Ufotable has come to define the animated adaptations of Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon's Fate series, just as Fate itself has come to define the larger universe that it is a part of. But one particular story in that vast universe is getting a film by Ufotable that might come out by the end of the year: Witch on the Holy Night, or as it's casually referred to, Mahoyo.
Mahoyo was a visual novel released in Japan on April 12, 2012, making it one of the more recent additions to the Nasuverse, when - in fact -its story was written in the 90s before Type-Moon was founded. It follows the story of a young witch named Aoko Aozaki, her peer in witchcraft/roommate, Alice Kuonji, and the peculiar transfer student Soujyuro Sizuki. The film adaptation was announced right after Christmas on December 26, 2021, and though rumors have circulated about it coming in late 2023, there hasn't been much news besides its initial teaser. So what is Mahoyo, and why should Fate fans be excited about it whenever it does have a release date?
The Story of Mahoyo
Aoko Aozaki is a witch, but she's only good at destroying things, not creating them. When her grandfather chooses her to inherit the responsibility of overseeing Misaki Town from the manor on the hill, she learns sorcery from Alice Kuonji, her housemate, superior, and rival. The story begins two years into their partnership, as they've found a balance between them.
However, when Soujyuro Sizuki, a transfer student from the mountains to whom modern civilization is mostly a mystery, that balance is thrown off completely. When he witnesses the two facing off against an intruder in the town, the witches have no choice but to keep an eye on him or kill him to protect their secrets, all while threats encroach on the city.
As far as protagonists go, Aoko is one of the most charismatic and mesmeric out there. She's confident and stubborn, not pursuing magic because It's something she wants but because she doesn't back down from challenges. Her personality can make her seem stand-offish, but her honesty and ethic are hard not to admire.
In the beginning, the story focuses greatly on Aoko and Soujyuro's school life getting to know them and experiencing their clashing personalities. Soujyuro is practically an alien entity with the ways he misunderstands basic things through no fault of his own, and his kindness to Aoko where others would be apprehensive throws her off completely.
The main trio is so captivating primarily because they are all so incredibly different, and their relationships are built on conflict or the suggestion of such. This is especially true of Alice, whose far more indirect manner of communicating clashes with Aoko, to say nothing of the difference in power between them, much less how different their ways of life are.
In spite of and partially because of how they clash, the characters have great chemistry, and there is a maturity to each of them beyond their quirks that grounds the script. Meanwhile, the story slowly unveils more of the magical happenings occurring behind the scenes under the cover of night. It's an effective buildup that makes one fall in love with the setting.
Connection To Other Nasuverse Works
Mahoyo is not only engrossing as is but serves as a practical jumping-off point for a few other stories in the Nasuverse that branch off from it. First and foremost, it is a prequel to the beloved Type-Moon classic Tsukihime, as well as the new remake, as Aoko is the woman who trains Shiki Tohno to control his Mystic Eyes.
Secondly, Aoko's sister, Touko, is a major character in Kara no Kyoukai (AKA Garden of Sinners), an alternate tale to Tsukihime that follows another "Shiki" with a similar power named Ryougi Shiki. As Garden of Sinners was a hugely successful series for Ufotable that paved the way for their Fate adaptations, it's only natural that Mahoyo gets its own film from them.
While a lot of audiences are familiar with this universe through Fate, the joy of stories like Mahoyo or any of the tales that spawn from it is learning more about the mechanics at the center of this world. The explanations of magic and the portrayals of mages help to sate one's curiosity about how things work, but they're also just flat-out cool.
What To Expect From The Film
Once again, not much is known about the film's length, the staff working on it, or even when specifically it is coming out. Ufotable has been working on the new season of Demon Slayer, which is undoubtedly the priority of the studio at this moment. When that's done, there will hopefully be more updates.
But the question remains if a film can tell the story of Mahoyo well, and given that it is one of the shorter visual novels out there, it's certainly possible. However, depending on what is committed, and the creative vision for this film, it could be a huge success or fall short of expectations. For instance, while Fate/Stay Night: Heaven's Feel's film trilogy was mostly received well, the things it omitted were felt by some to be crucial to the story.
In any adaptation of a lengthy visual novel, there are bound to be omissions for the sake of telling the story in the new medium, which will be minuscule to some and important to others. The important thing is that the creative liberties add as much as they omit in order to capture the essence of the Mahoyo, introducing audiences comfortably to a new part of the Fate universe.