Journal with Witch poster

Journal with Witch

Ikoku Nikki

違国日記

Other names 8
Chinese
异国日记
Also known as
Diary of a Strange Land
Also known as
Foreign Country Diary
Also known as
Different Country Diary
Also known as
บันทึกจากวิเทศ
Also known as
مذكرات من بلد آخر
Also known as
Entre les lignes
Also known as
위국일기

Overall score 8.7/10

Winter 2026#1 (#1 overall)

Overall score Sentiment 7.9 · 84% positiveChinese audience 8.7English audience 8.7

13 eps · Finished

ShukaManga adaptationPremiered Jan 5, 202624 min per episode

Heartwarming and relaxing: high

Where to Watch
Journal with WitchOverall score 8.7Where to Watch
Journal with WitchOverall score 8.7Where to Watch

Overview

Spoiler-free synopsis

Reclusive novelist Makio Koudai has always preferred the company of books—but when her sister and brother-in-law pass away, Makio unexpectedly becomes the guardian of her 15-year-old niece, Asa Takumi. As they navigate grief, clashing personalities, and the challenges of living together, the two slowly open their hearts to each other, discovering warmth, understanding, and the meaning of family.

Genres & tags

  • Drama
  • Slice of Life
  • #AdoptionRelevance 95%
  • #Coming of AgeRelevance 95%
  • #Estranged FamilyRelevance 95%
  • #Female ProtagonistRelevance 95%
  • #JoseiRelevance 92%
  • #Family LifeRelevance 88%
  • #OrphanRelevance 88%
  • #ParenthoodRelevance 87%
  • #Found FamilyRelevance 85%
  • #WritingRelevance 83%
  • #Primarily Female CastRelevance 78%
  • #UrbanRelevance 73%
  • #SchoolRelevance 70%
  • #HeterosexualRelevance 42%

The percentage after a tag is its relevance to this title. 5 more tags that may contain spoilers are hidden; you can reveal them under Viewing notes.

Ranking positions

Winter 2026 ranking →
Rank in each ranking
RankingOverallSchoolSlice of LifeFemale-Oriented
Winter 2026#1#1#1#1
2026#1#1#1#1
All-time#1#1#1#1

Details

Format
TV · 13 episodes · 24 min per episode
Status
Finished
Aired
Jan 5, 2026 – Mar 30, 2026
Studio
Shuka
Source
Manga adaptation
Season
Winter 2026
Categories
SchoolSlice of LifeFemale-Oriented
Official site
ikoku-anime.com (opens in a new window)

Where to WatchOfficial platforms

Prices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & detailsPrices & details
Viewing region
Your saved choiceGuessed from your network location; change it anytimeNetwork location unavailable. Preselected from browser language; confirm your viewing region.Network location unavailable. Default shown; choose your viewing region.

Mainland China: no confirmed streaming page yet.

South Korea: no confirmed streaming page yet.

Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window)
Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window)
Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window) · bangumi-data (source page, opens in a new window)
Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window) · bangumi-data (source page, opens in a new window)
Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window) · bangumi-data (source page, opens in a new window)
Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window)
Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window)
Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window)
Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window)
Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window)
Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window)
Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window)
Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window)
Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window)
Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window)
Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window)
Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window)
Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window)
Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window)
Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window)
Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window)
Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window)
Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window)
Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window)
Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window)
Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window)
Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window)
Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window)
Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window)
Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window)
Sources: TMDB · JustWatch (source page, opens in a new window)
    Other regions & licensing details

    Licensors

    Southeast Asia Plus Media Networks Asia (official site) (platform homepage, opens in a new window) → Aniplus AsiaSources: Wikipedia (source page, opens in a new window)

    Region not stated Crunchyroll (title page, opens in a new window)Sources: Wikipedia (source page, opens in a new window)

    Prices & details for all regions

    Official, licensed options only; the platform's page is what counts. Every row cites its source · checked Sep 26, 2026

    What people sayPublic comments from other sites

    AI sentiment analysis

    Sentiment score7.9/10

    Positive84%

    • Very positive 27
    • Positive 15
    • Mixed 4
    • Negative 2
    • Very negative 2

