New Age Magic is the 14th episode of the Little Witch Academia anime series.
Overview
The school's fairies go on strike and cut off Luna Nova's source of magic. A new teacher arrives and proposes a non-traditional mechanical solution.
Summary
The episode began with Ursula in her room staring at the artistic rendition of Seven Words of Arcturus. She looked back at three Words that Akko had unlocked, and then Woodward's message. Believing that Akko was ready to learn about the true purpose of Shiny Rod, Ursula decided to reveal Akko the truth.
The next day, Akko joined her friends outside. As they lounged about, Lotte informed everyone about the new teacher which Akko thought little of. After that, Akko's friends praised her for her spectacular stunt at the festival on the other day and wanted to see it once more. Akko refused as she now realized that Shiny Rod won't respond to selfish desires. Amanda inquired where did Akko got the Rod and Lotte responded that she got it from Arcturus Forest, much to the former's surprise as it was rumored to be a very dangerous forest with a hidden secret. Nonetheless, Akko was determined to find Shiny Chariot as she was linked to both the Rod and the Forest, and therefore might shed some light on what was happening. Meanwhile, Diana eavesdropped on their conversation.
Sometime later, Akko headed to Ursula's room when she was informed to come to her. Akko eagerly awaited what her teacher had to say but was cut short when Samantha Badcock contacted Ursula regarding a serious situation. As Ursula and Akko rushed outside, they discovered a strike carried out by the academy's faery custodians. The teachers and students were at loss to see it. The faery custodians gave Finnelan who demanded them to stop a cold shoulder before revealing their demands; they wanted more of the magic energy from the Sorcerer's Stone. However, as pointed by Badcock, the Luna Nova witchee were at their limit when it came to the usage of their magic, leading to Holbrooke to enlist help from other neighboring witches. Since most of them were old and unwilling, they decided to place the responsibility onto Ursula, much to her dismay.
Back at Luna Nova, the faery custodians decided to place isolators around the Stone to show how serious they were. Suddenly, one of the isolators got blown out of the faeries' hands and almost crashed on top of several students — Akko included — before being intercepted by several flying roombas. Said roombas belonged to the new teacher, Croix Meridies. Despite what had happened, Finnelan remained loyal to her conviction in tradition and forbade Croix of the use of the technology.
The situation got worse as the students were getting cold due to lack of heating and warm showers, and were forced to use books which were substantially large. Akko has had it and marched toward the strike to put an end to it... only to be moved by why they were doing this, compelling her to change sides. Diana attempted to convince them to stop the strike and continue their work, at which Akko pointed out that the former looked down on them and that she was an aristocrat who knew no better, leading to the faery custodians to get more furious. An offended Diana attempted to change her thoughts about Akko until the latter went up to her face and reprimanded her for her lack of regard toward those of the lower class.
As nighttime approached, Akko remained by the faeries' side, while Lotte wondered if she's alright with this. Akko answered that she couldn't just stand by and watched as others suffered for someone else's actions, a lesson she learned to heart. Sucy stated that Akko thought too much but Lotte, on the other hand, smiled, proud that Akko took the time to think about the matter. As they conversed, the faery custodians showed their appreciation by handing them soup made out of ingredients that unfortunately disgusted Akko, and she spat it out on Sucy.
A meeting took place to discuss the strike. While Holbrooke and Akko started off with a nice beginning, the meeting didn't go anywhere as the faery custodians kept demanding another ten percent increase of allotment only for the professors — particularly Finnelan — kept refusing. Not even Croix's proposal of the use of her Magitronics to get around the energy crisis changed their minds. Akko was saddened that the meeting didn't go as expected, at which Croix comforted her. Little did Akko knew that the new professor had true, darker intentions in mind regarding their situation
To get a nice and warm shower, Hannah and Barbara bribed a young fire faery. As they did, an unknown assailant injured the fire faery with a bucket of water, causing the now cold students to exit only to be surrounded by said flame faery's cohorts who carried its doused form. Before long, the rest of them went berserk, wreaking havoc and blackmailing the professors who found themselves overwhelmed. Against Finnelan's judgement, Holbrooke and Badcock gave in to the faeries' demands.
