(L) Majo no Tabitabi (The Journey of Elaina)

[mangamuscle]

Originally Posted by stray

Except her origin story made it clear that Elaina going on her journey was dependent on becoming a witch first

I think it is quite simple. Witch's can fly! We are talking about a time when there were no highways, no bus stops, no airplanes. Of course there were roads for merchants and royalty to travel among cities; same thing applies to maritime travel. But on one side that would be costly (supposing they will rent her a horse or make space for her on a boat at all) and not as comfortable no doubt and "Elaina the Wandering Lion Tamer" would be at risk of thieves, human traffickers and drunks. She is not royalty to have one or more guards keeping her safe at all the time. Besides, travelling on well known routes is not what she fancies, by flying she is not only safer/comfier and can get places faster, she can go anywhere she fancies and stay as long as she likes, she does not have to know the roads, whether there are dangerous beasts or brigands on the zone. Whether the roads themselves are dangerous or the climate makes them untranslatable makes no difference to Elaina the Witch.

[AC-Phoenix]

Originally Posted by mangamuscle

I think it is quite simple. Witch's can fly! We are talking about a time when there were no highways, no bus stops, no airplanes. Of course there were roads for merchants and royalty to travel among cities; same thing applies to maritime travel. But on one side that would be costly (supposing they will rent her a horse or make space for her on a boat at all) and not as comfortable no doubt and "Elaina the Wandering Lion Tamer" would be at risk of thieves, human traffickers and drunks. She is not royalty to have one or more guards keeping her safe at all the time. Besides, travelling on well known routes is not what she fancies, by flying she is not only safer/comfier and can get places faster, she can go anywhere she fancies and stay as long as she likes, she does not have to know the roads, whether there are dangerous beasts or brigands on the zone. Whether the roads themselves are dangerous or the climate makes them untranslatable makes no difference to Elaina the Witch.

Well she'd have a lion to keep her save...

[mangamuscle]

Originally Posted by AC-Phoenix

Well she'd have a lion to keep her save...

Adult lions consume on average between 10 and 25 pounds of meat per day.

Reality just called, left a memo that reads "no way jose" >_<

[AC-Phoenix]

Originally Posted by mangamuscle

Adult lions consume on average between 10 and 25 pounds of meat per day.

Reality just called, left a memo that reads "no way jose" >_<

Lion is like "Mmmm, fresh bandit!", but it looks like I I should have opened more windows for my joke to actually pull through...

[stray]

Keep your reality out of my lion taming anime!

Besides my lion tamer Elaina (and her trusty lion) would travel from circus to circus inbetween mingling with locals and eating bandits.

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

Not really. She didn't need to become a witch to travel. She became a witch because she wanted to. She liked a book about a traveling witch so she wanted to be a traveling witch too. That's all there is to it.

Literally the first scene in the anime is her parents agreeing to support her travels after she becomes a witch.

I mean I guess being a witch could very well be the same as graduating high school in Elaina's world but considering she gets VIP treatment occasionally I kind of doubt it.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by stray

Literally the first scene in the anime is her parents agreeing to support her travels after she becomes a witch.

We're talking about Elaina, not her parents. Her parents have their own wishes and opinions. His father clearly didn't want her to travel at all, witch or not witch. And her mother just wanted her to keep out of trouble. But that has nothing to do with Elaina's goals and motivations. Elaina liked a book about a traveling witch and wanted to do the same. For her, that was all. She didn't need to be a witch (though being able to fly certainly makes things easier). She just wanted to be like that character in the book she read.

[stray]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

We're talking about Elaina, not her parents. Her parents have their own wishes and opinions. His father clearly didn't want her to travel at all, witch or not witch. And her mother just wanted her to keep out of trouble. But that has nothing to do with Elaina's goals and motivations.

We actually weren't talking about Elaina, but if you want to make it about Elaina's motivations it honestly seems like she gave absolutely no fucks about being a witch anymore once she was allowed to travel. She has zero responsibility on her travels and has both been an enabler to and made mistakes with life and death consequences. As it is she's coming off as callous and narcissistic.

