Forum - View topicEP. REVIEW: Flying Witch
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Muffum
 Posts: 100 |
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One of my favorite things about this show is that it's not at all afraid to have slow buildup or delayed punchlines to gags, and that helps those gags immensely. The mandrake scene wouldn't have worked nearly as well if not for its stark contrast to the rest of the episode, and Nao just sitting around waiting for her luck at the very end of episode 2 wouldn't have even really registered as a gag, if not for the long gap between that and her last prior appearance in the episode. It's really easy to screw that kind of thing up, but Flying Witch makes it seem so effortless.
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Angel M Cazares
 Posts: 5506 Location: Iscandar |
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I have liked the first two episodes. I could see myself really liking this show and ending up in my top 5 for this year.
However, in overall technical merits Flying Witch can at most be a B+ anime in my opinion. First, this adaptation is being handled by J.C. Staff, which is not a juggernaut in visuals like KyoAni and P.A. Works are. Second, there does not seem to be much of a story. This is not a necessary bad thing in a slice of life-healing show because stuff like Non Non Biyori has demonstrated that slice of life shows don't need much of a story to thrive and be enjoyable. And lastly, these kind of shows usually have very simple premises and characters with not much depth. I am not trying to insult Flying Witch. I am saying that even if I end up loving this show, its lack of technical prowess will make it hard for me to give the whole series an overall 9/10 or 10/10 grade. But I will be very happy if Flying Witch blows away my cynic expectations, and it becomes a masterpiece. Last edited by Angel M Cazares on Sun Apr 24, 2016 3:45 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Barciad
 Posts: 131 Location: St Andrews |
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Think this could be one the season's big series. There are definite touches of 'Yokohama Kaidashi Kikō' sprinkled with (courtesy of Chinatsu) Azumanga Daioh. Having spent the last few months watching series that delve the depths of human behaviour (Erased, Gundam IBO and Gundam Thunderbolt), it's nice to see a series that celebrates the best of the human condition.
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Gina Szanboti
Posts: 11591 |
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I think it's a bit unfair to knock the series' visuals in advance based on the studio, without even saying how they're lacking in this series. It looks pretty good to me so far. I really enjoyed the Harbinger of Spring. The OP suggests we'll be seeing more of him, so I hope that's the case. |
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Angel M Cazares
Posts: 5506 Location: Iscandar |
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I also think that Flying Witch looks good, but J.C. Staff cannot do visuals and animation like the studios I already mentioned can. I will give Flying Witch good marks for visuals and overall production values if the current quality holds up, but I will not be blown away by them. And I believe that if you have watched anime with high quality visuals (like Cowboy Bebop, Nagi no Asukara, Gargantia) it is pretty self evident to see that Flying Witch and most of what J.C. Staff animates is lacking in visuals compared to those titles. Like I already said, I am really liking Flying Witch, but I am not wowed by its visuals and general production values. |
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HaruhiToy
 Posts: 4118 |
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But who cares? The art gets the job done and in fact the result may just be more restful than something visually more intense.
I am not sure I agree with this. There is humor with gags and punchlines, and then there is the seamless presentation of amusing situations and personalities. The Harbinger's difficulty with Chinatsu took up a big chunk of the episode but thee were little things to smile out almost constantly. Makoto makes it home on her own but then takes the wrong turn to her room. The dog. (did you miss that?) Any screenplay can go after the big guffaw -- hitting it or missing it as the case may be -- but it takes a lot of self confidence to just work the little things like this anime does. Definitely a hit this season. I am reminded of Non Non Biyori which has the same feel (no magic) but is also excellent. |
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Gina Szanboti
Posts: 11591 |
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In other words, they'll have to be twice as good as KyoAni or P.A.Works to overcome your bias against them? You still haven't said what exactly is inferior about or wrong with what they've done with this adaptation so far. Just that they're not KyoAni. It's like saying, "It's pretty self-evident that Rembrandt is a greater artist than Picasso," and leaving it at that. There are no blank screens and I see things happening throughout 100% of the episode, so "lacking in visuals" isn't very helpful in clarifying your complaint. |
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Hiroki not Takuya
 Posts: 2661 |
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I don't see any glaring problems with the visuals and if there are minor issues, I think the story is engaging enough that they can be overlooked. Not like the odd movement of fully 3DCG in BBK/BRNK or the accompanying short for this show (shudder).Take Ep2 drawings of Bakke, fully realistic and detailed and looking good enough to eat! Made me jealous that I can't try some darn it. I love how they made Makoto a ditz who thinks magic is nothing special and how Ep2 captures the peaceful, slow and easygoing pace of country life. I'm looking forward to more cooking tips and magic lore.
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vonPeterhof
Posts: 729 |
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Alan45
 Village Elder Posts: 10019 Location: Virginia |
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vonPeterhof wrote:
Now that is funny, and I can see a child Chinatsu's age making that mistake. In most of the US they could have used 911 to replace the 110. I guess they realized it wouldn't play in all the areas they reach. If you note any additional missed jokes or those requiring a bit of explanation be sure to post them here. |
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JaggedAuthor
 Posts: 981 |
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I was expecting the end of the second episode to reveal that dogs had been urinating on all the bakke. Since Nao abstained from taking any, this would mean her good luck won out, though she'll never know it.
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zensunni
 Posts: 1294 |
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So far this show is pretty much directly in my wheelhouse. Slice-of-life, magical realism, subtle, understated, dry humor, and the occasional outright gag, like with the mandrake. (The reactions of the people around town as the mandrake screamed were great!)
From the OP, it certainly looks like more witches will be visiting soon, so I expect some fun times in addition to a nice, quite visit to quite country town that has suddenly become a bit quirkier than it used to be. |
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Hameyadea
 Posts: 3679 |
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I'm liking this show. The premise is lighthearted and even if the show didn't had the supernatural element, it could still be a pretty enjoyable show. And honestly, those could easily be written as over-flamboyance of the characters, and it would still hold up pretty well.
Nor they should. I remember last year's Prison School, which had quite the unorthodox visuals at times, or Shimoneta, were they again went for a different art style. Sure, they those have "that moment," where the audience can identify the studio by the show's visuals, like with KyōAni, or Wit, or Silver Link (when they are doing moe shows), or Trigger. But for a supernatural SoL show, it shouldn't be all about the visuals either, IMO. |
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MakoMori
 Posts: 19 Location: Switzerland |
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This show is perfect to end stressful days with. It's so relaxing and just...nice.
I hope the Harbinger of spring will come back! I really liked his introduction and Chinatsu's reaction. Not much else to be said, except that I am happy that I decided to give this a try. Edit: the OP is totally stuck in my head, by the way. I guess I know what I'll be humming all week. |
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Angel M Cazares
Posts: 5506 Location: Iscandar |
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Episode 3 was fine but less good than the first 2. I have the opposite reaction of Nick; I found the second half of episode 3 stronger than the first half.
I agree. Flying Witch does not need fancy visuals. I was just making an observation on the solid but not great visuals of this show and the general quality of J.C.Staff. |
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