With large windows adorning its spick-and-span halls, St. Morwald's Home for Children serves as a warm refuge for displaced orphans. For 10-year-old Aya, she is perfectly content living without a normal family, especially since she has everyone at the orphanage wrapped around her finger. However, to her dismay, she is one day selected by a peculiar couple, Bella Yaga and the Mandrake.
Aya soon learns that she has, in fact, been adopted by a real witch who wanted her solely as an assistant and had not even considered being her foster mother. As if that was not enough, Aya is told the one rule she must obey at all times—never disturb the Mandrake. To win the hearts of this seemingly heartless witch and the grumpy Mandrake is no easy task; but unlike other children, Aya accepts this challenge without hesitation.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
Keitaro004
This movie is receiving a whole lot of backlash for the CGI-animation (it's a TV movie with a limited budget, guys, not a cinema release) and the "dissappointing" plot, but I thought the movie was fun. Not as good as other Ghibli movies, but still entertaining the whole way through. The movie is basically about Aya (or Earwig) getting adopted by a witch, and the witch wants to use her as a slave. Earwig has to figure out how to escape or make things better for herself, or live in torment forever. Earwig herself is very different compared to most Ghibli protagonists. Even though she's taken advantageof to no end, she's never seen crying, but annoyed instead. She's also really good at manipulating people, and even though this isn't usually a good trait, it's very useful in the situation she's in. The witch is... well, basically a witch, and Mandrake is one of my favorite Ghibli characters ever. I won't spoil why, but you'll understand why when you spend some time with him. There's also a talking cat, but it's hard to talk about him without spoiling the entire movie.
The art itself looks pretty nice. The Ghibli character design looks rather generic in 3D, and even though it's pretty obvious the animation had a limited budget, the characters are still pretty expressive. Just don't expect Dreamworks/Disney/Pixar quality. The environments are beautiful though: lots of small details and very colorful. Can't say much about the music as I don't remember much of it, but the ending theme was cute.
But the most important thing: was the movie fun? Yes, I think it was. After reading the reviews here, I was expecting to keep looking at my clock so I would know when the torment was over, but I was entertained all the way through and thought the movie went by fast. Maybe too fast, especially towards the end, which was rather unsatisfying. It's like they're teasing a sequel. It's a very laid-back movie with minor drama, so don't expect the thrill other Ghibli movies have. It's more of a comedy with some drama here and there, and I'm just fine with that. But I'll say this: it's just as imaginative as other Ghibli movies are, and the characters are interesting even though they have minor development. I'll recommend this movie to all Ghibli fans, no matter how old they are. I think there's something for everyone here, as long as you don't expect too much.
Sahil_K_Chandio
I already had low expectations from this movie since it was being directed by Goro Miyazaki and mainly because it abandoned the old incredible Ghibli art style but this movie was way worse then what I was expecting. The trailers had given me a bit of hope and I thought that maybe this movie might turn out to be decent but no! Art(6/10): I was very disappointed and lowkey pissed when I saw they were not doing this movie in the original art style but I ended up thinking they did a pretty ok job with the CGI, it looks like the characters and someof the environments are made with clay at times but overall the movie looked fine and I was happy to see that they animated the Ghibli faces and facial expression pretty damn well for a CGI movie. I just hope that they never do this style again and always make movie with hand drawn anime style! Every moment in the movie I was thinking to myself this would have looked awesome if they made it the original way.
Story(1/10): The story in this movie really is dreadful, it is super bland and generic. All that happens in the movie is that the protagonist gets adopted by a witch and you can predict everything that happens after that since its so basic. Also the movie way to quickly when I finished the movie I had to double check if that was it and yes it was.
Characters(3/10): There is close to no character development in this movie, every character is bland and boring and the main protagonist doesn't even feel like a Ghibli protagonist hell this entire movie doesn't feel like a Ghibli movie and the cast also is very very bad. The only character that had some development was Mandrake and even his development was very generic and predictable.
Enjoyment(2/10): I didn't enjoy this movie at all I hated it, I thought the animation was ok and they nailed the faces pretty well but it didn't feel like a Ghibli movie I was waiting for it to end. It was so boring that I even started yawning, If you are a 6-7 year old kid you might enjoy this movie but I dislike it a lot and I absolutely will not recommend this to anyone! Well at least we have the final Hayao Miyazaki movie to look forward to that will most likely be an awesome film!
