elicopperman Last year, a brand new animation studio in Japan called Studio Ponoc, found by former Studio Ghibli producer Yoshiaki Nishimura, released their first ever feature film, Mary and the Witch's Flower, based on the book The Little Broomstick by Mary Stewart. While it earned lots of praise, many saw the film as inferior to Studio Ghibli; keep in mind that the film's director previously directed The Secret World of Arrietty and When Marnie Was There. It seems as if people are still sad that the age of Ghibli is over, but it's time we moved on to this studio, because this film seems to have helped kickstart a potential successor to the acclaimed studio.The film tells the story of a young girl named Mary Smith who discovers an old broomstick and a strange flower called the "fly-by-night". Upon both the broomstick and flower whisking Mary into Endor College -- a school of magic run by headmistress Madam Mumblechook and the brilliant Doctor Dee, it's here where Mary discovers a horrible truth about said college and must set things right. With a premise like that, this is sure to be a character driven narrative, and Mary is made as a rather sympathetic and intriguing lead given how her boring life turns way more interesting after she briefly becomes a witch. It's later on in the film where we learn more about both the college's past and Mary's origins, showing off some hidden layers that will either disturb or enlighten you depending on which story aspect you follow.One interesting aspect about the film is how despite magic playing a key role, it also tackles the themes of whether it is proper or improper upon full usage. In fact, there are many moments where Mary has to rely more on bravery than actual magic, proving how sometimes, you can do way more with what you already have than what you might need. In addition, the animation is gorgeous to look at, with the green woods and mist-filled forests of England done in a soothing watercolor aesthetic, and the college of Endor itself practically coming off as a psychedelic space dream. Some notable objects throughout the enchanting place range from students floating by in soap bubbles, fountains morphing into humans, and grotesque creatures. There are also some thrilling action sequences towards the third act that really put the viewers on the edge of their seats.In terms of other characters, Madam Mumblechock and Dr. Dee are a good representation of those who are driven by greed and lust for new innovation, making them pretty threatening villains in their own regard. Peter, who ends up playing a bigger role in the film's second half, isn't all that memorable, but he does end up creating some big obstacles for Mary to overcome her fears. Mary's great-aunt Charlotte ends up becoming a very important character later on in the film and also helps Mary overcome her fears, whilst also helping Mary overcome her fears as well. There's not much to say about the rest, as they're either just there or are mere productive beings for Mary to struggle around. Also, if there's one big issue with Mary herself, it's that despite her overcoming the usage of magic with courage in the third act, she doesn't have much inner conflict in the beginning of the film, and it would've helped if she had more to her than being an average clumsy kid at first.Like I said before, Studio Ghibli may not be as active as before, but at least we have a new successor to make even better films in the near future. Overall, despite some weak characters, Mary and the Witch's Flower is a well done first feature from a new animation production company that packs in enough stunning animation, impressive themes of triumphing over superiority, and story momentum. If you're into stories about young sorcerers, you're a fan of Harry Potter or Little Witch Academia, or a former Ghibli fan, definitely give this film a watch. It's important to give new studios a chance, because even if their first product is only good but not great, just the right amount of love and support will help their next films blossom into something much more grand than their first attempt. Whatever Studio Ponoc has in store for us in the future, you can bet that I'll be there when it first comes out....in America that is.

Charles Camp SPOILER: I've seen the term "Ghibli-lite" thrown around quite a bit in the past, but this is the first time it has truly felt appropriate. Studio Ponoc is the new Japanese animation studio that has risen from the ashes of the mighty Studio Ghibli with the goal of creating animated features of the same spirit and quality. It's staffed by many of the same extraordinarily talented animators, and this film - their debut - was helmed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, the director of two recent canon Ghibli films: the solid The Secret World of Arrietty, and the excellent When Marnie Was There. You couldn't hope for a better pedigree, but Mary and the Witch's Flower falls unequivocally short of the mark.It certainly looks the part. It frequently sounds the part. But it just doesn't feel the part. For all its visual grandeur, the film ultimately has a vacuous, shallow quality. It references many phenomenal, classic Ghibli films like Kiki's Delivery Service and Spirited Away, but fails to reach the same level of heart, nuance, and depth. The bathhouse setting in Spirited Away, for instance, absolutely bustles with activity and is populated by characters who feel unique and well-realized no matter how minor their role. By comparison, Endor College feels hollow and lifeless, a backdrop rather than a living, breathing place. This film took about half the time to make as the typical Ghibli film and, sadly, it shows. The characters are thin and the plot feels familiar and routine in an unflattering way,Still, there are some magical moments to be had here and visually the film does consistently impress. The more contemplative scenes which make up much of the first act of the film contain its best sequences. Yonebayashi has shown himself to be a filmmaker that thrives in the languid, slice-of-life style approach and this film doesn't play to his strengths. It was likely a calculated decision to make a more fun, action/adventure-oriented feature a la Castle in the Sky to debut the studio but it just comes off feeling... calculated. It's a decent film, but given the talent involved, decent is quite a letdown. I haven't given up on Ponoc though. Someone needs to carry the Ghibli torch and they are still poised to be the ones to do it. Fingers crossed that it's only up from here.3/5

