Japanese Title: Little Witch Academia

 

Related: Little Witch Academia (original movie – included in review)

Little Witch Academia: The Enchanted Parade (sequel movie – included in review)

Little Witch Academia TV (alternate series – included in review)

Similar: My Hero Academia

Cardcaptor Sakura

Orphen

Kodocha

 

Watched in: Japanese & English

Genre: Contemporary Fantasy Comedy Adventure

Length: 2 short films, 25 episodes

 

Positives:

• So much fun!
• Consistently funny.
• Gorgeous colours and animation.
• Excellent dub.

Negatives:

• Movies rendered redundant by series and lack of originality.
• Weak overarching plot.
• Sub-par Japanese track.

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Little Witch Academia started out as a short film project made possible through a government grant to have veterans train young animators. Its massive success led to a Kickstarter for a sequel film and funding for a full TV series after that.

It follows the adventures of Akko, a girl with big dreams of becoming like her performing witch idol, Shiny Chariot, as she attends Luna Nova Academy for training. Alongside her are Sucy, the diabolical apothecary, and Lotte, a witch that can talk to…old junk? Let us not forget the queen ego, Diana, who has the audacity of being great at magic and focusing on school. Disgusting. In her quest for greatness and answers on what happened to Chariot, Akko must unlock the seven secrets of Chariot’s old weapon, the Shiny Rod.

I want to start with the short film before we dive into the heart of the series.

I had always heard of Little Witch Academia as ‘Harry Potter for girls’, which I can confirm is absolutely true of the first film. There is no denying the inspiration drawn from Harry Potter book one, The Philosopher’s Stone (Sorcerer’s Stone in the US). The schools are similar with the same quirky magic, have a boring History of Magic class, broom flying with the same teacher and someone showing off, a snooty blonde rival from a ‘pure’ bloodline, a Forbidden Forest, a rampaging monster from the dungeons, a sorcerer’s stone of importance, and the list goes on. The main differences are with Akko, who is more like Neville with her levels of incompetence (and secret greatness), and that Little Witch Academia is all about fun instead of a serious plot.

I don’t begrudge it for the similarities – the tone makes a big enough difference – but the story isn’t of particular interest. The sequel movie is about setting up a parade and utterly unmemorable. I only recommend the movies for completion’s sake or the visual spectacle, nothing more.

Here we come to the series, which keeps the same premise and characters, though otherwise goes back to the start to give us more depth in every aspect. Many of the Harry Potter similarities beyond the magic school leave the stage as well.

Each episode is a mini adventure with Akko and friends trying to overcome some task, such as learning to speak to fish. Akko is so disaster prone that nothing ever goes according to plan. After accidentally flushing the fish, who happens to be the professor, down the drain, she must enter the sewers to mount a rescue. She is so much fun and bursting with such energy that I can’t help but smile at everything she does. However, my favourite character has to be Sucy. She’s always concocting potions and growing special mushrooms, which she gives to her friends as guinea pigs in dire situations, just to see what happens. Her bored monotone voice matches her dry wit perfectly. Imagine a young Snape if he weren’t a total prat.

Little Witch Academia’s humour is a smash hit in general. I particularly enjoy the humour that pokes fun at the magic society. Why don’t witches use cell phones? It sure would help. In this world, humans are aware of witches and don’t have a high opinion of them. A sub plot involves improving relations with humans and has the girls attend a ball with human guys. The dynamic between the pretentious guy and Akko is great, for he can’t resist her energy despite his disdain for magic.

The one significant problem with Little Witch Academia is in the overarching story about reactivating the Shiny Rod and uncovering what happened to Shiny Chariot. It isn’t engaging. I couldn’t care less about this thread because it doesn’t feel as though it matters much. For one final Harry Potter comparison, think of Voldemort’s story and all the conflict he brings. We are looking at opposing ends of the same scale for engagement. Now, Little Witch Academia is a light-hearted series and such a dark plot wouldn’t fit the tone, but there is still no reason they couldn’t have made the Shiny Chariot history more relevant and interwoven with the rest of the narrative. It feels almost tacked-on simply to have some overall story. As a result, the final few episodes that resolve this plot are the weakest. The conflict lacks a real villain as well. There is one of sorts, but again, she’s so minor in the grand scheme that she feels added in just to fill the villain slot.

It’s a testament to the quality of the episodic content that this is great anime in the face of the overall story problems.

The ‘Harry Potter for girls’ label is misleading, as this is an anime for everyone. It doesn’t have most shoujo tropes, such as the crush on an older man or the endless “what do I do?” staring at her feet weak characters. Anyone can love Little Witch Academia and it is my favourite Studio Trigger anime. Akko may be terrible in class, but she gets an A+ from me. I love that girl.

Art – Very High

The art adds so much fun and energy to the series through its colour and animation. Little animation details make every episode visually engaging and an absolute delight to witness.

Sound – High

I am thankful for the excellent dub, as the original Japanese is sub-par, particularly for the main trio. Sucy in English is perfect and bad in Japanese, while Japanese Akko doesn’t have enough energy. The music reminds me of Disney’s Cinderella – never a bad thing.

Story – High

A young girl attends witch school in the hopes of becoming as adept in magic as her idol was, and to do so, must activate the many secrets of a magic rod. Little Witch Academia’s episodic content and boundless fun makes up for the weak overarching plot.

Overall Quality – High

Recommendation: Watch it. Little Witch Academia the series is for all ages and an anime to be loved by all. I would be surprised if you didn’t enjoy it, even a little.

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Awards: (hover over each award to see descriptions; click award for more recipients)

Positive:

Negative: None