Verdict: Don't watch it terrible movie, uninteresting and bland characters and animation that feels like clay at times. I would rate this at best a 4/10.
MakingAList
I share the same sentiment as many others who've watched this movie: it was disappointing. But stay with me here, that doesn't mean it's not worth watching! This movie is based off of an incomplete book that the author died before finishing. Why make a movie like that in the first place? I dunno... the film seems to remain around the same amount of incomplete as the source material, so there isn't much of a plot or main conflict. (There is a set-up for what the plot was supposed to be, but once you get half-way through the movie and there isn't any word on ityou realize the movie isn't going anywhere with it.)
This turns it into more of a "slice-of-life" movie. You just follow the main character after she gets adopted by a witch and watch things unfold. And that, all things considered, is fine with me. I enjoyed the movie. It has a quirky cast of characters, cool music, and something new to many of us, CG Ghibli animation. Which by the way, is quite good, so don't worry.
So, I'm disappointed that we didn't get to see the whole intended story, and I'm also disappointed that we didn't get more plotless slice-of-life time with the characters. But, it's a cute movie. Family friendly, but not too childish. If you're okay with just sitting down and watching something, I recommend it. It doesn't follow the typical "rising action, climax, resolution" movie formula and that's ok. Don't write this one off. I think the other ratings are a little harsh.
Luubie
Do you know Studio Ghibli? He is one of the best known names when it comes to animation, filmography and respectable staff. It is a studio that has gained notoriety with many important films for the industry and has fans all over the world. Children, youth, adults and the elderly ... Everyone who accompanies animes at some point is faced with some of his feature films produced. And of course, this is more than just merit. It was an achievement, the popularity of making animations in film format, something little seen before its creation. Today, Ghibli is known as the "best studio" by many people.And, in fact, he has reason to be considered a great producer. At the end of 2020, but seen by the majority in 2021, Ghibli went further, evolved his way of making films and produced his first film completely made in CGI. Aya to Majo premiered, but does the film deserve importance and Ghibli's legacy?
First, it is good to separate animation and production from the story of the film, as it is necessary to understand the reasons why the criticisms for and against exist in that title. Aya to Majo is no big deal. Basically, Ayatsuru (or just "Aya") is an energetic and mischievous girl, who lives playing games in the orphanage where she lives. She was left by her mother as a baby, but that never shook her, as she fully relies on her friends for everything. She has an important friend, Custard, in whom she has a special affection. But everything changes overnight, when a very bizarre couple decides to adopt her: Bella and Mandrake. Both have magical abilities and Bella is the couple's witch, while Mandrake does the job of being a "demon". Aya, just like anyone who would be adopted in her place would think, strange and fear the couple. But her curiosity for magic changes her relationship with the couple, especially when she becomes Bella's assistant. From there, the film is based on comedy, games and very cool and interesting mysteries.
The plot is simple and seems to follow American films from Disney and Pixar, where fantasy and the children's audience are the main objectives. It is really an art show, in view of the great effort that the staff had with this show. As much as it is only 82 minutes, Aya to Majo delivered something beyond what most expected. And this is where I want to demystify, commenting on his production.
The quality of the anime is above many other content that we see year after year, released on Japanese TV. This is a good thing, since movies and anime in television format with this quality are quite difficult to have. Even with the improvement and refinement of art and setting techniques, whether in drawings or in CGI, many shows are hampered by the time they have to make an episode, or deliver a finished scene. Shingeki 4 is a current example that faces these difficulties and has a strong and negative reception from a portion of fans, where the effort of an entire team is being literally disregarded, as if it were easy to make more than 30 thousand frames per episode. Exhaustion and psychological pressure are fundamental problems that need the attention of the industry. Aya to Majo apparently managed to reverse this negative picture of animes and delivered an excellent experimental work. It's a new chance for all studios and streaming platforms to make anime more innovative. CGI can be good, art can overcome with time and anime can use it as a new method of work and professionalization.
