Aya to Majo

Do you know Studio Ghibli? He is one of the best known names when it comes to animation, filmography and respectable staff. It is a studio that has gained notoriety with many important films for the industry and has fans all over the world. Children, youth, adults and the elderly ... Everyone who accompanies animes at some point is faced with some of his feature films produced. And of course, this is more than just merit. It was an achievement, the popularity of making animations in film format, something little seen before its creation. Today, Ghibli is known as the "best studio" by many people. ... And, in fact, he has reason to be considered a great producer. At the end of 2020, but seen by the majority in 2021, Ghibli went further, evolved his way of making films and produced his first film completely made in CGI. Aya to Majo premiered, but does the film deserve importance and Ghibli's legacy?

First, it is good to separate animation and production from the story of the film, as it is necessary to understand the reasons why the criticisms for and against exist in that title. Aya to Majo is no big deal. Basically, Ayatsuru (or just "Aya") is an energetic and mischievous girl, who lives playing games in the orphanage where she lives. She was left by her mother as a baby, but that never shook her, as she fully relies on her friends for everything. She has an important friend, Custard, in whom she has a special affection. But everything changes overnight, when a very bizarre couple decides to adopt her: Bella and Mandrake. Both have magical abilities and Bella is the couple's witch, while Mandrake does the job of being a "demon". Aya, just like anyone who would be adopted in her place would think, strange and fear the couple. But her curiosity for magic changes her relationship with the couple, especially when she becomes Bella's assistant. From there, the film is based on comedy, games and very cool and interesting mysteries.

The plot is simple and seems to follow American films from Disney and Pixar, where fantasy and the children's audience are the main objectives. It is really an art show, in view of the great effort that the staff had with this show. As much as it is only 82 minutes, Aya to Majo delivered something beyond what most expected. And this is where I want to demystify, commenting on his production.

The quality of the anime is above many other content that we see year after year, released on Japanese TV. This is a good thing, since movies and anime in television format with this quality are quite difficult to have. Even with the improvement and refinement of art and setting techniques, whether in drawings or in CGI, many shows are hampered by the time they have to make an episode, or deliver a finished scene. Shingeki 4 is a current example that faces these difficulties and has a strong and negative reception from a portion of fans, where the effort of an entire team is being literally disregarded, as if it were easy to make more than 30 thousand frames per episode. Exhaustion and psychological pressure are fundamental problems that need the attention of the industry. Aya to Majo apparently managed to reverse this negative picture of animes and delivered an excellent experimental work. It's a new chance for all studios and streaming platforms to make anime more innovative. CGI can be good, art can overcome with time and anime can use it as a new method of work and professionalization.

Going back to the film, what bothered me was neither of the two topics presented, but a lack of structure to keep the show interesting. Aya and Bella practically occupy the entire anime and their daily lives are the central focus. In addition, Mandrake raging is also well used. But, I felt that the lack of a better text and of development harmed the show itself, since it was, for the most part, weak. I don't know if it's just an opinion of my own, but I expected Aya's birth mother to appear in some more natural way, which it didn't. The anime also did not have a purpose, because the childishness and function of the story is just an attempt to convince the target audience that everything presented is cool and pleasurable. Of course, it is a show for children, I am not the target of the production for that very reason, but I hoped that Studio Ghibli would further improve this determining factor. Incidentally, the direction also did not know how to make a finale very well, nor did it improve during the scenes. It was just a fun that got tired, it was repetitive and that will be very little remembered by the otaku.

Overall, Aya to Majo is a decent film. It does not lack visual qualities and it is really deserved praise for its production. But aesthetics and history didn't go together this time. The anime does not entertain the most diverse in this type of media, nor will it mark generations, like Totoro and Chihiro. It is a pity, as its influence has the potential to reform the industry. However, the film has a quality that I liked. Children's comedies are things I really appreciate and like a lot. Congratulations to Ghibli, for doing a show like this. The studio brought the main essence easily and remained one of the most important organizations in the history of anime.

