Little Witch Academia

[MFauli]

1812


For young witches everywhere, the world-renowned witch Shiny Chariot reigns as the most revered and celebrated role model. But as the girls age, so do their opinions of her—now just the mention of Chariot would get a witch labeled a child. However, undeterred in her blind admiration for Chariot, ordinary girl Atsuko Kagari enrolls into Luna Nova Magical Academy, hoping to someday become just as mesmerizing as her idol.

episode 1 is out
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Lol, you guys are all so lazy, nobody creating threads for these enjoyable shows. :P
Anyway, another anime of this new season that I very much so enjoyed. The heroine Akko can be obnoxiously dumb at times (I´d kill her if I were Lotte), but she´s a likeable girl overall. The general feeling is, paradoxically, a rather grounded, down-to-earth one. As in, while there´s magic, it´s not really over-the-top, rather, it succeeds in creating a proper plot. So many anime these days feel rushed, but this one successfully portrayed the beginning of Akko´s journey, and it´s not just the setting that makes this anime feel a lot like Harry Potter and when the title-named hero first got to Hogwarts.

I hope we´ll get to follow Akko´s everyday-life at the witch school. There ought to be an overarching plot, but I don´t need an epic story here. And with Akko being a normal human, there´s enough plot for the first couple episodes.

[MasterOfMoogles]

I thought Sucy was just a little too evil in this version. Like, she literally tried to get them killed. That's a bit much.

Other than that, pretty good opening episode.

[Ryllharu]

I don't think Sucy intended to go to the school in this retelling. She was going to the forest on purpose. 'It appears we reached my destination.'

This time, it seems she's there because all three of them showed up at the matriculation ceremony.

Bear in mind she never really had a backstory in the OVAs other than being sadistic. Now she does. She's obviously already an accomplished witch. "Normal witches are unable to enter the forest." Honestly, we don't even know if she's actually a teen, nor did we before. Even in the original, she gave a monster a single potion, where it promptly died in the most horrific way possible, and the remains promptly melted a giant hole in the floor. She's always been evil.

She only looked less evil before because Sucy, Akko, and Lotte were already friends.

That's what makes it funny. You have Akko, the endless supply of innocence, determination, and hope, who is best friends with the type of witch who is always the villain in fairy tales.

edit:
Also, in the scene where Ursula-sensei is looking for the disturbance (11:58) with the magical map...where is the star shining in that constellation?
Oh, Trigger, you scamps you...

[MasterOfMoogles]

Being evil to a random monster that is attacking you is pretty different from being evil to random people you just met.

I was fine with her being a jerk to Akko on the road. Trying to kill her is quite a stretch.

[neflight86]

After the OVAs, I'm glad we got to take a step back and enjoy the origin story a bit more fleshed out this time. I'ts not like there was a pressing story to get to anyway.

[Kraco]

She's just fine being evil, if that's what you'd call her. I'd rather call her selfish for the sake of her own ambitions in magic. Akko wants to become a show business witch after her great idol. Not everyone else needs to.

I spotted Salmiakki. That's always good, although I reckon in Japan that would be considered something only witches would eat.

[MasterOfMoogles]

Yea, I generally assume people who attempt to murder other people are evil.
I just think it's really weird to have that in this kind of show. Maybe there'll be some redeeming reason, but my bet is they'll just gloss over it.

[Kraco]

When was she attempting to murder someone? I don't think the reanimated toy bird was capable of murder, so that's probably not what you are referring to.

[MFauli]

She used the other two as bait for the chicken monster, without any hint that they´d manage to survive. I agree with Moogles, I found it odd how casually Sucy was willing to kill them, kinda clashing with the atmosphere of the show. It got played off as comedy, so I don´t expect much thought behind it, though.

[Kraco]

You are misunderstanding something. If you left two ordinary humans there like that, it would equal to a death sentence, but what she left there were two witches, the same as herself. If they are witches, they can do something about it. It's that sort of life. If you can't handle it, stay home and stop dreaming of magic.

[Ryllharu]

Sucy tries to scare off Akko with the plush chicken. When that doesn't work, she uses rope snakes. That does work, and she continues on her way.

She's evil, for sure, but she's not going out of her way to murder the other two. Akko claims she's a witch, and Lotte clearly is one. She's just using them. They're capable enough.

But what we do know from the OVAs is that she is very sadistic.

[MasterOfMoogles]

She trapped them both in front of the cockatrice and left them to die.
Like, nothing even remotely suggested they should have lived, and it was basically dumb luck that they managed to survive.
If you put someone in a situation where you see no reasonable way for them to survive, that's pretty much murder.

