Little Witch Academia is a popular Japanese anime series that revolves around young witches attending a magical academy. As part of their training, the witches use enchanted cards to cast spells and perform magical tricks. Enchantment cards in Little Witch Academia are magical cards imbued with special powers and abilities. These cards are used by the witches to cast spells, conjure objects, and perform various magical feats. Each card represents a specific spell or ability, and the witches can use these cards by reciting the incantation associated with the card. The enchantment cards in Little Witch Academia play a crucial role in the series as they allow the witches to showcase their magical abilities and learn new spells.
Carstairs Considers.
I fell in love with Narnia when I first discovered it in third grade. I was in junior high when our local PBS station starting airing the BBC production of the novels. Naturally, they started with the first, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It was three hours long, and I was enthralled. I watched it several times twenty plus years ago but hadn’t watched it since until this last weekend. I’m sorry to find that time has not been kind to it.
As with the book, it is the story of four children – Peter (Richard Dempsey), Susan (Sophie Cook), Edmund (Jonathan R. Scott), and Lucy (Sophie Wilcox). They are sent out of London during the German bombings at the start of World War II and find themselves in an estate deep in the countryside. In a spare room, Lucy finds an old wardrobe with the ability to transport you to another world. At first her siblings don’t believe her, but soon they are all drawn into this world of danger where a White Witch (Barbara Kellerman) has made it always winter but never Christmas. Are they the key to overthrowing her reign?
Even though I’m sure it’s been twenty years since I watch, I’m surprised at just how quickly parts of this version of the story came back to me. It was originally shown in three, one hour segments here in the states, and I could tell you where those breaks were as we got closer to them. I guess they were originally broken into six half hour parts because that’s how we got it on this DVD.
What surprised me was just how slow it felt. They take plenty of time to show us all the character’s reactions to some things, and there are ridiculous set ups and scenes that don’t really advance anything. For example, we get a scene of the kids walking to the mansion the first time. Not a word is spoken, and it really adds nothing to the story at all.
On the other hand, they are very faithful to the book. Much of the dialogue comes directly from the original novel. This has always been my favorite in the series, and I got pulled into the story all over again despite the faults of this production of it. I want to see my favorite scenes unfold again no matter how poorly they turn out here.
Which is a good thing because there are some serious flaws. The acting is adequate at best. Most of the kids do okay, although they all could be better. The White Witch is so over the top, however, that she really detracts from any scene she is in. Yes, some of her stuff should be over the top, but it is way too much here.
Likewise, the production leaves much to be desired. The animals are all humans in costume. It works, and I can’t really fault them for it. However, they have the wolves (the Witch’s secret police) transform into real wolves for any scene where they are running, a choice that is laughable. Also laughable are the scenes that include some of the more fanciful creatures, all of whom are animated. It’s not worked into the rest of the scene very well and looks pretty fake. The exception to this is Aslan, the lion. He is a full sized robotic animatronic character, and he is very well done.
And yet, as I said, I couldn’t stop watching. My love for the story carried me beyond the flaws of the production. Still, my first choice for this story will always be the far superior recent theatrical version which captures the story perfectly with much better effects and acting.
So if you can find this version cheap (I got a set with all three for $5), it is worth getting this version of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. However, be prepared for very low budget and dated effects and over the top acting.
This review is part of the 2014 Chronicles of Narnia Reading Challenge. (I know, I know. But I've already reviewed all of the books. What can I say?)
Patron Pick – The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (1988)
This is a special reward available to Patreon patrons who pledge at the $10 or $20 a month levels. Each month those patrons will pick a film for me to review. They also get to include some of their own thoughts about the movie, if they choose. This Pick comes from Bekah Lindstrom.
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (1988)
Written by C.S. Lewis & Alan Seymour
Directed by Marilyn Fox
I remember having the first book of The Chronicles of Narnia read aloud to me around seven or eight. It was my first introduction to C.S. Lewis’ series and immediately piqued my interest. A couple years later, this British television mini-series aired on PBS’ Wonderworks, a children’s anthology, and I was pulled in right away. While it doesn’t compare to the lavish production values of 1980s blockbusters, it did make me feel like I was passing into another world. Narnia felt very real and honestly very frightening. The series does not hold back on some terrifying imagery for a little kid. Many years passed before I rewatched it and what I found was that, while very faithful to the book, it does not hold up from an adult perspective.
