Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- lb:lwa [2026-02-13 17:02:42] – [Little Witch Academia] ninjasr
+++ lb:lwa [2026-10-25 19:30:58] (current) – [Little Witch Academia] ninjasr
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 ====== Little Witch Academia ======
 <div subtitle>
+<div callout>
+This article has been marked for a re-write.
+</div>
 {{tag>anime otaku speculah}}
 </div>
 {{ img:b:r:lwa.png?460 |Little Witch Academia}}
-**リトルウィッチアカデミア**(Little Witch Academia) is an anime series following a girl, named <dfn>Kagari Atsuko</dfn>, who wants to be a witch despite her magical ineptitude, focused around the Academy for little witches.
+<dfn :ja>リトルウィッチアカデミア</dfn>(Little Witch Academia) is an anime series following a girl, named [[lb:lwa:Kagari Atsuko]], who wants to be a witch despite her magical ineptitude, focused around the Academy for little witches.
 As is now usual for this wiki, <cite>LWA</cite> is one of my personal favorites. I started watching this after watching an analysis video that mentioned it, though I don't remember which video it was. But, since I have...well...favorites.
+<div sheet fit center>
+Re-write progress:
+<ul list check>
+<li item [data-check=check]>Writing Pass</li>
+<li item [data-check=uncheck]>Formatting Pass</li>
+<li item [data-check=uncheck]>Image Pass</li>
+</ul>
+</div>
 ===== Reviews =====
 ==== Little Witch Academia (2017) ====
+<div subtitle>
+<div rating [data-rating=6] [data-favorite=true]>
+<div heart>♥</div>
+<div star>★</div>
+<div star>★</div>
+<div star>★</div>
+<div star>★</div>
+<div star>★</div>
+<div star>★</div>
+</div>
+</div>
 I watched this anime before I watched the OVA and <cite>[[#The Enchanted Parade]]</cite>, though it doesn't matter, since this is in a separate continuity from those. This anime is also likely to become the primary continuity from now on...unless they do something like with <cite>[[lb:patlabor|Patlabor]]</cite>.
-Surprisingly, my notes don't say much here, but that's probably because I think <cite>LWA</cite> is an unambiguous masterpiece with few, if any, flaws. I could be wrong here, but I seriously haven't noticed anything...it all just fits together.\\  Weeeeell...there might be the one issue in that nobody is questioning the big star-shaped crater on the Moon. That said...this can be excused since it's been there for like 10 years by the time we're in the present...so it's likely that nobody really questions why it appeared. The truth behind it...that <mark spoiler>it was created by <dfn>Chariot</dfn></mark> is an effective <mark spoiler>twist. Especially since I initially thought it was</mark> a stylistic choice. I imagine most people react the same way.\\  Something which is subtle, but could hint at that <mark spoiler>twist</mark> is the fact that <mark spoiler>Akko looks at the Moon anytime she thinks about Chariot</mark>.\\  Oh yeah, in comparison to the other continuity...actually, I'll leave that for //that// review.
+Since I re-watched LWA recently, I've got a little more to say this time. Rather than working off of memory + notes.
-==== Little Witch Academia (OVA) ====
+<div passage>
+Previously, I stated that I think LWA is an unambiguous masterpiece. I've changed my mind slightly. I think that the plot and the characters don't really have issues on their own, but there are a handful of problems.
-For an episode-long introduction to <cite>LWA</cite>...it's okay. It shows off all the characters (sans <dfn>Amanda</dfn>’s crew) and their personalities.\\  I don't have any specific complaints besides the animation //maybe// being slightly worse than the anime, though this isn't surprising considering the context.\\  So let me note some of the notable differences between this and the anime:
+The biggest problem is probably the way the entire series was stuck together. There's an over-arching plotline, but with a few disconnected episodes. The order of those episodes is probably a bit of an issue, though I'd have to think long and hard about how I'd do it better, if I even could.
-  * Akko is less incompetent here than in the anime...as she can use magic and fly on a broom, only extremely poorly.
