When I first went into this story I expected a grand tale about epic battles against mages or a nihilistic and brutal cutthroat conflict where we watch ideals crash into each other. Kinoko Nasu's other works all had vibes similar to that but Witch On The Holy Night felt different from everything else he has ever written. This novel was beautifully written and has the best visuals I ever seen in a visual novel. It also would be a crime to disregard the ethereally beautiful soundtrack. The cast was all engaging and fit well into the novel's themes. Aoko was a great character but a character that left a huge impact on me reading this was Soujuurou. His struggles adapting to a world unknown to him were profound and he was very compelling to read. Never had a story made me realize just how much in our lives we take for granted. I recommend this story to everyone and I definitely recommend it to all type-moon fans.

One down, two more to go. Can't wait for the movie!

I've been a Type-Moon fan for a decade now, but I had never gotten around to reading Mahoyo. All I really knew was that it had an extremely loyal fanbase that swore on their lives by it, but also gave the impression of being a sort of weird, B tier Nasuverse story.

To cut to the chase, if you're like me, do yourself a favor and jump on the boat.

It's certainly very different from Fate/stay night or Tsukhime. The plot is largely inconsequential, the stakes are low, the overwhelmingly detailed world-building is mostly absent, action scenes are relatively sparse, and there's essentially only 3-4 characters that matter. If you're coming from other Nasuverse works, you may be thinking "So, what's the appeal?"

Mahoyo has, in my opinion, some of the greatest character work in any visual novel. The novel is largely focused on the daily lives of the 3 protagonists, all of whom are extremely unique and compelling characters. They may not have the intense philosophies of the FSN cast or the dramatic backstories of Tsukihime's, but they more than make up for it with sheer personality. Aoko, Soujuurou, and Alice are all extremely colorful, memorable characters. It's all about their relations with one another, and there is great care and attention put into the subtle psychology of their interactions. It flawlessly gets the reader invested in their relationships, and I was thoroughly satisfied with every development between the 3 main characters.

On a writing level, it's antique Nasu, arguably at his best. The translation reads smoothly, and the pacing and timing of the prose is especially well done. Thanks to this, when the game goes for humor it's absolutely hysterical; I was belly laughing at multiple points.

All this is helped massively by the game's insane production for a visual novel. Hands down the most visually impressive, innovative VN I've ever read, which is saying something considering many of the production elements are straight from the original 2012 release. The camera work is shockingly dynamic, the animation effects are incredible, the sprites and backgrounds are superbly well done, and the soundtrack is amazing as well, probably the best of Type-Moon's visual novels.

Once you start reading it, you'll be absorbed immediately and time will fly by. While it's no mean as deep or grand as some other legendary visual novels (Fate/stay night, Umineko, Dies irae, etc.), it doesn't try to be, and what it aims for it knocks out of the park.
9/10, would recommend to just about anyone.