Shuumatsu no Izetta (Izetta: The Last Witch)

After Germania invaded a neighboring country in 1939, Europe spiraled into a devastating war. During the war, Germania set its sights on the weak alpine country of Elystadt. Boasting a far superior military and having achieved profuse success earlier in the war, it was expected that Germania would conquer Elystadt with ease.

Matters are only made worse for the small country when Germanian soldiers capture their princess, Ortfiné "Finé" Fredericka von Eylstadt, as she is heading to a crucial meeting with Britannia. Yet, when a concurrent Germanian transport mission goes awry, Izetta, the last witch alive, escapes. When she recognizes Princess Finé from her childhood, Izetta rescues her from the Germanian soldiers by making use of her magical abilities. Now reunited with the princess, Izetta pledges to protect Elystadt from Germania, and with the last surviving witch on their arsenal, Elystadt hopes to turn the tides against the imperialist war giant.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Characters & Voice Actors

Izetta

Main

Akaneya, Himika
Japanese

von Eylstadt, Ortfiné Fredericka

Main

Hayami, Saori
Japanese

Berckmann, Arnold

Supporting

Suwabe, Junichi
Japanese

Obermayer, Hans

Supporting

KENN
Japanese

Bianca

Supporting

Uchida, Aya
Japanese

Lotte

Supporting

Touyama, Nao
Japanese

Sophie

Supporting

Amamiya, Sora
Japanese

Ricelt

Supporting

Hanae, Natsuki
Japanese

Elliot

Supporting

Hirakawa, Daisuke
Japanese

Elisabeth

Supporting

Inoue, Kikuko
Japanese

More staff

Staff

Cook, Justin

Producer

Itou, Shousei

Producer

Isogai, Noritomo

Producer

Tasaka, Hidemasa

Producer

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Opening Theme

"cross the line" by AKINO with bless4

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Ending Theme

"Hikari Aru Basho e (光ある場所へ)" by May'n

Reviews

Dec 18, 2016

TrashDax

Recommended

Liechtenstein is fighting Hitler with magic. That's all. But if you want a more detailed review...

Story:
It's World War 2 and the country of Eylstadt (which geographically would be Tirol) is about to be curbstomped by the Nazis. Good thing though that the princesses faithful doggy...I mean, good friend Izetta just woke up from her slumber and does her witch thing. Izetta uses its story within the real life happenings around that time, which is pretty nicely done. However, it doesn't do much with the military setting after the nazi witch shows up, which is a wasted opportunity. The ending was lackluster and I can't help ...

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Dec 17, 2016

Stark700

Mixed Feelings

If potential is something that you’re seeking for, Shuumatsu no Izetta (Izetta: The Last Witch) will breathe life into that word. At first glance, anyway. Think about it though. It’s a series that combines elements of military warfare, witchcraft, political conflicts, and other magical shenanigans into a single package. And as an original series, the show isn’t held back by a dedicated fan base or those who lusts for “faithful adaptation”. However, Shuumatsu no Izetta isn’t exactly perfect or even close as the word potential is dragged down each step of the way.

The risk of making a historical fiction war drama story can be viewed ... from many angles. While it doesn’t always have to rely on historical accuracy, it should still make sense. In essence, the show attempts its best job at that by adapting the setting into World War II style war story. That’s right. It’s when the Allies fought against the Axis Powers that stretched from Europe all the way to the Pacific theater. However, this series doesn’t fly across the globe even though it has a cute little witch. In fact, it focuses primarily on this tiny Alpine country of Eylstadt as imperialist forces of Germania decides to invade them.

Mark my words, the show gets straight to the point pretty fast. The first few episodes easily establishes the fact that there’s a war conflict going on. Ortfiné "Finé" Fredericka von Eylstadt (the princess) is pursued by Germanian forces and even gets captured aboard a train. A mysterious witch named Izetta shows up from a capsule and she recuses Fine. Turns out, they actually knew each other before during childhood. While all this is happening, it’s hard to forget about how Izetta saves her. Literally, she flies on a giant gun and is able to use magical powers to influence objects. So basically, she is a witch although where her powers came from is a mysterious origin. What we do know is that Izetta is among the last of her kind and she enters an alliance with Fine to protect their country. So for standards, the series leaves me a good impression as the storytelling can expand quite a bit with the war drama and mystery. A lot of questions will pop into viewers’ minds like “who really is Izetta?” “Why does Germania want to invade Eylstadt”? or “Who will win the war?”

