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Little Witch Academia TV |OT| Season 2 up on Netflix Aug 15

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Andrew J.

Member
Episode 09

The worldbuilding here confirmed my theory from earlier, that magic was once very widely used but has been made increasingly obsolete by postindustrial technology.

And seeing the headmistress's reunion with her Papa was so touching. ;_;
 
That was a good episode. Diana falling in love with her reflection was pretty funny.

She is literally the only one good enough for herself in this endless sea of dumbasses.

Akko's actually being able to do some mildly useful magic was a revelation. I'm curious whether Lotte is gonna actually go out with that dude at any point as well.
 

Andrew J.

Member
Episode 10

Great episode, I LOL'ed several times. Akko's super-shoujo face, Diana's bitch posse fainting dramatically, Sucy being totally unapologetic, that hilariously kinetic bee fight, all pure gold.

The way Japanese people pronounce "Andrew" is super weird.

So the earl hates witches, and forbade his son from practicing music because it's "effeminate"...is this going to end up as a big metaphor for sexism? I got enough of that for a lifetime with Utena.
 
I've been posting less than I should have.

I was a bit worried about the show a few episodes after the premiere, but it seems to have really found its footing now. All of the past three episodes have been a lot of fun.
 
I didn't realize that there was a LWA community here. Might as well subscribe here to see how the thread's activity goes! I'm from the LWA Discord and r/LittleWitchAcademia! Hi! :3
 
I've been posting less than I should have.

I was a bit worried about the show a few episodes after the premiere, but it seems to have really found its footing now. All of the past three episodes have been a lot of fun.

I'm actually the opposite. Haven't really enjoyed the show since those guys visited the campus. The facial animations seemed to have tanked last week too.
 

Spuck-uk

Banned
I'm a mid 30s guy that absolutely hates like 90% of anime and so help me LWA is so goddamn charming I find myself trying to sell other people on it.
 
I'm a mid 30s guy that absolutely hates like 90% of anime and so help me LWA is so goddamn charming I find myself trying to sell other people on it.

It defies most anime cliches and hearkens back to the age of late 90s and early 2000s cartoons. And while the TV series's animation isn't as good as the OVAs were, it's still animated way smoother than most anime. It's hard to watch anything else.
 

Meffer

Member
It defies most anime cliches and hearkens back to the age of late 90s and early 2000s cartoons. And while the TV series's animation isn't as good as the OVAs were, it's still animated way smoother than most anime. It's hard to watch anything else.

Konosub is really good too and absolutely hilarious.
 

Meffer

Member
Theory time: The Nine Olde Witches sealed some very bad stuff but in the process also sealed off magic and remaining magic in the world is dwindling away. The Shining Rod is a key or tool to the seal or to magic as a whole. Shining Chariot could do amazing things with the Shining Rod but backed down as the wielder because she couldn't take the real responsibility or she failed.
 

Roubjon

Member
I like the JRPG quest line that was introduced. I think some sort of goal is what the show needed, so it's cool to see it happen.
 

Andrew J.

Member
Episode 11

Whoa, there were some sick revelaitons this time around. Most obviously we have confirmation that magic is really growing weaker over time, it's not just that technological development has made it obsolete.

Then there's the Grand Triskelion and the Seven Words. Is it related to the portal the bear was guarding? Why is Diana researching it? Could she be aware of magic's decline and seeking to break the seal to reverse it? How is it connected to Ursula's past, and why can't she tell Akko the truth if this quest is so important? (Bet it's a geas.)

And finally, the true identity of the Shiny Rod as Claíomh Solais. It's interesting that it's in this form now, instead of a sword. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the semiotic significance of swords and rods/staves are diametric opposites in both the physical/spiritual axis and the male/female axis. Could this be related to the sexism theme that came up previously? (I hope Akko takes good care of it, it served me well in Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow.)

Man, this just got way more interesting. Really digging it.
 
Theory time: The Nine Olde Witches sealed some very bad stuff but in the process also sealed off magic and remaining magic in the world is dwindling away. The Shining Rod is a key or tool to the seal or to magic as a whole. Shining Chariot could do amazing things with the Shining Rod but backed down as the wielder because she couldn't take the real responsibility or she failed.

