That was all a dream, wasn't it?" As we head deeper into the lore behind Little Witch Academia, and discover more hidden treasures and locations, the show starts to branch out both interactively and emotionally. The eighth episode especially shows the writers finding success in the pseudo area of storytelling in which they can parody other fiction. I especially enjoyed the Star Wars reference. But, at the same time, Akko as a character is stuck in a repetitive wheel of trying her best to succeed, but failing anyway. There seems to be a lot of hope, but not a lot of completion.
The episode are certainly mixing things up, with episode five and six really expanding on the background stories behind the school and giving us the chance to meet some new and exciting faces. In Pact of the Dragon, whilst the general premise and breadth of the story relies on a cliched storyline, there's a twist involving the mysterious dragon underground that gives it an original edge. The storylines may be kid-friendly, but there's enough internal references for the adults. Diana Cavendish continues to demonstrate her full capabilities as a more-than-competent witch as she seems to solve all the problems for the professors of Luna Nova. The Fountain is the best episode of the season yet as it gives Akko someone to really contemplate her feelings with. Whilst there's an obvious love interest in the air involving Andrew Hanbridge, he's not your typical one-dimensional character. The fact that he thinks magic is long overdue for extinction hints at an interesting conflict between him and the witches at the academy, despite his good looks. Nevertheless, in the space of twenty or so minutes, the writers succeed in allowing him to question his feelings towards magic and give Akko the chance to change his mind ever so slightly. I'm still suspicious of Professor Ursula - I believe she's more than just Akko's tutor, but someone with a hidden secret. Her devotion to this unskilled girl makes me question her intentions. In Orange Submariner we find that despite Akko's clear struggles in doing anything remotely related to magic, she's finally managed to secure herself a sturdy place in its halls after saving one of its professors. There's enough morality amongst each of the characters to make them believable, and that seems to be this show's strength so far - it has convinced that these characters have substance, and not just a simple personality. There's still a lot to improve and a story to progress, but so far enough has been introduced to create this rather charming world. Undoubtedly there are flaws in the writing when it comes to fleshing out the overarching story, but the production itself is impressive. The animation never fails to amaze me and some significant moments such as the short film shown in Sucy's mind about her first encounter with Akko, suggests that this show has a lot of heart. Hopefully the last part of this Netflix season can contribute more of the same or even better. Episode 5: Pact of the Dragon - 7.5/10 Episode 6: The Fountain - 8/10 Episode 7: Orange Submariner - 7/10 Episode 8: Akko's Adventure in Sucyworld - 7.5/10
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorA very passionate Welsh nerd... Archives
October 2017
Categories
All
|