Going back to the film, what bothered me was neither of the two topics presented, but a lack of structure to keep the show interesting. Aya and Bella practically occupy the entire anime and their daily lives are the central focus. In addition, Mandrake raging is also well used. But, I felt that the lack of a better text and of development harmed the show itself, since it was, for the most part, weak. I don't know if it's just an opinion of my own, but I expected Aya's birth mother to appear in some more natural way, which it didn't. The anime also did not have a purpose, because the childishness and function of the story is just an attempt to convince the target audience that everything presented is cool and pleasurable. Of course, it is a show for children, I am not the target of the production for that very reason, but I hoped that Studio Ghibli would further improve this determining factor. Incidentally, the direction also did not know how to make a finale very well, nor did it improve during the scenes. It was just a fun that got tired, it was repetitive and that will be very little remembered by the otaku.
Overall, Aya to Majo is a decent film. It does not lack visual qualities and it is really deserved praise for its production. But aesthetics and history didn't go together this time. The anime does not entertain the most diverse in this type of media, nor will it mark generations, like Totoro and Chihiro. It is a pity, as its influence has the potential to reform the industry. However, the film has a quality that I liked. Children's comedies are things I really appreciate and like a lot. Congratulations to Ghibli, for doing a show like this. The studio brought the main essence easily and remained one of the most important organizations in the history of anime.
ExorcistGold
I went into this movie knowing about the low reviews and went in with very low expectations. The least i can say is that im dumbfounded. I genuinely don't understand why people don't enjoy this film. Earwig is a wholesome and fun movie that, while being alot smaller scale with it world then other Ghibli movies, still has all of the charm that made me fall in love with Ghibli movies at a young age. The whole film had me either laughing or awing as the character all have a strong dynamic that makes up the meat of the film. The film's plot is verysimple and digestible and i think it makes the film a candidate of being a good first Ghibli film for people who aren't familiar with them.
The visuals of the film are also extremely charming. The settings and things like the food are near photo realistic, while the character models are cartoony and expressive. These two aesthetics together make the movie fell like dolls in in an elaborate doll house which works well with most of the movie taking place in a single home. I know people are giving this film a hard time for being a CG film but we should all know better by now that CG is capable of being just as charming and expressive as 2d and that's what this film is an example of.
muca12
A fun movie that unfortunately ends too soon. The story is straight forward and is mainly "slice of life." Unfortunately, due to the length of the film, some plot points that are introduced aren't addressed which does feel incomplete but I didn't think it detracted from the rest of the movie. The cg is great, my only complaint is that the background was a little static near the beginning but everything else is good, especially all the jars and textures, you can tell alot of work was put into the film. I think the people that dislike it only think so because they're comparing itto other ghibli movies, and I don't think comparison is a good way to rank things, but that's beside the point. If you want to watch something light and fun that doesn't take too much engagement, I'd definitely recommend it, solid 7.5/10.
Cobweb_Forest
I really want to like this. I think the moive is super cute and the story is really great. the problem is the moive makes me want more and not in the good way. If I found out a series was coming out based off this movie I'd be totally excited. the movie feels like it ends in a cliffhanger and cuts you off with no real ending. All of the personality and charm that this movie gave just kind of makes me depressed there's nothing left after watching it. I enjoyed it as I was watching it but I don't know if there's goingto be a watch because of the reasons I said up above.
Szanowna_Herbata
Why is this movie hated so much? I mean, yeah, it doesn’t have the best graphics, but overall it's a really good movie. Plot 9/10 At first I thought it's because of the low expectations because of the rating and overall hate, but I thought it was really good. So I watched it again. And again. And I still think the plot is interesting. The only confusing thing there is the ending. I think I should remind to some people that it's made for kids. You can't expect the plot to be complicated. Yes the plot is simple, but really fun to watch. Characters 7/10 I havemixed feelings about the characters,but after watching it again, I think their interactions are really fun to watch, especially those between Aya, Bellayaga and Mandrake at the end, really wholesome.
Graphics 4/10
Graphics...well, yeah, they’re nit the best. But really, what can you expect from a studio that was doing 2D animation since beggining? I do hope the graphics will be improved if Ghibli will decide to continue producing this type of movies, but it's not the only thing in movies. I myself, just ignore it and focus on the fun part instead.
My own enjoyment 9/10
I don't think I have to explain why I enjoy something. It was just fun to watch and personally, I enjoyed it more then some other Ghibli movies such as The Cat Retuns.
