Majo no Tabitabi

At the start of this season, I was skeptical about Majo no Tabitabi at first because I thought it was gonna be some generic and bland fantasy romp that was skippable at best. But finally giving this series a watch proved me wrong and I was taken aback to what this series had to offer. The series does a great job exemplifying the slice of life aspects with the adventure-fantasy settings as Elaina learns more about the world she travels and writes in her diary. This is also prevalent in the episodes which covered the darker side of Elaina’s world, and helpdsubvert expectations and add to the series world building. The series isn’t perfect as there were instances where some episodes felt predictable and did take away the suspense of the story, given that it is a light novel adaptation. And the episodic tone can be a turnoff for most viewers as well. Given how polarizing she was to some viewers, I’d come to appreciate what a great MC Elaina was. I really admired how she didn’t feel like a trope character that most viewers were used to in most modern anime. She didn’t have to be some justice-seeking action hero nor some stock isekai character, but her main gist was being an ordinary traveling witch who followed her code of staying away from others affairs (except for some cases). She’s funny, sassy, dorky, and can be narcissistic but to a point where she isn’t too stuck up about it. The biggest moment of Elaina’s character being in episode 9 where she does come to grips with her own weakness of being just a traveler and an observer. The rest of the cast was nice too like like Elaina’s wise and lovable teacher Fran, the childlike and yuri-induced gag-character Saya, and the hardassed witch Sheila. The visuals and animation were really spot on, especially when it had it’s action scenes. There were instances where some shots were reused, but it wasn’t too prevalent. The voice acting was spot on as well with my favorite portrayals being Kaede Hondo as Elaina, Kana Hanazawa as Fran and Tomoyo Kurosawa as Saya. In the end, I personally enjoyed Majo no Tabitabi for what it was worth. While it isn’t perfect, it did blow my skepticism and expectations away with its narrative, setting, characters and production value. Given how much the series polarized a majority of viewers, I can respect that because people’s opinions differ. Overall, I give this a 8.5 out of 10, and I would definitely come back for rewatches.

I started this anime to watch in the background while playing games - and yes, in english dub. Truly heartbreaking for some people, I know. So take that with a grain of salt for my review of the characters, because I think that maybe the sub might've felt less.. grating and perverted? I like calm shows that don't take a lot of brain power to follow. However, this was not exactly that. I had started off thinking this would be a cute filler anime with magic and some random stories. The main character starts off decent enough but as the episodes keep going she gets a bit obnoxious. By the end I really didn't care for her at all. The side characters are a jumbled bunch. I like the teachers a lot and they add something to the story but the apprentice/friend Saya is a desperate annoyance. Every episode with her felt like perverted fan service or a fly you can't swat away. Overall, I would give the characters a 3/10 and they only get a three since Flan is hard carrying them. The plot itself isn't terrible, you can't really tell with the time skips and at points it has you questioning just how long it's been. Episode 9 was quite the twist to the usual episodes and just for that it's at least something interesting that shows the main character out of her usual comforts. The art style is nice on the eyes and it is well animated. I would say that would be the highest selling point for this show. (Solid 8/10). I didn't pay much attention to the music so I would go to the other reviews for that. All in all, this anime isn't anything to write home about. I'm sure there's some people that like these types of characters or find comfort in this and for that I'm glad! But for me, this is just another anime that's like sand. It seeps through your hands and before you know it you haven't retained much at all.

I'm not quite sure who the audience for this show was meant to be. If you like cute stories about girls adorably bumbling through life and growing up along the way, you will find parts of it excessively dark and unsettling. If you prefer darker themes, for the most part, you will find the story boring and the characters annoying. I do not think all of the episodes are in chronological order, either, so sometimes the main character will say she is eighteen, and then later in the series say that she is seventeen. But it isn't too confusing aside from that, as most of the episodes have their own story to tell. The animation is really pleasant. I liked it a lot. The music was fun. I would recommend this show if you're looking for something to watch around Halloween, and you aren't too picky about what.

Now,some of you may not like it.But watching it made me realize,how much I want a life like her.✨ Many people tend to say, Elaina is a selfish protagonist.But I understood her reasoning,maybe that's why I like her so much. Her life is a series of introductions and goodbyes,so she can't her pour her heart to only one person or one place.That way, she can ignore lingering feelings and move on. Some people may find it selfish but in this cruel world,it's the only way to save yourself..especially those of us who are traveling alone in this journey called 'Life'. Whether they make a season 2 or not..it depends on hype I guess. But I know how enjoyed the show and my beloved MC's journeys as the curtain was closing..❤️

Wondering Witch Elaina, “Every journey begins with a single step. We just have to have patience.” The story isn't all adventuring to fun nations; it gets dark from time to time. The story shows that the world isn't always a bright place, especially since magic isn't always used for good, and there are wars going on... Elaina's character display is a realistic portrayal of personality that isn't being shown on some anime nowadays. If you notice every little detail, and character interactions, you'll start to feel that some of this is not being shown on some typical anime that you've already watched. If you are the type who enjoys Fantasy, Slice of Life and somehow a little dark twist, then this one is just for you! That being said, this is the type of show that you will very much enjoy from the start to the very last episode.