    50 comments analyzed: Bangumi 38 · AniList 12

    English audience score 8.7 · 61,768 samples

    • Very positiveAuthor's score 9.094 found this helpful

      Grief has no playbook. But finding your answers, or no answers at all, is necessary to move on. (Video includes audio. Be sure to unmute)…

      ZNoteAniListOriginal (AniList, opens in a new window)

    • Very positiveAuthor's score 10.076 found this helpful

      A stunningly beautiful and human tale of grief and the desperation to change against all odds Ikkoku Nikki is a story which I have desired…

      TheRealEltonJohnAniListOriginal (AniList, opens in a new window)

    • Very positiveAuthor's score 10.045 found this helpful

      I have a new favourite anime Ikoku Nikki is one of the best anime I've ever seen. Without saying anything else, I'd recommend anyone to…

      KipkluifAniListOriginal (AniList, opens in a new window)

    Mood & content

    Source: Derived from community tagsConfidence: medium (53%)Updated Sep 24, 2026

    0 = barely any, 10 = very pronounced. Values measure how much, not how good, and different viewers feel the same show differently. “No data yet” means the item hasn't been assessed yet, not that it's absent.

    Mood

    • Light
    • Exciting
    • Heavy

    Heartwarming and relaxing: high

    Light

    • Relaxing6.0 / 10, levelHigh. Easy to watch, low effort
    • HealingNo data yet. Gentle and comforting
    • FunnyNo data yet. Density of laughs
    • Heartwarming7.5 / 10, levelHigh. Warmth from relationships

    Exciting

    • HypeNo data yet. Adrenaline and excitement
    • TenseNo data yet. Suspense and tension

    Heavy

    • OppressiveNo data yet. Heavy, stifling atmosphere
    • DarkNo data yet. Darkness of setting and themes
    • Sad4.5 / 10, levelModerate. Share of sad moments
    • BleakNo data yet. Likelihood of a lingering low mood
    Emotional intensity6.5 / 10, levelHigh. How strongly it moves you, either way

    Emotional intensity measures how strong the ups and downs are, happy or sad.

    Content

    Higher = more of it

    Themes

    • Action

      No data yet. Share of fights and action

    • Romance

      No data yet. Weight of romance plotlines

    • Slice of life7.0

      High (7.0 / 10). Share of everyday-life episodes

    • Harem

      No data yet. Harem dynamics around the lead

    Sensitive content· may be upsetting; judge by your own comfort level

    • Fan service

      No data yet. Suggestive shots and fan service

    • Violence

      No data yet. Intensity of violence

    • Gore

      No data yet. Blood and graphic injury

    • Character death

      No data yet. Likelihood of major character deaths

    • Horror

      No data yet. Scares and horror

    • Psychological stress

      No data yet. Mental torment and anxiety

    • Betrayal

      No data yet. Betrayal plotlines

    • Heartbreak

      No data yet. Deliberately heart-wrenching arcs

    Style

    • ComplexityNo data yet

      (0 = Easy to follow, 10 = Mind-bending). Plot complexity and density

    • Pacing3.5

      (0 = Slow burn, 10 = Fast-paced). 0 = slow burn, 10 = fast-paced

    • World-buildingNo data yet

      (0 = Simple, 10 = Vast and deep). Depth of the setting

    Viewing notes

    Spoiler-free by default

    No spoiler-free viewing notes yet.

    Ratings

    Updated Oct 7, 2026, 06:36About scores
    Overall score

    Overall score 8.7/10

    Score breakdown

    • Site scores8.7778%Consensus of 69.7K site votes (calibrated to one scale and shrunk toward the global baseline by vote count)
    • Fan sentiment8.5222%50 comments, average 7.90 (the sentiment score shown, 7.9, is also shrunk toward neutral), calibrated against comparable titles to 8.52
    • CommunityNot counted0%No ratings yet (each rating counts as one vote)

    Site scores

    Raw → calibrated to one scale
    Site scores: raw score, votes, calibrated score
    SiteRaw scoreVotesCalibrated
    AniList (external link, opens in a new window)Reference site87/10014.3K votes8.7
    MyAnimeList (external link, opens in a new window)Calibrated to the AniList scale8.7/1047.5K votes8.8
    Bangumi (external link, opens in a new window)Calibrated to the AniList scale8.4/107,921 votes8.9
    bilibiliNo data——Not counted