If you think I’m going to pan this episode, ciabatta thing again.

I did think about doing this entire post in bread language, but it’s 10 PM and tomorrow is a work day (and DeepL doesn’t offer it as an option), so best to leave that to wishful thinking. As it stands, it’s another gem in Witch Watch’s sweet spot – three-part gag comedy. This is what WW does best and honestly, I have little desire for it to do anything more. Invariably with that format all gags won’t be created equal, but Shinohara is so good at this that your odds of at least one hilarious chapter are excellent, and the others are going to be at least good.. As this episode proves.

Food is a big theme here, and we start out with donuts. I love ’em too but I have to say, Nico’s magic is the greatest threat to humanity in the Witch Watch universe. Seriously, it’s a miracle she hasn’t gotten someone (most likely Moi-chan, herself a close second) killed already. This time around the disaster is “Ensmallen”, which Nico uses to shrink the pair of them down so they can enjoy a mountain sized donut feast. Needless to say this is a disaster in all the ways you’d expect, and finds Nico trapped inside a piggy bank. Moi always gets himself killed trying to get Kara to rescue her, but fortunately Shiki shows up to save the day.

Then we come to the clear standout of this week’s episode, as we watched it rise above the others with no proofing necessary. A girl named Komugi-san (that means “flour”, if you weren’t aware) comes to Nico for help in reading her crush’s mind so she knows whether he’s into her. We’ve been down this road before more than once of course. Moi is again opposed, and quite rightly. But Nico offers an option – she can’t read minds, but she can use “Say-ancer” to create a bread golem of Hamazaki-kun which, when poppy-seeded with a hair off his head (stollen by Kanshi) will share his thoughts verbally. The catch? It can only answer using the names of bread.

Now, why such a clause would exist in any spell, I have no hint of a clue. But true hilarity ensues, as the little fellow rattles off a series of puns that only Komugi (her family does own a bakery) can decipher. In the manner of many of this show’s best moments, it’s just so gleefully silly that you can’t help but laugh. It all builds to Hamazaki-pan saying “Croissant” when asked (by Moi) who his beloved is. Komugi’s family name is Kurowa so all is joy, but it turns out he already has a girlfriend named Kuroiwa-san. It’s a pain that can’t be leavened by any amount of yeast.

Finally, another Nico magic screwup. As usual it’s Moi who’s on the butt-end of it, and sadly enough this time it falls on his 16th birthday. The gang have chipped in to buy him new sneakers, which after a moment of panic when he rhapsodizes about following his own (vintage) stylistic path he happily dons. But Nico (despite his protests) decides to take on a magical gift – “Fortunate Luck”, to bless the victim recipient with small good fortune on their birthday. Except she runs her words together and the last syllable of the prior word turns the spell into “Ill Fortunate Luck”.

It’s testament to Moi’s resilience that he turns the subsequent series of misfortunes (as broadcast via magic dragonflies) into positives. Even being struck by lightning. I guess that sort of outlook is extremely useful when Nico is the most important person in one’s life – you’ll get plenty of chances to put it to the test. And he is lucky to be handsome enough to turn a whack T-shirt and paint-splattered old jeans into the target of a fashion shoot (even if he’s not happy with the end product).