Upon discovering what just happened, Akko, Lotte, and Sucy made haste for the New Moon tower and attempted to remove the isolators. They were soon interrupted by a strange-looking goblin whom Lotte noted to be more machine than actual magical creature. Almost without warning, the "goblin" morphed into a tentacled creature who sent Akko and isolator behind her flying plummeting toward the ground far below. Luckily for her, Croix's roombas intercepted them with its owner stepping in to end the commotion. After scanning the injured flame faery, Croix had her roombas pacified the angry faery custodians by absorbing their anger and them infused the energy into said faery, resusciating it in a blast of fiery red energy. Although Akko got caught by the healing energy surge and covered by soot in process, she was relatively unharmed and impressed by the new professor' ingenuity as much as everyone (except Finnelan as expected) present.
Now that things calmed down a bit, it's time for the faeries to remove the isolators. Nelson and Holbrooke couldn't help but wonder from where they got such advanced instruments in the first place. Assuming it to be mail order, Holbrooke was relieved that the crisis had been solved. Meanwhile, somewhere in New Moon Tower's lower levels, the mastermind behind the whole fiasco all along — Croix — dismissed the "goblin" who revealed to be a magitronic construct which then stored within one of her roombas, remarking that she may proceeded to commence the next stage of her plan.
Subsequently, the implementation of Croix's magitronics went underway and became a hot topic at LNN newspaper. Akko was amomg those who thrilled by such development in stark contrast of Finnelan, even though she was dismayed by how she was featured in the newspaper while still covered in soot. Not long after that, Ursula returned at last only for the extra energy only to be informed by Holbrooke that extra energy she brought were no longer needed. Now that her errand had been completed, Ursula was about to continue where she left off only to be shocked to see Akko talking to Croix...
Order of appearances
| Characters | Tools | Spells | Creatures |
|---|---|---|---|
Trivia
- Shiny Ray is replaced by Mind Conductor as the opening theme, while Toumei na Tsubasa replaces Hoshi Wo Tadoreba as the ending theme.
- This is Croix's first appearance in full person. She appeared as a cameo in "Don't Stop Me Now", indirectly in a flashback in "The Fountain of Polaris" and only her cape and arm were shown in "Samhain Magic".
- This episode takes place in November, along with "Chariot of Fire", as stated in the chronicles book.[1][2]
- This episode, alongside "Samhain Magic", shed a light on shades of gray in Luna Nova where in the case of this episode, majorities of Luna Nova teachers revealed to be overtly-conservative to changes and as Akko pointed out during the strike, seemingly indifferent towards the fairies' plight in their role as the academy's laborers which culminated them demanding more magic energy and susceptible of Croix's manipulations.
- Chapter 12.5 of Keisuke Satō manga however, though not necessarily follows the anime TV Series' continuity, clarified the relationship between Luna Nova teachers and the academy's faery laborers being not as strained as the episode suggested prior to the aforementioned strike. Although their relationship is relatively amicable, certain standards between them still left much to be desired and it took the ongoing decay of magic at that time for such matter to eventually become a major problem that Croix ultimately exploited to further convince the staff to accept her as the academy's new teacher.
- As revealed by Yoshinari during Convention Jonetsu 666 2024, faery custodians' strike with Akko later joining them upon understanding their plight which started it all was influenced by his recurring experience of stumbling upon revolt of some kind every time he visited France.[3]
Errors/Goofs
- When Akko is talking with Lotte and Sucy during nighttime. Lotte and Sucy are wearing different shoes while Akko is wearing her normal school shoes.
- Minotaur laborer in the episode is erroneously depicted with three-toed legs instead of hooves as well as simpler horn shape compared to those of his hostile brethren in the first short. This was repeated again in his depiction in Little Witch Academia Chronicles.[4]
- This goof apparently rectified in Chamber of Time game, which gives him hooves and horn similar to those of hostile minotaurs encountered in either first short or any of seven regions accessible through the use of Magic Keys on the Sealed Door of Horologium Chamber. Not surprisingly, this was attributed to the fact that the minotaur laborer shared the same model as their violent brethren.[5]
- During Croix's lecture about benefits of her magitronics in the meeting between Luna Nova Faculty staffs and faery laborers and states what SSS shortened of, it was written "Sorcery Solutoin System" despite of her pronounced it right. This has been revised as of Blu-ray release and subsequent Netflix run.
- Alice's eyes are curiously drawn normally instead of bead-like.
External Links
Reviews
- The Con Artists
- Rolling Review – Little Witch Academia (14) by CONARTISTSCOTT April 14, 2017
Gallery
| New Age Magic has an associated gallery here. |
References
- ↑ Little Witch Academia Chronicles, Chapter 4, page 116
- ↑
- ↑ https://twitter.com/DizzyHungry/status/1786753614213427283
- ↑
- ↑
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