Hope…Dreams…Ambition….I think those are the first words that come to mind and resonate with this anime. In a world where magic and witches exist, Kagari Atsuko dives into an archaic realm in order to fulfill her dream of becoming someone similar to her beloved idol Shiny Chariot; a once famous magician cum performer who swept her off her feet and stole her heart as a child at one of her shows many years back. Today, I’ll be taking a look at another of Studio Trigger’s pieces which has made a sensational splash into the anime community as my very first (kinda) post for my blog!
As a huge fan of this show myself, I can well say that it’s extremely easy to fall madly in love with the series given its highly contagious beliefs of holding onto hope and driving away doubt; leaving any viewer feeling as invincible and confident as Akko (Atsuko’s nickname). But where’s there to love? Plenty.
With a relatively large cast of characters, a unique setting and bold plot; it can be rather easy to become baffled by unfamiliar faces spouting foreign concepts in a fantasy world, which might seem like nothing but a bunch of nonsensical garbage when not properly presented. Thankfully, the concept is relatively simple: studying and enjoying time with friends as greenhorn witches while searching for the Lost Words and uncovering the secrets which guard them, leading up to the eventual conclusion after a tumultuous journey. Much of the show’s central themes and hinted dynamics serve as a backdrop behind the fun and simple experiences of our little witches; so it’s much less of a show that’s heavy on themes (yet doesn’t ignore them) but more of an episodic, cartoon-styled adventure series that’s easy on the eyes yet hard on the heart.
That itself makes it a show that anyone can watch as the pacing is relatively consistent and simple to follow. The world of magic isn’t made to be very complicated to understand either as it relies on age-old perceptions of witches with brooms that wave wands and cast spells: none of that fictional jargon that every other anime has to explain to us viewers in exposition dumps by a third-person narrator. Yet its lore is explored with more depth later into the series; but it really just adds to the already present atmosphere of miracles and mysteries. Rather, what is unique to the show that you may find interesting is its fusion of traditional witchcraft with a modern day age that reflects our current one. Technology is used in place of a dying art of magic which has greatly weakened since its golden age. Machines do a better job than a wand can, which sets the stage for magic’s revival with Akko, Chariot, Diana and Croix at the centre of it all. And this is where I’ll get to what I believe is Little Witch Academia’s prominent theme: The preservation of culture and tradition while embracing change and modernity.
At this point you might be thinking: woah now, you’re reading a little too much into this anime that’s all sunshine and rainbows. The aforementioned themes of hope and joy, packaged with outstanding comedy, are indeed what make up the show’s cheerful image. But if that’s all you’re getting from Little Witch Academia, then you’re only enjoying a part of what this entire show has to offer. The “backdrop” of other themes and dynamics I spoke of earlier includes the idea of tradition struggling in a time that technology flourishes. While they may not embody these principles, the duo of Akko and Chariot partially represent “tradition”; while Diana and Croix serve as the “modern” counterpart. (you could also support a more common argument of Diana embodying tradition, but to each his own).
The 5th Lost Word, which is revealed when “traditional and modern powers mingle”, is a prime example of this as a witch of Cavendish bloodline and a girl of common lineage unite and find their magic strengthened enough to race against the ticking clock of the fading eclipse. At the climax near the end of the series, Croix’s technology aids the “New Nine Olde Witches” by indirectly fueling their rocket-like mega broom. Coupled with the strange appearances of a giant robot, spaceship and UAVs which are complimented by yetis, dragons and faeries; it’s hard not to connect the dots between the old and the new. While all of this may sound downright ridiculous to anyone who hasn’t watched the series, for those who have, you’ll realise that these conflicting elements make for one heck of a show that’s action-packed and magical at the same time that will leave you screaming in awe of all its wonder and glory. Or at least I did, for just maybe a few couple of times. In addition, the very (minor) inclusion of politics in a show about magic makes it all the more contemporary and thus relatable, once again emphasising the “modern” aspect of this show.
Setting aside this surprisingly successful combination (for its own blog), what really makes the show shine is its characters that participate in these wacky situations. The main three characters – Akko, Sucy and Lotte – are an extremely charming bunch of little witches who try to find purpose for themselves and their magic while discovering the wonders of Luna Nova Academy. The three are a perfect combination of brashness, sweetness and mischief which drives the underlying plot forward while embarking on spectacular but often foolish adventures. I’ve heard many individuals who criticise Akko’s lack of discernment, foresight or even intelligence and drop the entire show because of it. They aren’t wrong when they call her an idiot, believe you me. But this idiot is one that’s also courageous, determined and unwavering; so much so that it makes it hard not to love and cheer her on as she chases her far-fetched dream. Sucy and Lotte on the other hand are equally as lovable as standalone characters: with Sucy’s eccentric behavior and capacity for all things creepy and weird which makes her an excellent entertainer; along with Lotte’s admirable humility and love for novels that’s down to earth, controlling the balance between the show’s insanity (through Sucy and Akko) and common sense. Diana is quite literally the perfect foil to Akko and yet shares the same aspirations she does, making it no wonder that they turn from enemies to good friends. Chariot and Croix’s long standing rivalry is strong enough to last an entire decade; which also serves as part of the main plot. Along with several other characters like Andrew, Amanda, Constanze and even Frank; each and every face that comes along leaves a lasting impression despite their very minor roles in polishing an already fantastic main cast. To put things very simply, every character is great in this show.