I see what you're saying about they're witches Kraco, but nothing even remotely hinted that Sucy thought they would be able to survive that encounter.

[shinta|hikari]

Moogles suddenly grows a conscience.

[Kraco]

I see what you're saying about they're witches Kraco, but nothing even remotely hinted that Sucy thought they would be able to survive that encounter.

This is why you are a muggle, Moogles.

Of course there was no reasonable way for them to survive. Magic isn't reasonable to begin with.

[MFauli]

But there was no reasonable way WITHIN magic either, lol. They survived because the scene was played off as a gag comedy-scene. That´s it.

As I said: As long as this doesn´t repeat, I can get over it. Now, if Sucy keeps putting her friends in lethal situations, that would be a problem.

[Kraco]

But there was no reasonable way WITHIN magic either, lol. They survived because the scene was played off as a gag comedy-scene. That´s it.

This is why you are a muggle, MFauli.

Of course there was no reasonable way within magic for them to survive. Magic isn't reasonable to begin with.

[Ryllharu]

Now, if Sucy keeps putting her friends in lethal situations, that would be a problem.Quite likely...because that's Akko's job.

(Or Diana's...)

[Kraco]

Episode 2


- - - - - - -


A stupidly energetic MC isn't bad as long as they succeed at least sometimes. It would be painful to watch her make a fool of herself if she didn't pull it off when it really counts. Of course she has the friends helping her, if Sucy can be counted as such, which might be vital to her survival.

It's really kind of unfair if everybody else is from magic families and thus knows a whole lot before coming to the school. If that's the case, then the school would have a certain baseline, like a high school assumes middle school knowledge. What could Akko do under such circumstances?

[Ryllharu]

Bawww...Diana. You're a good girl after all.

Gee, guess who has that last card Akko is missing from her collection?

I like that they're giving development to Ursula, where she's hiding that she's actually very competent by pretending she's a barely-competent klutz.

[Edort4]

Im in dire need of those lessons about why LWA is a great show... 2 episodes in and im already bored. Clumsy and "airhead" humor is already burned in less than 40 minutes of the show and almost every cliche about girls highschool is already in place except romance (Im really missing some "older" teacher dude, with ambiguous attitude nice/bad guy, she could crush on to fulfill the prophecy of doom).

I really like the art but it can only accomplish so much with such a shallow and cliche filled show. Is there gonna be some short of plot (at least something that would make a 12yo wonder what could happen) further on?

[shinta|hikari]

I show doesn't have to be avant garde or unpredictable to be good. LWA seems to target a younger demographic and aims to deliver a feel good story about witches in school (see title), not some epic adventure or conspiracy. I think the people who praise this are referring to how well the show is executed (art, direction, maybe even characters).

[Kraco]

The only novel or innovative thing Harry Potter had were the new words, and it's not like inventing words wouldn't have been an ordinary affair for fantasy writers before. Yet it made the author multimillionaire and the series became a concept everybody will recognise, whether they liked it or not. As far as I'm concerned, this is already better than Potter. The only thing I'm really missing are boys in the main cast. I like mixed casts far more than the myriad all-girls shows, which I mainly regard as cheap attempts to placate creepy Japanese otaku.

[MFauli]

Extremely good second episode. Loved it from start to end. My personal highlight was Sucy turning Akko´s hair into a plant without her EVER noticing it xD That was so cute and adorable.

Diana being not all that great was nice to see. Tbh I have no idea why she thought she could secretly try to heal that tree. She´s a pupil so she ought to get some teacher´s permission. Considering how highly regarded she is, certainly they wouldn´t have declined her offer if reasonable.

What kinda sucked was when Akko got hit by Diana´s death spell and ... just recovered without ever doing anything to heal herself. That was weird. Also weird how those fairies just revived after getting killed by Diana´s spell. A little more consequence would have been better here.

Anyway, so far this anime is exactly what I wanted from it: A girls only-Harry Potter anime. Although I´d love to see boys make their appearance, too. When there´re witches, there gotta be wizards, too, right? :P Would make for some neat guest appearances from time to time.

[Kraco]

Episode 5


- -- - - - - -



Akko's incurable foolishness aside, that was a funny idea in this episode. For a dragon gold and precious stones are great, but there's nothing wrong about stocks, investment funds, bonds, futures, currency market, you name it. The school could have afforded to take a lesson or two in handling their financies, though.

