Secrets of the Silent Witch episode 1 review: A fantasy anime that blends magic and comedy with quality animation

Secrets of the Silent Witch episode 1, titled A Colleague Arrives and Acts Unreasonably, aired on Friday, July 4, 2025. The series was highly anticipated by the fans to be one of the best anime in the magic-comedy genre for the summer of 2025, and they weren't disappointed.

The first episode of the new summer 2025 anime series mostly worked around the narrative of the story, typically laying a foundation for all the episodes to come. This Secrets of the Silent Witch episode 1 review mainly focuses on how the narrative was presented, as well as all the other technical aspects of the episode.

Disclaimer: This article contains potential spoilers from the Secrets of the Silent Witch episode 1.

Secrets of the Silent Witch episode 1 review: A brief synopsis and a narrative criticism

A brief synopsis of the Secrets of the Silent Witch episode 1

Monica Everett as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Gokumi)

The first episode mostly consisted of the introduction of the main characters in the series. Shortly after the episode started, the main protagonist, Monica Everett, was introduced. She was shown as an anxious and timid witch who lived alone in a hut by the river. However, after her former colleague Louis Miller came to visit her, Monica's true identity was revealed.

Despite being very shy and easily frightened, Monica was a member of the Seven Sages, the Silent Witch. However, her title was a contribution due to her anxious nature when she was attending the magic academy. She was very afraid of talking in front of others, let alone casting incantations for magic. To succeed, Monica developed the art of casting magic without spelling out the words.

Louis Miller as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Gokumi)

Louis revealed that he was visiting Monica to assign her a job to do on his behalf. The job was to visit Serendia Academy and keep an eye out for Felix Arc Ridill, the second prince of the Kingdom of Ridill, while also serving as his protector. Monica was very reluctant to get out of her hut and do the job, but she was forced into an agreement by Louis, using intimidation and emotional tactics.

Monica and her magical cat Nero then arrived at Louis' house, where she met Rosalie Miller, Louis' wife. Later on, Louis introduced her to Isabelle Norton, the daughter of Count Kerbeck.

Isabelle was going to be a part of Monica's cover story. Later, Isabelle also revealed that Monica unknowingly saved her when she killed the Black Dragon and other Pterodragons invading the kingdom.

A narrative criticism of the episode

Isabelle Norton as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Gokumi)

The 24-minute-long episode 1 served as a well-written layout for the upcoming episodes in the series. It was mostly focused on introducing the main characters for the series, as well as a brief past recap and introduction of the main protagonist, Monica Everett.

The episode also laid out a detailed idea of the world setting as well as the importance of possessing magic in that world. A few comedic reliefs here and there also helped narrate the story well, providing some breaks in between the highly detailed dialogues about the story.

Secrets of the Silent Witch episode 1 review: Production, animation, and voice acting criticism

Still from episode 1 of the anime (Image via Studio Gokumi)

From the get-go of the episode, Studio Gokumi did a good job with the animation of the highly anticipated series. The CGs and the scenes were very polished with minimal to no jitter within the transitions. Given the rise in standards in the modern-day fantasy genre anime, the production did a great job.

Under the direction of Takaomi Kanasaki and Yasuo Iwamoto, and character designs by Cona Nitanda, Studio Gokumi pulled out a quality animation for the series, which, personally, holds the potential to compete with several new titles these days. The voice actors were also spot-on in portraying the characters' emotions and depth.

Final thoughts

Overall, Secrets of the Silent Witch episode 1 did a great job with both the narrative of the episode as well as setting a standard in the animation and technical departments. It is hard not to commend Studio Gokumi for doing such a great job, providing us with a quality and polished anime series.

Also read:

About the author

Ribhu Ghosh is an Anime Journalist at Sportskeeda. With a degree in Journalism under the Calcutta University, his deep-rooted passion for anime and manga led him to pursue a career in writing about the same.

Along with his 6 years of experience as an illustrator and digital artist for various overseas anime studios and companies, he also aspires to write storylines. Ribhu's creative journey has been profoundly influenced by renowned mangakas such as Sui Ishida, Masashi Kishimoto, Kohei Horikoshi, and Koyoharu Gotouge.

Ribhu's enthusiasm for storytelling and illustration is evident in his meticulous approach to reporting. He values accuracy and relevance and always prioritizes thorough research.

If given a chance, he would return to 2014 and be a part of the Tokyo Ghoul series, as he admires its action scenes, story, plot twists, art, and adaptation from the manga.

When he's not writing, Ribhu enjoys illustrating, playing chess, and engaging in outdoor activities like badminton. His diverse interests extend to music, cooking, reading, and gaming, all of which complement his passion for entertainment.

Know More

Edited by Divya Singh