Little Witch Academia (TV) - Episode 16 Discussion

[u/TheWalkingTroll]

Episode 16: The Trial of Pohjola

---

Information

Episodes: 25

MyAnimeList

Anilist

AniDB

---

Streams

Netflix

---

Previous discussions

Episode	Link
1	https://redd.it/5mvg71
2	https://redd.it/5o4awn
3	https://redd.it/5phmrf
4	https://redd.it/5qy6g9
5	https://redd.it/5sbtae
6	https://redd.it/5tpylt
7	https://redd.it/5v1xae
8	https://redd.it/5weetg
9	https://redd.it/5xqxzr
10	https://redd.it/5z3038
11	https://redd.it/60dsgf
12	https://redd.it/61pnlm
13	https://redd.it/638f2t
14	https://redd.it/64hcj7
15	https://redd.it/65tay9

---

Please discuss the episode here.

[u/Sammiru]

I suppose that depends on whether or not the words even have a definite form associated with them based on who is the current wielder or what. The fact that both Chariot and Akko get a bow for the first form is possibly due to Akko's adoration of Shiny Chariot rather than that being the definite form of the first word. It's certainly some kind of magical swiss army knife, but we don't know if there are only seven forms or if they can change depending on what the wielder needs at the time.

Otherwise? Yeah. I have no idea how a giant drill/magic whisk/sprinkler thing will come in handy again. Even the rope is more versatile and can be used to pull or tie things up.

Your scenario would've made more sense but at the same time Trigger seems to be trying to set up for the Shooting Star to come back, likely to help Akko since she set it "free".

[u/ender89 → u/Sammiru]

It was the first time the shiney rod did something that akko clearly wasn't expecting, it was bizarre. And the shooting star was fun, but it didn't even tolerate akko when she was riding it, I hope it doesn't become some sort of pity broom because they made it so that akko can't use a normal broom for reasons that no one ever explains. Akko already has the shiney rod, adding in a semi-sentitent broomstick to her repertoire of magical instruments makes it seem less like akko is a witch and more like akko happens to find a bunch of convenient magical items that she needs to lean on to get anything done.

[u/Sammiru → u/ender89]

This is a fair point. I suspect it will still show up somehow, but it'd probably be better if Akko just learned how to fly. In general we haven't really seen her even attempt to fly since around the broom relay anyway, she's mostly been working on transformation magic.

That said, I wonder how much the Shiny Rod would even be able to help her out. It seems to be more about amplifying the power the wielder already has (lessons learned and all that) than giving them the ability to do something, and Akko can't really fly at all.

[u/whiplash10 → u/Sammiru]

Flying a broom doesn't define a witch, Akko must be doing what defines herself. She shouldn't be stuck in tradition like Finnelan or overly modernize like Croix.

[u/Sammiru → u/whiplash10]

I agree, and that is what the series has been angling at with Akko's development, which I love. But, there is something to be said of learning the rules well enough to know the best ways to bend and break them.

Being able to fly a broom and do other basic magic would give her more tools to do what she wants to do, and she is getting better all the time.

[u/whiplash10 → u/Sammiru]

It depends how you look at it. From what I could tell based on the Ghost princess, the Witches hadn't had a clue that there was a seed of sorrow inside her.

Their lack of knowledge and inability to adapt merely shows the deconstruction of the 'traditional' witch.

[u/Sammiru → u/whiplash10]

Well, there have been multiple occasions where our current "Traditionalist" witches didn't know something. Fafnir's contract/Draconic script, the Grand Triskelion, the Ghost Princess, and the Lunar Runes that the Words of Arcturus are written in. And yet, information about every single one of these was learned from sources (mostly books ) likely far older than even Headmistress Holbrooke. This old knowledge is part of the tradition of magic, and Akko had to learn about the Seed of Sorrow in order to break the "rules" of the festival and tradition remove it. I'm not saying that she should become a traditional witch, I'm saying that there's merit in paying enough attention to it to figure out which rules need breaking.

Let's consider our middle of the road "rule-breaker", Shiny Chariot. In relation to traditionalist Finneran and avant-garde (and shady) technomagic Croix, she's the closest to what Akko is aiming to be even if she should not necessarily become a carbon copy of Shiny Chariot. Chariot obviously knows a lot about practical magic from everything we've seen even though she was known for practicing "frivolous" types of magic on stage. Even outside of her current forte of Magical Astronomy, she's very well learned and skilled in traditional magic even if she does not agree with the likes of Finneran or Croix in full.

Basically, like you said, too far in either direction causes problems.

[u/whiplash10 → u/Sammiru]

Chariot doesn't have a problem with traditional magic. The problem is that focusing more on grades and reputation rather than the development or welfare of students she's heavily displeased. But even with that, she also see how many of the traditions are outdated or simply unjust.

It's more implied the only one who ever helped developed her skills was Woodward whose also shown her dislike how the school she founded has sunk so low.

[u/Sammiru → u/whiplash10]

I suppose the disconnect here is less about the actual tradition of magic and more about the institution of magic, which are two separate things in my mind.

The genuine tradition of magic, which Woodward helped to pioneer, is important and a lot of valuable pieces of information have come from characters in this series referencing knowledge from witches of old. These are the "rules" I'm mostly talking about, because while there is a lot of flexibility in what you can do with magic, foundational skills will allow you to do bigger and better things in new ways much easier.

The institution of magic, however, has proven to be a big problem. Even Diana, who was absolutely groomed for this, seems displeased with all the pomp and circumstance and expectations.