This review contains some spoilers here and there When fall began, there were two anime that I wanted to watch. One was Iwa Kakeru and only because it aired on October thus it was what I wanted to watch once I passed September. The other was Majo no Tabitabi because it made me think that it would be like Little Witch Academia when I saw the trailer. So, imagine my disappointment when the show was not at all like that show but on top of that was a poorly made episodic series about an unlikeable protagonist with a completely messy tone. The show is promising in its first episode though, although nothing groundbreaking in neither its world, premise or characters, the exposition was very good, presenting this aspects organically through interactions among the characters and through the protagonist traveling to places. It also establishes the character pretty well, she’s nothing like Akko and is instead one of a kind among the witches of this world, whose function and system is never explained by the way, there’s magic in this world and the witches are treated with the upmost respect, yet they don’t seem to have an organized way of doing things and the normal citizens act like these girls are a common thing. Anyways Elaina is nothing like your common protagonist, she’s selfish, arrogant, sarcastic and self centered, which is why the whole first episode is about her being rejected for being at the top of the world and learning how to not be a jerk at the end of the episode by facing a way stronger and better witch. It also sets the bar when it comes to its production, to put it simple, Majo no Tabitabi is straight up both gorgeous to look at and well animated. Although there’s some obvious CGI which clashes a little with the rest of the visuals, it’s never crude or ugly and is rendered pretty well and moves accordingly with the rest of the elements. As far as the rest of the visual elements go, there are practically no quality drops, the backgrounds are detailed and beautiful, the lightning and shading are well done, and the motions are fluent most if not all the time. The directing is good too, there’s a clear effort done in the storyboard to make the show visually dynamic, with lots of zoom ins and zoom outs, and the camera following the movements of the brooms from both the front and the back while constantly changing the angles in an organic way and not in a way that gives you a headache as in famous american action films like Transporter, Taken or the Bourne trilogy (I didn’t watch the newer ones) where the camera goes crazy at times and don’t let you understand what the hell is going on. All of the above applies to the action scenes as well, which although not that present throughout the show, they are done masterfully. By comparison, Burn the Witch aired in the same season and the only thing everybody praised about it was the action and animation, and Majo no Tabitabi humilliates it completely in both aspects, especially in its last episode with its epic fight where a whole town is involved, full of big spells, and whole houses being blown away, while not even once losing detail in the artwork or fluidity in the movements. The only negative in the visual department, aside from the not so good CGI, is the character designs, they are not bad but are way too simple, forgettable and there are characters that are way too similar one another. The first episode also let us know how the sound is going to be, there isn’t much to talk about it, is a serviceable sound design for a fantasy series, typical opening and ending, typical soundtrack, well made but not special voice acting, good but not amazing sound effects, that’s all. Then the second episode begins and Elaina didn’t change one bit, thus killing the illusion that there will be character development and a sense of meaningful learning and growth throughout her journey. On top of that Saya appears to change the tone of the series from a mildly interesting adventure to a silly yuri comedy. The whole second episode was full of emotional manipulation, Saya lies to Elaina and forces her to do stuff she doesn’t want to while at the same time presenting us her drama about not being able to see her sister, making you think that it’s a somewhat serious thing, but as the show would prove in its final episodes, that’s not the case at all. I was hoping that she didn’t appear ever again, but sadly, she did. The only good thing about this episode was establishing another thing about the witches, despise their seemingly high social status, they have to constantly work their asses (not literally, not in this season at least) in order to get money and stuff. Then came the somewhat controversial third and fourth episodes which are easily the best for me. These two episodes felt like classical fairy tales with dark overtones, dealing with dark topics such as slavery, sexual abuse, forbidden loves and a war because of it, and whole kingdoms being affected in the middle, if not completely destroyed and the heart breaking message of how sometimes your good intentions can backfire at you, as you end up doing more harm than good when you try to change things, which is ever present in the whole show but never again treated with this quality. And just like the first episode, they are subtle about it, everything is shown visually and through character interactions, such as Elaina pointing her wand at that asshole but not attacking him in the end because, well, he was the major of the town and doing so would bring serious consequences, while their endings are actually dark and implied, not fully shown not hammering you in the head with their themes and messages, and not in a way that feels vague and open to interpretation, as it’s still somewhat clear what might actually have happened. As I said earlier, their endings felt like the dark endings of classical fairy tales and are thematically coherent within the show and are in-story excused, as a big part of Elaina’s character has to do with how she wants to be a magic because of the tales she read as a kid thus this way of treating these mini stories feel right for this show. For all I care, these two episodes were the peak of the series. On the other hand this third episode was very divisive when it comes to Elaina’s behaviour. Some liked how she’s not like a typical protagonist who jumps in blindly to help any random person she encounters and others hated her for not showing the slightest sympathy for the people around her and acting like “yeah, whatever, shit happens” and treated her like a inhuman sociopath. I don’t care about any of that, my only issue is how this episode made it clear that Elaina is not a proactive character that does things on her own, she’s just imitating the book she loved as a kid and reacting to whatever happens around her at best, or is just a passive observer who doesn’t care about the stuff she’s supposed to be excited about and learn from in her travels at worst. After that there was nothing of interest, the stories became way sillier and didn’t have the same feel nor the thematic depth, and on top of that Elaina became more and more unlikeable with each episode. There were episodes with sociopolitical issues such as one where everybody in a kingdom wants to be able to lie again, one where the people from the same country are divided in two by a wall in the middle (Berlin anyone?) and one where two sides of the same town are rivals when it comes to economy but their conflicts are so silly, the tone of the episodes so light, the messages so preachy and directly told, thus no subtle at all, the theme exploration so vague and one sided and Saya appeared again that the series went to bottom of the garbage and lost my interest. As for Elaina, although I was still tolerating her after the third episode, these episodes made me hate her completely, she did nothing to stop the serious issues she comes across in the third and fourth ep…

