the story, and she does show signs of a character arc. Rather have a character with alot of personality that might be annoying than no personality. The side characters are pretty cute and unique, they make the world feel bigger as they all have their own quirks with magic.
Story: The story is pretty fast paced right now. It's a magic school story revolving around Haruka trying to help Rinjou as he feels indebted to her. Their relationship and activating Rinjou are the bulk of the story. It can get a bit repetive but the various magic school shenangins and characters help it stand out. While not the most complex story, it's just a fun little read, with a little annoying fanservice.
May 6, 2021
'If Witch, Then Which?' is a manga about a girl with magical powers, but she can't use them unless her heart is racing - luckily for her, her childhood friend is willing to dress up like a girl and join the witch high school with her, so that he can tease her at the appropriate moments to get her blood going... It's a bit far-fetched, but it's fun anyway. There's no gender stuff going on so far, alas - this is simply his repayment for a long-ago blood transfusion that saved his life. (Or so he says, because neither of the two of them can recognize how twitterpated they are with each other.) But it's cute and there's a constant theme of witchy magic being powered by love, so I'm enjoying it and going to look for the next volume.
February 23, 2022
Cute and funny! 😄
After being given a blood transfusion as a child Haruka Kuze has been trying to repay his debt to Maruna Rinjou for saving his life. He accidentally walked into class seeing her floating a water bottle and discovered she’s a witch! Turns out she has no control over her powers. Haruka has been given the duty to help Rinjou figure out how to activate her powers and he only 3am the next morning 😬 so she can be accepted into a witches academy. Haruka dresses as a girl to help Rinjou at her acceptance exam. The 2 of them make 1 witch! They’ve both been accepted now, Haruka will spend the next 3 yrs helping Rinjou activate and control her powers all while trying not to let his secret be exposed!
After being given a blood transfusion as a child Haruka Kuze has been trying to repay his debt to Maruna Rinjou for saving his life. He accidentally walked into class seeing her floating a water bottle and discovered she’s a witch! Turns out she has no control over her powers. Haruka has been given the duty to help Rinjou figure out how to activate her powers and he only 3am the next morning 😬 so she can be accepted into a witches academy. Haruka dresses as a girl to help Rinjou at her acceptance exam. The 2 of them make 1 witch! They’ve both been accepted now, Haruka will spend the next 3 yrs helping Rinjou activate and control her powers all while trying not to let his secret be exposed!
February 13, 2022
This was actually a really fun, cute read! It's got a pretty light plotline...the worldbuilding is decent, with different witches having interesting and varying powers, though the premise is a bit silly. Haruka and Maruna have cute chemistry as complete opposites - Maruna is a total tsundere, and Haruka is the classic serious/aloof/kind of oblivious childhood friend who thinks Maruna hates him when it's exactly the opposite. Their interactions are pretty adorable and I hope we get more of it in the next volumes!
Art here is good but not anything standout, though I do think the mangaka did a great job at making distinct character designs. So far, I can tell everyone apart easily.
Art here is good but not anything standout, though I do think the mangaka did a great job at making distinct character designs. So far, I can tell everyone apart easily.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2020
This is so cute!
I really like this manga. Such interesting characters. I suspect down the road, these 2 "half witches" will eventually get together as a couple. She just needs to come to terms with her true feelings about him. And, oh no! A plot twist! I guess you shouldn't talk to strange cats. Hmm, now SHE knows the TRUTH, but what will she do? Maybe nothing (for now)? I feel this is going to be problematic down the road. Art, very well done. Such cute girls. Dialogue, very realistic, given the circumstances. Characters, likeable and adorable.
I really like this manga. Such interesting characters. I suspect down the road, these 2 "half witches" will eventually get together as a couple. She just needs to come to terms with her true feelings about him. And, oh no! A plot twist! I guess you shouldn't talk to strange cats. Hmm, now SHE knows the TRUTH, but what will she do? Maybe nothing (for now)? I feel this is going to be problematic down the road. Art, very well done. Such cute girls. Dialogue, very realistic, given the circumstances. Characters, likeable and adorable.