markcasa-63624 I first saw this movie on April 14th 2018. And I first heard about this movie on June 19th 2017 on the day I arrived in California to go to Disney land for the summer and all I saw of the movie was a poster of Mary and that was it. I wasn't that into it because there was no english dub and this was a month before the films release in Japan. Well I saw a trailer the day before the films release at my apartment at camp I saw the same trailer when I saw the re release of Castle in the sky one of my favourite animated movies at theatres in august 27th. Then a week later the english cast was announced being Ruby Barnhill (Mary), Kate Winslet (Bumbleshock) and Jim Broadbent (Docter B). Thats a good cast. The film as release in America in January 18th 2018 and the trailer was release in early December 2017. I saw the trailer and the voice of Mary was cringe and a lot of people agreed in the comments. But two weeks later I got into the trailer and I watched the trailer like 50 times. I couldn't see the movie in America as I left 3 weeks before it came out there. I saw a special trailer when I saw All the Money in the world, and it showed some more stuff that wasn't in the trailer. I liked it. I had to wait till March 30th before it came out on DVD. I was going to watch it on thursday like all of my new movies but the DVD was the Japanese version with no subtitles. I had to wait longer until on Wednesday I found out it was playing in Vox cinemas and this was my chance. I saw it and here are my thoughts:-----Ok for one the english dub is pretty good. Mary's voice unlike in the trailer isn't that cringe. The same goes for the rest of the cast there pretty good too. One thing is the pacing and for the first 20 minuets things are very slow besides the awesome opening which was shown in the first trailer I saw. Like we have Mary adjusting to her new house and her neighbours and it was kind of. BORING. Luckily things blast off afterwards as Mary gets the flowers and is sent to Ender College and Ender College is like Hogwarts if it was from the Future. Also for one I'm not that good at reviewing the plot, I'm more good at reviewing nitpicks.I wished they used more magic in the movie. Like theres a spell which can undo any spell and thats mostly everything the two characters Mary and Peter use. Most of the magic is used by Mumbleshook and those spells are cool but why couldn't the rest of the characters use spells like that. Ok I know Mary has magic for one day so you can't do that much, but she steals a spell book from Mumbleshook and they only use one spell. But you know, you only have magic for one day. At least they use brooms a lot.Also since this was made by some of the same people made by Studio Ghibli. So following a similar trend I do at the end of most Studio Ghibli films I would watch the whole credits cause even the credits are like apart of the movie. I stayed to the end and then The End appeared and that just put a smile on my face. All these reasons is why I believe Studio Ponco is a good Studio to make new movies. And I sure hope they make more movies soon.I give it 10 out of 10.

nbfcblog Based on the 1971 children's novel The Little Broomstick by Mary Stewart, this anime fantasy adventure is a satisfying debut from Studio Ponoc that manages to carry on the glorious legacy of Studio Ghibli.Founded back in 2015 by producer Yoshiaki Nishimura in the aftermath of Isao Takahata (Grave of the Fireflies, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya) and Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle) announcing retirement and Ghibli moving away from feature film animation; MATWF crew members consists of the director behind The Secret World of Arriety and the wonderful When Marnie Was There Hiromasa Yonebayashi along with several ex-Studio Ghibli animators.So if you saw the trailer and wondered to yourself "This looks really Ghibli-ish?", that is because MATWF is essentially another Studio Ghibli release in all but name.Everything that was great about Ghibli is still present from the colorful crisp animation, to the gorgeous spacious shots of countryside landscape, the magical castle serenely floating in the sky, it's well-developed and relatable young female protagonist and technology vs. environmentalism themes, although this time magic is used as a metaphorical substitute for technology.One criticism that could be leveled at this film is that it almost echoes Ghibli too much. Longtime fans will easily be able to spot elements from Kiki's Delivery Service (focus on magic and witchcrafts, Mary's black cat), Castle in the Sky, Howl's Moving Castle (Madame Mumblechook office) and Spirited Away along with other films such as Harry Potter (magic school setting) and even Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.Although given this is Ponoc's first movie and thus their initial flagship title (their logo consists of an image of the title character), I can understand why the filmmakers felt compelled to play things close to the chest this time. Hopefully for the their next set of feature films we will start to see more experimentation in the vein of Only Yesterday, My Neighbor the Yamata's, Whisper of the Heart, and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.In the meantime, MATWF is a fantasy action adventure of the highest order that can be enjoyed by individuals of all ages.From the opening sequence alone portraying a young witch making a high-flying escape from an exploding castle in the sky while dodging shape-shifting henchman, the movie does a really good job of hooking the audience in with awe-inspiring spectacle and unique visuals. Admittedly the film does slow down a bit during the first twenty minutes when it's introducing Mary and her ordinary country-side living; but once she discovers her flying broom and is transported to Cloud City Hogwarts, it's a delightful adventure that features unique interpretations of old Ghibli themes.The pacing is gentle but brisk and there is a great sense of danger amidst the wonderment, which is further enhanced by some splendid comedy gags such as the mishaps pertaining to Mary's magic powers and a certain running joke involving a monkey.Takatsugu Muramatsu returns from Yonebayashi's previous film When Marnie was There to provide another fantastic melodic score. It complements the graceful visuals like bread on butter and has a great neoclassical European vibe with it's use of string instruments and flutes that perfectly goes along with the film's more adventure movie tone.It's certainly far from the level of Ghibli's masterpieces (Castle in the Sky, Spirited Away), I personally did wish for more world building and Peter, Mary's male companion, sadly goes under-developed with the "sick mother" plot point never having a payoff.However, as a longtime admire of the work done by Ghibli and it's crew, seeing this movie for it's one-night only showing at my local Marcus Cinema was a great experience, especially when seeing it in a theater packed with moviegoers both young and old.I look forward to what Studio Ponoc will release next!