"When I grow up, I'm going to go on an adventure just like Nikéh did!" - A young, growing silver-haired "Ashen Witch" named Elaina. To be completely honest, this show is one of (if not) the hardest reviews I've ever written, and for very promiscuous reasons. From the "similar-but-different Kino's Journey" vibes, to the many controversies of "fanservice" and the in-between stories of light-heartedness and deep, plunging darkness, Majo no Tabitabi (or Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina) is definitely something that's a stand-out in the Fall season alone for the lore of fantasy, with a cinch of the classic adventurous spirit of young-and-upcoming newbies juststarting their magical journey across the outside world. Prepare your witch brooms and sit comfortably, because this will be a long and arduous journey, from start to finish. (Spoilers be warned, but putting in storyline context so that it's not as heavy.)
The wonderous life of a young child that's awakened by the love of books, and one particular book about it raises this young girl's interest: "Nikéh's Adventure", based on a collection of short stories which detailed the former's adventures around the world (a.k.a a re-imagining of Kino's Journey's "The world is not beautiful, therefore it is" tagline). The growth that spurred her to become the youngest apprentice witch at 14 years of age, and in order to travel to places unimaginable at age 18, this is the "adventure of a lifetime's" journey record of the Wandering "Ashen" Witch Elaina, off to mimic Nikéh's legacy and create new ones in the process (even if she has a hint of knowing who Nikéh was in the first place or not, that's not the main point).
Right off the bat, you'll notice that I didn't mention that Elaina IS a protagonist, because like Kino, they're NOT meant to play off as the "hero" counterpart, and at its core, they are what they are: adventurers at heart (or you could call them protagonists, but on a neutral standpoint, same thing). For the most part, these adventurers can only "monkey see, monkey do" at the various towns of strange cultures and folk people, and strike up conversations with them, while letting the "series of unfortunate events" play out as follows in a 3rd-person perspective. If there are circumstances which need their help, they can only offer as much as they're willing to, everything else is out of their control. This is a stark contrast to the obscene counts of Shonen characters who are oh-so-willing to see lives in danger and adapt their instincts to save the day (of which there are many, don't quote me on that).
With that out of the way, let's go through my main counteractive points:
Remember what I've said in the beginning about the "similar-but-different Kino's Journey" vibes? Because this series is just that and more with the added elements of fantasy and magic brewed in for a change of diversity, that's honestly not a bad thing. As much as I love both the 2003 (original) and 2017 (re-imagining) versions of Kino's Journey, the thought of adding a magical fantasy pinch would leave me springing for so much more, and thankfully newbie novelist Jougi Shiraishi has brought that to his first LN work released in 2016. The thought of reading a LN that's far in the way, interesting and original (well, in its own skin) really fascinated me, and these kind of fairy-tale-esque stories of comedic, mysterious, yet emotional and dark finesse are really one-of-a-kind, and I highly recommend that if you're left wanting for more, please pick up the LN.
Speaking of Jougi Shiraishi, there was a panelist interview between the anime magazine Newtype and the creator himself, speaking after the series' debut of Episode 1, with the VERY ODD request that he was stressed and nerve-wracked out while meeting with the production staff, with a simple request of: "Absolutely do not show underwear, please." to limit the appeal of the anime to pure fanboys "sexism fuel". WHY? For all you people living in the West who DO NOT understand the complications of Japan's adoration for such overuse of warped and perverted "sex appeal" censorship material, recall of the ecchi shows you've watched before, and insert the context to this. This was such a controversial topic that initially had fans wreck the internet with heavy backlash about such a decision made, and sadly this wasn't the first time this request was done before (e.g. Rumiko Takahashi's Inuyasha with Kagome, and director Tsutomu Mizushima with Girls und Panzer). Regardless of the decision made, I'm not watching this series to experience "fanservice" quality, and absolutely understand why Shiraishi-san made this "infuriating" request. Because this show is meant to be an open wonder for a broad audience, and even with some "fanservice" shot (a.k.a Episode 1 when Elaina was battling against her teacher Fran) that wasn't meant to be the extra appeal in the first place, the damage was (kinda) done. In the light of all these however, I'd commend Jougi Shiraishi for making this decision that no matter how questionable this gamble was, it's a good call regardless. Not that I'm complaining, just here to give my 2 cents, and more power to y'all if you think otherwise.