This anime is like the Last of us part 2. Some people love it but some dont. And I'm on the "hate it" side. It is definitely a unique anime about a witch going on a journey and meeting different people with different stories. I'm sure some people will enjoy it as that's pretty much the point of the anime. But here is why I hate it... First when I watched the trailer and the anime art page it looked like some really interesting adventure anime that would be somehow wholesome and really show how the world is an interesting place, but after watching it all. I really disliked it and that is because I personally felt like the story is kinda shi*t; every episode is bad. Really bad and that's because at first it seems like everything is alright and some really interesting things will happen like a "heroine will save the day and learn a lesson about some value of life or a wisdom" but no. Everything has a twist and the main character is pretty much a b*tch ignoring everyone and not caring about the lesson that must he learned. She usually solve the issue but most of the time she runs away as if nothing happened and the problem solved is usually... well all the time really dark. I'm not a fan of that. I personally dont like it for that reason as I dont find any enjoyment in "seeing the world get worse and ignore its issues" type of things. I wished that she would at least be the good witch and realize the human heart to some extent as a witch. But as I said that's a personal reason as many others like my brother enjoyed it because he thought the story was basicslly entertaining but we agreed that its not organized as if it doesnt really teach the watcher anything of value. Other than that the Art style and the animation look smooth and amazing like high budget anime. I liked the music and the voice acting. So in conclusion. What I hate is the character personality and the story itself.

Wandering Witch is a story about finding purpose through experiences and trying to move above and beyond them in order to approach them in the best way possible, only to struggle and keep failing, only to keep doing them over and over again. Its clear source of inspiration - as well as the most apt series to compare it to - is Kino's Journey, but whereas Kino is mostly stationary in her approach towards the various people and locations she encounters, Elaina attempts to react on a case by case basis. In many ways, this makes Elaina reactionary, and this sets the tone for the series' main focus; on whether the cycle of fate can be overturned through her own hands, or whether she can't, with the answer the series provides being mixed, but leaning towards the former - albeit with a particular nuance. It's impossible to separate Wandering Witch from Elaina as a character, with her adventures being front and center for all but one episode of this series. Elaina is a haughty, arrogant, exceptionally talented witch and yet this betrays an otherwise lonely, pessimistic young woman who due to her many failures constantly fails in rescuing people she otherwise could have had a chance to save. As a result, her arrogance over her beauty or talents come off as less of her being genuinely narcissistic but rather as a coping mechanism towards herself. Her reactions to the various stories covered in the series as a result vary, as despite her best intentions she bares witness to many a tragedy that she feels she couldn't have done anything about - one tragedy in particular sticks out with the aforementioned nuance, as a man essentially tries to cheer up a slave who's being abused by her master by showing her images of people living happy, free lives. However, this ultimately proves to be her undoing instead, as by showing her the lives of people being happy, he's essentially doomed her to an unhappy end where she will ultimately languish in despair then kill herself. Episode 9 is another case where things fall to hell, as Elaina desperately tries to assist someone in overcoming her destiny but ultimately fails and watches a tragedy unfold before her eyes. The core message across many of the series' darker episodes being that Elaina can't stop these tragedies from happening, because the seeds to these tragedies happening have already been buried, waiting to grow by the time she's stumbled across them, so it is only natural she'd fail. The moral this series proposes - and this is especially evident once one contrasts the darker, more infamous episodes this series has gained a reputation for against the otherwise often lighthearted tone in the series - is that the intent behind solving problems does nothing if the underlying cause behind said problems still exist. Elaina's character arc, as a result, is her trying different approaches to different problems and slowly but surely progressing as a character and changing her approaches due to her experiences. This comes to head in an amazing finale, where she comes across what she could have been had she chosen to do things differently, and accepting that ultimately, she is painfully flawed, but will not stop romantically exploring the world - beyond that ugliness, there's too much beauty for her not to find something to explore. In a strange way, instead of being a more direct coming of age story, the series promotes continuing to romanticize and explore the world, but if and only if your approach changes alongside it, which various characters over the course of the series failed to do. The side cast in this respect exist to act as a form of connection that Elaina has to the world around her, and a constant reminder - over and over again - that she has a place to belong, irrespective of where she goes or what she experiences. Saya's love for Elaina (that's heavily implied to be mutual in a later episode) is comically over the top, and yet there's a scene where Saya gives Elaina a necklace, reminding her of her connection to her. Elaina tries to leave a city after stumbling across an acquaintance, only to then be reminded on the way out that said acquaintance knows she'd do this kind of thing, has waited for her in advance and proceeds to see her off on her journey. The side cast are a fun bunch whose dynamics with Elaina and each other are reasonably fleshed out, with a particular should needing to go to Saya as well as Nike's trio, whose book about their travels is an inspiration for Elaina to travel herself, is another subconscious connection between her and another character. It's these connections that give Elaina the power to continue on, and much of the criticism involving lighthearted episodes being in-between the darker, more cruel episodes in the series often tend to miss the point the series is aiming for about emphasizing the connection that Elaina has, that no matter how hard she tries to fight things alone it's her connection to others that acts as a source of salvation, culminating in a fantastic climax at the end of the show. Production values are excellent all around - everything from animation quality to voicework to sound design and direction is superbly done, with my only gripe being that comedic scenes sometimes feel stretched out longer than they should've been and, if watched from the perspective of someone who'd prefer a show with a more singular tone, can cause mood whiplash. However, these are minor gripes for what is otherwise easily one of the best anime to come out this year, and for anyone willing to accept this series for what it is, I cannot recommend this highly enough. Thank you very much for reading my review, any and all feedback would be appreciated.

