In the Magic Tree House series, the Thanksgiving Excursion is an unforgettable adventure that takes readers back in time to experience the very first Thanksgiving. The main characters, Jack and Annie, are transported to a Native American village in the year 1621. They get to witness the preparations for the feast and learn about the traditions and customs of the Wampanoag tribe. **The main idea of this excursion is to teach children about the history and significance of Thanksgiving in a fun and engaging way.** Through the eyes of Jack and Annie, readers get a glimpse into the hardships faced by the Pilgrims and the harmony between the Native Americans and the settlers. This educational and entertaining adventure is a great way for children to discover the origins of Thanksgiving and gain a deeper appreciation for this holiday.
You’re prepared for delivery, but have you thought about everything that comes after birth? Here’s how to get ready for the rollercoaster days (and nights) to come.
The lovely thing about short baby names is that the only thing they have in common is the number of letters they each have, giving you the flexibility of any of your favorite definitions in a neat package. Throughout the show, we see cool places such as a hogwartz-esque island focusing on the teaching of magic, to a bleak city where nobody is able to tell a lie.
This educational and entertaining adventure is a great way for children to discover the origins of Thanksgiving and gain a deeper appreciation for this holiday..
Wandering Witch: The Journey Of Elaina A.K.A The Psychopath Witch
There has been an abundance of fantasy anime the past decade, thanks to the isekai boom with shows like SAO, Log Horizon, and Re: Zero.
When people think of medieval fantasy, they imagine harem protagonist going on a grand adventure slaying goblin, dragons, and the demon king's army.
However, there is a long unjust underrepresented genre, that is slowly making a comeback into mainstream popularity.
When people think of witch anime, they imagine shows such as little witch academia, Madoka Magica, witch craft works, and most recently burn the witch.
However, there is a new series on the arise here to break down the door, and scream its name into popularity.
Majo No Tabitabi, a.k.a wandering witch: the journey of Elaina.
Majo no tabitabi starts off as yet another generic medieval fantasy show with a seemingly boring protagonist.
Were greeted with our protagonist, Elaina the ashen witch. A young prodigy who aspires to be a traveling witch. However, nobody in her town will teach her because of their jealousy.
This forces her to make a desperate decision to rely on a seemingly bum witch who is coocoo in their head.
Throughout the episode, we experience montage of Elaina being used to do meaningless chores, when she expects to be trained in magic. Finally, she breaks and an epic battle ensues with gorgeous animation and amazing chorography.
After a brutal loss, in a heart wrenching scene the teacher reveals that Elaina's mother hired her to humble elaina, in an attempt to stop her from becoming a narcissist, and give her the courage to stand up for herself.
JUST WOW! The first episode was an unexpected treat! Now you would think Elaina would internalize the teachings from her mentor, right?
The perfect synopsis of majo no tabitabi, is BAIT AND SWITCH THE ANIME!
Throughout Elaina’s many adventures, the story goes through major tonal shifts, that don’t mesh well together, especially for an episodic anime.
Wandering Witch takes inspiration from classic fairy tales that varied in tone, each having a clear moral lesson to teach children. Such as cinderella, sleeping beauty, and the princess and the frog.
However, unlike those great classics, Elaina struggles in what it wants to be.
For example, in one episode were greeted with a lighthearted story of Elaina losing her witch badge; While Elaina is scavenging around for it, she meets a cute girl named saya, who request Elaina’s guidance in becoming a witch. Then we learn that she assaulted Elaina and stole her brooche, in an attempt to have sex with Elaina and become her lover.
Remember, this is a light hearted episode people!
Then the plot immediately shifts to a two parter, featuring two depressing stories. First, we see Elaina infect an entire town, after accepting the request of a demon plant masquerading as a human. Then Elaina convinces a horny boy to show his slave a bottle of happy memories in an attempt to cheer her up. Only for it to be revealed later on, that a similar event happened in the past, causing the crippled wife to commit suicide, hinting at the slave possibly doing the same.
They both share the same morale; which is don’t gleefully barge into other people’s problems.
This sounds all fine and dandy until you realize Majo no tabitabi is a VERY inconsistent anime full of questionable ethics.
Elaina has a vow to never mettle in other people’s business, unless it’s easy and has a grand reward. So throughout many episodes, Elaina is just a bystander watching the events unfold.
