Recently celebrated the third anniversary of its release, coly’s Promise of Wizard (also known as Mahoyaku) has been winning the heart of female and even non-female gamers with its intricate story that is filled with human warmth and unexpected drama. The plot by famous writer Bunta Tsushimi, who you may know from his work for Idolish 7, comes with twists and turns that unreservedly bring the wizards to life. Regardless you’ve heard of Promise of Wizard or not, this article tries to uncover the appeals of this mobile game and the reason behind its surging popularity in Japan.
Before we dive deep into the unique world of Promise of Wizard, we’re pleased to announce that our QooApp’s editorial team is having an exclusive interview with the developers of Promise of Wizard in the coming weeks. So if you have any questions you would like to ask them, leave a comment here and we’ll make sure that they are well delivered!
▍A Fantasy Tale Weaven by You and the Wizards
For those who haven’t heard of this title, Promise of Wizard is a Joseimuke mobile game, which tasked players to train wizards in order to defend the world from the mysterious chaos brought by the moon. On a windy day when cats are unsettled, the protagonist entered an Isekai after leading by a mysterious young man. He/ she (gender is selectable) soon finds out this magical world is expecting him/ her arrival as they are looking for the leadership of a new sage, who could defend the world from the mysterious big moon floating in the sky. The residents called it the “Great Calamity”, which destroy their home by exerting its mighty power.
In a world where humans and wizards co-exist and are divided into five different countries, the protagonist meets with the 21 wizards (20 to be exact), each with their own personalities and quirks, as they embark on a magical journey that no one could predict! If you are familiar with the work of coly, which also developed Stand My Heroes, you can expect a roster of ikemen and a bunch of stunning illustrations that drag you to its fantasy world!
▍Conflicts Between Humans and Wizards
If you just look at its worldview and synopsis, Promise of Wizard may be your typical fantasy adventure that is widely seen in many otome/ Joseimuke titles. But the amazing thing about this work is that it doesn’t end there. The conflict between wizards and humans, the way of living of wizards, their fate, various relationships, desperations, and hope intersect to develop a realistic yet sympathetic world that brings resonance among readers.
The wall built up between the humans and wizards has always been a highlight in the story as the precedents are terrified of the great power of the wizards. It is not difficult to comprehend this complicated relationship when you feel the prejudice that the young wizards faced during their conversations.
It is natural to be scared when a thunderstorm or a tornado strikes. So humans have every reason to be alert on a magician with abilities that could wield fire, water, wind, and even lightning, especially when the Kingdom is built with a history of dark magic. On top of this, the tension surges when the wizard Prince Arthur and his uncle Vincent are strangled by the problem of the Kingdom’s throne. Just as Arthur wished for, “a world where wizards and humans can work hand in hand” becomes a major focus of Promise of Wizard.
▍They Respect You, But Will Never “Love” You
In Promise of Wizard, the magic ability of the wizards is not inherited from the bloodline. They are born in a form of mutation within humans. In other words, if you trace it back to its roots, it becomes a conflict between the same species, so you could imagine the depth of this work even more.
The magic of the wizards comes from the heart, so the connection with the Sage (you) gives them courage and strength. The wizards cherish this fragile relationship with you, but this bonding can never develop into romance. All in all, “love” has the greatest impact on one’s heart. Another keyword is “Promise” as a wizard loses his magic if he breaks a promise, and you will know where the game title comes from.
▍Power Always Comes with a Shadow
The unique relationships between the wizards are another appeal that no one could neglect in Promise of Wizard. While it may be difficult to conclude all of them in this article alone, here are some highlights that shock me first when I further dig deep into its Mahoyaku world.
Cain was originally a knight of the Central Country but was forced to resign as he had used forbidden magic to protect his men from the attack of Owen, a notorious and cruel wizard from the North. What’s more, as the two lost one eye during the duel, now they’re in a rather special situation where they wear each other eyes…Even with this complicated relationship, the two now stand on the same frontlines to protect this world. And soon you will know the reason behind Owen’s attack and not everything is as it seems…
At first sight, Snow and White are inseparable twins who welcome you right at the beginning. But soon you will find out the shocking fact that one of them is actually a ghost. Also, don’t get deceived by their adorable looks, they are indeed one of the oldest wizards alive with a tragic past. How and why one of them died also comes with a shocking fact, so I would invite you to discover it on your own. All I can say is that I don’t usually like “Shouta,” but the past of the pair is so heart-breaking that you can’t help but grow affinity, especially when they show up in grow-up form from time to time.
Under the superb writing skills of Bunta Tsushimi, there is no shortage of disputes, struggles, secrets, drama, regrets, and redemption in Promise of Wizard. And all of these are possible because of the gigantic and fantasy worldview of the game.
