This off‑beat anime isn’t your typical magical‑girl series about costumed teens fighting evil. Maybe the real villains are the kids you’re supposed to protect, or maybe the internet itself is the true bad guy—just like the old‑school fans warned.

Personal take: I kept circling around it, but a handful of intriguing reviews called it “not what it seems,” and that nudged me to press play. It totally lived up to that label. The plot, the vibe, the characters – all top‑notch. There’s a ton of madness and blood that isn’t watered down for a kid‑friendly rating, even though the animation looks like it could be for children… but kids don’t need to see this. Adults, who often overlook child‑like violence, will find it spot on. Kids aren’t always angels, after all.

✅ PLUSES:

1) Clean art style. The series isn’t mind‑blowing, but it’s stylish. Even with a minimalist approach and no ultra‑fine details, the image quality stays consistent across the frame, so you won’t spot any glaring flaws. The colors are pleasantly moderate‑bright, without the oversaturated “cutesy” overload you see in something like “Madoka Magica.”

2) Story. It doesn’t drag because the runtime is tight – just 12 episodes. You can binge it in a day without breaking a sweat. It flows in one breath. Characters unfold one after another, nothing feels “out of the blue,” and most plot points get logical explanations. By the end we’re left with a few mysteries, which clearly calls for a sequel – and we’ll get to that later.

3) A fresh twist on a tired premise. There’s no shortage of anime, series and movies about magical artifacts that hand their owners insane powers—maybe even too many. But what happens when you mash gritty everyday life, crime and the magic of 12‑15‑year‑old teens? You get “Site of Witches.” The show tackles a lot of heavy stuff, and the toughest topics are child abuse, the impact of the internet, and death‑obsessed thoughts sparked by a cruel world that lets bullies walk away.

4) The characters. They’re fully fleshed out and anything but cookie‑cutter. Every single one pulls at your feelings—whether you love them or hate them depends on who’s on screen. You won’t see any “normal” people here. Each character wrestles with some mental issue, often a whole bundle of disorders that don’t look like they’ll ever get fixed… The biggest flaw lies with the Witches and the Administrators.

The Witches are “unlucky, poor souls” handed a so‑called wand by the Site Administrators—these sticks are infused with magic and can be used however they like. The wands drain the life force of whoever wields them, inevitably shortening their lifespan. In the guys’ hands, those same sticks are basically useless.

Asagiri Aya – a shut‑in girl who never quite fit in the new class and was scared to talk to anyone. A “poor soul” who got a wand after enduring beatings from her brother and classmates. The wand is a teleporting pistol. Her emblem is the suit of hearts.

Yatsumura Tsuyuno – Aya’s first friend who pulled her out of another bathroom bullying episode. She’s serious and a bit aloof. She’s on the case of the bloody attacks on witches. Her wand is a time‑stopping smartphone. Her emblem is a crescent.

Nijimi Anazawa “Nijimin” – the local pop star with a split‑personality syndrome. She became an idol to spread joy. Cute looks, but she flips to anger fast. Her wand is a pair of wish‑granting panties (no joke). Her emblem is the suit of spades.

Sarina Shizukume – a local rogue who knows how to play the aloof crowd. She loves teasing others but won’t stand anyone touching her or her friends. She says she “hates ungrateful people.” Her wand is a cutting‑through yo‑yo. Her emblem is the letter “F.”

Admins – the beings that watch over the Sites and scout for new users, i.e., potential witches. Who they are and what they look like is a mystery. They’ve got a hideous look, dress in black‑and‑white, and wield unmatched power.

5) A lot of cruelty. That’s why this anime isn’t for everyone. Watching kids beat each other up, adults hurting kids, kids self‑harm—it was tough to sit through. As the story goes on, things only get darker, the conflict builds and the girls might not make it out alive... It feels brutally realistic. Most people can’t even imagine what goes down on playgrounds, in school halls, or inside teenage heads. And yeah, that stuff happens—just without the fantasy.

6) Drama for every character. The show really digs into each person’s psyche. Even though the art is done in a quick sketch style, you can still see a broken soul, a kid battered by circumstances, dreaming of revenge or even death. Not many series focus on this, even though it’s a long‑standing issue that affects more than just kids and teens.

7) OP/ED. The technical side is solid. I added the opening song to my playlist right away. The ending surprised me with a live‑action style performance I hadn’t seen before. Fans of Eastern pop culture—think doramas and idols—might actually like it. It feels fresh.

OP: iRis - \"Changing point\"

ED: Haruka Yamazaki - \"Zenzen Tomodachi\"

❌ Cons of the series:

1) A lot of gross stuff. No, you won’t see guts spilling out or explicit sexual violence. But there are plenty of scenes that are just plain disgusting to watch… The poor girls go through so much cruelty that they end up either bent on bloody revenge or contemplating suicide. If you’re sensitive, I can’t recommend this to you.

2) Needs a follow‑up. Which is still up in the air (though early info says the second season won’t arrive before 2020). That’s a downside because this season only scratches the surface of its mysteries and never really starts solving any of them. The story stops right in the middle of the action, and it feels like it needs to be wrapped up.

Bottom line: you’ll only enjoy this if you’ve got thick skin and actually want to see it. Otherwise it’s probably not your cup of tea. Watching endless beatings of innocent girls isn’t fun, but the production quality still shines. The show tackles hot‑button issues we tend to ignore, which spiral into suicide or a school shooting…

My rating: 9 out of 10. For solid material.