I really want to like this. I think the moive is super cute and the story is really great. the problem is the moive makes me want more and not in the good way. If I found out a series was coming out based off this movie I'd be totally excited. the movie feels like it ends in a cliffhanger and cuts you off with no real ending. All of the personality and charm that this movie gave just kind of makes me depressed there's nothing left after watching it. I enjoyed it as I was watching it but I don't know if there's going ... to be a watch because of the reasons I said up above.

First, this is not Hayao Miyazaki, This is Gorou Miyazaki, let's not compare Hayao's movies with Gorou, I don't think is fair. Second this is Studio Ghibli 1st full CGI animated feature, meaning that everything, from animation to assets had to being done from scratch, and I remember hearing that the crew was also new with 3D software and It shows, there are things aesthetically that could be better, but I don't think they are in a bad direction and if Studio Ghibli decides to make another CGI movie I do have hopes that they did learn something from their first experience and they'll make ... It better next time. The movie isn't bad, but It does leave a lot to desire. The movie ending on a cliff-hanger without any news about a second part doesn't help the case. With all this information, It's alright, is not a memorable movie, but It was entertaining.

Earwig and the Witch/Aya to Majo review, originally written for my Letterboxd account.

As Ghibli's first fully CG feature film, Earwig and the Witch is a bit of a mixed bag.

The story, while not awful, is not that interesting. There are very few characters in the film, and I actually found myself liking only one of them, that being the Mandrake. He had some genuinely funny moments and I thought he was pretty interesting overall.

Then there's of course the animation. The use of CGI here is not bad in comparison to most CGI in anime, but if you compare it to anything Pixar or ... other major studios are putting out today, it's not even close. It looks very lifeless. Also their hair looks like plastic.

Overall, while it works well enough as entertainment for kids, and has some good moments and ideas, this movie is easily among Ghibli's weakest.

If you're looking for more of that classic Studio Ghibli magic, well you won't find it here. I went in with an open mind, and admittedly the starting sequence was promising. Plus, it was a Ghibli take on another Diana Wynne Jones novel, so as a megafan of Howl's Moving Castle, how could I not be a little bit excited? Plus, the 3D animation style didn't bother me and I was interested in how Ghibli would tackle this new style.

But it really is just a generic kids' movie you've likely seen done before. Only, it's hard to find it very enjoyable. Earwig had a ... happy home at the orphanage, only to be taken in by a witch. Not a fun witch like Sophie Hatter claims to be, but the fairy tale kind. She doesn't ever show a side to her other than cruelty, and this lack of development with the characters makes it hard for us to want to see Earwig stick around this household.

The ending is so abrupt as well, so much was left unsolved that I was like "that's it?" All the stuff with the orphanage and Earwig's old life is not brought back, even if she ever got to see her old friends is left on a cliffhanger. It didn't feel like a good payoff for everything we sat through.

Earwig and the Witch is a complete let-down of everything Ghibli ever stood for. While I admire the studio for dipping their toes into 3D animation and trying something new, their attempt completely falls flat.

The animation feels weirdly rigid and unfinished. A lot of Ghibli's charm comes from its hand-painted environments and beautiful pastel colors, so a lot is lost when all you get is generic 3D environments. Don't get me wrong, 3D can be absolutely stunning - but something like Disney or Pixar has had the privilege of decades of experience and billions of dollars that Ghibli does not. It just does not suit ... the movie at all, although the designs are a bit iconic and I LOVE curly-haired characters.

Speaking of characters, I must say that I just absolutely despise Erica (Earwig). I don't mean to diminish the trauma and abuse that the poor girl goes through in the movie, but I disliked her from the very first time she speaks. She is just horribly mean to everyone around her and so manipulative that it's insane. It's not quirky or charming and reads like some sort of blossoming sociopath (I'm not trying to be dramatic - she's just that awful). Her character's animation only exemplifies how annoying she is, especially with the awful tongue-sticking-out-oh-I'm-so-innocent face she tries to pull. :P indeed.