If you aren’t familiar, the four Pevensie siblings (Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy) are sent off to the English countryside with many other children to avoid the blitz of London during World War II. This quartet ends up in the home of Professor Kirke, a kindly but ditzy old man. Unfortunately, the housekeeper is not so kind, so the children try to avoid her. One day, while playing hide and seek in the vast mansion, Lucy slips into a wardrobe only to find it continues on and opens into a strange snow-covered world. She meets a faun, Mr. Tumnus, who is amazed to see a human in these lands. Unfortunately, the White Witch is in charge, and she’s created eternal winter, turning anyone who rises up against her into stone. Lucy’s siblings don’t believe her when she returns, but they find themselves going through the wardrobe into Narnia days later. The Pevensies learn that the only way to defeat the White Witch is to help Aslan, the mythic lion of Narnia, rise up and retake the land.
There’s a lot about the production that is quite charming. The opening titles, a camera floating over an animated map of Narnia, are very well done, and the theme music certainly sets the tone. The whole score of the production is excellent, with the heroic music hitting just the right notes and the creepier cues eliciting goosebumps. One thing you cannot argue is that this adaptation isn’t faithful to the novel. It adheres to every plot beat and development almost to a fault. That’s where the problems come in because, despite the filmmakers’ ambitions, they did not have the budget to pull this off in a satisfying manner.
It becomes glaringly apparent when the talking animals and monsters start appearing. For some, like Mr. Tumnus, it’s not too bad because he is part human in appearance. However, the Beavers barely work and feel more like a children’s theater production. The White Witch’s wolf guard is another character who comes across as goofy rather than scary as he should be. Later, we get a mix of live-action and animation during the stone table sequence that will likely frighten a child, but I couldn’t imagine an adult having the same experience. I was impressed by the Aslan puppet, a full-size male lion whose scale is imposing. Unfortunately, the mouth cannot contort to the dialogue and just opens and closes while Aslan speaks. I almost wish they had taken some artistic license and had his words exist as telepathy.
The acting is a mixed bag, with some performers playing it straight and others seemingly coming straight out of English pantomime. I thought Jeffrey Perry did well as Mr. Tumnus, one of the more vital roles in the story. Barbara Kellerman is acting her ass off as The White Witch, delivering one of the more children’s theater-style performances. I was definitely terrified of her as a kid, but as an adult found a lot of her gestures and proclamations funny. I get the sense this was intentional, a bit of tongue-in-cheek exaggeration. The children’s performances are fine; you can’t expect something mind-blowing when it comes to kid actors. I think each actor captures the essence of their character from the book. The weak link is likely Susan, a character who doesn’t seem to have a distinct identity compared to the other three.
The entire series is available to watch for free on YouTube, and if it was something you loved as a child and want to share with your own, I think they would enjoy it. However, it did leave me interested in revisiting the 2005 theatrical release to see if the added production value made the story better or worse. There is something very quaint about the low budget of the BBC production.
Share this:
- Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
- Click to print (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: Comparing three adaptations
I’ve never read the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, but I have watched the various adaptations many times. Both the 1979 animated special and the BBC mini-series were favorites of mine in the 90s. Disney’s feature film adaptation in 2005 was a film I saw opening weekend and promptly bought on Blu-Ray. Considering I’ve never read the book, the story holds a special place in my heart.
A tweet referencing Skander Keynes as Edmund got me nostalgic for the story, and I dove into watching all three versions. I began with the BCC mini-series from 1988, which is available on YouTube, and followed it up with the 1979 animated special also on YouTube. The final version I watched was the 2005 Disney film.
As I moved to a new version, I couldn’t help but compare it against the other I had just watched. It’s amazing how different each adaptation has been from the others, while still clearly telling the same basic story. What I’ll be doing here is comparing them the same way I did while watching, which is character by character.
