User reviews

Just came back from the one time only screening of this movie in Austin TX. I'm a bit confused by the super-negative reviews of this film. I guess people were expecting a film on par with past Studio Ghibli movies? Lets be real here, as sad as it is, the age of Studio Ghibli is over, unless Hayao Miyazaki decides to return to the directors seat and make another full-length feature film. Which at this point seems unlikely. The fact that we have a studio like Ponoc to carry on the torch of 2D animated projects in the style of Gibli should be celebrated I think.

I went into this movie not expecting it to be on par with any of Studio Ghibli's past works, yes it's no Howl's Moving Castle or Spirited Away. I did enjoy Mary and the Witch's Flower more so than Miyazaki's last two films, The Wind Rises and Ponyo. The only other Hiromasa Yonebayashi films I've seen was Arriety, never saw When Marine Was There. I do think this film is better than Arriety was.

Mary and the Witches Flower looks like a Studio Ghibli film, the character animation is really great, the backgrounds, while reminiscent of past Ghibli works are nice, but not on the same level of detail, which was fine to me. The characters and the story is good, again, not as solid as past Ghibli works, but I enjoyed it overall. The biggest thing lacking to be was a musical score from Joe Hisaishi, but he has never done music for a Hiromasa Yonebayashi film. The last film he composed music for was The Princess Kaguya, which was a big deal.

I'm getting off-track here, but the last I will say is that is if you are a fan of Studio Ghibli, and are yearning to see a full-length feature film in traditional 2D animation, go see this film if you are able to, just don't go in expecting it to be as good as one of the Studio Ghibli classics.

Mary and The Witch's Flower is the debut anime film from Studio Ponoc and directed by former Studio Ghibli animator Hiromasa Yonebayashi (The Secret World of Arrietty, When Marnie Was There). Based on the novel "The Little Broomstick" by Mary Stewart, it is a nice first offering from the relatively new animation studio and features some truly beautiful animation.

On her Great Aunt's estate, young Mary Smith (voiced by Ruby Barnhill) lives a bored existence as she tries to pass the time before her parents join her. One day, while venturing out in the nearby woods, Mary stumbles upon a mysterious blue flower, believed to have been used by witches for their magical powers.

Naturally, the film has taken some strong influences from its Ghibli roots, particularly that of Howl's Moving Castle and Kiki's Delivery Service, but also from the The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, with its overall magical tone and setting. The story does unfortunately play it safe one too many times, especially during the final act, and this does affect the overall enjoyment at times, whether this is how things are in the original novel I am unsure. Needless to say though, the animation is simply gorgeous and is up there with some of Studio Ghibli's best films. The attention-to-detail on every frame is exquisite and the use of colour makes the film great to look at. The performances of the English dub cast is solid, particularly that of newcomer Ruby Barnhill (Disney's The BFG) as the title character. However, as likeable a protagonist Mary is, her character seemed somewhat generic from a storytelling perspective and most of the supporting cast felt underdeveloped and one-dimensional. I have yet to see the original Japanese dub but I plan to do so in the not-too-distant future.

I rate it 7.5/10

One of Studio Ghibli's most wonderful films was "Kiki's Delivery Service"---an anime movie about a young witch who goes into the world to find herself. In many ways, "Mary and the Witch's Flower" is like taking Kiki from that classic movie and sending her to Hogwarts! Seriously.

When the story begins, Mary seems to be a pretty ordinary young girl. However, when she meets a black cat in the forest and finds a broom, something very strange happens....a weird slime pours from a flower onto her hands and instantly she can fly using the broom. She has no idea what she's doing but soon she and the cat are in a far away magical land with talking animals as well as a witch's school....Endor! But things aren't all happy and laughter there....and after a while she isn't sure who to trust. What's next? Well, it's a bit like "Frankenstein"...but you'll have to see for yourself.

This film is based on Mary Stewart's 1971 story "The Little Broomstick"....which came out long before Kiki or Harry Potter....so although similar to the other stories, it is an original as well. I have never read this book nor had I heard of it before seeing the movie.

So it is any good? Well, the animation quality is excellent and although it looks just like a Studio Ghibli movie, it's instead made by a different Japanese studio. I liked the film quite a bit. I only really have one quibble...the resolution to the story was very fast and not especially satisfying.

Studio Ponoc, heir apparent to Studio Ghibli, makes a decent start with Mary & the Witch's Flower.

Animation is lush and gorgeous to look at, and is very reminiscent of the work we're used to from Studio Ghibli - and as anyone who's familiar with Ghibli's work can tell you, that is a pretty high bar to meet. I saw the English dubbed version, and the voice acting was excellent as well - especially Ruby Barnhill as Mary. Background score was quite good too.

Story, however, was a bit disappointing. Not saying that it was bad, it just felt a bit devoid of heart and there were quite a few plot holes which were hard to overlook. Character motivations were hard to explain, and the wizarding world Mary stumbles into feels empty, though it is supposed to be a thriving world. Then again, I complain because I was expecting something of Ghibli standards.

It was a fun movie to experience, and I'm glad Studio Ponoc exists - not only because I expect bigger and better things from them in the future, but also because something as beautiful as the tradition of Ghibli animated movies needs be kept alive.