+The secondary issue is the character of Jasminka. Jasminka barely has much of a character, which means it's odd for her to <mark spoiler>then appear as one of the central characters responsible for saving the world</mark>. She stands out due to having little there. Hannah and Barbara both have more to them than Jasminka does. And this isn't an insurmountable problem, because she was introduced in Enchanted Parade. It's just odd.
-  * <dfn>Diana</dfn> is more of a tsundere in the OVA and <cite>Enchanted Parade</cite>.
-Oh...that's all my notes had. Oh well.
+There's a minor issue that occasionally crops up too, where there is a lack of background noise in situations where it would be appropriate. I think the big example is the wasp/bee episode, where there are moments in a //packed party// where nobody is making any noise whatsoever. I find that to be really odd.
+</div>
-==== The Enchanted Parade ====
+I don't think there's anything else that's really off besides this. I previously included the star-shaped crater on the Moon as a problem, but I've changed my mind. The crater having been <mark spoiler>created by Chariot</mark> is actually a pretty good <mark spoiler>twist. Especially since I initially thought it was</mark> a stylistic choice. One possible <mark spoiler>hint towards this is that Akko looks at the Moon anytime she thinks about Chariot</mark>.
+==== Little Witch Academia (OVA) & The Enchanted Parade ====
+<div subtitle>
+<div rating [data-rating=5] [data-favorite=false]>
+<div heart>♥</div>
+<div star>★</div>
+<div star>★</div>
+<div star>★</div>
+<div star>★</div>
+<div star>★</div>
+<div star>★</div>
+</div>
+</div>
+After some thinking, I decided to merge the two together into a single review. They're the same continuity, which is separate from the 2017 anime, so I don't see why I shouldn't.
-This film is a...sequel? to the OVA. It introduces Amanda, <dfn>Jasminka</dfn> and <dfn>Constanze</dfn>. What's interesting about their portrayal is that Akko and Amanda don't really have a rivalry here, unlike in the TV anime.
+Obviously, this is where it started, so it's natural for it to be a little rougher than the later anime. Which it //is//.
-It can best be described as a fun side-story to the main series. So watch it if you want more <cite>LWA</cite>. Though it isn't strictly necessary since, y'know, discontinuity.
+<div passage>
+First, let's get into Akko.
+Akko's personality is actually quite different from the TV anime. She's quicker to anger, more impulsive, a little dumber and...she has more trouble listening to the people around her.
+Character-wise, I can see why they toned her down a bit in the TV anime, as it makes her a little less annoying to watch in action. In Enchanted Parade especially, you can find yourself irritated by Akko's actions.
+Also, while she's dumber, she's actually more competent in magic. I don't think this combination really works though.
+</div>
+<div passage>
+The second more important character her is Diana. Unlike in the TV anime, Diana is way more outwardly antagonistic towards Akko. Thruout most of the series, Diana actually doesn't really interact with Akko, doesn't really insult her or degrade her and so on. Here, though, she actively tells Akko what a disappointment she is to witches as a whole.
+Diana is also more overtly tsundere-ish, having trouble expressing her feelings. In the Diana Ojou-sama-Tsundere spectrum, she leans far more towards Tsundere. Actually, I'd say that Diana here is very close to the ideal of the cool-Tsundere Ojou-sama character of...[[lb:Malfoid]]. I will not say more.
+While I prefer TV Akko, I'm wondering if I prefer this continuity's Diana. I think that a balance could have been reached, but it would have required Diana and Akko to have more negative reactions earlier in the TV anime.((:fn:>The development I have in mind is: Diana is neutral -> Diana is hostile -> Diana is friendly.))((:fn:>Honestly, this development is somewhat hinted at in the TV anime, but I don't think it goes far enough.)) But I wouldn't say this Diana is perfect either, because her attitude is probably...too Tsundere at times. Hard to explain.
+</div>
+<div passage>
+I remembered just now (so I almost forgot), but the third character who is significantly different is Amanda.
