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Why You Should Watch Little Witch Academia

I’ve fallen in love with the Netflix series Little Witch Academia.

LWA follows Akko Kagari who, despite having no natural aptitude for magic, enrolls at Luna Nova Witchcraft Academy to follow in the footsteps of her hero, the legendary witch Shiny Chariot. What I absolutely adore about LWA is how it perfectly combines elements of Western and Eastern animation/storytelling. On the Western side, it’s obvious the premise of the show was inspired by Harry Potter. Like Harry, Akko herself has no magic experience before being whisked away to magic school where she meets a blonde Malfoy-esque rival character in Diana, ... complete with her own Crabbe and Goyle equivalents. There are even little references to Harry Potter sprinkled in: magic is powered by the Sorcerer’s Stone and there’s a broomstick called the Shooting Star. On the Eastern side, many of the characters are rooted in Japanese archetypes including Genki (Akko), Meganekko (Lotte), Kamidere (Diana), and Bokukko (Amanda). However, their characterizations are subtle enough to overcome cultural barriers and fit perfectly into a Western style story. This East meets West style can even be seen in the animation and art which are reminiscent of early Disney, conveying a sense of wonder and energy yet still being rooted in anime aesthetics - imagine mixing The Sorcerer’s Apprentice from Fantasia and giving it an anime coat of paint. Add to that excellent acting in either English or Japanese and this melting pot of cultures can be enjoyed by anyone and is the perfect show to watch with younger siblings.

Ultimately if Avatar the Last Airbender is what happens when Western creators look eastward for inspiration, Little Witch Academia is what happens when Eastern creators look westward. Do yourselves a solid and watch this show!

HOW TO WATCH
There are 2 specials, which essentially act as pilots, and a 25-episode series. If you’re already sold I recommend starting with the specials (Little Witch Academia, followed by the Enchanted Parade), then watching the series. If not, start with the series (which I feel does a better job at selling the series) then go back to the specials.

Essentially the manga adaptation and continuation of Boruto: Naruto the Movie. At the time of writing this the manga has adapted about half of the movie so it shouldn't be too long before the new material comes so I'd advise holding off expectations until then. Additionally, while the original creator Kishimoto is overseeing this, the artist and writer are different now so expect differences from the original manga. From what I can tell there are a few added scenes that weren't in the movie so there's that to look forward to. If you enjoyed the movie, haven't seen the movie (like me), and/or have been ... following Naruto for a long time I think you should check this out.