Yes, it’s about that time. Oh you know, the blog where I discuss the anime as a whole and give my final opinion on the anime, Majo no Tabitabi. Overall the experience as a whole was a fairly good one, I would think. It definitely felt like one of those anime that presented the viewer with a mixed bag. There was a little bit a comedy, adventure, fantasy, action, gore etc. The story itself was also at its heart, very simple.
It’s about Elaina being inspired to be a travelling witch; travelling to all the places she read about in a book that she adored growing up ‘The Adventures of Nike’. That sentence alone is the embodiment of the anime, we follow Elaina around as she visits all these places she had read about growing up, experiencing everything first hand, like Nike. Quickly through watching the first few episodes of the series, you can tell what the pacing is going to be like, one story/event from the ‘Adventures of Nike’ per episode, sometimes it being stretched out over two episodes, but more often than not, it was covered within the episode. You’re told a little backstory from the story, then you’re presented with a problem or a situation that Elaina is faced, then at the end of the episode we have our conclusion.
One thing that did bother me a little bit about the anime was how stiff Elaina felt sometimes. Often times, I found myself thinking “I don’t like her” or “Her personality seems kind of dull”. There were times when I thought having the supporting cast feature more often within the episode would have benefited. I certainly do not think Elaina alone is enough to carry this anime through to the finish line. This was something I thought during the episode and is something I think is still true by the end of the anime. To me, Elaina’s personality wasn’t that fun.
Despite the dull personality, there is one thing Elaina is really good at putting other’s needs before her own. As each adventure she went on was effectively episodic, we saw her help or attempt to help those who may have needed it. Obviously, there were times when she couldn’t simply because she didn’t feel like it was right to get involved or what not; but for sure she’s easy to get along with and is pretty selfless. On Elaina’s journey she discovers the darker side of the world. Like for example, the episode where she stayed in the country without citizens and Land of Truth Tellers, just to name a few. One of the more darker episodes was by far episode nine when she went to help Estelle rescue her friend Selena from a hate of being a murder. If you haven’t seen that episode (which I sure you already have), then you should give it a watch. That episode was certainly hard to watch for me.
Majo no Tabitabi is both a light and dark show, meaning that where there’s light comedy and humor, there’s darkness and despair. The comedy mostly comes from the character personalities while the darker elements are hidden within the self-contained stories. Despite the storytelling showcasing episodic adventures, they each have recurring elements that ties the overall anime together. The major recurring element of course, being the ‘Adventures of Nike’, which takes on a whole new meaning and significance by the anime’s end. Something that I didn’t see coming, but was something that was slowly revealed to us in the latter episodes. That part in particular was fun for me.
Studio C2C managed to do excellent work when it comes animating the setting and overall world fiction of the show. From day one, I noticed that every character is distinctive in some way or form. Elaina has the classic look of a young witch complete with a hat, silver hair, and youthful appearance. Similarly, other characters such as Fran and Shelia has their look as more experienced witches. However, the biggest perk of the show is the overall world building. Almost every episode depicts a new setting as Elaina travels from place to place. It sort of feels like playing a JRPG with a character going into towns and resolving new problems. The different settings are also saturated with colorful content such as the Land of Mages and magical Kingdoms. Without a doubt in my mind, the art style of the anime was very pleasing to the eyes, I enjoyed it all. As someone who typically enjoys the use of a wide range of bright colours, Majo no Tabitabi certainly does not fall short in that catergory.
Like I’ve mentioned previously, my Majo no Tabitabi has been a fairly good experience. Were there things I disliked? Sure. Elaina isn’t a character that will fit everyone’s idea as to who and what a main character should be like personality wise. Were there dull moments? For sure. However, I saw a lot more good than bad. I enjoyed the episodic feel this anime had and I enjoyed the stories that were told each episode. Except for the scary, darker ones those made me feel uneasy (as they should). I personally enjoyed the latter episodes more than I did the first few. I also enjoyed the art as it’s a style I like a lot and the use of bright colour throughout the episode made everything pop. You couldn’t help but admire the work done by the studio.
I consider this anime good and finished! Onto the next one.
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One response to “Majo no Tabitabi | Anime Review”
I quite enjoyed this one and Elaina worked for me. I found her to an interesting enough narrator at times. I really liked the visuals in this anime and the feel of each different place Elaina visited. While not earth-shaking, this anime was entertaining enough.