PitBoy
First, this is not Hayao Miyazaki, This is Gorou Miyazaki, let's not compare Hayao's movies with Gorou, I don't think is fair. Second this is Studio Ghibli 1st full CGI animated feature, meaning that everything, from animation to assets had to being done from scratch, and I remember hearing that the crew was also new with 3D software and It shows, there are things aesthetically that could be better, but I don't think they are in a bad direction and if Studio Ghibli decides to make another CGI movie I do have hopes that they did learn something from their first experience and they'll makeIt better next time. The movie isn't bad, but It does leave a lot to desire. The movie ending on a cliff-hanger without any news about a second part doesn't help the case. With all this information, It's alright, is not a memorable movie, but It was entertaining.
Lorenzz_zo
This was honestly not as bad as people said it was. If you compare it to the other works of studio Ghibli such as Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke etc. then it obviously falls short, but as a whole the story was decent. For once, I prefered the dub as I felt it matched the story's setting in England more, but maybe that's just me. If you've not seen many Ghibli movies then this is probably not the best place to start as it is very different to the rest of them (animation included) but if so, you will probably enjoy at least some part ofthis movie.
darkjonuchiha
As many other movies from Ghibli, Aya to Majo is also inspired in a story written by Diana Wynne Jones. And to better understand the problem with the story, the original author sadly died before being able to finish her book. So in a way this could be a tribute to her by the studio after how much she has given and inspired them in so many decades. People seems to be extremely harsh on the movie just because Ghibli's animation trademark has been left behind in this occassion, it doesn't mean that beautiful classic animation we all know and love will dissapear forever. Actually forbeing their first 3DCG work it's completely astounding how brilliantly detailed everything is, so much that sometimes there are scenes could easily be mistaken for a real-life scenes; whether this is a good or a bad thing is for the viewer to judge on their own personal tastes, nevertheless, it's an incredible technical work of very high quality.
I don't believe the music can compete with wonderful OSTs from Princess Monoke, Howl's Moving Castle, Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Porco Rosso, and many other classics, but it's very enjoyable.
For the direction is not as bad as it may seem (Goro Miyazaki may not be his father, but he is overly critized just because he tries to propose something different and expand Studio Ghibli's views). We are talking about an unfinished story, so the movie just covers to that point. Of course characters and direction will feel bland because the original story is missing at the very least climax and dénouement, which make it feel like uncomplete or even question the point of choosing this story upon so many from Mrs. Jones (aganin the author); but then again it could be that Goro's intention was to tribute the author on her last unfinished work.
There is not much more to say, just don't expect a new Spirited Away, a new My Neighbor Totoro or a new Howl's Moving Castle, just enjoy the movie for what it is. Even with all the flaws this movie has, and understanding that we are not watching a classic, it's worthy to be watched (specially since we are fed so much worse trash than this movie).
AlephDaud
Well, I never thought there would be a day that I thought a Ghibli movie was not just bad but possible one of the worst films I’ve seen this year. Earwig and The Witch is the latest film by acclaimed Japanese animation house Studio Ghibli but their first film to be done completely in CGI. It was directed by Goro Miyazaki, son of the legendary and infamously hard to please Hayao Miyazaki who’s track record has been sketchy at best. He previously directed ‘Tales of Earth sea’ which used to be considered Ghibli’s worst movie, but he also did ‘From Up on Poppy Hill’ which wasgood overall. Unfortunately, this film does Goro’s reputation no favours.
The Plot:
Earwig and The Witch is about a young girl named Earwig, living in an orphanage where she gets states she can get everyone to do what she wants and doesn’t want to leave. Then a Witch and a demon named the Mandrake come to adopt her, and they do. Despite saying she doesn’t want to be adopted, Earwig is totally cool with being kidnapped by these two monsters who outright state they want to use her as child labour because she might be able to learn magic and take control of the house like she did in the orphanage.
For the next hour and ten minutes, that’s pretty much it. Earwig is given tasks to do by The Witch, she attempts pull a prank or get the upper hand on her captor, fails, briefly feels homesick and goes to bed. This cycle repeats around four times in the movie to the point that me and my friends joked that The Witch’s barking demands seemed like an NPC straight out of an RPG with how repetitive her dialogue was.