overall score: -low eight- (8.2) (slight spoiler) This is a show that is ment to show the adventure of eleina a young traveling witch. in short this show really did a great job at showing the many and different adventure eleina went through in his journey. every episode i watch really feels like i'm travelling with eleina, The excitement, the sadness, the painful truth that eleina have to face ALL of it the audience were able to feel. The characteristic of eleina is also a unique one. She is honest to herself and really straight forward. like in the ep.2 where she left the guy that was looking for her sister just to find her getting devour slowly by a plant. At that point she might as well help them but she didn't....why you ask? cuz she's a wondering witch. She is a traveler not a hero. she might be able to help them but even as a witch there is things that you are not able to do. and like her mother told her "avoid any unnecessary action that will led you to a consequences" even if she must be selfish so be it. She is task by her mother to protect herself and come home safely not to become a hero. she wanted to go on a journey to see many different phenomena and cities and that is want path of journey she is going to take. This show also use a variety of event from deep dark sad story to happy wholesome story just like a real adventure. you don't know what to expect when your on a adventure the possibility is limitless and this anime did a really great job at showing that.

Witches This anime tell the tale on Elaina the traveling witch. We first get to see her becoming one and the rest of the episodes are dedicated on Elaina traveling around the world, meeting new people and uncovering new stories. The stories can go from happy go lucky stuff like wine making to straight up murder. Some stories are weird in their own sense but it is best experienced by watching. OST: The ost honestly is pretty nice. A lot of nice themes here and there and of course a good opening is always nice. The animation in this series is pretty good. When there is fights or magic battles and whatnot are usually done well and they look good. This anime is pretty good not gonna lie. 8/10

"Just because you are doing something for someone else does not mean that it is right. Kindness and beauty can sometimes become cruel." (Elaina) Majo in tabitabi is frustrating At first the anime shows promise, with an unexplored universe that gives the impression of learning together with the protagonist, this added to the excellent soundtrack and the stunning scenarios shows us an almost infallible recipe for a masterpeace, but that is not what happens. In the course of the episodes, no sence resolutions and characters with a personality so linear that borders on laziness are noticeable. Aside from the ones that reappear at some point in the series, it is VERY easy to see the role of the characters in the episode. Despite all that, there is a reason why I gave this anime a 8. Majo no tabitabi is detail oriented. Speeches, facial expressions, even camera positioning sometimes convey a meaning that can change your perception of the facts presented, things said or thought in the second episode that prove to be true in the future, or a subtle line of speech that explains why of the actions of a certain character to be in such a way. Most current animes are extremely expository, almost never making room for a reflection by the viewer himself. Majo no tabitabi goes in the opposite direction of this, but it is extremely frustrating to see so much potential wasted because the writers were afraid to take risks, going for the most basic and followed to build a story. Despite all this, Elaina's adventures is definitely worth seeing, but ironically, if it is in the details where the anime excels, it is also in the details where it sins the most. Overall Grade: 8 Story 7 Animation 9 Sound 8 Character 8 Enjoyment 9