Sounds reasonable, I'd dig it. Kinda nice that there's a story for the show to chug along with now.
 
Episode 11

Whoa, there were some sick revelaitons this time around. Most obviously we have confirmation that magic is really growing weaker over time, it's not just that technological development has made it obsolete.

Then there's the Grand Triskelion and the Seven Words. Is it related to the portal the bear was guarding? Why is Diana researching it? Could she be aware of magic's decline and seeking to break the seal to reverse it? How is it connected to Ursula's past, and why can't she tell Akko the truth if this quest is so important? (Bet it's a geas.)

And finally, the true identity of the Shiny Rod as Claíomh Solais. It's interesting that it's in this form now, instead of a sword. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the semiotic significance of swords and rods/staves are diametric opposites in both the physical/spiritual axis and the male/female axis. Could this be related to the sexism theme that came up previously? (I hope Akko takes good care of it, it served me well in Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow.)

Man, this just got way more interesting. Really digging it.

My guess is the Grand Triskelion is sapping the world of magic and Chariot tried to do it but failed and became a teacher to find a suitable person who could.

Also...
Rita Repulsa was one of the witches that started Luna Nova :3
 

Andrew J.

Member
My guess is the Grand Triskelion is sapping the world of magic and Chariot tried to do it but failed and became a teacher to find a suitable person who could.

Also...
Rita Repulsa was one of the witches that started Luna Nova :3

You mean Maleficent, surely. :p
 
A cliffhanger in my anime?

But fo real I liked that episode. The transformations at the start were fun and I liked everyone being involved. Plus a little more fleshing out on Diana is always a good thing.
 

Andrew J.

Member
Episode 12

It was a little heartbreaking to see Akko's friends confront her with her shortcomings so directly, and then to admit her own self-doubts, but every hero as to go through a low point.

Nice to see Diana's bitch posse finally get some comeuppance.
 

Jarmel

Banned
Little Witch Academia-12
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Diana somehow pulls the best duty/job in a game of pure chance? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? This is straight up insulting. It's completely goddamn random and she somehow tops out the fucking luck meter too? Oh and Diana you're head of the Festival despite being a freshman. Seniors what? Who?
Part of the issue with this cour as a whole is that so many of the scenarios are redundant. How many times do we need to see Akko in the loser position where she doesn't even progress? It's like the show is spinning its wheels. For example this episode Diana again gets the best position and Akko the worst. Why not try and mix it up to an extent and see how Diana handles being in a shitty position and Akko in a high level one? They sort of do that with the lame illusion spell, only from Akko's side, but they don't do much with it and it's so short that it feels like a waste of time.
Diana doesn't have a character at all besides being a Mary Sue and the writers seem to go out of their way to make Akko the most incompetent witch in all of history. The show tries its damnedest to trip over its own feet. Not to mention the show barely utilizes even a quarter of the cast. Lotte doesn't do shit and Sucy barely does anything now too.
This doesn't feel like Trigger gives a shit. I'm not just talking about the animation value but the level of energy in the work. It just comes across as a way of passing time for both the audience and staff. This is precisely why you need a good script at the core of any anime production. I really don't like writing posts like this but it's so infuriating because so much of this is self-inflicted from a character/narrative standpoint. It's as if the writer had no clue on how to expand the concept or write convincing characters.
 
Ya last episode was lame. Wasted a good potential concept with the mirror. This is one of the shows it seems where stretching it out for 25 episodes is dragging it on instead of helping with pacing.
 
Went to the Little Witch Academia cafe in Osaka a few days ago and it was a blast! Hardly any people there since the cafe is about to end in 2 weeks, and I think I was a bit out of place as the only adult male foreigner where the other customers included a family and 2 other teenagers, but the atmosphere was great.

I liked how the menu updates as the series goes along, for instance, Sucy's drink went from some cotton candy thing to a cappuccino. And I liked how they updated the walls as the episodes went by (they had episode 11 decorations when I was there). Really great place. Also they gave a free Shiny Chariot sticker and a coaster which was nice.


Back to actual episode discussion, I'm really not liking how they're handling exposition in this. I thought maybe it was only a flaw of the first few episodes and they'd lessen on exposition dumps that aren't naturally told. The method this anime relays information is very clumsy, like in episode 11 where the headmistress and the teachers just decided to tell an unseen audience on what the Nine Olde Witches are. It's very poorly done and I would have preferred a more subtle way of delivering information to the viewer.