[MINOR SPOILERS]. This all finally changes when Earwig finally uncovers a secret about the Witch and Mandrake’s past. They were in a rock band. After that, the film flashes forward a few months Earwig is now master of the house, the other two are now her slaves and the film end. It just as out of nowhere as it sounds as if the whole third act was cut from the film. It’s confusing and destroys the few morsels of build up or progression the film had. I’ve heard the reason for this was that the original book by Diana Wynne Jones (same author as Howl’s Moving Castle) was unfinished and also had an abrupt ending but then maybe they shouldn’t have picked this one for a movie adaptation.
The Characters:
I get the writers probably wanted Earwig to be a sassy, mischievous problem child but with a good heart, fighting back against mean adults however she honestly comes off as bratty and almost unintentionally sociopathic. She contently talks about how she got everyone in the orphanage do things the way she wants and how she plans to manipulate the witch and Mandrake into doing the same. This isn’t helped by how quickly she changes character beats. For all her whining about not wanting to be adopted the minute she is, she’s happy with it because she might be able to learn magic and use it to boss people around. Occasionally she mentions missing her old home but for the most part getting one up on The Witch is her driving motive and by the end of the film she basically gets exactly what she wants without learning anything from it.
Speaking of the witch, there not much to her. Just an asshole adult figure for Earwig to feud against, repeating the same asshole adult figure statements like a broken record. The Mandrake isn’t much better but at least he has a cool design and sparkles.
The Animation:
Finally let’s talk about the infamous CGI. I don’t think the models look that bad. They’re a decent attempt at capturing Ghibli’s usual style in 3D but the major problem is that they lack the greater expression of Ghibli’s 2D work. The actual animation feels a little stiff in movement and lacking in expression although the few times that it does try to attempt wider more cartoony reactions, the results are greatly uncanny.
In terms of setting, I hope you like the small cramp house The Witch lives in because pretty much the entire movie takes place in it, a far cry the sweeping grandeur of the bath house of Spirited Away or the oceans of Ponyo.
I should also mention apparently to promote the film Goro was planning a puppet show at the Ghibli Museum. Yeah apparently Goro is an talented puppeteer and the director of the museum. The puppets look pretty cool, they’re still a little creepy but it feels like a more intentional Coraline kind of creepy. I dig it and kind of wish they went with puppets for the actually film.
Overall:
I guess every studio has at least one serious flop and that’s true of Ghibli as well. From the sloppy narrative to unlikable characters to mediocre animation, nothing seemed to work in the film on a fundamental level and it’s hard to see how such an acclaimed studio could have let it pass.
I’m not blaming Goro Miyazaki though, chances are this was given a tiny budget and resources and thankfully Ghibli has confirmed that the movie was more of a one-off experiment with CGI as opposed to the new norm. I’m sure Miyazaki Senior is lurking the background, chuckling at his son’s recent flop; ready to skydive on to the silver screen and the melt audiences tits off with all the might of his glorious hand-drawn animation. A grim reminder that all anime was a mistake (expect his of course).
Morpheus935
This film is an embarrassment and a hideous stain on Studio Ghibli's mostly immaculate track record, the same way Cars 2 is for Pixar. Goro Miyazaki isn't anywhere near his father in talent but I at least enjoyed From Up on Poppy Hills and somewhat enjoyed Tales From Earthsea but this is just too much. I am genuinely astonished at how awful this film was and couldn't wait for it to end. The characters are bland and uninteresting, with the Mandrake having the most potential but he barely gets any screentime. The animation is absolutely putrid to watch and I was dearly wishing it wassimply hand drawn like the animation in the ending credits. There is no real plot which by itself is fine since My Neighbor Totoro didn't really have one either but this film is also incredibly boring (even more than the tear inducingly boring Ocean Waves) and lacks any kind of charm or sense of wonder. I truly struggled to stay awake even with its short runtime. Sound is mostly fine I guess. Don't remember the soundtrack at all though, but the voice acting was decent (but then again, I've yet to watch an anime with bad voice acting).
Neil1998
32 “It’s good that he made one movie. With that, he should stop" - Hayao Miyazaki after watching Tales From Earthsea God, I wished Gorō had listened to his dear old dad. Why Gorō? Why do you insist on making it difficult for me to root for you? I want him to succeed and prove his father wrong but so far, as much as I hate to say this, he has been consistently failing to upheld his father's incredible legacy. With Earwig and the Witch, Studio Ghibli returns after a 6 year hiatus for a TV production and their latest offering turned out to achieve a newcinematic low for the prestigious animation company that looks to rival both Gorō's own directorial debut and the last made for TV film that the staff at Ghibli worked on.