"Let me tell you about myself. I am a witch and a traveler. My journey was a series of meetings and farewells, and at the same time, it was a series of choices. I made many choices that I couldn't backtrack on, and that has brought me to where I am today." This is for me the quote that perfectly describe what we've seen in Majo no Tabitabi. The story tells about a wandering witch named Elaina, an aspirant, and later on to all effects, witch who simply begin a journey for discover the world and the numerous realms that lives in it, learning to improve in magic arts and to approach in different ways the people she encounters, eventually helping them. But here is coming the precious part of the show, not in all cases Elaina helps who is in front of her. Herself says to us, spectators of her adventures, that she's a simple observer of the happenings, the decision to attend and helping will be up to her, whether it will be convenient for her or not. This is what for me makes Elaina a charming character, an unusual and curious girl, especially in this times full of "do-good for the plot" protagonists. Simply she feels to me more real, tangible personality for our world. That's not a common aspect in many shows and I understand people who disagreed to this detail of Elaina's character, it can be misleading . But I was just in love with this particulars, even in the first minutes of the show. This is, in most cases, an episodic anime, we are shown a lot of stories, beautiful stories and other little less. We have comedy, adventure, thriller, even drama and some brutal scenes that I sincerely didn't expect from a show of this tones which I really liked how fits well in that circumstances. The art is really good, colors and traits are in theme with the show and they also adapt well according to various topics covered in every episode. The sound is okay, I appreciated some effects for the spells used by witches and the music is mainly good, including OP and ED. Also the cast is various and interesting, a lot of particular characters , some strange, some funny, some evil.. It is clear that we need more information from the main plot, some details are just ignored, hoping well for an hypothetical second season. I absolutely recommend this show, it was very fun watching it. I think that we need more shows like this in the times to come! I'm also grateful for having known Elaina, such a great girl and witch!

very so often, we get graced with a work of art that’s truly magical. Something that teaches us life lessons and changes us for the better. In terms of anime, these are becoming less and less common. Luckily, while uncommon, they still do exist. MajoTabi is a beautiful journey of self-discovery in anime form. It’s truly unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, and I mean that in the most sincere way possible. From its gorgeous art and character designs, to its realistic portrayal of a teenaged girl MC, the show breaks traditional anime moulds and lays the foundation for a great series. In terms of plot organisation, the closest thing I could compare Majotabi to would be Violet Evergarden. In that they are both character driven stories that see the MC move from one scenario to the next, learning life lessons along the way. While in Violet’s case, the message was about love, Elaina’s journey shows her the brutal and often disappointing nature of the world. Coming from a sheltered background, every episode she’s exposed to more elements of reality. You’re able to go on this journey of enlightenment with Elaina and these are not just lessons she learns, but that we as viewers can learn as well. Artistically, the show is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen, which is truly impressive considering the studio doesn’t seem to have done much else in the past. The animation, character designs and background art are all consistently top notch throughout. The OST is one of the most underrated parts of this show. I really felt it added a lot to several poignant scenes and enhanced my immersion. Overall, Majotabi was my 2nd favourite show of the season, is a wonderful experience for veteran anime viewers and newcomers alike. It offers life lessons, a beautiful story and tremendous entertainment value. Majotabi gets 10 broomsticks out of 10.

#Review info Reviewing Info: How I rate/review stuff is explained on my wordpress blog, which can be found through my profile. But TDLR; My personal opinion has much bigger weight than “critical” novel length “objective” mumbo jumbo. Review layout: Minimal/Lazy MAL non-h Review type: Anime Note: Still testing review layouts. This line will be removed when I’m satisfied with the line. #Review (short ver) In a nutshell: Overconfident naïve witch on a grand adventure who never learns. Witch spice of edge. #PROS +Great animation +Great power/magic presentation +Episodic location storytelling is great +Fairly enjoyable side characters #CONS -Main character does not grow at all -Value of main character is pretty much non-existent -Very naiive and moronic witch girl who has too much power #Review (comments/longer ver) So, about this Anime. I did love the episodic story telling. It was great, each place main character visited had it’s pros and cons, but for viewers enjoyment they always had something going on whereas main character was tossed for sakes of interaction of whatever was happening in place she was visiting. But honestly, that sums it up. I loved the animation and the feel of it. And each location story was fairly enjoyable on it’s on But now comes the big downside for me. I felt that the main characters purpose was probably most pointless one out of this type of adventure / episode Anime (i.e Kino’s journey, Mushishi) . Yes she had a grand reason for adventure, but what was most annoying I felt that every time something “different” or “dramatic” or “traumatic” whatever…., happened on each episode, main character would grow from it. Become smarter, become more cautious. But nope, we still get narcissistic overconfident naive witch girl, who lollygags around, putting her nose into various issues and by the process essentially ignoring the ones that need help, or helping essentially those who shouldn’t been helped. Meaningly, MC has no sense of Justice or responsibility. Even, on the most serious episodes, next episode is like absolutely nothing happened. That is my main gripe with the show. And that reason alone lowered score for me by 1 point. Other than that, Anime has beautiful animation and fairly good OST. Magic presentation is done well and witches look great. World itself is fairly fun with various uses of magic and their own quirks. Anyhow…. If you like episodic Anime to get short stories of various circumstances with witches and magic, then give it a try. But if you expect journey of main characters growth, then be prepared to be disappointed. #Total Score 6/10