I'm glad we have some Diana shenanigans this episode. It's really sad how Diana's character was completely flattened in the TV series compared to the OVA. She only ever has 1 emotion at all times : Stoic, and she rarely ever displays any other emotion on her own volition outside of the end of episode 2 (anger, fear, enlightenment, regret, guilt), the end of episode 5 (smug), episode 10 (smug).
 

A-V-B

Member
Ya last episode was lame. Wasted a good potential concept with the mirror. This is one of the shows it seems where stretching it out for 25 episodes is dragging it on instead of helping with pacing.

Wow, it's 25? I though it was 13. It felt like the series was just about over because something was happening in the plot, and considering the energy of the show that means it'd be quickly resolved. Akko would have some kind of quest and have some role to play, and then that'd be the season. You're telling me there's another half of a season to go?

No wonder so many of these episodes have just been goofy slice of lifes set in a magical school. Maybe something will actually happen now.
 

Mendrox

Member
Wow, it's 25? I though it was 13. It felt like the series was just about over because something was happening in the plot, and considering the energy of the show that means it'd be quickly resolved. Akko would have some kind of quest and have some role to play, and then that'd be the season. You're telling me there's another half of a season to go?

No wonder so many of these episodes have just been goofy slice of lifes set in a magical school. Maybe something will actually happen now.

No also they released a PV for the 2nd cour which looked epic. They did the same like with Kill la Kill back then. Half a season of characterization and then the big epic stuff.
 
Latest episode was kinda fun, though the rest of the series needs to avoid just being Akko saying the three spells for the three stones, I wanna see some weirder stuff again!

And who the fuck is Cube Johnson?
 

mugwhump

Member
This show has been on a roll. Makes me feel like a kid again reading Harry Potter for the first time. Maybe I'm just a sucker for THE POWER OF A BELIEVING HEART/FRIENDSHIP, but episode 13 left me with a big stupid grin plastered to my face that still hasn't left 30 minutes later.
The payoff for Akko's hard work was so very sweet. Interestingly, the ending made it seem like this might be a turning point in Diana's character arc. And the (potential) antagonist got introduced, so it looks like the plot is picking up steam.

If LWA can maintain the level of quality it's had for the last 4 episodes, this'll be my AOTY ezpz.
 

Andrew J.

Member
Episode 13

Great episode, funny, charming, and heartwarming all around. I especially liked how Akko had her own sequence of goofy mid-air transformations that paralleled the one from Chariot's flashback.

You can tell Diana's shaken by Akko's performance, she knows it demonstrated more effort and character than her own.
 

Haly

One day I realized that sadness is just another word for not enough coffee.
This is the first good episode of LWA since the original OVA.
 

Meffer

Member
I think after all the episodes are aired. You know, after everyone interested in it watched it through other and easier means. Yeah I don't understand why they did it like this.
 
So when's this coming out on the platform which paid for it to get made in the first place?

A few days ago when I checked Netflix, there was a third result for Little Witch Academia that was just the logo of the series, there was nothing else listed with it. When I checked the next day I only saw the specials. So I guess there is something happening soon.
 

Jarmel

Banned
Little Witch Academia TV-13
Since I guess Jexhius wanted me to talk about the episode, I'll do so. This was a pretty good ending to a weak cour. It serves to cap off Akko's growth up to this point (both emotionally and skillwise), establish faults with Diana, gives the side characters something to actually do, and sets up future strife with an unknown third party for the next cour. The scenes relating to Akko were especially great such as her having a near breakdown. Most importantly the stuff pertaining to the sad ghost actually felt 'magical' due the age of the ghost and the quick snapshots we get of her near the end. The story felt interesting for once and wasn't just some lazy body-change shit. That said, I don't feel the episode fixes a lot of the underlying issues with the show and I can easily see it slipping back into the same pattern. It's not a gamechanger in that sense. I'm essentially worried that this is all they have in the tank. The show at times displays this spark feels reminiscent of the OVA series but for whatever reason they can't maintain it. If this leads into a stronger second cour, I'll probably look back more fondly on the episode.