The truth of the matter is if this movie was made by just another random studio, nobody would be talking about it as "enthusiastically" as they are. But it's not made by just another random animation studio. This is Studio Ghibli and just the thought that their fingerprints are plastered all over this movie just hurts my soul. I know this is technically a made for TV film but the movie makes it so hard to do so. The fact that we finally saw the lovable image of Totoro for the first time in front of a film after 6 long years and this forgetting dump of a film is what followed afterwards is downright upsetting.
3D animation in general always gets a bad rep and most of the time, especially in anime, people just hate on it not because it's actually bad by any means but mainly because they had to resort to 3D or CGI in the first place(cough Attack on Titan: Final Season cough).The truth of the matter is the actual 3D animation isn't really all that bad as I thought it would be. But for the most part, every single character in this film exudes the same presence reminiscent to that of an ugly doll completely devoid of any life or some semblance of a soul or heart.
I would also advice staying away from the dub for this movie. It's not because I am some sort of a sub elitist who believes that watching English Dub should constitute as a war crime nor is the actual dub bad by any means especially with the likes of Richard E. Grant and Dan Stevens part of the cast. In fact, it's quite solid and I would have enjoyed the dub even more if the dialogue actually tried to sync up with the lips of these characters half the time. The fact that it's 3D kind of makes it even more obvious.
If there is one thing that I can always count on Gorō to nail, it's the music. It's the one constantly consistent factor prevalent throughout his films and Earwig is no different. The music possess a much more western aesthetic and works well for the most part. But even then that I would argue that I much prefer the soundtrack of his previous two films. I would also argue that the film concludes on a very abrupt note but frankly I just wanted it to be over and done with so I will take it as a blessing in disguise.
As a whole, I wouldn't say Earwig and The Witch is a complete atrocity. It is certainly better than a lot of other films of it's kind but it still come across as nothing more a cheap excuse of a kids film. Even if you take away the Studio Ghibli logo, what you're still left with is a completely disposable animated film that will probably appeal only to its targeted demographic. And what made Ghibli films so appealing is its ability to allure both kids and the little child inside all of us with its gorgeous art and likeable characters. Earwig barely possess any of these factors and it's why I find it to be their worst film to date.
daydreamer808
It's a cute film, but unfortunately the ending feels incomplete. I really enjoyed the art and the texture of the character CGI, but overall the backgrounds felt dark and flat. The character work was one of the best parts of this movie, and this fun clay style along with the great voice acting really made the characters charming. (I watched in Japanese but I'm sure the dub is good too). The story was the most lacking part of this.The different threads just didn't really come together. While most Ghibli films tend to wander, they have a strong trough line that connect back to the emotions of thecharacters and their internal growth. That was lacking in this story. The characters themselves are colorful and charming enough, but they don't quite make up for the lack of structure in the story. I like the sentiment of the ending, but we don't see enough of Earwig growing into her family to really see and understand that they have come to care for one another.
It's a fun kids movie, and while it might not compare to Miyazaki, it's not, in my opinion, the worst movie the studio has put out.
mramirez101
uuuuuughhhh *deep disappointing sigh* Angry fist at Goro AGAIN It had potential but highly disappoints. Let me just say that I admittedly went into this movie being already kind of disappointed because it's Goro and he decided to use CGI instead of the traditional artwork that Ghbli is known for. HOWEVER, I put that aside and decided to watch the movie and I have to say, at first I was pleasantly surprised! While I personally do not like Ghibli doing CGI (because it's very Disney and we have enough of that) it looked a lot better than I was expecting. So I admit I was wrongin that regard.
That being said, I enjoyed the movie until you realize that the story went ABSOLUTELY NOWHERE. Let me list it out:
1. No Plot - it looked like they tried and then they got lost and were just like nevermind
2. the music was terrible!!- There were maybe 2 songs that were pretty decent but the rest made no sense. At one point the movie has the traditional rain scene (symbolizing great change) and Earwig begins reflecting on ...???something I guess and they began playing some sappy sounding song to make you feel bad but you have no idea what to feel bad/sad about.