*THIS REVIEW DOES NOT CONTAIN SPOILERS* I was once again convinced by the r/anime community to watch an anime that didn't really look too interesting. Let's just say I got what I came for. STORY: 3/10 By far the worst part about this anime is the story itself. It's the most basic shit ever and plays it way to safe. It's a story about a young witch that travels through a fantasy world. Yes, that's it, a 7 yo could come up with something like that. Either way, Majo no Tabitabi follows an episodic formula with a problem getting introduced and resolved in the same episode. Let me just say, i hate this way of telling a story, i know its done to "feel" like the book the MC is writing but it ends up hurting the show. It gets boring fast and it feels like the main character never really learns anything from these experiences. At this point I realized: this show is just a bunch of filler episodes stuck together. And that is even more obvious when the show finally has a story "arc" that is 2 and a half episodes long and its fucking amazing compared to the rest of the show. Overall, not trying enough. ART: 6/10 The art, like the story, is very basic and doesn't really manage (or even try) to impress the viewer at any point during the show. But when we are talking about animation and art, it doesn't hurt the show as much to not take any risks, because that means there wont be any mistakes. Majo no Tabitabi takes the safe bet once again and delivers on an ok art-style with decent to good animation, doesn't do anything too good though. SOUND: 7/10 I didn't really make anything of the music, once again, like this whole show, its kinda forgettable. But the music isn't overwhelmingly annoying and also the voice acting from the main character is amazing so at least it does something right. I would comment on the OP and EP but i don't remember it. I'm just gonna give it a 7 because they didn't make any mistakes. CHARACTER: 7/10 The MC is the only important character, who is the best part of the show because for once, it's a pretty original take on a character just starting their journey, being awfully cocky and selfish during the duration of the whole show. That's (finally) something original about this show and she really manages to kinda carry the show. The other recurring characters are the MC's friend who is neither funny or annoying, and a teacher that only appears in 2 episodes but i thought i had to include her. Overall all the focus goes on the MC so the makers of this show don't really have to worry about jugling other characters. ENJOYMENT: 4/10 Boring. That's the word that describes this show perfectly, i thought multiple times about just dropping it but i said to myself that I'm too many episodes out to drop it now, i never looked forward to the next episode and the show overall bored me to death. There was one episode in which the show goes full fucking berserk and just drops a super gory and serious episode out of nowhere, which i really enjoyed but the show sadly didn't stick to the narrative. It also has that 2 episode arc which I already said I enjoyed but that's about it. ENDING STATEMENT: It ended up being a pretty boring and uneventful ride, it didn't really make any mistakes but it's safe-ness pisses me of and makes it seem like more of a quick cash-grab than a project people poured their all into. I think you should stay away from this one. Overall: 5/10

so i think what's really special about this anime is that the main character feels like a real person. she does mistakes, she owns it. she's learning about the world and herself while she takes this journey. she's haveing both good and bad experiences, and carries on through it. even though she keeps going on with her journey, she carries those memories with her. she understands that she needs to get better, with her magic, and with herself. i liked her a lot because she's only dealing with what she can, and isn't trying to be a hero, only a passing by wandering witch. her character is so refreshing, since i haven't seen another character like her in any other anime. loved it ♥ hope we get a second season

"Who is that impossibly beautiful girl in the sky who effortlessly steals the looks of everyone she passes? Why yes, it's me." Majo no Tabitabi is a relaxing episodic show about the adventures of narcissist and borderline sociopathic witch Elaina, who ventures to strange new places each episode to interact with its denizens and maybe be paid for her troubles. In many ways, the mark of each episode is usually determined by how the peripheral cast is portrayed, which can also modify the tone of the show itself per episode. Elaina mostly adopts a non-interventionalist policy for each place she visits and is usually reacting to the world around her rather than being a proactive participant in the show's events. Which is to say, "This reminds me of an episode of Star Trek...". If anything, the real star of the show is the setting and the people inhabiting the world. Gorgeously depicted with incredible art, alongside genuinely interesting one-episode characters ensures no two episodes are alike or even similar to each other. Journeying with Elaina is very much like an adventure on its own, with each new episode bringing a new story (at times two) to be absorbed into. That is not to say Elaina herself isn't worth praise. It's remarkably refreshing to have a protagonist who doesn't have a hero complex, and more realistically favours self-preservation (and money) above all else. Arrogant, greedy, narcissistic, yet occasionally kind, Elaina (or more accurately Elaina's reaction to the world around her) is a joy to follow and a great protagonist to string along the viewer across the imaginative world the show depicts. Of course, a personal favourite of mine would be Saya, Elaina's hopeless suitor/stalker who provides a good chunk of comedy to the episodes she features in. While the tonal shifts can be incredibly jarring (noticeably Episode 9 out-gored Higurashi Gou which aired in the same season), by the end of the series, it all makes sense and I do think the show does benefit from the occasional grim moment here and there. Majo no Tabitabi has been one of my absolute favourite shows this season, and that cliffhanger at the very end of the series with Amnesia is such a tease. I do hope a second season is in the works, but at the very least, for the time being, I have the Light Novels to keep me company. 7/10

