Welcome everyone, and as you can see I am back with another anime review. Last time we took a look at the amazing Gurren Lagann which wasn’t officially a Trigger show, but it sure did feel like one that’s for sure. Now though we will be taking a look at an official Trigger show, and its an anime that hasn’t really gotten too much talk. Don’t get me wrong it does have a fan base and all, its just that well its not really as popular as stuff like Kill La Kill or Gurren Lagann. That could be because it had a very weird, and troubled distribution problem coming to the states, which I will not go into detail here, and as a result it kind of was under the radar for a while. But now that I have been able to see all 22 episodes of the series, lets see if this has the kind of magic that other Trigger shows seem to have. Oh just so we’re clear I am only covering the series here, and not the two short films that preceded it, mainly because I haven’t seen them, and I had no idea they were a thing when watching this series so sorry about that.
We are taken to a modern world where magic, and all types of mystical beings exists. Those beings include witches who get to learn how to master their magic skills at the prestigious school for training witches, Luna Nova Magical Academy. One girl in particular, Akko Kagari, wants more than anything to go to that school, and become a witch, having been inspired by a once popular magician called Shiny Chariot. There’s just one little problem though, Akko lacks any magical abilities thanks to having a non magical background and thanks to this she is not treated too kindly by the other students espicially one Diana Cavendish, the most popular girl in school, and the best witch there at that. She does make some friends though, in the form of fellow students, Lotte, and Sucy both of whom she meets on her way to Luna Nova. On their way they accidentally get stuck in a magical forest, and while trying to escape Akko finds the wand that used to belong to Shiny Chariot, the Shiny Rod, and with the help of a teacher at Luna Nova named Professor Ursula she is able to say the words to get to Luna Nova in time for the opening ceremony, and in turn the three become roommates, and Proffesor Ursula as her mentor. So as Akko tries to get through the trials and tribulations of learning to become a witch, can she be able to learn how to become one so she can find out where Chariot disappeared to, and with technology on the rise, and magic declining in terms usefulness, can she be able to bring back that wondrous magic to the land once more.
So just by reading that admittedly surface level plot summary, your probably thinking, hey this is some kind Harry Potter or My Hero Academia copy right? Well I mean that’s what I kind of thought about when I first heard about this show, and I had no idea how wrong I was about that assumption. While yes there are definitely a lot of elements that this show borrows from other works (School for witches, outsider who’s not like the rest, modern day fantasy setting, etc.), it takes those elements, and executes them in ways that are fresh, and inventive in order to make those tropes its own, and become a great series in the process. Lets start off by talking about some of the world building here, and I do like how the show is able to integrate all of these fantastical elements into a modern day setting, and how the show does ask the question if magic is really necessary at all? I mean technology has proven to be far more efficient, while magic has been on a slow, and steady decline in terms of popularity, leaving the existence of Luna Nova academy questionable, and witches not getting much respect from high authority figures like the government. The series deals with these issues quite frequently, and I do like the ways in which technology, and magic are put together here. Of course one of the biggest themes here is how no matter what hardships are going on, there will always be magic in the world, and how it is our job to make it, and our dreams come true through hard-work, and determination, and how we should always have belief in ourselves, and others as well. They are very sweet messages in a show that is brimming with a lot of optimism which in this day and age is just what we really need (even if at the end they keep shoving it down our throats a little too much). The tone is very whimsical, and heartfelt with many nice emotional, and beautiful moments, and its probably one of the most kid friendly anime’s I’ve seen in awhile. There’s almost nothing inappropriate, and again it has many good morals that anyone of any age can learn from. I really do applaud it for just being its own thing, and not trying to force in any unnecessary innuendos, or excessive adult jokes. Speaking of jokes this show is just freaking hilarious, with a lot of fun jokes, slapstick humor and visual gags (Akko transforming into different types of animals is a highlights). I’d say my biggest problem with the series would have to be that the pacing is pretty uneven for the first 14 episodes, and that probably has to do with the fact that as fun, and heartfelt the show is, there really wasn’t a clear consistent story-line. Heck its really just Akko trying to become a witch, and all of the misadventures she would get into with her friends, so it could be considered filler in that sense (though very good filler I might add). Not that that’s a bad thing or anything its just that the show does fill a little unfocused for awhile. Luckily once we get to the middle of the series the story becomes much more focused, with Akko trying find out the other words to use Shiny Rod, and the stakes become far greater, where the villainous Professor Croix is trying to obtain the magic of Triskellion, and the show improves greatly. So while not perfect in its storytelling, it’s execution of it’s themes, interesting world building, and wondrous tone more than make up for those narrative issues.
