Mary and the Witch's Flower

Mary and the Witch's flower tells a simplistic and familiar story, but it does so in a very charming and visually dazzling way. Seriously, this movie looks amazing, especially being nearly a decade old as of the time of this review, and the animation and environments as a whole are the single strongest aspect of this product. This film is effectively the child of Spirited Away + Harry Potter and if you like either of those I'd be shocked if you didn't like this. Though not TECHNICALLY a Studio Ghibli film, it could easily be mistaken for one and that's for good reason- many, manystaff members of Studio Ponoc, including the director and animators, formally worked for Ghibli and their preferred art style is instantly recognizable from the moment the movie begins. And, as with Ghibli films as well, the plot and character development here have very little meat on the bone. Instead, the focus is more on taking you on an enchanting the journey and enjoying the ride rather than making you think too hard or taking something profound away from it. The ending of this film is anticlimactic and somewhat abrupt and certainly won't leave you awe struck or taken aback by an incredible twist- in fact, this film is extremely predictable and formulaic- but that doesn't necessarily mean you can't appreciate it for what it is. Ultimately I feel the same about this as I do with every Ghibli movie, which is to say it's likely aimed at a younger audience but can be watched and enjoyed by anyone, it's very pretty, it isn't very deep and your enjoyment of it will entirely depend on what you value in your anime. If you're looking for action and combat, a strong narrative and character development and powerful memorable moments you'll surely be disappointed whereas if you value visuals and animation, cozy charming vibes and cute characters you'll certainly find those here. I don't regret watching it once and I enjoyed my experience but it lacks the depth or emotional gut punch for me to have any reason to load it up again any time soon. OBJECTIVE RATING- 7-8 PERSONAL ENJOYMENT RATING- 7.5