+In the TV anime, Amanda and Akko have something of a rivalry, and they don't really get along at first. But they end up becoming friends...who, nevertheless, still fight occasionally.
+In Enchanted Parade, though, Amanda and Akko get along //basically// no problem from the start. Amanda is actually the most on-board with Akko's parade plan.
+This is really odd too, because I don't think that her personality is that different as compared to the TV anime.
+</div>
+Character-wise, everyone else is mostly the same. I don't think the other characters are any different.
+The city near Luna Nova is also quite different. I'd compare the cityscape more to...well, it reminds me of Italy, rather than Britain. That might just be a me thing. The TV anime's cityscape looks more British/English.
+Enchanted Parade also has this odd issue where there is often a complete lack of background music, or noise. There was a similar issue in LWA, sometimes, but it was much rarer. In fact, I forgot about it until just now. It makes some scenes feel really weird.
+I consider these two a fun side-story, though after re-watching them both...I would actually hesitate to put these on the same level as LWA. They're still fun to watch, but I wouldn't call them “necessary viewing”.
 ===== Speculah & Analysis =====
 ==== Celtic Mythology ====
 Something I really should have noticed earlier are all the references to Celtic Mythology. Obviously the series has Celtic aesthetics, but I didn't realize that they also borrowed from Myth.
-For example, the ‘Shiny Rod’ is the <dfn>Claíomh Solais</dfn>, which is a mythical...sword from Irish Myth.
+For example, the ‘Shiny Rod’ is the [[lb:lwa:Claíomh Solais]], which is a mythical...sword from Irish Myth.
 That's all I'm noting for now.
 ==== Comparison to Shūmatsu no Izetta ====
-You can read the comparison on the <cite>[[lb:izetta#comparisontolittlewitchacademia|Shūmatsu no Izetta]]</cite> article directly.
+You can read the comparison on the <cite>[[lb:izetta#comparisontolittlewitchacademia|Shūmatsu no Izetta]]</cite> article.
 ==== Comparison to Harry Potter ====
 Little Witch Academia has a few similarities with <cite>[[lb:Harry Potter]]</cite>. In fact, when I noticed, I couldn't un-notice.
 What do I mean? Well...
-<cite>Little Witch Academia</cite>/<cite>Harry Potter</cite> follows an outsider to the magical world entering a school for magic. This outsider has unbridled and innocent wonder towards magic, whilst their attitude towards //learning// that magic is not as enthusiastic.\\  They look up to a teacher/professor within the school who takes them under their wing and guides them. Plus they're a part of a magical prophecy, which this teacher/professor knows the details of.\\  They also have two friends who stick with them...and a rival with their own two friends, though they aren't as important. That rival is also associated with the color green, while the outsider is associated with the color red.
+<div passage>
+Little Witch Academia/Harry Potter follows an outsider to the magical world entering a school for magic. This outsider has unbridled and innocent wonder towards magic, whilst their attitude towards taking actual lessons in magic is not quite as enthusiastic.
-It's weird, isn't it? I'm gonna stop there, but you can probably compare the two further.\\  Of course, let's make something clear...<cite>Little Witch Academia</cite> is //much better// than <cite>Harry Potter</cite>, though the comparison isn't fully fair, since it's not like they're trying to do the same thing. I might make a more in-depth comparison in the future...if I ever re-read <cite>Harry Potter</cite>.
+This outsider looks up to a teacher/professor within the school who takes them under their wing and guides them. This teacher/professor is aware of the fact this outsider is a member of a magical prophecy, and knows considerably more than they tell them.
+The outsider also has two close friends who they stick to within the school at nearly all times. They have a rival with their own two friends, though //those// two are not nearly as important. That rival is a magical world insider, from a posh and rich family of magical users.
+The outsider is largely associated with the color red, while the rival is associated with the color green.
+</div>
+The similarities are uncanny, aren't they? I'm going to stop here, but there are probably more similarities than I've noticed.
 ===== Trivilinks =====