For the cover of the poster and the small bits that we got of the epic witch rock band, I really thought that music and sound would play a larger role! I'm so used to the beautiful soundtracks in Ghibli films that this movie felt weirdly silent the whole way through and none of the rock music was utilized in a way that made any sense. I thought that Earwig would realize that she could unlock her magical abilities through music or something, but she never really sings or does anything musical at all. It's very strange.

The ending of this movie was also exceptionally strange. Ghibli movies are often criticized for not having "real conflicts," but I can usually pick out what the end goal of the protagonist is and try to guess what will happen. Ghibli conflicts may occasionally be low stakes, but there are stakes. For this movie, I could not figure out what Erica's goal was at all. It constantly shifted between wanting to leave, wanting to learn magic, and wanting everyone in the household to do what she wants. It became very confusing and in the last 20 minutes, I found myself wondering how on earth this could possibly end in a satisfying manner.

I really wish that we could've had more scenes with epic music numbers and witchy punk rockers, but all we got was an annoying little girl screaming the whole movie and being mean to the only two friends she had. I was really disappointed and bored throughout this movie, which made me sad. I really hope that Ghibli can find its footing again soon. I don't want them to stop pursuing 3D if it's something they're interested in, but I really hope that the story can be enough to help me overlook the somewhat mediocre-looking animation.

Anyone below the age of 8 would enjoy this and give the movie probably 7.6/10

This is a spoiler free review!

Story: 6
A girl gets adopted by a witch.....thats it really...
There isn't really anything much happening in this movie. It is like watching someone's normal life. There are no risky plot decisions which is really a bad move imo because you will be very underwhelmed when you realize there is no major conflict.
For a little kids, he/she will probably enjoy the protagonist's motives to make her adopted mom miserable and that is probably going to be the main enjoyment as well as the unknown character that appeared ... at the beginning of the movie.

Art: 7
You wake up during school break. "Yay PBS Kids is on!!" You go on your couch and OHH SNAP! A movie special!!!
Yeah this movie reminds me of PBS Kids A LOTTT!!! So kids won't really be complaining. Sometimes the visuals are very pleasing and is impressive for an anime 3d film. The best 3d anime film visually is probably the Lupin movie.
The character's movements are very stiff and almost every scene you can explain how to make it better.

Sound: 8
K the music was pretty decent and is the best part of this film. The main song I enjoyed a lot and thats pretty much it.

Character: 6
The only interesting character is that one character who got about 45 seconds of screen time.
The protagonist is a hit or miss
The mother is a decent character but little kids won't like her much.
The father is annoying imo and his personality is unneeded...
Kids will enjoy the protagonist because the little girl in the movie and the kid watching the movie will have things in common.... KILL THE MOTHER!!!!

Enjoyment: 7
I had very very very low expectations when watching this movie and it is a good thing I did.
I somewhat enjoyed this movie. I would probably enjoy the movie more watching it with a younger sibling knowing that he or she will enjoy it a lot.

Overall: 6
The mean score of this review is a 6.8 but I am still going to give it a six because I am also rating it critically as well.
Older audiences: Decent characters, most average story ever, good music, fine animation.
Younger audiences: Fun characters, entertaining story but nothing deep, good music but I don't think they will care lol, normal animation

I'm going to go easy on this one. Miyazaki Goro, Hayao's son, made this movie. He excels in static forms of art (architecture).

So first things first: the author of the original story passed away before finishing. No one knows what happens next. The staff dealing with this movie were young animators - which explains why there are lighting issues. The movement is okayish, sometimes dull, almost unfinished. The storyboard needs more work and is tedious at times. I'd give this a 4/10, but considering it can be a good watch for little kids, I'm giving two extra points.

