On first glance, this anime looks like any mid-tier 2010s anime that was forgotten the moment the season was done. An anime about witches living in a village is not a grabbing premise, even for a slice of life series. It not weird that not many people remember this anime aside from the fox clip. But there is something neat that this anime has: It has the Iyashikei tag.

Iyashikei anime are commonly known as healing anime, aka anime that exist so that the viewer can, as they say, "heal". This is often fit for cute, fun and relaxing anime, with relaxing having the most emphasis. One fthe most popular anime that has come out that is most representative of Iyashikei is Yuru Camp, an anime that I also personally love to death, and I am by far not the only one doing that. It is not uncommon for Iyashikei to get cult-like followings: The afformentioned Yuru Camp, Yama no Susume, Non Non Biyori, Tonikawa, The Helpful Fox Senko-San, all have very deticated fanbases.

So how do Iyashikei connect with people? Well, why don't we look at Flying Witch for that awnser (that is what this review is about, after all).

Flying Witch is specifically about our main character Makoto becoming a witch at the age of 15, but since she is so challenged in having the feel of direction, her parents decide to sent her to one of her relatives. From here on out, we follow the day-to-day lives of Makoto and the Kuramoto family. We learn about the powers of Makoto and the world of witches. We even get visits of Kowata, the sibling of Makoto, who visits the Kuramoto's house reaaaally often.

The plot is very simple, which is one of the defining characteristics of Iyashikei anime. Having complicated characters and plots get your more immersed with the characters and the world, but having simple characters and a simple, albeit a bit mysterious, world can give more focus on the tone, the comedy and the healing part of Iyashikei. Flying Witch has a simple story and simple characters, but they are endearing to watch. There is almost no cynicism in the anime, with also no amount of pandering. The main focus is the healing part, which is where Iyashikei can make or break for people. Yes, Iyashikei is not for everyone, it might not even be for the people who are fans of the show if they are in the wrong mood. Iyashikei is healing incarnate, so if you are already comfortable or are ready for action/drama, Iyashikei anime will come of as boring. But if you are in the mood for it, Iyashikei does wonders. Seeing characters you like do things they like and be happy, that gives an amazing feeling. Not worrying about any kind of stress, troubles or deadlines and just letting our mind cruise on the happy waves Iyashikei makes causes the feeling of being freed of your own troubles, pains and worries: You get healed.

But Iyashikei can't just be people you liking doing things they like, Iyashikei often have things that make them that extra bit special: Non Non Biyori has great character, Senko-san has a cute fox-wife, Yuru Camp has a great OST and comfy camping, and, what I personally see from it, Flying Witch has a great focus on casualness and an also great OST.

Watching Flying Witch is like taking a day off to work on your grandmothers farm: You see characters without any real worries do simple tasks in casual and funny ways. You meet people who often has magical elements, but are either wonderfully wacky or relatabily casual in their nature. Even with the more magical scenes there is a sense of laid-back wonder that captivates you. There is one episode in Flying Witch in which we see different character go through one day at different times of that day, thus visiting locations previous characters also visited, thus showing those locations from a new perspective. It is such a simple episode but it is one of the best episodes I have ever seen.

This anime healing factor is helped by the OST. As I am writing this sentence I am listening to Flying Witch's OST, and I am enjoying every second of it. The OST is filled with flutes, piano's, harps and more creating beautifully composed music that you notice how good it is during scenes but don't distract you from those scenes. It is amazing.

I know this review wasn't as much about Flying Witch as it was about Iyashikei, but I just wanted to express my love for this genre of anime that has helped me a lot during dark times, with Flying Witch being one of the best examples of it. On its own, Flying Witch is a great, fun anime that is easy to watch and enjoyable to discover the world. The OST is great, the characters are endearing and the world is interesting. It isn't a completely perfect anime, but it is perfect Iyashikei that can heal your soul. Gives this one a watch, especially if you love Yuru Camp.