Ernest

The atrium/birdcage opening shot was nice, and then halfway through they just really decided to hammer that metaphor to death >.> (the rose didn’t bother me though. Maybe because the narration didn’t keep pointing it out.)

I love how playful the animation is overall. The performance segments felt stiff in comparison, but I appreciate that they at least took the time to mocap actual playing. Maybe this is common? I still appreciate it!

I like classical music too, but I gotta admit, Pavane puts me to sleep… I feel her. Is Pavane culturally notable in Japan for some reason (like Anne of Green Gables)?

I’ve just never really heard it referenced so much outside of anime–is it just me?

oh also: was it implied the school uniform skirts have pockets??? where do I sign up??

I loved the moment they met and how they animated at least a whole day passing by in the blink of an eye for Lilisa

something something u-haul

I laughed when the other classmates were talking about how it was a scene from “a picture”, and then in the very next scene the busker is singing about beauty that doesn’t show up in pictures. Cheeky.

The “I saw flower petals” comment also made me snort.

The production team is basically showing their hand and saying “yeah, our goal is to make you cry every episode for the entire season”. That’s ambitious and I like it.

Maybe I’m just easily manipulated, but this first story got me (even with them having to take the time to establish the premise first). It could’ve hit harder, sure, but it (subjectively ofc) felt like a pretty promising start to me. If I have one thing to nitpick it’s actually the soundtrack when she goes into town–it feels out of place? it doesn’t mesh and feels frantic. It’s entirely possible that it was intentional–I’m willing to trust the story for now.

I loved the cold open! It really efficiently establishes the mood, sets up the magical aspect with the single “tea brewing” shot, and shows us Meg’s personality through how others (Ms. Faust and all the animals) interact with her. When people say “show, don’t tell”, this is what they mean.

didn’t feel slow at all.

there were actually a couple spots I wished lingered a little longer (to sink in), but they were also trying to fit quite a lot into this first episode.

competently directed

There were lots of little touches I really enjoyed! e.g. Ms. Faust being framed in the bottle, the cloud (literally) coming over her face, Anna dissolving into younger Meg. One (subtler) parallel between Anna and Meg I noticed was: Meg is supposedly going to die from a curse, and her teacher (“the greatest witch”) cannot save her; while Anna’s mom died from an illness, and her dad is apparently a doctor/pharmacist.

It wouldn’t surprise me if it was revealed as all being a trick by the old witch as a character building exercise.

Even if we play along with Ms. Faust here, I feel like there’s two layers (kinda) to the whole ordeal—one is she needs to literally collect tears (joy) in order to live the rest of her life, and the other is that she needs that joy to really live, in the carpe diem sense. … I hope that made sense…