Back to kuzamine's Profile kuzamine's Profile

Flying Witch stands as a solid, well written slice of life anime. Makoto, a new resident to the rural city of Hirosaki, adjusts to her new life while interacting with her new circle of friends. The story is well paced, with an appropriate amount of relevant characters who regularly appear throughout the time that we spend with Makoto in the show. The animation is decent, with all scenes properly animated in this slice of life anime.

"Magic isn't all that flashy" Despite being a show about witches, the aspect of the anime that stood out the most was how grounded it was in reality. Many of ... the situations Makoto and her friends encounter in could be related to yourself at some level. Losing your directions in an new town? You just have to walk around, magic can't help with that. Getting overly drunk and eating something wrong? Yup, seems plausible in real life. The magic in the show was to primarily bring situations in a new twist to the characters, yet the method to deal with them remains identical to how one might do so in real life, despite a change in appearance.

The anime doesn't aim for any plot. There is no romantic twist, no drama, nor any action. If anything, the anime aims to show simple life out in Aomori prefecture, far north away from the hustle and bustle of the capital. Apple picking? Growing vegetables in the backyard? Nothing but hills around? Welcome to the simple rural life. Every episode shows a different aspect of this life, featuring a cast of reliable characters. The interactions between them are filled with normalcy and politeness. There is no swearing, no tension, not even when the group forgets to cook rice during home-econs. Just a candid - oops, which would mimic a real life scenario.

The art style complements the direction of the anime well. Simple neighbourhood backgrounds add atmosphere to the daily life in Hirosaki. The locations in the anime being identical to real life areas further adds to the commitment to simple reality that the anime aims to protray. There is no intense flash of colours in a fit of emotion, the entire show's colour palette conveys a sense of calmness perfectly. There is no situation with high stakes in this countryside that warrants any outburst.

Overall, Flying Witch is recommended for those seeking to kill time, and not for those seeking intense action, melodrama, or plot. The beauty of Flying Witch comes from looking at it without any expectations, and enjoying how the anime brings to life an alternate reality in the countryside.