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Pappiliodya (パピリオディア, Papiriodia?) is the 2nd episode of the Little Witch Academia anime series.
On Netflix, the episode is titled with a slightly different spelling as "Papiliodia".[4]dddd
Overview
Akko is excited when her classes finally start, but learning magic turns out to be boring. Worse, her classmates make fun of her for admiring Chariot.
Summary
Awakening from the dream, which happened to be a brief flashback of the moment when she used Shiny Arc to open a Ley Line Portal toward Luna Nova, Akko excitedly started her day by checking on the Rod before trying out her new witch robe. However, Lotte informed her that the robe was for practical classes hence they wore regular uniforms for now before revealing a list of subjects taught at the academy. Meanwhile, Sucy, who acknowledged her reason of enrolling Luna Nova despite her initial lack of interest (rare endangered mushrooms kept by the academy), took her time testing petrifying poison from the feather of the Cockatrice they encountered on the other day which had been refined, chuckling in satisfaction upon seeing it successfully crystallized a small bug.
We're then introduced to normalcy in Luna Nova, starting from the teachers' meeting at Headmistress' office. During such meeting, Ursula — Akko's and her friends' savior from the previous episode — dozed off that she unwittingly dropped her wand, much to the chagrin of her fellow professors. The scene then shifted to Ursula informing her senior Finnelan about her intention to be Akko's tutor in her spare time since she was the only student from Japan. However, her clumsiness led to her capabilities for such endeavor being put into question. Meanwhile, Akko began her first day in Luna Nova, during which she found the academy's subjects both dull and unfamiliar, much to her chagrin. At one point, she dozed off while Sucy took advantage of it by pouring one of her experimental potions onto her ponytail, turning into a tiny plant. By contrast, Luna Nova's top student — Diana Cavendish — showcased her considerable expertise in majorities of the subjects, even revised certain part in Samantha Badcock's lesson.
During lunchtime, Akko ranted over her dissatisfaction with Luna Nova's seemingly dull subject and disbelief of Shiny Chariot once attended the academy. This caught Diana's attention leading to Luna Nova's top student greeting the brunette and told her that Chariot had a bad reputation in magic community. An argument ensued between the two, where Diana added that Chariot's popularity didn't leave much impression due to her shows being nothing more than all flash and no substance and that no one cared about what happened to her even after she left the public eye for a decade. Akko retorted that Chariot was the one who inspired her to be a witch and even found Shiny Rod on her way to Luna Nova.
In the courtyard, at which Akko attempted to use Shiny Rod's magic, Diana wondered whether the staff was a flawless replica. The brunette argued it not to be the case as she tried to use it on one of the courtyard's statues to no avail. To spare the brunette from unnecessary humiliation, Diana magically brought such statue to life in her stead and had fixed Akko's bewitched ponytail, much to the latter's horror because she didn't know what the statue actually did. Afterwards, Diana lectured Akko that magic was something attained from research and tradition before making her leave with her roommates. Unknown to them, Ursula witnessed the whole thing starting from the argument at the cafeteria, though she soon reminded by Finnelan to focus on certain issue at hand in the academy.
Later, Akko showed Lotte and Sucy her collection of Chariot cards while sadly acknowledging that it had been 10 years since the last time Chariot performed her show. She remembered how the cards became the popular trend in its time, having collected every single one of them except the "A Believing Heart is Your Magic" premium card. Lotte and Sucy are surprised that the Japanese have memorized flavor texts in each card as if they are bible despite her difficulty pronouncing spells written on them.
Meanwhile, Finnelan, Holbrooke, and Ursula are examining Jennifer Memorial Tree, an ancient tree at the academy's botanical garden believed to host the spirit of the late Jennifer the Witch herself. In the middle of their discussion over the tree's current state, Diana, Hannah, and Barbara appeared and offered to lend a hand. Once the professors are gone, the Cavendish and her cohorts make some preparation to aid Diana in casting Plant Restoration Spell in hopes of restoring the tree. Casting the spell, it seemingly worked with Jennifer Memorial Tree returning to its healthy state, which prompts Hannah and Barbara to go for the professors over this development. However, not long after they left the garden, the spell's effects were abruptly undone, followed by the tree's roots unearthing themselves. Some of them even popped out near Akko and her roommates while playing with Chariot cards. As this happens, Ursula discovers the answer to the tree's weakened state.