[MFauli]

It kinda doesn´t make sense to me that NO teacher in that school knows that ancient dragon language. Can you imagine any teacher at Hogwarts not know some language? Weird. Also, I still don´t get the whole "no magic without that magic stone" thing. Does it mean there is no magic elsewhere in the world? It´s kind of a crass limit to magic. We do know about exceptions such as that legendary broom that can fly anywhere in the world, but what about everyday adult witches?

[Kraco]

I'd assume they have their own magic stones. Might not be as big as the stone the school boasts.

The lack of dragon tongue skills doesn't surprise me that much, in fact Diana being made so perfect she knows even that is more silly. However, what's stupid is that the last person who did know the language didn't bother to translate the agreement for the future generations, or the school didn't pay someone outside to translate it. In the end if there's practically no use for the language, why spend time learning it instead of learning something useful? At least they could get rid of the burden, unlike, for example, the Japanese who need to learn how to read and write all the way till college, whereas we the westerners learn how to read and write during the first years of elementary school, and that's it (although some kids learn it before even entering school). Learning a whole new language with its own writing system, and then using it for nothing, isn't really too smart. Who knows what Diana's plans are, though, maybe she dreams of using dragons to get rid of her competitors.

[Ryllharu]

Diana being so perfect is obviously a setup for a gag. If you watched the OVA, you of course know what it is, so I won't spoil it for people who have only been watching the series. It's not even technically a spoiler, if you pay very close attention.

She's set up as Akko's complete polar opposite, similar to Ryuuko and Satsuki. Enthusiasm/Determination vs Intelligence/Diligence , like KLK's Rage vs Control.

Akko wants to be the best witch ever! Like her idol. Diana wants to be the best witch ever as well. One just happens to be a lot better at it than the other in their present positions.

Diana may have fixed the problem, but would Diana have confronted Fafnir the same way Akko had if Diana couldn't find (or hadn't randomly stumbled on the contract just sitting there)? No. Diana stood around as instructed, passive. Akko and friends went after the stone. Akko was yelling at a dragon, to his face.

Same kind of thing with the broom race. Akko couldn't fly, but was determined to win anyway. When the legendary broom appeared, she grabbed it, despite the risk. And as a result, Diana still won, but wasn't satisfied with her victory at all.

However, in the end, Diana isn't perfect. The Memorial tree and butterflies proved that. The staff and her friends didn't listen to her when she feebly tried to deny that she had done it.

[Kraco]

Episode 7



- - - - - -




I'd have a hard time in this show's universe if necromancy is punished even more severely than murder.

But damn Akko is a long suffering individual, partly due to her lack of brains, partly due to her lack of talent. It would be insufferable to watch if she wasn't so energetic and the incidents caused by her weren't so funny.

[MFauli]

I´ve got nothing complain so far, because every.single.episode has been so jolly fun. In terms of hype, Youjo Senki is the one I´m most looking forward to each weak. But Little Witch Academia is the kinda of quality laid-back adventure that I want to keep watching for 100+ episodes and never stop.

Two things I especially liked: At times, Akko looks like she´s going for some shortcut, like looing for a mysterious power. But in the end, she didn´t get it. Any other anime would have given the main character such a cheap power upgrade and thus ruined the connection between audience and Akko. And then last episode, ANY other anime would have turned Akko into a somewhat sexy meraid. But here she became a silly looking merman thing, and it was hilarious. Not saying Akko isn´t at times hot, but this anime has none of the usual, cheap fan-service, and it´s better for it.

[neflight86]

I certainly hope this is a 24+episode series, because right now the story doesn't appear to be going anywhere, and I can only stand for Akko to be useless as a witch for so long. I actually have no idea what the long term goals for this show are. It hints at story elements to be fleshed out, but is certainly content to meander along with these generally unrelated vignettes that merely reinforce the idea that Akko... deserves to be a good witch, but she can't because she's not talented? This is more of a problem for me if we are talking a 1 cour run because episodes have already felt wasted as an excuse to animate zany motion. Love the Trigger guys and their animation, but I want something with thematic substance as well.

[MFauli]

episode 11 is out
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Great episode. Setting up bigger things to come. I was surprised that Diana didn´t show up with Akko. Also wonder why the headmaster would lead Diana to that special book. Maybe she believes Diana can save the school/all witches/the magic world and has reasons for the semi-secrecy? Meanwhile, nobody pays attention to Akko, cause nobody expects anything of her at all.

Maa ii.

On another note, Ursula-sensei is hotness. Those sharp eyes and the lower lashes, phew!!1 ;o

[Ryllharu]

Akko and Diana have the same goal, they're just going about it in opposite ways.