With Kill La Kill, Trigger showed how much they could take advantage of animation’s limitlessness, and they continue to show that here. The animation here is absolutely beautiful to look at, very colorful, and fast paced, while also capturing that whimsical tone so well. Just like Kill La Kill the backgrounds are very nice to look, sometimes looking very painterly like here, although here there they look a lot more interesting showing off this modern world with magical elements. The designs for each character manage to stand out from each other with each having their own look or style to match their own personality, and it makes them instantly recognizable, and Akko’s different expressions are a lot of fun to watch showing many different emotions easily. Meanwhile the movements I’d say are improved here after Kill La Kill as they are much more smoother, which makes that fast paced, zany, energy all the more effective. This also applies to the action which is very creative here taking advantage of the witch’s abilities like transforming into different animals, casting spells, and flying on broom sticks, and the different kinds of technology shown display such as Professor Croix’s drones, or the deadly missile in the last episode. Also major kudos for using different types of animation styles for certain sequences like a very hand drawn esque style when Akko, and her friends turn into fish, and a very classic Fleischer like style when Akko is watching a film in Sucy’s head. The soundtrack is also just as beautiful, and captures that feeling of wonder so well with its nice orchestral scores, and that applies to the opening songs as well, while the ending songs are much more relaxed, and heartwarming (The first one has a bit of storybook esque style which I liked).
I think the reason I am able to forgive whatever shortcomings the story may have is because the cast of characters here are just a blast to hang out with. That makes sense considering the show is more character driven than anything else, and it makes them the priority of the series over plot, and action (although its not lacking in either of those aspects). Lets start with our protagonist, Akko herself, who is really just adorable, and is a sympathetic character whom the audience wants to see succeed in her goals. While yes she can be extremely stubborn, and annoying to the people around her sometimes, she still is someone who will not give up, and always try her hardest at something even if she may not be too good at it. Its that kind of optimism, energy, and love for what she wants that makes her a great main character to follow. She has a great relationship with the kind hearted Lotte, and the cynical but well meaning Sucy, the former is really sweet, and someone I related to a bit in the fourth episode where she heads to a convention to meet the author of her favorite book series (Oh and this series also deals about how toxic the internet can be sometimes), and the latter is hilariously deadpan, and has some of the funniest moments (like her deep obsession with mushrooms, and poisons, as well as the multiple personalities in her head that were seen in the episode, Sleeping Sucy). Then there’s Professor Ursula who has a very nice mentor metee relationship with Akko as she teaches her how to awaken her powers. Spoilers, but yes she is revealed to be Shiny Chariot (which I’m pretty sure many of us saw coming a mile away), and the how’s, and why she is here, and why she is seen as an outcast to many is really heartbreaking, and it is surprisingly revealed that well, um vague spoilers, but um there’s a reason Akko doesn’t seem to have any magical powers. Speaking of heartbreaking that’s also the best way to describe her former friendship with Professor Croix who is a really sympathetic antagonist whose motives are understandable, but whose actions do go a bit too far in trying to achieve those goals. But I’d say the character who surprised me the most was actually Diana. She easily could’ve been your stereotypical mean girl who only exists to give Akko a hard time, but she is so much more than that. She is very intelligent, and responsible, only using her magic only when necessary, and when she does give Akko a hard time it most likely because Akko kind of deserved it. As the series goes on we start to learn more about her past, and all of the responsibility put upon her shoulders for many reasons, and how her, and Akko are more alike than they think which leads to them having a very heartwarming relationship, and making her one of the most compelling characters in the series. Some other characters play some big roles like the son of the Prime Minister, and Akko’s love interest, Andrew, who has some very funny interactions with the fledgling witch, Diana’s friends Hannah, and Barbara who have their moments, and a trio of fellow student witches, the rebellious Amanda O’Neil, the laid back, and food loving Jasminka, and the quiet inventor, Constanze, who is one of my favorites of the series. Other characters like the Luna Nova Faculty, Diana’s servants, and family, the government, Andrew’s schoolmates, and some of the one, and done side character that are met throughout the series (the author of the Night Falls series, a cynical dragon who scams Luna Nova, a solider brought back from the dead by the girls, etc.) all manage to leave an impression even if their not always the focus. Much like shows such as Gurren Lagann, it is impressive how well utilized this large cast of characters turned out to be, which is not an easy feat to pull off.
Little Witch Academia is a charming, heartfelt, and overall just fun show that I think anyone can enjoy. Sure it may have some storytelling, and pacing problems, and there are some elements that may seem familiar but it still has plenty of beautiful visuals, memorable, and well written characters, some creative world-building, well done emotion, excellent morals, and a big beating heart at its center. To be honest unlike stuff like Kill La Kill, and Gurren Lagann, I can actually see there being another season, and I would love for that to happen. I feel there’s more that could be done with this world, and these characters so hopefully we’ll get one. If not well then at least we had a nice, fun ride with what we got. So thats about it for Little Witch Academia, and if there are any animes you would like me to see, and review just head to the comments, and I’ll try my best to check em out, and if your curious Little Witch Academia is currently on Netflix so if you want you could check out, and tell me what you think. Now let’s see what Pixar’s Onward has to offer in terms of mystical beings in a modern day like setting.
Rating: A-
Leave your thoughts down below in the comments, and see you guys later!
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