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Animated Addict: "Mary and the Witch's Flower" (2017)


When it comes to anime, the first thing fans think of is generally Studio Ghibli.  2017's "Mary and the Witch's Flower" introduced the world to a possible new rival to the studio's spot in people's hearts.

Having just moved in with her great-aunt, Mary follows a mysterious cat into the woods... where she discovers a flower that, according to local legend, only blooms every seven years.

 This year, the Witch's Flower has bloomed.

 Mary soon finds herself on a magical adventure to Endor College... where all is not as it seems, and darkness lurks behind it's hallowed walls...

"Mary and the Witch's Flower" is brought to us by Studio Ponoc- which was founded in 2014, and employed many of the animators from its well known rival, Studio Ghibli for the release of this film.

The film is based on Mary Stewart's book, "The Little Broomstick".  It's a fun little adventure story, even though the film follows the same "formula" as those by it's rival studio.  Story-wise, this is the biggest flaw of the film.  "Ponoc" means "midnight", implying that the studio is the start of a new day.  Unfortunately, Studio Ponoc doesn't really bring us anything truly new with their first feature film in terms of story- though I will certainly be keeping my eyes open over the next few years to see if they go a more innovative direction.

Like many of the films released by Studio Ghibli, this film is actually fairly relaxing, with just enough action to keep you from dozing off.

I really enjoyed the characters.  They are all likable in one way or another... even the antagonists- though appropriately less so than the main character.  I found myself smiling as I watched the antics of the various characters, and kinda wishing I had an adventure like this when I was younger.

The animation was great.  It added to the relaxing, yet energetic feel of the movie.  There was one scene of a field that I honestly thought was live action, it was so well drawn.  Just amazing.

While Studio Ponoc didn't really start a "new day" of anime with "Mary and the Witch's Flower", I certainly enjoyed myself as I stretched out on the couch and nibbled my cheesy poofs.  I absolutely recommend this for addition to anybody's anime collection.  It's going in "The Good".
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  1. AnonymousFebruary 13, 2019 at 12:55 PM

    Review GOBLIN SLAYER

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We Came from the BasementFebruary 13, 2019 at 10:26 PM

      We've made a note of this, and will try to find it on DVD/Blu-Ray so we can review it. Many thanks for the suggestion.

      Delete

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