Little Witch Academia TV Quick Thoughts

So earlier this week, Studio TRIGGER, the team behind hits like Kill la Kill, Inferno Cop, and more recently Space Patrol Luluco, just aired their latest project on Japanese TV - the TV adaptation of Little Witch Academia. Already those who've seen 24 hours after it aired are already calling it as contender for Anime of The Year in 2017. I can't blame them. When I watched the episode, I was actually shedding tears. Not because it's sad or anything, but the entire presentation of the first episode of Little Witch Academia is just beautiful.

For the uninitiated, Little Witch Academia, or LWA for short, is an adaptation of the two films of the same name also from Studio TRIGGER that came out some years ago, to universal acclaim by critics and fans (the 2nd film, in particular, was funded via Kickstarter by around $625,000). The TV version follows the same story as the films, but given a lot more detail and a number of changes. As such, you do not have to watch the films to enjoy the TV series.

Now I made a review of the two films and gave them both 5 out of 5, as they are indeed so beautiful and a must see for everyone, whether you are an Anime fan or otherwise. The TV version is no different. From the surface, you might think it's a an all-female version of Harry Potter, and you may be right as LWA does have similarities. Having said that, the execution is done very, very well I would wish J.K. Rowling should give it a watch and express her thoughts on it.

As for the changes in the TV series from the films, I personally welcomed it. It provides an expanded scope of the world of LWA, as well as further expansion into the personas of the characters. The first episode has teased that there's a lot in store for our main characters, and it may not be as light-hearted as we see here. So for those who want a little bit of a darker tone, you're going to get it. Given TRIGGER's track record when it comes to action sequences, I expect nothing less than pure awesomeness. As usual, since the staff at TRIGGER are huge fans of Western Animation, those with a good eye can spot a cameo appearance of a well known animated character.

So yes, Little Witch Academia is amazing and I am just blown away by how Studio TRIGGER handled it. That's why I call them the next best thing after Stuido Ghibli, which is why TRIGGER gets courted a lot by Cartoon Network and others for a possilble collaboration. Which is also why I'm so surprised no one ever bothered to pick this up for an American release on Cable TV. Instead, the series will be available on Netflix, though I don't know when and if Netflix will air it in its entirely or a week at a time.

Anyhow, I will watch Little Witch Academia to the very end, and I strongly encourage every one of you, regardless of your taste in Anime or animation in general, or even if you don't watch cartoons at all. Check this out. I promise you, you will not be disappointed.