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Spring 2016 is a season full of highs and lows. I mostly dealt with the latter, making myself too submerged in the negativity. But here comes Flying Witch, a show that has become known by now as a healing experience. Watching the show never fails to improve my mood. Everything about it just screams positivity and sunshine from the calming atmosphere, joyful characters, and the laid-back story. The often atmospheric moments such as scenery shots accompanied with beautiful calming music is truly bliss. The story of a young witch training in unfamiliar yet welcoming territory reminds me a lot of Kiki’s Delivery Service, one of my favourite Ghibli films. While it does not offer any actual plot, each episode offers an adventure that constantly introduces supernatural elements and fits them well into the lighthearted slice-of-life approach. It does bother me occasionally that no one really bats an eye that witches live on their daily lives without trying to conceal their identity. The show doesn’t really explain if witches are a norm in the society, or that the characters are just air-headed enough to not really care.
One main gripe I have with the show is that it could have utilized its story better. The show presents Makoto as a witch in training but we don’t get any actual specifics regarding how the world of witches work aside from other witches that are introduced in the show such as her sister Akane. We get to see some witch stuff happening but it’s mostly shown as amusement though some fit in the “witch training” department. The show does try to blur the boundary between the two worlds but it would have been great if the show used more than one perspective.
Overall, I recommend this show to slice-of-life fans who would like to see something atmospheric, calming, meditative, and positive. It doesn’t use its potential to the fullest but nevertheless a fleeting euphoric experience.