I’m personally fine with this type of protagonist. It’s unique from your standard shounen-esque type hero who will jump at any sign of danger and preach motivational quotes 24/7.
However, Elaina doesn’t stick to her vows. For example, Elaina is willing to flat out overthrow a corrupt kingdom and assist a fellow witch in taking down a demon, but won’t help free a poor slave girl from captivity.
Some theorize that Elaina is only willing to help fellow witches, and it actually makes since when you realize throughout all her adventures, she only acknowledges fellow witches.
Nevertheless, the stories themselves vary HEAVILY in quality.
Some episodes where amazing, my personal favoriting being the time travel episode, while most were either mediocre or pure dogshit.
It’s a shame considering an episodic anime lives and dies by its consistency. Each episode needs to be Steller, since they all reside in their own little bubbles. It also needs an overarching plot in the background to connect various episodes, giving its characters and the world development.
Cowboy bebop is the perfect example of a phenomenal episodic anime.
The majority of the episodes are fun high-quality stories, with a strong overarching plot focusing on the characters goals and development. You can see spike and his pals developing slowly throughout the show, and how their actions impact the world despite of cowboy bebop being an episodic show.
And most important the tone stays consistent throughout its entirety. Cowboy bebop, manages to keep the show lighthearted and mature at the same time, without ever conflicting one another.
In Majo No Tabitabi, the characters never change. Elaina being the worst offender, ignores ALL of her master's teachings, and becomes a greedy, narcissistic passive woman. She doesn't develop at ALL throughout the entire story. In fact, you could say, she regressed after the first episode! Elaina learns nothing, nothing affects her character. She experiences something random in one episode and forgets it the next.
It doesn’t help that the supporting cast isn’t any better. Saya the second most prominent character, is one of the WORST characters I have ever experienced in fiction! She is a nigh sexual offender, who is obsessed with elaina. She’s basically one of those neckbeards obsessed with their beloved idols.
It would be one thing if she changed her ways after Elaina mistakenly forgiven her. However, she becomes worse and worse each episode she’s in. Her entire character revolves around wanting to fuck elaina. THAT’S IT FOLKS!
Remember when I this show is full of questionable ethics?
Nevertheless, the worldbuilding is actually pretty cool. Each episode Elaina ventures into a new unique territory with its own culture and people.
Throughout the show, we see cool places such as a hogwartz-esque island focusing on the teaching of magic, to a bleak city where nobody is able to tell a lie. Each of these unique locations showcase how magic affects their world.
And throughout these various places, Elaina meets new people, some which come back later in the story. It’s kind of ironic how Elaina keeps running into the same people when she is constantly traveling to new locations. Small world, I guess?
Elaina has been a mixed bag, to say the least. I enjoyed at least half of the show, and I would only recommend it if you’re a fan of kino no tabi, or you just want a cute witch show.
It’s one of the only anime I finished where I'm NOT looking forward to the sequel.
Overall, I give Elaina a 5/10
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Reviews for "Journeying to the First Thanksgiving with the Magic Tree House"
1. Jane Smith - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "Thanksgiving Excursion in the Magic Tree House". The storyline was very predictable and lacked any sort of excitement or suspense. The characters felt one-dimensional and the dialogue was dull. I was hoping for a fun and engaging Thanksgiving-themed adventure, but instead, I found myself bored and uninterested. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone looking for an entertaining read.
2. John Doe - 1 star - This book was a total letdown. The plot was incredibly weak and seemed to drag on forever. The writing style was monotonous and lacked any sort of creativity or imagination. The illustrations were also lackluster and didn't add anything to the story. I found myself losing interest quickly and struggling to finish the book. I definitely wouldn't recommend "Thanksgiving Excursion in the Magic Tree House" to anyone.
3. Emily Johnson - 2 stars - I had high hopes for this book, but it fell short of my expectations. The story felt rushed and superficial, with no depth or character development. The author missed an opportunity to explore the significance of Thanksgiving and instead focused on a basic adventure that lacked substance. The writing style was also quite simplistic, making it difficult for me to fully engage with the story. Overall, "Thanksgiving Excursion in the Magic Tree House" left me feeling unsatisfied and wanting more. I wouldn't recommend it as a meaningful Thanksgiving read.