Going back to the diversity of the "in-between stories of light-heartedness and deep, plunging darkness", yes, this series functions like it does. Elaina starting out her journey as the youngest "most genius and hardworking" 14-year-old apprentice witch, only to be found that her discipleship was marred by the other witches in retaliation, and leaving her to the only witch that could: the "Stardust Witch" Fran. For three years this weirdo woman's decision to take Elaina under her discipleship was anything but ordinary, and teaching her life lessons that "shooketh" Elaina's smugness of overwhelming pride and ego into one of failure and setback before the 18-year-old Ashen Witch sets out in motion (because we can't all have nice things in life, but I do dig Elaina's smugness).
The main meat of interest in Wandering Witch, is of course, all the inhabitants of strange towns and cultures, plus the other characters that come into contact with our lovely smug-looking silver-haired apprentice witch:
Saya (or what I could call her the supporting character if in an RPG) is a laid-back girl, often needing others' reliability for support and generally a negatively-filled character...that is until Elaina comes along and gives her a pep talk of self-confidence and having "a couple's" item in exchange for the bonding and exchange, so much so that her reliant personality shifts exponentially and creating that "Yuri, but not so Yuri" vibe, therefore training to be a witch like Elaina and earning her the title of "Charcoal Witch" to match. Should I really talk about Mina (because she only appears in Episode 11), because as stern of a younger sister with a siscon complex and taking tutelage under the same teacher as Saya, is she that important to the (anime) storyline? Nah.
In any case, moving onto the sisters' mentor tutelage from the "Night Witch" Sheila. A member of the United Magic Association with the task to investigate the abuse of magic, she's a pretty calm and collected character...that is until the reveal of which like the "Stardust Witch" Fran, are former disciples under Nikéh (really heavily implying that she is Elaina's mother, because of similarities). Both having distastes for one another due to the way of their work-arounds, they're yin and yang to compliment each other nicely in spite of the accumulated love-hate relationship over the years. Really a fun duo to take out snuffs (a.k.a the recurring "antagonist" Curio Company band of thieves).
The highlights of this show, from happy-as-dope to dark-as-hallucinating lands, and truth-telling to abusive environments, to the comical and depressing moments, this series has it all. The eccentric personalities of the towns are there to provide an objective as to what the characters want to do (much less achieve, if ever possible) and get their jobs done as swift and quickly. Most of the time though, the unrealistic fantasy feels nonsensical (a.k.a Episode 7's old art of grape-stomping and wall graffiti) to the point of being very disheartening (a.k.a Episode 3's flower symbolism and Episode 9's deep sorrow), but like I mentioned, all is taken from a neutralist's POV. I know, I know, this series is a wave of roller-coasters of mish-mashed expressions and feelings that make you either want to sympathize or rip your heart out, because it was made that way. Lots of opinions that'd either drive you crazy or be mad about it, but don't take it into heart, because it's the beauty of small-screen anime.
A new fresh and renewed logo for a long-standing studio (of close to 15 years), that's why you call yourselves C2C. The production for Wandering Witch brings about all sorts of admiration, really pushing the studio's tagline of "Challenge To Challenge" even further with promising words into giving the anime industry with a new and refreshing image each and every time to move people with animation. Regardless though, I'd have to say that C2C did a great job of adapting the LN in both style and direction, partly thanks to director Toshiyuki Kubooka in honouring Jougi Shiraishi's words and doing the rest with the production staff. Very clean and bright animation (as C2C productions tend to be) with a fair use of 2DCG (not 3D) and keeping it consistent throughout. Even with all the gory visuals, I wasn't put off by all that imagery, and what an accomplishment.