It's been a while since I watched something like Wandering Witch, I gotta say, at first I thought it would be something light hearted slice of life, like Flying Witch but, it quickly turned out to be not the case. while it has some light hearted episodes but what made it stand out for me and many others are the unexpected dark themed episodes, and since the story is in an episodic format, you'd wonder what kinda episode the next will be, and I think it adds to the fun. there aren't many characters in the story so far, mostly one-episode side characters that our MC Elaina meets on her journeys, some supporting characters appear in multi episodes like Saya and Fran (Fran is my second fav character in this anime) but I found Elaina to be the a very interesting character and a VERY good female protagonist that we don't get to see often, the way she thinks and her choices make her stand out from many other female protagonist, also you gotta love how egoistic she is, she has no humility, or modesty whatsoever and I found myself loving it the art is good and animation is decent most of the time some battles were well animated at times felt a bit lacking but the animation is just a bonus really, the story is mostly the main focus. I've never heard of C2C studio before but good job I guess. the OST was good, and it went well with every scene, from spooky, creepy, emotional, carefree...etc. so...if you like magic, witches, slice of life and easy sailing episodic story with a mix of light and dark themes, then you should give it a shot. Story 8/10 Art 7/10 Sound 7/10 Characters 8/10 Enjoyment 8/10 Overall rate: 8/10

