The title may sound slightly familiar, and that’s because the original novel is available from Cross Infinite World as Hello, I Am a Witch and My Crush Wants Me to Make a Love Potion! They’re close enough in translation that readers of one will likely stumble across the other, but I know it’s all too easy for one or the other to fall into the cracks.
Anyway, whether you knew of the original or not, the series stars the Witch of the Lake, real name Rose. Rose lives in an aged cottage on an island in a forest, and except for her merchant friend, the only people who come to visit are those who request a witch’s brew.
Case in point: Harij, a knight for the kingdom, who arrives asking for a love potion. And he just so happens to be the person Rose loves.
Rose doesn’t know why Harij is desperate for a love potion, but since this is the first time they ever talked since she laid eyes on him four years ago, Rose decides to drag out the order for as long as possible even though he’s volunteering to help out. He is understandably frustrated by how long it’s taking and the rather disgusting state of her home, so Rose is completely taken aback when instead of appearing the next month as usual, Harij arrives the next day!
…Especially since he came at a time when she was bathing and he brought with him some food for the two of them to share.
Despite the title describing Rose’s feelings as a crush, she describes herself as being in love despite only having seen him from a crowd as he rebuked rude comments about witches. Combined with Rose repeatedly hiding her face as she internally panics about how handsome he his, the romance from her side can come across less like love and more like those of a clingy child meeting their favorite idol.
What makes up for that is Harij, who begins to question the Witch’s health and safety. His thinking may be considered a bit old-fashioned (“women are supposed to be protected!”), but this is a fantasy story set in a world with witches, knights, and princesses. But compared to Rose, who has been nurturing her feelings for years for someone who didn’t even directly help her, it’s much easier and relatable to follow along with Harij as he discovers the Witch is much younger than he assumed and her “normal” is, well, the type that prevents her from enjoying bread and butter.
Harij does look rather young on the cover, and inside, he generally doesn’t look as plain as he does on the cover. The art makes him look anywhere from 15 to 25, and it can be hard to grasp Rose’s infatuation when he looks inconsistent. The bigger issue for me is that the visuals sometimes make it hard to believe Harij never got a glance at Rose until he accidentally saw her naked. Like, here:
There’s absolutely no reason to think Harij can’t see her as clearly as readers do, even if you disregard the sound effects that confirm she’s starstruck. There should be fewer issues now that the volume ends with the two growing closer, and he (and readers) can clearly see how Rose’s expressions are livening up the days.
I still think the story would have been better where Rose and Harij both fell in love just over daily lunches or if Witches had a Hotel Transylvania-like “zing” phenomena, as Rose’s heartbreak from love at first sight can seem a bit overdramatic. But there’s little doubt they do make a cute couple once you get beyond that one-sided setup.