I’ll be honest here though. Perhaps my expectations for the series were a bit too high from the start but the series seems to dwindle down each and every episode. The first few episodes does a fairly well job at launching the series with its premise. However, the pacing drags back the show as transitions between certain episodes just feels stale. Certain episodes such as ones that info dumps about witch magic or Izetta’s daily life style can easily be condensed to further the storytelling. Instead, they are stretched out with slice of life content with little impact. The series also seems to have a fetish for Izetta’s breasts as the girls often makes fun of them, especially Fine and the maids. On the other hand, it is evident that the series remains faithful to the premise. The war is still the main focus and we see how the roles of characters are played out. Izetta is a prominent figure as a witch so her allies uses her in ways to not just directly engage their enemies but also with psychological warfare. In other words, they want to make the best of what she has to offer with her powers, carrying military squadrons to certain positions, and boosting morale. While it’s not realistic, it does make her character intriguing to watch as we can see what a witch can really do. While I did mention how ludicrous the comedy can get sometimes, this show does not joke with death as certain characters really do die. As such, do expect the violence and war drama to take hold to show how tragic warfare can be.

Even though she’s the titular character, the series isn’t just about Izetta. Fine, the princess of Eylstadt, serves as a good mentor and leader for her country. She plays the role of a strategist, idealist, and also a friend for her people. The most important relationship she has is with Izetta as the latter saved her during childhood. However, I am not overly impressed by the character relationships in the series. Beyond Izetta and Fine, there’s hardly any others that are memorable. For instance, there’s Bianca, Princess Fine’s personal bodyguard who only gets a memorable role in the latter half of the series when she kills a Germania spy. There’s hardly any development between that spy and her so most of their storytelling is easily forgettable. The main antagonist of the series is Berkman, a Major of a Germanian Special Unit. And oh boy, he is about as stereotypical as you can get out of a villain. Egoistic, manipulative, and cunning are just a few words to describe this man. The fact that he also has a secret weapon to counter against Izetta shows him as a sinister bastard.

One thing that does surprise me though is the quality of the visual production. Ajia-Do is practically an unknown studio that most are unfamiliar with. Their most recognizable work might as well be this one so it’s interesting to see how they took on this project. On the surface level, the series is beautiful with crisp animation. The landscapes and country-style feel gives a good impression of its setting. Furthermore, character designs is noticeable as it fleshes out Izetta being distinctive with her white dress and scarlet hair. Fine is noticeable for her beauty and classic blonde hair, fitting for a princess of her country. On most parts, the action has solid choreography without much jerky movements. Camera angles often capture the most intense parts of war that makes the show thrilling. Do note that there’s a bit of fan service that seems to have more fun with itself than it should.

When it comes to soundtrack, Shuumatsu no Izetta, Nagasaki Yukio seemed like a fitting choice for sound director. His most recent work from GATE shows his talent and brings it into this series. The fast pacing of the action combined with the elements of military warfare all seems to work with the instrumental music. The feel of the European style OST also brings credibility for the series’ setting. Finally, character voice acting is well performed for characters such as Fine with haughty personality, Bianca’s toughness, or Berkman’s arrogance.

How do I really sum this up? A massive disappointment or just a show to watch for the pure entertainment? To be fair, this show is probably not suitable for everyone. Fanatics of historical elements and war drama enthusiasts will probably find this series more entertaining than others. However, if you’re seeking for a well-rounded story, then this show will feel like one that dropped the ball. Not literally but just the type that makes you hope there’s so much more. Too bad really.

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Dec 17, 2016

MozillaFennekin

Not Recommended

What’s worse: a consistently mediocre show, or a mediocre show that looked like it could’ve been a lot better? Whichever you prefer, Shoemaster no Izetta is the second option.

I’m not gonna sit here and pretend that Shuumatsu was, at any point, even a strong contender for anime of the season. I don’t feel particularly burned or let down by this show falling apart, but at the same time I can’t help but feel a little surprised: Two super hot main characters, one of them being a witch or magician, a story with historical context, a metal-based OP, and one of the best soundtracks of the ...

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Poll: Shuumatsu no Izetta Episode 1 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) Stark700 - Oct 1, 2016	314 replies	by parzxval »» Mar 12, 9:01 AM
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Poll: Shuumatsu no Izetta Episode 12 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ) Stark700 - Dec 17, 2016	213 replies	by Muow »» Feb 8, 8:34 AM
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Shuumatsu no Izetta

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Characters & Voice Actors

Izetta

von Eylstadt, Ortfiné Fredericka

Berckmann, Arnold

Obermayer, Hans

Bianca

Lotte

Sophie

Ricelt

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Elisabeth

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Shuumatsu no Izetta

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