Rushing for the botanical garden, Akko, Lotte, and Sucy catch Diana in the scene as the tree's roots reveal parasite-like growths all over them. Sucy commented that the growths resemble chrysalises (albeit unusual ones), whereas Diana, mistaking them as actual parasites, begins to blast them one by one with magic bolts. Recognizing the growths, Akko tried to reason with the top student. However, Diana refused to listen and attempted to blast another, prompting Akko to jump into her magic bolt's path and get struck in the process, crippling her and scattering her Chariot Cards in the process. Horrified, Lotte, Diana, and Sucy rushed to her side, at which Akko revealed the growths' true nature as Pappiliodyas' chrysalis forms. Akko's desire to help the chrysalises caused Shiny Rod in her possession to glow, much to the girls' surprise. Discovering a better alternative to solve their problem, Akko, with Diana and Lotte's aid, cast Pappiliodya Spell on the chrysalises, allowing the magical butterflies to emerge from their chrysalis forms (including ones crippled by Diana's spell earlier) and fly out of the garden.
As the Pappiliodya swarm leaves the academy's botanical garden, Ursula, who just has learned more about the magical butterflies, can't help but be amazed by their emergence on the outside as much as the students. Their departure also allowed Jennifer Memorial Tree to return to normal, with Diana, who was still in the garden, immediately praised by the professors and the students. Diana wanted to argue that she was not the only one responsible for the ensuing miracle but eventually chose to leave to see Akko and her roommates accompany the Pappiliodya swarm in the sky, looking for new nesting grounds...
Order of appearances
| Characters | Tools | Spells | Creatures |
|---|---|---|---|
Trivia
- Akko does 4x3 formation of cards does not include the Moonlit Witch card, first seen in "What You Will", or the card where Chariot is riding on the Shiny Rod in the form of a broom, seen in "Sky War Stanship".
- The episode indicates that Akko indeed shortened the bottom of her Luna Nova-issued hooded tunic befitting to her fashion style inspired by Shiny Chariot, as it reached her knee when receiving it for the first time. While Diana doesn't do the same to present herself in prim and proper manner, a bit of her thighs are exposed because her legs are slightly longer.[5][6]
- This episode takes place in May, along with "A New Beginning" and "Don't Stop Me Now", as stated in the chronicles book.[7][8]
- During the scene of Badcock's lesson in which Diana had to correct her at one point during her lecture, a diagram of the Tree of Life, which prominently featured in Kabbalah and other mystical traditions, can be seen on the chalkboard.
- In the same lecture, topics Badcock explicitly mentioned in her lecture are Numerology and the father of Modern Numerology, Pythagoras - a Greek philosopher and mathematician whose numerological teachings is believed to lay the foundation of sorcery and divination.
- Additionally, though easily overlooked due to obscured by Badcock's hat, the illustration of Temple Menorah also included on the chalkboard as part of her lecture.
- The chalkboard is adorned with a variety of alchemical and astrological symbols. At the top left, the four classical elements of Western alchemy are prominently displayed: Air (🜁), Earth (🜃), Fire (🜂), and Water (🜄). Scattered across the board within the various stars, pentagrams and magic circles are other alchemical and planetary symbols, each corresponding to a specific metal or celestial body. In particular, within the diagram for the Tree of Life include Pluto (Pluto Form Two), Saturn (♄), Neptune (♆), Uranus (♅), Mars (♂), Jupiter (♃), the Sun (☉), Mercury (☿), and Venus (♀). Other symbols are also present on the board, such as the Moon’s association with Silver (☽ Variant), as well as a variant symbol for Earth (🜨). which is not surprising as alchemy is taught at Luna Nova.
- During the flashback scene where the younger Akko saw the premium Chariot Card in a store called Carta Ursa Major, a store beside it, Awesome Store, utilizes a font which curiously not unlike that of the contemporary Star Wars emblem.
- The font utilized in the excerpt about Pappiliodya in the document Ursula read is the namesake font of Voynich manuscript.
External links
Reviews
- The Con Artists
- Rolling Review – Little Witch Academia (02) by CONARTISTSCOTT January 17, 2017
Essays
- ATELIER EMILY
- Leylines, and More on Magic in Little Witch Academia by ajthefourth January 25, 2017
Gallery
| Pappiliodya has an associated gallery here. |
References
- ↑ Little Witch Academia's Netflix Release Date Announced - IGN
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 2.27 2.28 2.29 2.30 2.31 2.32 2.33 2.34 2.35 2.36 2.37 2.38 2.39 2.40 2.41 2.42 2.43 2.44 2.45 2.46 2.47 2.48 2.49 2.50 2.51 2.52 2.53 2.54 2.55 2.56 2.57 2.58 2.59 2.60 2.61 2.62 2.63 2.64 2.65 Little Witch Academia Chronicles, Chapter 2, page 23
- ↑
- ↑ https://www.netflix.com/title/80156387
- ↑ Little Witch Academia Chronicles, Chapter 2, page 22
- ↑
- ↑ Little Witch Academia Chronicles, Chapter 4, page 116
- ↑
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