It's a movie you'd put on ... for kids you're babysitting. Maybe to make fun of Earwig's ponytails. Or that disgusting shepherd's pie.

Yeah, not really sure about this one...

Like most Ghibli movies, the plot is simple and straight forward, being mostly carried by great art and ost. This is sadly not the case for this film. That said, this wasn't a deal breaker for me. I'll still give it credit because I do like the character designs, and the animation every now and then. It's also Ghibli's first CG film, so I can't really be all that surprised it's a little janky.

I think it would have been a good move to adopt a stop motion-esque visual style, since the character models look extremely plasticky— much like ... PVC or Vinyl figures. They should have leaned into it fully. Reduce the scale of the material in some fabrics, some lighting adjustments, framerate adjustments, fake seams on characters and limbs. The film's final appearance would be much more visually interesting, memorable, and eye catching.

The biggest problem with this film, is how it just suddenly ends.

I was relatively entertained the whole time, but wow, the runtime is way too short. It's over as soon as we get to the meat and potatoes of what was actually going on. The movie straight up gives up on itself. Earwig's problems are all resolved via the power of the time skip, someone comes home, and then the movie ends. I sat there in disbelief as the credits rolled. "wait, WHAT".

It's just a shame really, because it wasn't terrible. What's there isn't what made the movie bad, it's what it lacked. Things never really got anywhere. It honestly felt more like I watched 3 episodes of an anime that just suddenly got cancelled before the 4th episode. The cover of the movie is an outright LIE. I just don't really understand how anyone working on the film read the script / screenplay / whatever and said, "Hmm, it ends like that? Yeah, that'll be satisfying, lets make the movie!" Animation is such an undertaking, it honestly baffles me when the decision is made to adapt something so... incomplete.

That said, the story was technically correctly adapted, as the author, Diane Wyyne Jones, only wrote that much before her untimely death. I'm a little more inclined to believe this was just a CG test, which would explain the short runtime. But really, who knows.

I wouldn't recommend this movie, unless you enjoy being left dissatisfied.

It's a cute film, but unfortunately the ending feels incomplete.

I really enjoyed the art and the texture of the character CGI, but overall the backgrounds felt dark and flat. The character work was one of the best parts of this movie, and this fun clay style along with the great voice acting really made the characters charming. (I watched in Japanese but I'm sure the dub is good too).

The story was the most lacking part of this.The different threads just didn't really come together. While most Ghibli films tend to wander, they have a strong trough line that connect back to the emotions of the ... characters and their internal growth. That was lacking in this story. The characters themselves are colorful and charming enough, but they don't quite make up for the lack of structure in the story. I like the sentiment of the ending, but we don't see enough of Earwig growing into her family to really see and understand that they have come to care for one another.

It's a fun kids movie, and while it might not compare to Miyazaki, it's not, in my opinion, the worst movie the studio has put out.

I know everyone was complaining about the CGI when they first saw what this film looked like, but that ended up actually being one of its strong points. Considering the movie was made for TV, it had pretty good animation. Not Pixar quality or Lupin III: The First quality, but far better than CGI is most anime (and probably many western tv shows too). It can feel uncanny at times, but it isn’t enough to keep you from understand what is happening. The film is enjoyable to watch but the major problem with it is that it hardly has a plot at all. There’s nothing ... wrong with slice-of-life stories, but this film felt like it was setting you up for something that it never delivered on. There were things that could have been expanded on to create an engaging plot, but instead it felt like the entire movie was just Act 1, the buildup to the action that would never come.

This was honestly not as bad as people said it was. If you compare it to the other works of studio Ghibli such as Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke etc. then it obviously falls short, but as a whole the story was decent. For once, I prefered the dub as I felt it matched the story's setting in England more, but maybe that's just me. If you've not seen many Ghibli movies then this is probably not the best place to start as it is very different to the rest of them (animation included) but if so, you will probably enjoy at least some part of ... this movie.