The enchantment cards in Little Witch Academia play a crucial role in the series as they allow the witches to showcase their magical abilities and learn new spells. Through the use of these cards, the witches can create illusions, summon creatures, fly on broomsticks, and perform other fantastical acts. The cards are not only tools for casting spells but also serve as a way for the witches to showcase their creativity and individual magical skills.
Lucy
Lucy’s a difficult character to settle on a favorite, but she has to go first. Without her there is no story, she is the inciting incident to the whole plot. She’s essential and each adaptation does an excellent job providing a compelling version of the character. In the animated special she’s very childlike, Sophie Wilcox in the BBC version is so British it hurt, and Georgie Henley in the 2005 film captures the wonder of a child in a fantasy world. Each version is worthy of recognition for different reasons.
Push comes to shove, my favorite performance is Sophie Wilcox. Displaying a wide range of emotions, her Lucy is the most well-rounded. Stepping into a new world she’s full of innocent wonder. Confronted with the danger of Narnia she’s classic British keep calm and carry on. When Aslan sacrifices himself, her pain is clear for the audience. It’s a close call, but the BCC series wins this one.
One important aspect of the enchantment cards is the incantation. Each card has a specific incantation that needs to be recited in order to activate its spell. The incantations are often in Latin and add an air of mysticism to the show. The proper pronunciation and intonation of the incantation are crucial for the successful use of the card's power. Throughout the series, the main characters, including Akko Kagari and her friends, encounter various enchantment cards and learn to use them effectively. They embark on adventures, face challenges, and grow as witches, all while honing their skills with the enchantment cards. The cards provide opportunities for character development and showcase the unique personalities and magical abilities of each witch. Overall, the enchantment cards in Little Witch Academia are an important element of the series, playing a vital role in the witches' training and their magical journeys. These cards represent the creativity, skill, and potential of the witches, making them an integral part of the magical world of Little Witch Academia..
Reviews for "Unforgettable Charms: The Most Memorable Little Witch Academia Enchantment Cards"
1. Jessica - 2/5 stars - I was really disappointed with "Little Witch Academia Enchantment Cards". The art on the cards is beautiful, but the gameplay itself is lackluster. It's incredibly repetitive, with not enough variety in the gameplay mechanics to keep it interesting. The game also lacks depth and strategy, feeling more like a simple luck-based card game rather than something that requires skill. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this game to anyone looking for an engaging and challenging card game.
2. Mark - 2/5 stars - I had high hopes for "Little Witch Academia Enchantment Cards", but it fell flat for me. The gameplay is slow-paced and tedious, with limited options and little to no strategy involved. The cards themselves are beautifully illustrated, but that's about the only positive aspect of this game. There's very little replay value, and I found myself losing interest after just a few rounds. If you're a fan of the anime, you might enjoy collecting the cards for their artwork, but as a standalone game, it's just not worth it.
3. Sarah - 1/5 stars - I simply did not enjoy "Little Witch Academia Enchantment Cards". The rules are poorly explained and confusing, making it difficult to understand how to play the game in the first place. The artwork may be nice, but that's not enough to save a poorly designed game. Additionally, the game relies too heavily on luck, leaving very little room for strategy or skill. Overall, I found the experience frustrating and not enjoyable at all.
4. Michael - 2/5 stars - As a fan of card games, I was excited to try "Little Witch Academia Enchantment Cards". Sadly, it didn't live up to my expectations. The gameplay is unbalanced, with certain cards feeling overpowered and others useless. The lack of variety in the action cards and the limited number of spells makes the game repetitive after a few rounds. The rules could have been better explained, as I found myself confused throughout the game. It's a shame because the theme and artwork had potential, but the execution fell short.
5. Emily - 3/5 stars - "Little Witch Academia Enchantment Cards" was an average card game for me. While the artwork is beautiful and captures the essence of the anime, the gameplay itself is nothing special. It's a simple, luck-based game with limited depth and strategy. I found it to be a decent way to pass the time, but it didn't leave a lasting impression. If you're a casual player looking for a quick and easy game, this might be worth a try, but don't expect anything groundbreaking.