3. Earwig is unlikeable - hear me out. She is fairly likeable but nothing that makes you really want to root for her because why should you? really...why should you?!
4. Zero character development.
5. very childish film. it'll be kind of okay for kids but doesn't offer anything to anyone over the age of 5 unlike most children's movies which can be entertaining for kids and adults. Yes it's pg 13 but it's more like pg just dont watch it
I absolutely understand that the book this movie is based off of was never completed because the author passed away before completing it. However, if that's that case you can either use what you have and make a coherant story...or just don't animate it because there's no where to go.
In the end, this gets 2 stars because the animation was better than I expected but in typical Goro fashion..it was incomplete, incoherant, and a huge waste of time. He buthered it just like her did Tales of Earthsea (that still pisses me off, and deservingly recieved an award for...wait for it.... The Worst Film of the Year!)
riftshioku
Aya to Majo or Earwig and the Witch is studio Ghibli's first and hopefully last CG movie. It is certainly not the worst thing I've seen, but it doesn't feel like it was made Ghibli. This feels like something made as a TV special for kids. There didn't seem to be a conflict and the main character, Erica, is very flat as are all the other characters. Erica was rather spiteful, as she was only adopted to work for Bellayaga and the Mandrake. I believe her main goal in the movie was to escape their house, but it's magic so she wasn't able to. Ididn't care for the sound design, in Ghibli movies it's usually well thought out. Howl's Moving Castle is whimsical, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is fierce, it reflects that it's a dystopian world. This soundtrack was just not great. It was a bit all over the place, no one set theme.
The Mandrake and Bellayaga honestly didn't even seem like bad people, despite what the beginning of the movie implied, The Mandrake simply having a short temper and Bellayaga being too absorbed in her spell making.
By the end of the movie Erica somehow gets The Mandrake and Bellayaga to do whatever she wants? I didn't quite understand how. It then skips ahead 6 months and shows Erica living lavishly and then her mom shows up with her friend Custard and the movie just abruptly ends.
That's probably what bothers me the most in the movie. The characters get almost no development at all, then it just ends. Overall I'd say Earwig and the Witch is boring, but would probably be good for young children who just need to be entertained for a little bit.
Weebbe
Earwig and the Witch/Aya to Majo review, originally written for my Letterboxd account. As Ghibli's first fully CG feature film, Earwig and the Witch is a bit of a mixed bag. The story, while not awful, is not that interesting. There are very few characters in the film, and I actually found myself liking only one of them, that being the Mandrake. He had some genuinely funny moments and I thought he was pretty interesting overall. Then there's of course the animation. The use of CGI here is not bad in comparison to most CGI in anime, but if you compare it to anything Pixar orother major studios are putting out today, it's not even close. It looks very lifeless. Also their hair looks like plastic.
Overall, while it works well enough as entertainment for kids, and has some good moments and ideas, this movie is easily among Ghibli's weakest.
konna_san
*This is my first review, please be kind with my faults* To tell the truth I can not understand why most of the people are strict about this movie. I'm a fan of Ghibli studios and it has almost never disappointed me and once again it excites me with the work on this film Story 9/10 -The story is about the daughter of a witch whose daughter is called Earwig. She grew up in an orphanage as a baby after her mother left her there to grow up safely. Around the age of ten, a strange couple, Bella Yaga and Mandrake, come and adopt her against her wishes.And then the adventure begins for our little protagonist.
Art 10/10
(*personal opinion*)
-The art is very beautiful and it is reminds me of my childhood days. The animation is amazing and i really love the background's art
Sound/music 10/10
(*personal opinion*)
-The music is AMAZING. I couldn't miss the playlist on spotify with the background's music from this movie.(I already have fallen for the main movie's song " Don't disturb me ")
Enjoyment 10/10
(*personal opinion*)
- I obviously enjoyed this movie. I felt like i was there with Earwig and i lived her adventure too. I can say that the movie is magical (as the spirited away or other Ghibli movies? And i will answer YES). Even though the story was too simple and "childish" , it was very interesting (i would give everything to someone end this novel). In the end of the movie i was very excited and it has made my mood very happy. It's obviously worth to watch this movie and i can promise you that you will like it even a little.