▍It’s All About Training the Wizards
Just as mentioned, Promise of Wizard is a simulation game that has a strong focus on its wizard training systems. Players will get cards with different elements via Gacha or Event and use them to train their wizards. You will have to take the wizards to the five countries, and train their status at each spot.
The five statuses include Passion (Red), Relaxation (Green), Happy (Orange), Cool (Blue), and Pride (Purple). Each training sessions have 12 turns and at every turn, you will choose partners to help with the training. They will give you a “characteristics” and status bonus by randomly enacting conversations and card skills.
However, the training for each turn will spend stamina and sometimes you will need a good rest to prevent your wizard gets sick or in a bad mood, which becomes the reason for unsuccessful training.
After four training sessions, the status parameters and the characteristics obtained will determine what kind of wizards they awaken into. The higher the parameters, the stronger the wizard! Depending on what status your training focuses on, the wizard will turn into different types and their appearance also changes according to the results! Once you’ve finished raising your magicians, you can take them on Missions (Combat).
To go on missions, you will have to build a team of trained wizards to battle against the”Great Calamity”. Combat goes automatically, so it really depends on the status of your wizards to win the battles.
▍Multiple Content Including Kitchen, Alchemy, and More
Now in its fourth year, Promise of Wizard has been evolving with the addition of various content, including a Kitchen, Alchemy, Wizard’s Room, and the Book of Sage features.
The Kitchen is a rather old feature compared to the others and just as its name suggests, you will be cooking for the wizards. Feeding them the dishes that you cook will increase the Character’s Intimacy level and unlock character episodes.
Choose the right ingredients and combine them in a simple mini-game in order the cook the perfect dishes. One detailed part is that the Wizards do have their favorite and non-favorite, so it is also fun to experiment with different combinations and guess the taste of the wizards.
The Wizards’ Room allows you to have a sneak peek into their private lives and interact with them behind closed doors. Who knows, you may even find their hidden self with the unique interior designs and their private life outfits!
Interacting with them in the Wizards’ Room will unlock additional facial expressions, including some rare ones (like Owen’s smile), so be sure to check it out to learn a different side of your favorite characters!
Alchemy is a rather new feature, which is added recently to Promise of Wizard. The system allows players to merge different ingredients into training items. While it seems to have recipes for particular items, the fun part is that you try different combinations blindly for surprises. The items will give you advantages during training, such as healing your sick wizards, refilling stamina, giving you extra status, etc.
You can also find a Book of Sage, which contains all the information you need to know about wizards. There are also several interesting settings for the characters like what they like and dislike, how they meet each other etc.
▍Meet the Magicians of the Five Countries
Central Country
A prosperous country located in the center of the world. It is a bright and lively country with well-functioning laws, where humans and wizards coexist well, and where many wizards are ambitious and patient.
■ Oz – CV: Takashi Kondo
A quiet wizard originally from the Northern Country, but was summoned as a wizard from Central Country. Known as the strongest wizard in the world, he is feared by both wizards and humans alike. Dislikes it when others interfere with his work, and rarely appears in public.
■ Arthur – CV: Atsushi Tamaru
A young wizard and the royal prince of Central Country. He’s altruistic and kind, with a gentle personality and a very regal disposition. He dreams of a peaceful world where humans and wizards can live together in harmony and with mutual respect.
■ Cain – CV: Daichi Kanbara
A young wizard that resides within Central Country. He is a former general and commanding officer of the knights in the Central Kingdom. Has an outgoing caring and friendly personality, so he has no difficulty getting along with anyone.
■ Riquet – CV: Yuusuke Nagano
One of the youngest summoned wizards, with an affiliation to Central Country. He was raised and revered as an apostle of God in a certain cult his entire life. He’s overly serious and blunt and firmly believes magic is a gift meant to be used to help people. However, he can be a bit naive, not knowing much about the outside world.
Western Country
A land of great wealth and poverty, where magical chemistry has developed. Rich in art and with many unusual recreational facilities, many of the wizards who live here like to get up to mischief and enjoy anything and everything.
■ Shylock – CV: Shinnosuke Tachibana
Operates a bar specialized for wizards there. He is a person who seeks aesthetics and goes at his own pace. He is also friends with a wizard from the same country, Murr, but his relationship with Murr resembles more that of a cat and its owner.
■ Murr – CV: Nakamura Mizuki
A wizard who long ago was known as a genius philosopher and inventor, but his soul was shattered to pieces by the Great Calamity. And because of that, his personality completely shifted to that of a playful cat.
■ Chloe – CV: Kouhei Amasaki
A bright and sociable person. Although he seems like a bubbly guy, he gets depressed easily and sometimes loses his confidence. He aims to be a tailor together with his mentor, Rustica.
