Nobody wants the antagonist to succeed, right? So, in the latest episode of Little Witch Academia, it’s now or never! Someone has to stop Croix! Whatever happens though, we can be assured that it’s another emotional episode this week, especially since the finale is right after this one!
Japanese Original Episode Title:アルクトゥルスへの道
After the confrontation between the two professors of Luna Nova in the previous episode, a short but fierce battle ensued between them, with Croix aiming to set her plans in motion, and Chariot wanting to stop them. However, as usual, the villain needs to succeed first, so Croix’s plan still went underway, successfully getting to Arcturus Forest where the Grand Triskelion was sealed, and even unlocking it with her very own Noir Rod! Is this the end of the line? And just where are Akko and her friends?
To stop a friend: Chariot once again proves just how talented AND athletic she truly is! She’s really so cool! It’s just too bad that she indeed got affected by the pollen of Wagandea before, and now she can’t fly anymore! But, dang, can she jump! Adding more to that awesomeness was seeing Professor Finneran and Principal Holbrook provide back-up, even though they only managed to do so much and they were initially only there to investigate. Well, it’s the thought that counts, I guess. On a side note, I also found it amusing that, previously, Croix mocked Chariot for calling the Claiomh Solais the Shiny Rod, but then she goes off calling her own creation the Noir Rod. Who’s childish now?
The folly of man: Croix had a point when she said this, as she wouldn’t actually be able to incite the anger of the people if they didn’t want to be angry in the first place. Sometimes, humans just really want to get worked up; I know some fans can be very passionate about sports, but don’t you think the people were overreacting a bit that they already needed to be suppressed by the military? Plus, the politicians, specifically the Defense Minister, were already trying to use this for their own advantage! Let’s just hope Andrew manages to do something to about this, especially with that surprise at the end.
Back to Arcturus Forest: Well, what do you know? Looks like the one who wasn’t chosen by the Claiomh Solais to unlock the seal really wouldn’t be able to understand the secret to the World Reconstruction Magic, more so since you do need the Rod to unleash it! Too bad for Croix then. She just wasted all her efforts and her time trying to do something that was futile from the start. The look on her face as she fell into despair was quite pitiful, even more as her original issues came to light. Now all that she had managed to do was use her talents of technomancy to bring forth a monster that gained a will of its own! It almost cost her the life of the only person who still stuck by her, despite getting her life ruined. Good thing Akko and the others accidentally landed in the forest too, and could still use magic using the Shiny Rod!
Mission Accomplished...? My heart!! Akko certainly fulfilled the mission of a lifetime by finally, formally introducing herself to her idol and telling her all her feelings! Not only that, but she has truly grown so much, at last acknowledging that she can be her own person apart from Chariot, recognizing the help she’s gotten from her friends and mentor, and accepting who she is, clumsy and incapable of flight. What’s more, because of these things that came from her heart, she successfully revived the Seventh and last Word, gaining the world-reconstruction magic! She accomplished something that even her idol and mentor failed to do! It somehow feels like Akko won the lottery with all that she’s gained! However, that rocket that launched into space didn’t look too great…Where did that come from?
Acknowledgement: Most of the time you’ll find this to be one of the main motivations of a person, just wanting to be acknowledged by someone else. Croix couldn’t accept that Chariot was chosen to release the World Reconstruction Magic, so she went her own way, but in the end, she still failed and still wasn’t looked at by Woodward properly. However, Chariot still acknowledged her as a friend despite everything that was done to her, even willingly sacrificing herself just to protect Croix. Akko also was able to acknowledge that she’ll never be Chariot and she may never fly again, but she can be her own self and still achieve her dreams.
What really matters: You can’t help but be proud of Akko, once again, for realizing how important the things she already has are! Sure, our dreams are important, but we must never forget that we must also cherish the present! And if our dreams ask us to sacrifice these things, well, we should double-check if it’s worth losing everything we have for them, just like how Croix turned her back on many things, only for her goal to end up a failure.
Plans backfiring: What happened to Croix is a common occurrence in a lot of stories. Villain’s full of air, thinking that their plan will grant them everything that they desire, only for said plan to turn out to be a huge mistake that will cause them harm. These events usually prompt the villains to either team up with the protagonist and give them a change of heart, or kill the villain, but not before recognizing their mistakes. Let’s see how Croix responds when she finds out her creation became a rocket that could potentially harm everyone!
I’m personally very satisfied with everything that happened: Croix’s downfall, Akko and Chariot’s reconciliation, and what it took for the Seventh Word to be revived. I couldn’t have thought of a better solution. Plus, that plot twist at the end was quite a good touch! I always like it when the antagonist you’ve always known isn’t actually the biggest threat yet. How they did the art and animations didn’t seem like the best, though, in my opinion, but they still delivered something good enough, so I guess that’s fine. At least the expressions and acting stood out to me, especially Croix’s reactions.
Knowing that next week will be the final episode is already making me quite sad, but excited! That last scene was foreboding, but I have hopes that we’ll have a great ending in store!
Do you have any expectations for the finale? Did you like this second-to-the-last episode? Let me know in the comments below! Plus, like Little Witch Academia, a lot of shows are starting to come to a close for this season, so you better check out the Spring 2017 reviews!
Official Website: http://tv.littlewitchacademia.jp/
Official Twitter: @LWA_jp
© 2017 TRIGGER / Yoh Yoshinari / ”Little Witch Academia” Committee
The first season of the new year is just one month away from its finale. It was a great start with many amazing titles that made these past months worth the extra hours we put in front of our sets. Now, it is time for the cold wind to give way to the pink hues of the sakura tree and for the Winter 2018 season to give the anime baton to Spring 2018.
