This is the final volume of If Witch, Then Which?, so it’s time for all the pieces to fall into place…
Tetris-style. Do do do do do do do do DO DO. <Tetris theme>
Haruka finds himself acting odd around Maruna, but it isn’t until he has a chat with the headmistress of the school that Haruka finally starts realizing he likes Maruna in a romantic way. Unfortunately for him, this conversation occurs with his wig off.
Yep, his secret is exposed, which means his days at this all-witch school must come to an end. Haruka manages to ensure Maruna’s enrollment in the academy and doesn’t tell her the reason why he’s leaving. He’s then left rather listless since he has no plans or dreams for himself. But little does Haruka know that something strange is afoot at the school, and Maruna and the other witches are in danger.
This attack and the person behind it may be a little jarring, but that’s not probably not too surprising. If Witch, Then Which? always seemed like a series where it was more of a casual serialization that could end at any time, but at least Sakurai could put together a connected story with a solid ending. Of course it would have been nice to have a gradual build of suspense and gotten more use out of characters like Oboro, but at three volumes, I expected sacrifices in the plot and characterization.
Speaking of characterization, volume 3 includes Sakurai’s original one-shot that inspired If Witch, Then Which?, and I have to say, it really makes me like the series-Haruka even more. Much of the appeal of this manga comes from Haruka’s combination of cluelessness and his incredible drive to help Maruna, but the oneshot-Haruka is much more surly, and I doubt I would have enjoyed the manga as much if he was the lead. He wouldn’t have been so determined to confess to Maruna he’d put on girl’s clothes again.
Since a lot of the attention is on Haruka, Maruna feels a bit underused here as she wonders why Haruka left abruptly. I was expecting a bigger reaction from her upon his return, but his usual straightforwardness ends up overshadowing her tsundere personality. All the supporting characters like Hanamiya get some moments to remind readers of their specialties and quirks, and even those stood out more to me than Maruna.
In the end, my feelings toward this manga hasn’t changed much. If Witch, Then Which? has enough adorable moments to make this a decent romcom, and I am glad this final volume doesn’t end up as a rushed hack job.