■ Rustica – CV: Katsuyuki Miura
An elegant but leisurely gentleman. He travels around the world with his disciple, Chloe, looking for his lost bride. He does not know how to care for himself, so Chloe ends up taking care of him most of the time.
Eastern Country
A country that values harmony, with a law that extends over 100 scrolls. In this land prone to excesses against heresy, it is difficult for wizards to live, and most of them stay hidden, hating humans and preferring to be alone.
■ Faust – CV: Kento Itou
A serious yet gloomy man who curses often. He has a strong hatred towards humans and is reluctant to play the role of the Sage Wizard.
■ Shino – CV: Nobuhiko Okamoto
A strong-spirited wizard who is not frightened easily by things. Although still young, his magical powers are immensely strong. He tends to get worried due to his short height.
■ Heathcliff – CV: Keisuke Komoto
The son of the Blanchett family, who is a noble family in the East. However, contrary to his beautiful appearance and amazing ability, he is very shy and timid.
■ Nero – CV: Noriaki Sugiyama
Known as the Eastern Country‘s best cook. He avoided the hassle and lived a solitary life, concealing himself from being a wizard. He is apathetic and indifferent toward others. However, he is good at taking care of people and has an anxious side.
Southern Country
A country that is still in the process of being pioneered, so there are still too many wildernesses and rocky mountains, which are unsuitable for human housing. Many of the wizards living in this country are kind and gentle and like to help others.
■ Figaro – CV: Toshiyuki Morikawa
He has a gentle disposition with an air of mystery. He’s kind to everyone but particularly enigmatic. He’s casual and composed, making himself easy to approach, but always seems to know more than he lets on. He might say he’s 32 years old, but he’s actually over 2000.
■ Rutile – CV: Shun’ichi Toki
Mitile’s older brother and a school teacher. He has a gentle personality. He lost his parents when he was young and lived with his younger brother while others around them helped. Like his brother, he believes in a future where humans and wizards can live together in harmony.
■ Lennox – CV: Yuichi Hose
A silent shepherd youth. At first glance, he seems unapproachable and hard to talk to, but he’s very sincere and kind once you get through his stone heart. Despite using magic, he believes it’s better to fight with his bare hands than to resort to that.
■ Mitile – CV: Ayumu Murase
An honest and hard-working boy and Rutile’s younger brother. He is sometimes cheeky and spoiled since he is one of the youngest, and trains with Figaro to become a strong wizard.
Northern Country
An extremely cold land and a difficult environment for humans to live in, and they coexist in a form where humans gather under strong wizards. Because of its harsh climate, there are many solitary wizards with powerful powers.
■ Snow – CV: Chihiro Suzuki
One of the oldest summoned wizards, hailing from Northern Country. He is usually seen in his child-like form, but at times he takes on the form of an adult. He and his brother raised Oz and Figaro in the north. Although he’s wise and majestic, he prefers to behave in a playful manner.
■ White – CV: Takuma Terashima
One of the oldest summoned wizards, hailing from Northern Country. He is usually seen in his child-like form, but at times he takes on the form of an adult.
■ Mithra – CV: Hiroki Takahashi
A wizard that resides within the Northern Country. He has striking good looks and speaks in a soft, polite tone, yet his personality is closer to that of an untamed beast, ready to resort to violence over anything that bothers him, no matter how insignificant.
■ Owen – CV: Shintarō Asanuma
A wizard that resides within the Northern Country. He’s mysterious and eerie, and he uses his polite way of speaking to utter terrible words that bring people to despair. He’s manipulative and takes joy in the suffering of others.
■ Bradley – CV: Satoshi Hino
An older wizard that resides within the Northern Country. He used to be the boss of a well-known gang of bandits in the north until he was captured by Figaro and the twins, and is now a prisoner serving a long sentence.
▍Promise of Wizard is a Human Drama that Resonates
While the game’s writer Bunta Tsushimi is known for portraying the dark side of humans, Promise of Wizards has one of the most sophisticated plots that highlight the dark side of human nature in contrast with the brave wizards who fight for a peaceful life. Even though it is a fantasy, there are many things that you can sympathize with.
But not all things in Promise of Wizard are serious and tense, there are scenes that make you giggle, especially when it comes to the eerie interactions between the Wizards. You can’t help but worry that there’s an unexpected twist that drags them into the abyss. And unlike your usual Otome/ Joseimuke games that glitter and twinkle, there’re plenty of dark settings in the worldview and characters of Promise of Wizard. You’ll never know what comes next to their adventure.
Promise of Wizard is currently available in Japan only but is already gaining attention worldwide, as they all look forward to a television anime adaptation to put this unique story on screen. In fact, the franchise already has a manga and stage play adaptation, which further expands its universe to other media. If you’re a fan of simulation games and would like to take on an unprecedented adventure with the ikemen wizards, Promise of Wizard should really be on your radar.
