Promotional Still for Secrets of the Silent Witch © 2024 Matsuri Isora, Nanna Fujimi/KADOKAWA/Serendia Academy PR department. North American License Holder: Crunchyroll. Used for editorial purposes.
This Secrets of the Silent Witch review comes from an older male otaku who rarely enjoys reverse harem setups—I can only think of Fruits Basket and Ouran High School Host Club as fitting examples. However, what truly made this anime shine wasn’t the romantic elements, which remain secondary to the plot. Rather, it was Monica Everett’s journey of personal growth and her vulnerability that made her feel genuinely relatable. Like many of us, she struggles with insecurities and feelings of inadequacy. Yet she possesses a hidden strength that those willing to take the time truly notice and appreciate. She is an endearing character who resonates on a deeply human level.
Promotional Still for Secrets of the Silent Witch © 2024 Matsuri Isora, Nanna Fujimi/KADOKAWA/Serendia Academy PR department. North American License Holder: Crunchyroll. Used for editorial purposes.
Plot Synopsis
Crunchyroll provides the series with this synopsis: “Humans couldn’t handle magic without chanting until Monica Everett, the Silent Witch and one of the Seven Sages, made unspoken magecraft possible. Painfully shy, she enjoys seclusion. One day, Louis Miller, the Barrier Mage, delivers the king’s order: Go undercover at a prestigious school for nobles to guard the second prince. Get ready for her silent mission to begin!”
Animation, Music, and Voice Acting
Studio Gokumi did a fantastic job with the animation. The anime’s musical score, along with its opening and closing songs, was equally enjoyable. The voice acting from the original Japanese cast is excellent. I haven’t taken the time to evaluate the English dub—not because I’m gatekeeping in the whole sub versus dub debate, but because my preferences have evolved.
I was once quite the fan of English dubs. However, as I’ve grown older, I’ve noticed that I don’t always appreciate the choices made during localization, especially when dated references are thrown in that become stale within a few years. Of course, there’s now a greater push to hand subtitle translation over to AI. That might make the process quicker, but it remains to be seen whether this will ultimately benefit or harm the future of subtitling.
Beyond Demographic Labels
Secrets of the Silent Witch is categorized as josei, aimed at young women. However, I recommend everyone—even devoted shonen fans—watch it. It might lack constant action, but it offers emotional depth that more than compensates. I also suggest anime fans avoid taking demographic labels too literally. These are audience designations, not strict genre definitions. They indicate the intended market, not the quality or universal appeal of the story.
A Note on Content Ratings
Crunchyroll assigns a 14+ rating to the series due to profanity, smoking, and violence. I often find the smoking warning amusing—not because I dismiss health concerns, but because it reveals a misunderstanding of Japanese culture. Japan only recently began strict anti-smoking efforts, banning smoking in public places in 2018. In contrast, the U.S. hasn’t implemented a nationwide ban but has introduced restrictions gradually at the state and local levels over many years. Despite health initiatives, smoking continues to appear commonly in Japanese media. For example, an anime scheduled for release in 2026 centers its entire plot on two characters meeting behind a supermarket to smoke. If Crunchyroll obtains the streaming rights, I’m curious to see how they’ll handle it.
Final Verdict
Overall, this Secrets of the Silent Witch review gives the series 5 out of 5 stars. Crunchyroll’s viewers also love the show, giving it a 4.9 out of 5 rating as of this publication. This is one of those rare instances where I’d say you can fully trust popular opinion. Whether you typically enjoy reverse harem anime or not, Monica Everett’s journey is worth experiencing.
Your friendly old otaku at Old Otaku’s Notebook