Little Witch Academia Halloween: Little Witch Academia is an anime series that follows the story of Akko Kagari, a young girl attending Luna Nova Magical Academy. The academy is known for its prestigious magical education and has a variety of events throughout the year. One of the most anticipated events is the Halloween celebration. Halloween in Little Witch Academia is a vibrant and exciting affair. The students and teachers of Luna Nova go all out to create a spooky and magical atmosphere. The academy is decorated with pumpkins, cobwebs, and spooky creatures.
CD Projekt Red, the company behind the Cyberpunk 2077 video game, is producing the series with Rafał Jaki as Showrunner and Executive Producer, with Satoru Homma, Bartosz Sztybor and Saya Elder serving as producers.
From CD Projekt Red and Trigger, Cyberpunk Edgerunners debuts with 10 episodes that are 30 minutes each, and the trailer loads up on sheer Nsfw madness. CD Projekt Red, the company behind the Cyberpunk 2077 video game, is producing the series with Rafał Jaki as Showrunner and Executive Producer, with Satoru Homma, Bartosz Sztybor and Saya Elder serving as producers.
The academy is decorated with pumpkins, cobwebs, and spooky creatures. The corridors are adorned with candles and eerie lights, creating an enchanting ambiance. During Halloween, students are encouraged to dress up in costumes.
Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time (PS4) review
I’ve tried a few times to get into Little Witch Academia , but to no avail. It seems very much like my kind of thing—there’s a school of magic, the usual delightful anime tropes, and a main character whom I find thoroughly relatable in her clumsy, lazy swagger—and yet every time I’ve tried to watch it, I’ve lost interest before even getting to the third episode.
Comparatively, Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time had me invested in the world and characters of Little Witch Academia right from the outset. Rather than retelling the story of the anime, Chamber of Time follows an original tale set during Luna Nova’s summer holiday. As such, all the characters and relationships are already established, so the game skips past the anime’s foundation-laying—which is where I keep losing interest—and just gets on with telling the story it needs to tell.
Despite that, Chamber of Time cleverly avoids alienating newcomers to the series. Each time you met a new character, there’s an optional flashback that recaps how she and the main character, Akko, first met. More crucially, all the dialogue is written in a way that clearly illustrates who each person is and how they all fit together.
That, I think, is what makes Chamber of Time work where the original Little Witch Academia struggled: both the cartoon and the game are carried on their strength of their characters and relationships, but the latter is much more efficient at getting those established.
As always, Atsuko “Akko” Kagari is the star. She’s impulsize, she’s cheeky, she’s reckless, she’s a goofball—and utterly charming in all of those qualities. She’s also quietly determined; without by magical background, she’s determined to become a witch after a childhood encounter with famed magician Shiny Chariot. She’s terrible at magic and generally hates studying but hers is a dream that she won’t give up on.
By contrast, Diana—who is something of a rival to Akko—is a prodigy. Cool and aloof, she’s an expert in spellcasting, she’s top of every class, and she comes from a wealthy family and a long line of great witches. But she’s not the Malfoy to Akko’s Harry Potter; they butt heads often, but they share an odd sort of friendly rivalry rather than being out-and-out enemies. (If my Twitter feed is any indication, a lot of people ship Akko and Diana as a couple. I can see it.)
Akko’s surrounded by a wide range of other oddball friends and classmates, like the poison-obsessed Sucy, the rebellious Amanda, and the engineering genius Constanze. They all help to flesh out a charming world of witchcraft and schoolyard antics and that’s where Little Witch Academia is at its best.
The plot itself is fairly pedestrian, though interesting enough to keep things ticking along. After her latest academic mishap, Akko’s been sentenced to tidying Luna Nova’s massive library. While doing so, she discovers a strange old door, and, unable to contain her curiosity, she opens it—unleashing a curse that makes the day repeat endlessly, Groundhog Day style.
Hidden behind the door is something called the Horologium Chamber, through which Akko and the other witches-in-training can access an array of spacetime-defying dungeons. In order to break the time loop, the group need to find seven magic keys hidden throughout Luna Nova that in turn open new dungeons, each one bringing them closer to solving the mystery of the hidden room. Like I said, it’s fairly standard, but the charming characters and their humorous interactions carry the story through from start to finish.
The same can’t be said about actually playing Chamber in Time , however. Much of the game involves running around Luna Nova, running back and forth between people and places to set quests in motion. At first, exploring the school is its own reward, but the incessant backtracking quickly grows tiresome.
Dungeons play out in a side-scrolling beat ’em up style, albeit with a light exploration touch with different rooms and such to explore. Sadly, the the brawler style of combat just doesn’t work well at all, simply because of how hard it is to actually hit enemies; unless you’re perfectly lined up with a foe depth-wise, your spells will just go sailing past. Things get a little bit easier as you level up and get access to attacks with bigger areas of effect, but you still have to deal with cooldowns and MP limits when you’re using those.