The music department is also another aspect to selling this show, because it does the "pulling ass" treatment of showcasing everything on a light-hearted note, only to then pull a fast one on us of a trick plot to subdue us into a streamline of horror. That said though, Reina Ueda's "Literature" for the OP, I really cannot commend this calm and lovely song enough, not just for its light-heartedness, but also for a sensation of fluffiness. That's not to say that ChouCho's "Haiiro no Saga" for the ED isn't bad, but you can tell the tonal shift between both songs (if you're not a music nut, the color change should be significant: bright to dark colours). Overall, great songs in a season of some impressive OSTs.
In a nutshell, I would agree-to-disagree if this series is a 50-50 competent/incompetent way of saying that it's a poor man's version of Kino's Journey (but with magic), but also, I'd give the same reasoning of why this series is so compelling that it leaves you hanging and wanting for so much more (although the story choices here are somewhat limited to being only 12 episodes). This show, whether it took your breath away or not, to quote @SSGSlayer: "It is the work of our lifetime. Don't miss it (even for the world)." A must-watch in 100% confidence, and a heavy contender for Fall 2020's best (to end the year on a good note).
MoMozillaFennekin
December 18, 2020
Recommended
Fiction is all about perspective, and what can be taken from a piece of art will depend on the person viewing it. This is an incredibly generic opening statement that can be plastered onto any review for anything in existence, but such a primal notion is paramount to The Journey of Elaina. It’s a series that lives and dies by your appreciation of the main character, or lack thereof. It’s a collection of vignettes that can either move you, or have you mumbling “What the hell was the point of that?” at the end of twenty-two minutes. “Who’s that hot witch who’s also a bad bitch?That’s right, it’s me.” --Elaina (probably)
Welcome to the wonderful witch waifu show! Elaina has a big hat that looks really cool and she has long silver hair, 10/10 flawless character design. Also she’s smug as shit and that’s funny and also based. Good show.
Elaina is a terrible person who willingly enables bad things to happen to other people; she has the power to make positive changes but chooses not to out of her own convenience. She’s incredibly stuck-up, self-centered and rude whose only likable trait is being cute.
This is all well and good and all but it’s basically Kino’s Journey again, just with more magic and less talking motorcycles, and also less set rules for the main character.
I’m not trying to throw you off with conflicting opinions, these are just various things I’ve heard others say about the series. And they’re all valid statements. Elaina’s journey is not a clear, focused narrative, largely guided by the actions and personality of the titular character. As simple as that is, it’s plenty of cause for division.
Elaina is not a hero and it’s made clear rather quickly. More often than not, she chooses to stay out of conflicts, even if she seems to have the power to take action and solve them. Her main interest is her main interest, and all she wants to do is see the world around her. On top of this, she thinks highly of herself, not just by keeping herself out of harm’s way, but also by never sparing a moment to compliment herself.
As said, your opinion of Elaina the character will completely influence your opinion of Elaina the show. So what do I think of Elaina?
Oh, ho ho ho………
You want to know what I think?!
Ha ha ha ha!!
She’s a great character.
You might be wondering if my infatuation with witches and their stupid ass hats is the reason why. Well, anon, let me tell you, I’m not so shallow as to completely set aside all personal beliefs for cute girls in big hats. But yes, that’s correct.
Joking aside and alongside, Elaina is funny. She’s witty, she’s relatable, and I think she’s interesting. It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a character in an adventure series like this, and many of her moments had me smiling. With a series of short stories about different pieces of the world, the two options are to make the world good or to make the character experiencing the world good. Ideally, you’d like to have both, but unfortunately that doesn’t happen in this series, and we’ll get to that. Not all stories are created equal, both in regards to the entire medium of fiction and the collection of Elaina’s travels. Some episodes were quite interesting and memorable and others felt rather pointless and silly. Despite an unbalance of quality, one element was consistently amusing: Elaina herself.