Nothing fills us with wonder the way that stories do. Whether you're cracking open a good book or turning on the telly, there's always something special to be found in consuming media, through sheer enjoyment and the impact they have on our respective worldviews. Growing up with stories is a universal experience. From various walks of life, both young and old alike are bound to come across any number of stories. Stories come in a limitless number of forms, ranging from whimsical flights of fantasy to the simplest of daily interactions. These tales have the potential to shape how we see the world, and thus influences how we interact with everything around us. Our personal experiences are stories in themselves, and the way they're told and interpreted gives way to an infinite number of stories internalized and shared. It's a beautiful cycle, one that "Majo no Tabitabi" revels in exploring. A collection of a wandering witch's adventures, Majo both celebrates and questions how we perceive media. And heck, even if you're not all that into meta-contextual analysis, the episodes themselves are loads of fun, capable of bringing out that childlike wonderment we associate with a great story. The following review is spoiler-free, but do jump ahead to my Tl;Dr if you'd like to go in blind. Without further ado, let's take a journey into the fascinating world of Majo! Majo is like a box of chocolates - packed with assorted variety and "flavors." You'll never know what kind of episode you're going to get in any given week, but they're all but guaranteed to surprise and deliver. The series follows Elaina, a young witch, and her travels to various locales. While rarely deviating from this simple formula, Majo more than makes up for it by regularly switching up its setting and themes. The show's stunning presentation goes a long way to draw us into its realm of magical mystery. One of the prettier shows you'll find this season, Majo is filled with distinct character designs, great lighting effects, a charming musical score, and most things in-between. An especially praiseworthy aspect are the strong directorial choices, bringing the best out of a tonally-colorful script. Anything from goofy comedic romps, high-stakes energy, and sinister dread is depicted well, through good shot composition and fun choreography. All in all, Majo's versatile presentation is beautiful to take in. Prettier still, however, are the storytelling tricks scattered across the series. Integral to the show's "variety-hour" narrative structure is the inclusion of magic. While the in-world magic system isn't comprehensive or the most thoughtful, it's clear to follow within the context of each episode and allows for plenty of inventive plotlines. Personally, I find that the real "magic" of Majo lies in its ambition. The series takes every opportunity to explore fascinating concepts through various mysteries and obstacles Elaina faces in each of her tourist stopovers. From creative thought experiments made possible by magic to non-linear narratives, Majo is very much interested with keeping the journeys as unpredictable for us as they are for Elaina. The show is comfortable with competently playing to familiar story conventions in one week, before shockingly subverting them in the next. Where other programmes would prefer to maintain a status quo, Majo is not afraid to venture into the unknown with each new episode. Intriguing story concepts are often established and exhausted within the runtime, ensuring that each storyline doesn't overstay its welcome. Perhaps the most interesting experiment of all though, is Elaina herself. Her character is introduced as a bright-eyed child, enamored by the wonderful tales of her favorite book, 'The Adventures of Nike.' She aspires to follow in Nike's footsteps, in the hopes of too becoming a travelling witch and experiencing similar stories for herself. At first glance, the origin of our Ashen Witch signals a rather standard character, but what comes next reveals anything but. She's no audience surrogate or tropey righteous do-gooder. She has personality and wit, keeps a level head and at times indulges in refreshing sarcasm. She's vain as heck, she knows she's a queen and she owns it. Most importantly, as much as we'd like to believe, Elaina is pretty far from perfect. At several junctures she makes decisions, and not all of them are necessarily choices one would agree with. Which brings me to what I feel makes her so special: Elaina is a representation of the audience. Majo creates an engaging discussion about escapism and audience expectations. 'The Adventures of Nike' plays a prominent role in the show, often mirroring or contrasting the reality Elaina encounters. In fulfilling her childhood dream, the travelling witch goes from locale to locale, not getting too attached to her scenery. The world is her oyster, she can seek out new places and people as and when she likes. However, that reality isn't always in line with the world of her folk tales. Things don't always go as planned, and she isn't your fairytale heroine. Oftentimes the show reminds us of Elaina's inexperience and immaturity, highlighting how much more she has to learn in life. Elaina's relationship with her childhood tales and her real-life decisions achieve three things. First, Majo challenges the idea of how audiences are conditioned to consume media. We're accustomed to expecting stories to play out in a specific way, with some sort of closure at the end. These happy endings aren't quite what Majo is shooting for, however. I've seen several discussions questioning Elaina's failings in a given episode, which the show doesn't portray in a positive light. We're not forced to accept that Elaina has handled these situations to the best of her ability, and the resultant lack of catharsis compels us to reflect on her decisions. This means that we, the audience, become more involved in the story, and I find that effect to be incredibly engaging. Just like how we're sometimes dissatisfied with Elaina's choices, Elaina herself is disappointed with the outcomes she faces. Which leads me to my second takeaway: Majo explores our relationship with escapism. How often do we find ourselves sifting through the various catalogs of our preferred anime streaming sites, picking what to watch? In a similar sense, Elaina is Netflix-surfing before Netflix was a thing, roaming without staying in one place too long. It's certainly not a poor habit in moderation. However, Elaina's mythologising of Nike and refusal to return home does depict a less-flattering extreme. An extreme not dissimilar to those attained by real individuals today, who may find themselves obsessed with escapism while neglecting loved ones and work^. With social media and shows becoming more accessible than ever, it's somewhat sad that this illustration hits home in a present-day context. If we enjoy a medium, we might give it an unhealthy amount of attention; if we don't find pleasure instantaneously, we are conditioned to change the channel. But as much as we'd like to enjoy the world of fiction, there are some things in life we can't escape from. And that leaves us with the third point: Majo demonstrates how we're tied to reality. The great big world can be a scary place, filled with things we can't hope to comprehend in our lifetimes - things that get us down, things that change our lives. Sometimes I feel greater comfort turning to the stories I enjoy, instead of facing the music. And it's in those times that I forget to appreciate how wonderful life can be, in all its unpredictable chaos. The stories we consume are often in our comfort zone, but stepping outside into reality could be more rewarding than we could ever imagine. Who knows if things are gonna go my way, or if I'm gonna make the right decision? Isn't that exciting? While I enjoyed Majo, the series is a "mixed bag" in both senses of the word. It's variety is engaging, and…

[JP, rare case where Crunchyroll has better subs than the fansub (GJM-Kaleido) which is overlocalized. Most episodes of the bluray require shifting the tracks by 9 seconds] Conclusion: It is boring. The protagonist is a self-absorbed bitch in an unentertaining way. You will doubt my claims, watch the first episode, become confident I am wrong, and realize your mistake later. The way this is directed and put together makes the MC vary from uninteresting to insufferable. Unlike Kino, the observer of stories from Kino no Tabi, or Ginko, the resolver of stories from Mushishi, this character is the protagonist of stories, all the stories. Thanks to a plot device it is confirmed so far as the story is concerned this protagonist is pure hearted. Yet thanks to dialogue/plot later it is confirmed she really is a self absorbed bitch and very much aware of it. Such traits on their own are not bad things. It turns into a problem because the appeal of such a traveler story comes from the journey and the destinations, but most of her monologues are describing herself. With the exception of Saya and a collection of grape enthusiasts the character interactions suck. Those specifically feel like the laziness of cheap isekai adaptations. Underneath the poor direction is an abundance of interesting things left unused and wasted, making for an aggravating watch especially in the final episode. In addition there is no journey in of itself; the MC just pops up here or there, adding to the boredom. Most locations are visually indistinct so as to feel like the other side of town. Took off an extra point for replacing panties with an inexplicable black hole in the blurays (ep1, 11:10).