EARWIG AND THE WITCH MANDRAKE TV

The Mandrake, who commands little demons that spin around like Taz/The Tasmanian Devil that do his bidding, is also the coolest character in the entire film, as he has this particularly scary and hellacious demeanor about him that makes every sequence involving him memorable.Ĭonversely, the Earwig character is mostly an obnoxious brat. His desire to obtain thumbs is amusing and the moment when he to tries to remember the right incantation to the body of magic potion is a comedic highlight. Thomas, the black cat, is sick of having Bella Yaga cast a spell that would leave him infested with blue and green worms, and assists Earwig out of concern for his own well-being. The highlights of the film mostly lie within the side characters. Related: Review: Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy – Does It Have The Right Ingredients?

EARWIG AND THE WITCH MANDRAKE TV

Earwig has this Jimmy Neutron quality to her, which is a fairly accurate comparison to make, as Earwig and the Witch is Studio Ghibli’s first made for TV animated film (it aired on NHK General TV in Japan on December 30, 2020) since Ocean Waves (1993). However, there is still an unshakeable feeling that the visuals, aside from everyone’s super vibrant and amazingly styled hair, are purposefully lacking detail. However, facial expressions, particularly those made by Earwig when she’s angry, laughing, or disgusted, are solid and entertaining. The character designs have just enough of that familiar Studio Ghibli style to make the film feel like it’s attempting to belong in the same beloved echelon, but the art style is awkward in its transition to CGI animation. Earwig is delighted to learn that Bella Yaga is a witch and that the house she now lives in encases its inhabitants with magic.Įarwig and the Witch’s animation style is off-putting from the start. Intending to stay at the orphanage forever with her best friend, Custard, Earwig is astonished when she’s adopted by a plump woman named Bella Yaga and her intimidating bespectacled acquaintance known only as The Mandrake. Together, they make for an odd pair and Earwig is in for a rude awakening and the biggest challenge of her life.Related: Soul Review: The Art of Jazzing Through Lifeīased on the novel of the same name by Diana Wynne Jones, Earwig and the Witch takes place in the 1990s in England and follows a a 10-year-old girl named Earwig (Erika in the English dub, Aya in Japanese), who, other than not having any sort of say-so in being off at an orphanage as a baby, has always gotten what she’s wanted. Years later, Earwig is adopted by the witch Bella Yaga (Shinobu Terajima), who needs a helping hand with her spells, and the Mandrake (Etsushi Toyokawa), a fearsome man who doesn’t like to be disturbed by noise. Earwig’s mom (Sherina Munaf) dropped off her daughter at an orphanage when she was a baby after being chased by unknown figures, believing the only way to protect Earwig was to leave her behind. While Earwig and the Witch's CG animation is lovely and memorably unique, it can’t begin to save an underdeveloped plot and characters.īased on the novel by Diana Wynne Jones, Earwig and the Witch follows the story of Earwig (Kokoro Hirasawa), a spirited and mischievous ten-year-old who grew up unaware that her mother was a witch. With Earwig and the Witch, however, the film falls short of delivering a fully realized story and it leaves a lot to be desired.

The renowned studio has gifted audiences with such exuberant films like Spirited Away and The Wind Rises. It’s hard to believe that Earwig and the Witch is the famed Studio Ghibli’s first 3D CG animated feature.

Earwig and the witch mandrake