With a large world offering many different concepts, a more plain character is typical, as it allows the world to shape and develop them while also letting us project onto them more easily. Elaina isn’t an example of this--although I do relate to her much more than a generic adventure protag. Her laid-back attitude was what related me to the character, and her bold self-appreciation, often stepping into pure entitlement, was endearing and made her stand out a lot. She’ll often ask the audience directly who’s “that beautiful girl with ashen hair flutters in the wind, etc.” but her own self-entitlement will bleed into her everyday actions, like in episode two. After a clumsy apprentice mage crashes into her, sending them both falling onto a roof and destroying it, Elaina shows more concern for the lack of an apology from this girl rather than the blood trickling out of her head.
It’s a quiet, subtle savagery that just makes her so enjoyable. Her reactions to things around her are often sarcastic and witty, and despite a general lack of initiation she’ll take to conflict, anything bad that happens to her will immediately enrage her to the point of threatening to kill. Said bad things include cutting her hair, swapping bodies with her, or making fun of her chest (or lack thereof lmoa).
Most of the series is whimsical and largely undramatic, but Elaina doesn’t go entirely unchallenged. Occasionally, she WILL face an unpleasant situation and find herself unable to do anything about it--not actually from a lack of desire, but due to the laws of a region or her own lack of experience and power. Whether it causes a grimace on her face or a full blown meltdown, the dark realities of the world don’t leave her completely unfazed, and her weakness comes out.
If there’s any big problem with the journey, it’s that these moments don’t occur enough. Most of Elaina’s stories hold little to no consequence to them, which is why the character becomes so centralizing to its enjoyment. Some of these stories just happen and they could be mildly amusing for what they are, but a lot of them can feel largely unimportant and forgettable. For that reason, episode 9 truly stands out as the one episode with consequence and impact, where it feels like Elaina is truly tested and affected by this story. Even its music and cinematography are elevated much more seriously to the point where it almost feels like an entirely different show, and it’s a shame that it didn’t bleed into the episodes after it, because it was a genuinely terrific episode.
The other exception is the final episode, and without spoiling anything, it actually does connect the pieces together and ties Elaina's journey up into a nice, satisfactory ending. It highlights the consequences of Elaina's actions by showing different outcomes that might've happened had she done something differently, reinforcing the story's themes and giving weight to the past stories. It's also delivered in the most Elaina way possible, and I mean that in the most literal way possible. The finale is definitely worth the eleven episodes that build up to it.
Occasionally, Elaina is joined by some other characters--I’m sorry if this statement caused you to leap out of your seat. Her mentor satisfies the trope of stupidly powerful characters with lovable, lackadaisical personalities, especially with the voice of Kana Hanazamallamasama. Saya is the main subject of consequence from Elaina’s journey, as she enters the series as a fledgling mage who Elaina coddles somewhat, to quickly becoming a witch herself who then spends her screentime simping for Elaina as hard as she can. It’s good to have a character I can relate to so well. Her mentor, Shiela, is somewhat unremarkable outside of her tomboyish personality and the fact that she smokes out of a pipe and rides a motorized broom, so actually she’s really fucking cool. They’re alright.
The art is often quite good; never bordering on the territory of fantastic, but characters are well-designed, detailed, and animated with care. Background art is often given a great amount of attention-to-detail, but can easily go unnoticed for the settings themselves being fairly normal and uninteresting. Nothing in this series would win any sort of awards for presentation, except maybe the directing of episode 9 which was actually fire, but it’s all cleanly above-average and contributes enough.
Elaina deserves its divisive reputation, and maybe that was the point all along. Good stories aren’t necessarily made to be agreed with, it’s the way they’re told and what happens that defines them. Having clear, set attributes will only appeal to those who can appreciate them, and for me Elaina’s personality is what helps me get through the day. But it’s true that the series could have done more, and one can only hope that future installments can elevate it to the heights that it’s teased us with.
In other words, Elaina is my waifu and she can do whatever she wants because I said so and if you don’t like it then fight me irl punk
Story: 7/10
Art: 8/10
Sound: 6/10
Character: 9/10
Enjoyment: 9/10
Witch hats: 10/10
Overall: 7.75/10 (Range: 6.5 - 8.5)