Not-so-strangely enough, this show is strikingly similar to Boku no Hero Academia. While I may digress; both have protagonists who wish to become their role model, with mentors who are down and out but care greatly for their successor, along with rivals who are superior in almost every way yet feel inferior to these MCs. Both have supernatural aspects blended into a modern day setting as well. And if you haven’t noticed, both are, quite literally, about attending academies. With that in mind, the main difference between the two is that BNHA follows a standard and formulaic method of presenting its story while LWA is considerably more spontaneous and random. And the latter’s method greatly works to the series’ advantage. With no real sense of direction that the show is heading towards in sight until the end where it all slowly comes together, Little Witch Academia’s episodic format combines the right amount of gradual exposition, world-building and character development in bite-sized pieces; presented through episodes dedicated to certain characters or events. It’s easy to digest and isn’t thrown onto the viewer by a third person narrator that vaguely explains how the world works or what’s happened to a character in 30 seconds or less.
The reliance on the sorcerer’s stone as a magical resource, the history of the Nine Olde witches and how witches actually have the potential to assume realistic careers in modern times are just some of the many examples of information which are given to us over many episodes. These facts not only give us more in-depth context, but it also inscribes a sense of realism to the show which prevents it from going off the rails and all the way to crazy town. At the same time, these episodes don’t feel disconnected from one another either despite the episodic format as each little adventure contributes to the bigger picture of Akko’s growth and the unveiling of the many mysteries at the end: they have a purpose. Akko’s inability to conduct magic – a gimmick widely used throughout the series to produce humorous scenes in many ‘strange’ (< a euphemism) episodes – is later revealed to have been due to Chariot’s actions in the past. Each and every episode that touches upon this fact then goes on to contribute to us viewers’ acceptance of Akko’s inherent incompatibility with magic…..only to have our perceptions completely shattered when it’s revealed that none of it was true. And this surprise certainly didn’t fail to impress; with the aforementioned fact having been absolutely heartbreaking given how much Chariot and Akko love each other. None of the series’ air time is wasted, and every minute of it is enjoyable as it is purposeful despite its overwhelmingly nonsensical premises.
And yet in between these comedic episodes, Little Witch Academia can get extremely intense and heavy for the viewer when it wants to. Having already been accustomed to Akko’s capacity to face adversity due to her never-give-up attitude, her fall out with Ursula-sensei brings us back to reality, making us realise that despite everything, she is still a young girl with a fragile heart. And in this very same scene, we come to understand that her far-fetched dream isn’t just some childhood nonsense, but is rather based on her strongest desires that have been a part of her since she was little. Making viewers assume a given, then supporting our belief throughout most of the series that it is as it is, until finally unmasking the truth seems to be the prime method of Little Witch Academia’s tension-building. Though relatively unorthodox when you compare it to how any other anime builds suspense by leading viewers up to a flash point step-by-step, episode-by-episode (like its close relative BNHA), it’s equally as successful if not more so in achieving the intended effect of – if I may – blowing our minds.
At this point I would really like to criticise some part of the show so as to not come off as someone who thinks every show he watches is perfect and provide some balance. Fortunately for me, there really is very little for me to point out and comment on. It’s been an extremely long time since I’ve seen something as brilliant as Little Witch Academia which has managed to achieve so much for what it is. One of the few flaws I could think of is that the pacing may be a bit choppy for some of its first few episodes. The transition to the second half of the anime is also slightly awkward, with there having insufficient build-up to Croix’s appearance as a teacher, and that there was no prior mention of her friendship with Chariot until much later. Having done so instead of hiding their relationship for half the show would have allowed for Croix’s jealousy towards Chariot to have had much more impact on the viewer. Perhaps they could have placed her within the photo of Chariot winning the broom relay instead of putting her beside random Jane-Doe, for example?
Adding onto that, Croix’s establishment of her secret base of operations within the school compound makes one wonder why it took so long for the other teachers to find out what she was doing all along. Did they never come by to check on her progress? To ask her what she was doing? Certainly they could’ve sensed the flow of magic that was passing through Croix’s lab or at least during the intense fight scenes between Chariot and her (they did make a lot of noise then as well). She is, however, exposed for her misdeeds at the very end, but by then it had already made me come to a point where I muffled a “finally, they’re here”. The lack of consistency to Croix’s arc made me question Studio Trigger’s approach to making the story flow coherently at that point. You could accuse me of nitpicking at a series that doesn’t heavily rely on ‘logic’ to tell a good story, but having everything make sense would make that good story a million times better than it already is.
Now I have to say, despite its few logical errors, the audio in this series was near-flawless. The voice acting was incredibly done, with Akko’s iconic “Yay!” and Sucy’s creepy chuckles being just some examples that left a lasting impression on me. The opening and ending themes were brilliantly chosen as they fit the show’s image to a T, with songs about – you guessed it – hope, dreams and ambition. Hoshi wa Toderaba and Mind Conductor were my personal favorites.
I would highly, highly – and I emphasise highly – recommend this show for quite possibly anyone out there who likes to feel joy, along with the nostalgic feeling of being a young child watching a cartoon once more.
Looking at Little Witch Academia in a nutshell, I felt it had……
- Good Plot
- Excellent World-Building
- Excellent Characters and Characterisation
- Excellent Storytelling and Presentation
- Excellent Animation, Visuals and Audio
- Slightly undercut by Decent Execution
….making it a series I believe to be Near Perfect.
What do you guys think of Little Witch Academia? Leave a comment and let me know!
Sunney 