7/10

There were a few reasons for wanting to see 'Mary and the Witch's Flower'. Personally am a big lifelong animation and anime fan. The story certainly sounded very charming. It was directed by the same director responsible for 'When Marnie Was There' and 'Arietty', both excellent films (especially the latter). Anything that has Kate Winslet or Jim Broadbent involved with it in any way is also a guaranteed viewing, every bit as much when both are in the same film.

'Mary and the Witch's Flower' is on the whole a good nicely done film with a number of great aspects. Have seen superior animes, and between this, 'When Marnie Was There' and 'Arietty' this is the weakest by quite some margin. While enjoying 'Mary and the Witch's Flower', it did have potential to be great but the uneven storytelling stops that from happening somewhat. Recommendable still, but part of me was a little disappointed.

Its best aspect is the animation, which is gorgeous and never less than that. The attention to detail and lavish colours are a feast, the characters look expressive in a nuanced way and movements and transitions are so seamless. The music also works a lot, very atmospheric and beautifully orchestrated with a nice mix of the understated, the whimsical and the more stirring.

Did find the characters appealing, even if they are not deep. The main character was rootable enough though the supporting characters were more colourful in personality. There is plenty of charm and heart, and the film works best in the simpler, quieter moments. The script is neither too simplistic or too convoluted while the voice cast is top notch, notably Winslet.

However, the story can be too slight and predictable and the final act is on the rushed side.

Also do wish that character motivations were delved into deeper, too many of them were either not clear or basically there with not enough under the surface.

Overall though, worth watching while not being a must see. 7/10.

It's not bad as far as children's movies go. It's very cute and charming and the world looks very interesting. The story seems a bit flat as they don't go into character motivation, dip too deep into world building or even tell the rules of how their magic works. I enjoyed it but was a little bummed they didn't show more of the school life.

These reviews here lead me to believe the movie was going to be boring or something. It's entertaining the entire way through. Best movie I've seen in the cinema in over a year.

Sure it's not as good as Spirited Away, but that was rated as the best animated film of the 2000s so of course it's going to be hard to beat.

The soundtrack in this film is great, lots of recurring themes in the right times. The animation is lush and looks like it came from Ghibli. I really don't see why anyone wouldn't like this movie, it was really good.

Go see it for yourself, don't listen to the reviews. The story was good, the animation was good, the sound was good.

This is certainly a flashback to the heyday of Studio Ghibli. Unfortunately, it comes across as more a rehash than a new production. The film mashes together some of the best of Ghibli (and Miyazaki in particular), Spirited Away, Kiki's Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro, but it does little more than pay homage to its great predecessors. There is very little remarkable, and not much entertaining about this film. The story is predictable, cliche, and point to point unsurprising. It channels more of the last Ghibli films, which tended toward the gimmicky kid junk, than the greatest of the studio and the genre. I had high hopes for this movie because the previews reminded me of all that I had loved about the Ghibli and the Miyazaki catalog, but it was mostly a disappointment.

A lot of of low rated reviews based on the film being a Ghibli rip off, but it was created by many of THE SAME ANIMATORS from Ghibli so it is to be expected to be similar.

Anyway the film was decent, visually stunning great soundtrack and very creative. Could have been a better story and better character development but it's based on a book anyway so they couldn't really help that.

Looking forward to seeing more films from Studio Ponoc, they seem to have picked up from where Hayao Miyazaki left off.

Worth a watch.

Mary and the Witch's Flower is the first feature film made by Studio Ponoc and the third film directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, who previously worked for Studio Ghibli. In it a young girl, Mary Smith, has moved to the countryside and is out exploring one day when she stumbles upon a mystical flower, which has the power to grant her magical abilities. She manages to bewitch a broom, which takes her to the Endor College for witches.

Studio Ponoc was founded by former Studio Ghibli employees and a lot of its animators worked for Ghibli as well. And this is reflected in the quality of animation. This is some of the most beautiful, vibrant, lush, detailed and gorgeous animation I've ever seen. The character and set designs are amazing to look at, everything moves with graze and effortless fluidity, and there isn't a hair out of place, figuratively speaking.

The musical score is also nice, the voice actors are extremely talented and the whole film has this warm, inviting, fairytale-esque feeling to it.

Which is why, it's my sad duty to inform you that the script is rather awful. I have not read the original novel, The Little Broomstick, but I'm somewhat familiar with Mary Stewart, the author. Studio Ponoc has essentially taken a quintessentially British children's novel and turned its mood, its atmosphere on its head, adding in a lot of unneeded anime tropes and visuals. Studio Ghibli had this same problem with Tales from Earthsea. It was an okay film on its own, but it felt like a huge betrayal for all fans of the original Earthsea books.

I also don't enjoy the fact that Mary does not learn a thing throughout the course of the film. By the end she's essentially the same character she was in the beginning. And that's a big no-no in stories aimed at children.

Mary and the Witch's Flower is not the worst anime film I've ever seen, but it is certainly lacking in depth, heart and message. Technically superb, but empty on the inside.