Chamber of Time also suffers from an effects overload. When you, your allies, and the enemies you’re fighting against are all slinging flashy, explosive spells back and forth, it’s hard to keep track of where enemies are and what’s actually happening. A lot of the time, there are environmental hazards and the like to add to the chaos even further. Luckily, the AI for your allies is good enough that you can mostly just let them do their thing, but that kind of defeats the purpose of even having combat in the game to begin with.
The RPG side of things brings a bit of welcome depth, at least. There are a handful of different playable characters, and aside from having their own strengths and weaknesses, each one has unique “leader’s traits” that take effect if you make her the party leader: Akko increases experience earned by support characters, Lotte can find hidden chests, Diana reveals monster details, and so on. When someone levels up, you can choose how their stat points are distributed (minmaxers rejoice!), and there’s a wealth of loot to find and spells to learn.
Chamber of Time also looks fantastic. The cel-shaded art style perfectly captures the look of the anime, and it even goes as far as having frame-limited animations to give the game that 2D feel. The characters are every bit as emotive as their cartoon counterparts, and Luna Nova itself is beautifully brought to life. That said, the UI can be confusing, and the text in menus and dialogue boxes is tiny to the point of being unreadable unless you’re sitting really close to the TV.
Despite its flaws, I enjoyed my time with Chamber of Time . It can be tedious to play, but the delightful characters, magical world, humorous dialogue, and gorgeous anime-style presentation carry it through. It’s actually made me want to give Little Witch Academia another go, with is a good achievement for any anime tie-in.
Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time is developed by A+ Games and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It’s available now for PlayStation 4 (reviewed) and PC.
A copy of the game was supplied by the publisher for this review.
Bonus points are definitely awarded if the female friendship passes the Bechdel test: at least two women talk to each other and discuss something other than a man. Best friends are one of the closest consistent relationships a person can have in their life, and they make for great deuteragonists or well-crafted side characters in anime.
They can choose to portray their favorite magical characters or even create their original costumes. The students showcase their creativity and magical abilities through their costumes, making it a feast for the eyes. Throughout the day, various activities take place to entertain the students. There are pumpkin-carving competitions, potion-making classes, and even magical creature exhibitions. The students eagerly participate in these activities, showcasing their magical skills and showcasing their love for Halloween. One of the highlights of the Little Witch Academia Halloween is the grand midnight magic show that takes place in Luna Nova's grand auditorium. The students, under the guidance of their teachers, perform a mesmerizing display of spells and enchantments. The audience is captivated by the magical abilities of the young witches, and the show leaves everyone in awe. Apart from the magical performances, there are also delicious treats and sweets available during the Halloween celebration. The cafeteria serves a variety of themed snacks and drinks, including bewitched cakes, bubbling potions, and colorful candies. It adds to the festive spirit and delights the taste buds of the attendees. Halloween in Little Witch Academia is not just a celebration; it is a time for students to bond with each other and showcase their talents. The event brings the entire academy together and creates a sense of unity and excitement among the students. In conclusion, Little Witch Academia Halloween is an enchanting and magical celebration. It showcases the students' creativity, magical abilities, and their love for all things spooky. The event helps foster a sense of community and camaraderie among the students, making it a memorable experience for everyone involved..
Reviews for "Witches on Parade: Little Witch Academia Halloween Costume Contest"
1. Jenny - 2/5 - I was really disappointed with Little Witch Academia Halloween. The animation was lackluster and the story felt rushed. It didn't capture the same magic as the original series, and I found myself bored throughout most of it. The characters also felt poorly developed, and I couldn't connect with any of them. Overall, it felt like a cheap cash grab rather than a genuine addition to the Little Witch Academia universe.
2. Mike - 3/5 - Little Witch Academia Halloween was just okay for me. While it had some enjoyable moments, I felt that it lacked the depth and creativity of the original series. The plot felt predictable, and the jokes fell flat most of the time. I was hoping for a more memorable and exciting Halloween special, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. It's still worth watching for fans of the series, but don't expect anything outstanding.
3. Sarah - 2.5/5 - Little Witch Academia Halloween didn't do justice to the amazing world and characters of the original series. The story felt disjointed and hastily put together, lacking the charm and wit that made the series so enjoyable. The animation also seemed subpar, with less attention to detail and fluidity. Overall, it felt like a wasted opportunity to create something magical and memorable for Halloween. I would recommend giving this one a miss if you're a fan of Little Witch Academia.
4. Mark - 2/5 - I found Little Witch Academia Halloween to be a real letdown. The narrative felt forced and contrived, and the jokes were recycled from the original series without any new twist or creativity. The animation quality also appeared to have taken a dip, with uneven character designs and clunky movements. It lacked the heart and soul of the original series, resulting in a forgettable Halloween special. If you're a die-hard fan of Little Witch Academia, you might still find something to enjoy, but for casual viewers, it's not worth the time.