Now that January is almost over, Winter 2026’s anime lineup has already been released, and fans can’t be more excited about the latest series. This month marks the return of some of the most beloved shows with sequel seasons, including Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Jujutsu Kaisen, Hell’s Paradise, Fire Force, and My Hero Academia: Vigilantes. Apart from that, a few new series, such as Sentenced to Be a Hero, Cosmic Princess Kaguya, Love Through a Prism, and many more, are also gaining quite a lot of attention from anime fans. Amid the dozens of series released this month, Crunchyroll’s Journal the Witch is steadily gaining popularity and rising through the charts. According to the X handle of MyAnimeList, the series’ ratings have gone up in the fourth week of the month, and it is currently in second place on the weekly charts.
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This is a huge leap compared to the second week, when it was in sixth place. The series is based on the acclaimed manga by Tomoko Yamashita, who is also known for creating The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window. Praised for its calm and captivating tone, the heartwarming anime is perfect for those who want to take a break from the intense and thrilling action series. The manga was serialized from 2017 to 2023, gaining recognition in Japan, but was never released in English. The manga isn’t available for fans outside of Japan, regardless of whether they want to read online or buy physical or digital copies of the volumes.
What Is Journal the Witch About?
The series focuses on personal growth and the unexpected bond between an aunt and her niece. Unlike what the title suggests, it’s not a supernatural fantasy, since the witch in the title is a metaphor for the main characters’ perceived differences from social norms, instead of an actual magical power. The story follows a 35-year-old novelist, Makio Kodai, who doesn’t hesitate to speak her mind, which causes her relationship with her sister, Minori, to sour.
They stayed out of touch for a while, and the only thing Makio shared about her sister was being berated for being different than others. This is why Makio isn’t overwhelmed by grief when Minori and her husband die in a car crash. She runs into her 15-year-old niece, Asa Takumi, whom she met a long time ago, and feels bad for her having to deal with the death of her parents. Makio notices that Asa is struggling to express her feelings of grief and suggests she write a diary to express her feelings.
After learning that none of the relatives are ready to welcome Asa into their homes, Makio decides to become her guardian. Despite living a life of social isolation, buried in nothing but her work, she forms an unexpected bond with the girl as the two begin to open up to each other. The duo learn to live with each other while figuring out what they must do in their lives. The story portrays real-life struggles through the characters, making it all the more relatable. The anime is listed for 13 episodes, and Crunchyroll is streaming new episodes every Sunday at 7:30 a.m. PT.
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