July 3, 2022
This was a very quick and easy read, finished it in under an hour. I thought it was super cute and I definitely agree with others that it gets better as it goes along! Some parts were a tad repetitive feeling/annoying but, were funny. I’m interested to find out more about the smaller characters they introduced towards the end!
October 24, 2020
Plot - 4 ☄
Character - 4 ☄
Writing Style - 3 ☄
World Building - 4 ☄
Art - 4 ☄
Cover - 4 ☄
Overall - 3.83 ☄
My first impression about this manga is mostly probably about shoujo ai or yuri but but it's seem that I'm wrong!
It's cross dressing! Can you guess which one is a male character?
Character - 4 ☄
Writing Style - 3 ☄
World Building - 4 ☄
Art - 4 ☄
Cover - 4 ☄
Overall - 3.83 ☄
My first impression about this manga is mostly probably about shoujo ai or yuri but but it's seem that I'm wrong!
It's cross dressing! Can you guess which one is a male character?
March 25, 2021
literally so cute and love the characters 🦇🕸🕯🖤
April 25, 2021
When I was younger I was a huge Sailor Moon fan and thanks to my daughter I started getting back into anime. Reading manga is like watching a cartoon! It’s a fun easy reading experience !
June 11, 2021
This was so cute and gender bending witches omg
October 22, 2021
A fun quick read which felt fitting as one of my Halloween tasks this month.
December 17, 2021
My son asked me to read this Manga book. He thought I would like it. For a graphic novel, it has humor.
February 2, 2022
I loved this book, this has to be one of my favorite series, the plot and character writing was just awesome, highly recommend!!
January 12, 2023
LOVED IT SO MUCHHHH I WANT THE NEXT ONE 😍 👍👍👍👍👍👍😌
February 15, 2023
Okay that’s a fun concept and a super cute read! ✨ intrigued on where the story will go
February 19, 2024
Very weird premise and I don’t know if I’m enjoying it that much. But the series is only 3 volumes long, so I’ll try to stick it out.
January 25, 2025
I was my first manga and the best one I could start with
July 15, 2025
It was alright 🤷♀️
July 23, 2021
My husband picked out this manga to read and as soon as he was done said that I needed to read it too. It is so cute! I loved it so much and I love the art style. It had several moments that made me laugh.
This book revolves around Maruna attempting to get into the Eastern Woods of the Sacred Witch Academy. The first story revolves around Haraku discovering that Maruna is a witch and helping her practise for her entrance exams. This is very much setting up the scene and introducing the characters.
The rest of the book sees Maruna and Haraku begin their lessons at ESA, starting with readings in a crystal ball, physical examinations and broomstick flying. It also introduces a new character in each of these parts, so we get to know the other students a bit better. These stories are funny as Haraku works out the best ways to trigger Maruna’s magic, while also trying to avoid discovery by the other students that he is really a boy.
I have no idea where this story is going or how long it is going to be, but I’m hooked and want to read more.
This book revolves around Maruna attempting to get into the Eastern Woods of the Sacred Witch Academy. The first story revolves around Haraku discovering that Maruna is a witch and helping her practise for her entrance exams. This is very much setting up the scene and introducing the characters.
The rest of the book sees Maruna and Haraku begin their lessons at ESA, starting with readings in a crystal ball, physical examinations and broomstick flying. It also introduces a new character in each of these parts, so we get to know the other students a bit better. These stories are funny as Haraku works out the best ways to trigger Maruna’s magic, while also trying to avoid discovery by the other students that he is really a boy.
I have no idea where this story is going or how long it is going to be, but I’m hooked and want to read more.
July 29, 2021
Adorable.
November 17, 2021
8/21 A little obnoxious at first but the cute and unusual characters and rather original story really grew on me by the end. Will definitely try the next volume.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews