@Iczer-04
"hey Anon-e-moose is superior to God.
don't forget Record of Lodoss War, Magic Knight Rayearth, Alice academy, and Rosario + Vampire.
just to name a few more"
*smacks palm to forehead - and arse'*
How could I forget those?! Good thing you reminded me - especially CLAMP's first big hit (MKR), which of course links with their recent successful manga "xxxHOLiC", via the two Mokonas created by the ultra-powerful British wizard Clow Reed* and the Dimensional Witch herself, Yuuko. Very much the image I have of witches: possessing arcane knowledge & wisdom, exotically attractive & very sensual. Similarly Ruby in "Rosario + Vampire" - she does things to me from the waist down. Very bewitching indeed!
So witches & wizards are very much alive & well in Japan's manga/anime industry. Proved wrong much, Lifted by God's grace?
*- To say nothing of the magical girl Sakura Kinomoto ("CardCaptor Sakura"), Clow's blood relative. Then there's others like Usagi Tsukino & co. in "Sailor Moon", Ichigo Momomiya & co. in "Tokyo Mew Mew", and the myriad 'Otome' in "Mai HiME/My Otome", and Nanoha Takamachi, Fate Testarossa et al in "Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha/A's/StrikerS" (okay, so the latter are more like "Babylon 5"'s 'Technomages', and the 'Otome' are nanotech-based, powers-wise).
@Slave To Uni
Have to say, I haven't seen/read "Fairy Tale", but I've heard it's excellent.