I'm also generally a bit disappointed with the production values. That's not to say this episode looked bad but it lacked a certain 'oomph' I was hoping for. Diana's stuff started out really nice with the liquid effects but it was too short.

Well at least it wasn't boring so I guess the show is improving.
 

ionitron

Member
Little Witch Academia-12

Diana somehow pulls the best duty/job in a game of pure chance? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? This is straight up insulting. It's completely goddamn random and she somehow tops out the fucking luck meter too? Oh and Diana you're head of the Festival despite being a freshman. Seniors what? Who?

This is wrong. Diana got summoning magic as her portion of the festival /and/ she was voted festival chair. Two duties. However, it's acceptable to be angry at the fact that she happened to get the portion of the festival that is typically categorized as the most exciting.

I actually like Diana a lot and I'll be more willing to write a longer post when I'm not on mobile.

EDIT: sorry I misunderstood your post. I saw the screen capture and thought your post was referring to her picking committee chair as the job.
 
Is there a show following a successful OVA that managed to maintain the same level of quality? While LWA is still a step above most anime IMO, it's almost a night and day difference in the animation and tone when you go back to the OVAs.
 

maruchan

Member
Okay what the hell 14 eps.. it took 14 eps until we finally got our main antagonist, and a real arc. This ep was great, I hope we get less filler eps now,
 

Jarmel

Banned
LWA TV 14-
First off let me preface this by saying this was another really good episode. It sets up a series villain who is interesting on multiple levels, possibly changes some of the relationship dynamics, has a somewhat funny and entertaining premise, and there are a lot of good character moments. It also felt like the storyboarding was a bit sharper this week too. I'm starting to wonder if this was initially planned as a 13 episode series and Netflix money bumped up the episode count.
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You break strike, you get the works. No sympathy.
This episode was pretty good at portraying Akko in the sense that yes she's in trouble again but it shows that she did think things through and the reasoning for her actions comes from a good place. It's a nice change from previous episodes where her selfishness gets her into all these different disasters. Diana finally showed some emotions as well and got wrecked for once. What does the bourgeoisie know about the sufferings of the proletariat? Sucy had some solid background gags such as
the one where she opened the mushroom after getting sprayed in the face from the previous spit gag was hilarious
. Hey the characters are actually starting to be interesting again.
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This is why you take STEM even in magic school.
Croix is such a good addition to the show that I'm wondering why she wasn't introduced earlier. She plays well off Akko and just by existing, gives Akko an alternative to just blindly following Shiny Chariot. So now we might have a situation where Akko is emotionally torn between her two teachers. I really like the idea of Ursula being thrown to the waist-side, it's a damn shame though that the first cour didn't do a better job of fleshing out her relationship with Akko. Croix's form of magic is an evolution/advancement of Constanze so I imagine there should be a quite a few good scenes between those two. One of the major aspects in the show is that magic in their world is dying out and by her being some sort of technowitch, she represents a possible solution. And we haven't even gotten into the Croix/Ursula backstory yet either. She works so well that I think she should have been part of the cast to begin with. She also has swag and a cool costume. That's the most important detail of them all.
My main problem isn't so much with this episode in particular but the general worldbuilding and just plain incompetence of the school. There's literally a form of magic engineering and nobody is teaching this?!?!? Not to mention the hybrid approach allows a witch to use magic in situations without a Sorcerer's Stone nearby as seen earlier with the dragon episode. Luna Nova is such an amateurish and unprofessional school that it's amazing that graduates don't choke on their own wands. The anime repeatedly goes out of its way to show how shitty this school is so my level of patience, for when Professor Finnelan opens her mouth about tradition, is so low you would have to dig a mile underground to find it. Someone presents a viable solution to their problem with supposedly zero additional costs and she doesn't shoot it down on feasibility but because Luna Nova is too old school to use computers. Oh my god. I will bash my fucking head into my screen if the lesson that the characters learn in this show is that technology is bad when Croix does whatever evil thing she has planned. I wonder if energy levels are tied to the general witch IQ values.
 

spiritfox

Member
So modern brooms are Roombas. That makes sense.

I kinda want techno-magic to succeed, but knowing the show it'll end up being bad for some esoteric reason.
 
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