Akko is following in Chariot's footsteps learning about all the secret stuff of the Academy because she acquired the Gunbuster Shiny Rod, while Diana is taking the academic and methodical approach.

The magical butterflies episode was a good indication of how this is going to end. Akko has the Shiny Rod, enthusiasm, and the willpower to seek out the mysteries of the school and its founding, but she's too stupid to actually pull it off. Diana also secretly shares the same wonderment and awe of magic that Akko has, but is diligent enough to help Akko pull off...whatever this is growing into, a revival of magical power I'd guess.

[Ryllharu]

Okay. Major bump to this thread.

Episode 22


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So...yeah. Trigger is pretty much the best, period. They've been foreshadowing this stuff the whole time, but it only all clicks with the revelation of this episode.

Akko's incompetence, Ursula's sad faces, Croix's rage and hatred, Diana struggling when she was younger (another hint there, that redemption is possible, since Akko has only been formally taught this last academic year). The moon. All of it knits together from one reexamination of a scene we've already been shown several times.

And this is where it gets really fucking crazy. That symbol on the moon. It's also the pulsing star in the current ED. And then those little cogs in your brain should shift. It's not some abstract goodfeels emotional comparison in artistic depiction. The entire ED is a metaphor for this episode and the series as a whole! In remarkably specific detail.

Then we have Croix's plan versus Ursula and Akko's. This is some meta-level shit. This is TRIGGER, parodying themselves (or at least when they were all at Gainax). There's clear allusions to spiral energy and stuff, but what Akko is pursuing is actually Anti-GAR!!!! Croix is the one gathering raw, mindless, emotional power to build a giant glowing version of the staff inside of the tower. Akko has been taking her passion and enthusiasm, and converting it to thoughtful, contemplative introspection and self-examination to light each of the stones in the staff.

Watch this episode, and even with the rapid recap during the revelation, think back over all the previous episodes. SO many scenes are foreshadowing this episode, each in ways that seemed disconnected from each other at the time, but all lead back to one thing.

[shinta|hikari]

Nyaa is down and out. Do you have torrents for episodes 13-17?

[Ryllharu]

Asenshi's full set are on bots on Rizon. That's the only way I've ever gotten them.
(That's pretty much the only way I get anime)

[MFauli]

I have no idea what you´re talking about, Ryll.

Anyway, it´s sad that this thread is so small. Little Witch has been the best anime ever since it started. Every single episode is pure joy to watch. Jolly good adventure stories, no shitty fan-service, and great music and animation. This anime makes me want to have a daughter so I can watch this anime together with her.

Do we know if this is close to being finished or will it continue? I don´t want it to end :(

[Munsu]

I'm up to episode 14 now, someone who seems like the potential "Big Bad" arrived. Anyways, this has been quite fun so far. The execution has been great, the animation reminds me a bit of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann as well.

My main complaint is Ursula has been an incredibly inconsistent character so far. Hope that improves as she gets a bigger role and we dive more into the meat of the story and what not.

Hope to catch up by tomorrow or such. Going to watch Wonder Woman now.

[Munsu]

Episode 24 is out:
http://tracker.minglong.org/torrents/%5BAsenshi%5D%20Little%20Witch%20Academia%20-%2024%20%5BB97E88EB%5D.mkv.torrent

Plan to watch it on Saturday.

[MFauli]

Final episode is out
----------------------------

Great finale. It´s rare that an anime ends on a high note and still satisfies without the wish for more. While I´d love to see a second season, this ended in the perfect way.

Animation has been fantastic, especially Akko´s magic-spree when she keep transforming herself to evade the monster-missiles attack, so cool.

My favorite moment was when the speedy broom appeared. I actually expected that to be the whole solution to catching up to the missile in the first place, but it was nice here, too. Felt so badass when the missile kept hunting them but the broom was like "screw you, I´m way outta your league, lol!".

Really one of the best anime in the last couple years.

Diana is my waifu atm, since Ursula unfortunately turned her hair red :/ @shinta: If you could make me a hot sig pic featuring Diana, that´d be great ;>

[MasterOfMoogles]

I thought the finale was kind of meh. Very by-the-book, as if they simply went and found all the correct tropes and played them perfectly straight.
None of the side characters got to do anything interesting, being simply part of the multi-stage rocket booster. I was really hoping for a battle where they could each use their talents to help win.
Having Croix fail miserably and lose control of her powers was kind of lame, leaving us with a lackluster non-sentient final badguy.

Animation-wise, it was great.

Overall, I really enjoyed the show, and it managed to be a lot of fun almost every episode.