Anime is saved (yet
again)
(This review
contains spoilers!)
I’ll
admit it, I stared at this page for a good few minutes with no idea where to
start. This being the final episode of what’s very easily topped Erased as my favourite anime of all
time, there’s so much ground to cover that it’s hard to tell what I want to
talk about first.
I guess I should go over the plot.
Despite Croix realizing the error of her ways, her machinery is still
overloaded with negative energy. A missile has been launched, and it’s up to
Akko and friends to stop it. How is this accomplished? Why, by creating a giant
broom and using it to launch everyone up into the sky to save the day. It’s one
of the most Studio Trigger-esque solutions to a problem I’ve ever seen, and it’s
so crazy that it just plain works.
And just as I’d hoped, everyone gets a
moment in the spotlight here. While Akko and Diana are still the main focus,
Lotte, Sucy, Amanda’s crew and Chariot all help out in their own little way
throughout the episode. It’s so nice to see this fantastic supporting cast used
in such fantastic ways in the grand finale that it honestly makes me wonder why
we didn’t get more of them throughout the series. Constanze especially has a
fantastic moment towards the end of the episode, a small little detail that I missed
the first time that’s worth rewatching to notice it.
Each of them depart the broom one by
one, leaving just Akko and Diana to take down the missile. What follows is
perhaps one of the best final battle sequences in recent anime history.
Everything about it, from the animation to the use of the characters to the direction
is completely perfect. The final battle goes exactly how I hoped it would, and
ends in a completely satisfying way that will leave a smile on everyone’s face.
And if that crazy fight wasn’t enough,
Trigger decided to make us even happier with a delightful epilogue. Croix
leaves Luna Nova to search for a cure to Wagandea’s pollen (which seems like a
good excuse to make Season 2), Andrew finally returns Akko’s hat to her, and
perhaps best of all, it looks like Akko is finally learning how to fly. It’s a
delightful ending to a delightful anime.
So, final thoughts, let’s do this. I’ll
be the first to say that no, this anime wasn’t perfect. Lotte and Sucy were
kind of unfairly sidelined in the second cour, Croix wasn’t a great villain,
and Andrew’s story went absolutely nowhere. But honestly, these are flaws
easily forgiven when you look back at how much fun this series was. Never
before have I watched an anime that made me smile and laugh as much as Little Witch has. Every week I looked
forward to seeing what Akko and friends were up to, and they rarely
disappointed.
It’s also funny that this episode went
live on the same day as the 20th anniversary of the first Harry Potter book. I truly feel that Little Witch Academia is the spiritual successor to Potter we’ve been waiting all these
years for. If you’ve been trying to find something that makes you feel like a
kid reading Philosopher’s Stone for
the first time again, this is the anime for you.
I honestly kind of envy those who are
going to be watching this series all the way through for the first time when it
launches on Netflix this Friday. I really hope this series becomes one of the
first anime to really earn itself a worldwide audience, because it deserves it
so much.
Thank you, Trigger.
Your believing hearts were magic.
Please make a Season 2.
FINAL SCORE (Episode
25)
10/10
Legendary
FINAL SCORE (Overall)
10/10
Legendary
No comments:
Post a Comment