Burn the Witch is the newest IP from mangaka Tite Kubo, the creator of Bleach (one of Shonen Jump's "big three" of yesteryear). It may be tempting to call Burn the Witch a fun spinoff of the main franchise, a little add-on to the existing juggernaut. But it's more than that.
While it is true that Burn the Witch is set in the same universe as Bleach, creator Tite Kubo made sure that the two franchises aren't too tightly intertwined. In all the right ways, Burn the Witch pays tribute to the older franchise while having the freedom stand on its own.
Burn the Witch is a Fresh Take
This new miniseries is carefully balanced to have lore and stylistic connections to Bleach while not being too dependent on it. For example, the story's visual flair is like Bleach reborn in a more modern British setting, feeling like something C.S. Lewis might have come up with. Burn the Witch's visual connection to Bleach is a broad one, using only very basic elements to tie them together. For example, there is the "monster hunter" theme, where trained and uniformed professionals patrol the streets to find and destroy monsters with specialized equipment (not unlike Ghostbusters).
These professionals, the Pipers, report back to Wing Bind, the Soul Society's independent western branch, and fly into battle on miniature dragons (like broomsticks). They are hunting rogue dragons, supernatural creatures that threaten the peace, and the powerful Dark Dragons are unique and legendary dragons of another caliber entirely. Chaos, action, heartbreak, humor and adventure follow as Ninny Spangcole and Noel Niihashi spring into action in Reverse London, totally hidden from the people of regular London. On a side note, it's refreshing to see two tough and confident girls take the lead for this round of shonen action, another departure from Bleach and its solid but admittedly stock protagonist.
The idea is clear: Burn the Witch is more like Bleach's spiritual successor than a true sequel, even though they are technically in the same universe. It's true that in theory, Ichigo Kurosaki could pay a visit and meet Ninny and Noel in Reverse London, but that's not even the point. In most ways that count, Burn the Witch is a stylish reboot of Bleach, as though Tite Kubo went back to revisit the same premise, but with a totally new skin. That makes BTW more like Bleach's distant cousin than anything, which keeps it fresh for fans of Bleach and newcomers alike.
That is also what sets apart inspiration from mimicry: painting in broad strokes. Borrowing the same basic idea but giving it a new skin and story is completely different than just copying something and tweaking a few cosmetic details and calling it new. In that sense, BTW is a success.
Burn The Witch is a New Starting Point For Bleach Fans
There is another advantage to Burn the Witch being so distantly and loosely connected to the older (and vastly larger) Bleach franchise: it can appeal to newcomers who don't know the first thing about Bleach. Since BTW is only connected to Bleach in broad and basic ways, it is 100 percent possible for newcomers to watch and enjoy BTW without knowing a thing about its much older cousin. In fact, BTW is really an anime miniseries/movie, and goodness knows that movies can stand on their own. This way, new fans can enjoy the unique visual style and storytelling flair that only Tite Kubo can provide, without needing the massive investment of reading/watching Bleach first. It's a fine introduction to Tite Kubo's artistic style, and someone who enjoyed BTW can choose to try out Bleach too, if they want more (but it's far from required).
This sets BTW apart from another shonen sequel, Boruto (by Masashi Kishimoto), too. That franchise is much larger than BTW but is also a substantially bigger investment because 1) it's much longer and 2) it's much more tightly connected to the original Naruto than BTW is to Bleach. Reading/watching Boruto means rolling up your sleeves and diving into the deep pool that is the Naruto universe, and not everyone is up to that. But watching/reading a 99 percent standalone manga/anime like Burn the Witch? Anyone can do that.