Nothing compares to studio Ghibli. Disney, Pixar. Nothing. They still did classic animation and did it beautifully. Let this wonderful little film stand on its own merits. Yes, it's obviously influenced by Ghibli. So what? It's fun and fast and deserves to be seen.

This film is more like Studio Gibhli films than Gibhli's own output, if Earwig and the Witch is anything to go by. It combines so many classic tropes like the young girl protagonist, flying setting, witches, cats, etc. That it struggles to find its own unique voice except for visually. The animation of this film was amazingly beautiful, detailed and dynamic. Too bad the story is so thin, as Mary doesn't have much development and just outperforms everyone constantly.

This film is beautifully animated but leaves something to be desired.

The characters and creatures are beautifully designed, as expected. The story provides some tension, but overall the fantastical world fell a little flat for me. The school environment was ripe for ideas and imagination but I felt there was very little offered.

The score was wonderful.

It's a mixed bag and a plesent casual viewing experience.

Once again, Hiromasa Yonebayashi has taken a British children's story ('The Little Broom' by Mary Stewart) and given it the anime treatment (previously he directed 'When Marnie was There' by Joan G. Robinson and 'The Secret World of Arrietty', based on 'The Borrowers' by Mary Norton). Unlike the first two adaptations, in which the characters were beautifully rendered, the main human characters in 'Mary and the Witch's Flower' have a typical 'TV-anime' look, so much so that I found their English accents incongruous. I didn't really like the steam-punk/high fantasy/organo-tech look of the laboratory scenes but the natural backgrounds were excellent, often as lush and detailed as those in Studio Ghibli films. While it may be intended as a homage, I found "MWF" to be quite derivative of films from Yonebayashi's famous alma mater, which is unfortunate, as it suffers in comparison with Ghibli's best work, lacking the depth of classics such as "Spirited Away" (2001) or "Princess Mononoke" (1997) or the striking visual imagination of "Howl's Moving Castle" (2004), and 'the little witch and her black cat' characters were much more engaging in "Kiki's Delivery Service" (1989). All that said, the film remains an entertaining family film, with a simple story, some colourful and fun imagery, and an enjoyable musical score.

What a stunning debut from Studio Ponoc! The animation is gorgeous and multi-layered, and the music is stunning. The themes, while familiar, are done in unique and meaningful ways. I felt small influences of other great animes like Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Kiki's Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, and even the great Akira. Some ideas and homages to Legend, The Dark Crystal, and Harry Potter. The plot involves a young girl who finds a magical flower that enables her to be a witch. She finds the Endor College for Witches and embarks upon her training. This was a visual feast, and I cannot wait to see it again. This is the best anime that I have seen in years, and Studio Ponoc is one to watch for the future.

Didn't look into this film deeply enough to find out it's not a "real" Ghibli, and that didn't impede upon my watch. The animation is beautiful, the characters are visually unique and fun, and the story and setting held my attention the full length of the film. My only complaint would be that this is definitely a movie for kids, and there wasn't any complexity or depth that would make me keen to rewatch this several times. Still a good watch, and one I'd definitely recommend!

This film is absolutely wonderful. The animation is beautiful, and adds to the theme of magic perfectly. The soundtrack captures the tone wonderfully, as well as all the sound effects used. Many people wondered if the film would be on par with Studio Ghibli, since Studio Ponoc is a branch off from them. There is no question that this has the quality and feel of a classic Ghibli film that all fans can enjoy. The main character, Mary, is likeable and relatable. She is a sweet girl who is a bit awkward and doesn't feel like she fits in. This film shows that not all adults are what they appear to be, and cannot always be trusted. It also holds a strong underlying message against animal experimentation and cruelty. The plot is well structured, and her journey to accept who she is and do the right thing despite the circumstances is absolutely incredible. I would definitely recommend this film.

The creators of "Mary and the Witch's Flower" try hard to make a Ghibli-style movie, but they end doing something generic and ultimately annoying, even if visually beautiful. What they miss are real characters, as the protagonist is bland and anonymous, and the other characters are basically totally empty, with no personalities nor motivations. So the movie is all about action, with pointless dialogues, no poetry, no emotions and no soul. A missed opportunity.

It's full of meaningless dialogues that break the beautiful silence.

Let this be an example of how not to do it.

Overall, Mary and the Witch's Flower is a solid family film. The plot is simple, but decent, just don't expect any wild twists. There weren't any glaring plot holes, although I wouldn't have minded more explanation on Endor College. The score is decent, but doesn't have any compelling pieces. The visuals are by far the strongest aspect of this film. The animation is similar to Studio Ghibli's with its vivid colors, fluid motions, and interesting character and setting designs. Visually, it's a masterpiece. Sadly, what drags this film down is its characters. Mary isn't an unlikeable protagonist, but she isn't that interesting either. She is just able to go through some character development and be courageous enough to advance the plot. The dynamic between her and Peter wasn't developed, and that killed a lot of the story's emotion. Madam and Doctor D were ok as villains, but their motives and personality never get flushed out. Mary and the Witch's Flower was enjoyable enough, but the underdeveloped characters held it back from being a masterpiece.

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. 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.