Maybe she's just supposed to be unlikable, but it would help if we actually knew what was expected of witches in Elaina's world, or why her parents demanded she become a witch before traveling, or basically any information that might help things feel less disjointed. Like I already said in my previous post it feels like there's context missing.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by stray

We actually weren't talking about Elaina

She's the one traveling. She decides if she wants to use her magic or not, and what for. So of course we're talking about Elaina. Whatever her parents wanted is irrelevant to what Elaina does with her magic.

she gave absolutely no fucks about being a witch anymore once she was allowed to travel.

She wanted to be like that traveling witch from her book. And for all we know that witch also didn't get involved in other people's shit.

it would help if we actually knew what was expected of witches in Elaina's world, or why her parents demanded she become a witch before traveling, or basically any information that might help things feel less disjointed. Like I already said in my previous post it feels like there's context missing.

All that's irrelevant. Elaina does what she does. It's not a matter of what is expected of witches or what her parents wanted. She's just not the kind of person that would go out of her way to help others. If you can't deal with that, then maybe this is the wrong show for you.

[stray]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

All that's irrelevant. Elaina does what she does. It's not a matter of what is expected of witches or what her parents wanted. She's just not the kind of person that would go out of her way to help others. If you can't deal with that, then maybe this is the wrong show for you.

Have... have you even bothered reading any of my posts? The only reason I even mentioned Elaina's parents was because of your mistaken claim that Elaina decided to be a witch on her own and independent of travel, yet for some reason you keep bringing them up.

Anyway if you appreciate that Elaina is callous and self absorbed I guess that's your prerogative but whether its the show "for me" or not I'm still entirely free to criticize it. I have a thing for hate watching badly written shows. And I would still like more world building but... agree to disagree I suppose.

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

The author doesn't have to waste his time explaining why witches don't do whatever they want despite being powerful since anyone could come up with a bunch of plausible explanations anyway. For example, since there is a country for witches (see episode 2) and also a witch association that is in charge of the test to become witch apprentice (see episode 1) we can safely conclude they also have laws that every witch has to abide to. And no doubt whoever lead the witch association knows that if witches did whatever they wanted, that would trigger a war that would probably destroy the world, so they would do all they can to prevent that sort of thing.

I'm sure I could come up with ten more explanations if I actually put some thought into it.

I'm actually glad the author doesn't fill the pages with this kind of crap and just focus on the characters and their immediate situations.

So you're saying it's better to have no world building in an anime about traveling around the world?

[kk2extreme]

I thought ep 3 is dark until ep 4...

I got tricked by the light tone in the first 2 eps

[arkhangelsk]

[QUOTE=AC-Phoenix;6444750]I wonder how no one has yet suggested that Elaina is actually partially responsible for Slave girl's death, and I'm not even referring to not helping her out of the situation.

Let's all remember: It was Elaina who suggested giving the Slave girl the bottled happiness at the time the Major's son gave it to her... /QUOTE]

Well, if you saw some man working hard to prepare a present for his girl, unless you are sure it is a bomb you'll probably say something positive about giving it to her.

[Rasty]

I think the main reason for all the criticism is that the show starts as light-hearted and the style of animation only reinforces this, leading to most people going into it with mistaken expectations. When they then get hit again and again by depressing content it undestandably angers them. If the show was done in darker colours or really any different style this wouldn't happen (not saying they should change, just pointing out the difference with similar shows that got no hate, like mushishi).

As for my opinion of the show, it's fantasy with heroic stories that... clearly lacks the hero. That turns it into tales of world being sh*t.

[SeijiSensei]

For me, it's just that Elaina is not very likeable. I prefer shows with likeable protagonists.

[Endscape]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

For me, it's just that Elaina is not very likeable. I prefer shows with likeable protagonists.

This. Plus, she's rather dull as well.

[mangamuscle]

Originally Posted by Rasty

I think the main reason for all the criticism is that the show starts as light-hearted and the style of animation only reinforces this, leading to most people going into it with mistaken expectations. When they then get hit again and again by depressing content it undestandably angers them. If the show was done in darker colours or really any different style this wouldn't happen (not saying they should change, just pointing out the difference with similar shows that got no hate, like mushishi).

The one show that this one would be similar is Madoka Magica, which just the same changed the tone at episode 3. Both were one cour magical setting which have a bright colored opening (that pointed towards your average magical girl dumb shennigans). The only difference being that in Madoka the protagonists continue to be heroical, while this series was not about a heroine from the start.

The other difference being the internet social media nowadays, people really think that by being mad at a show for not fulfilling their personal expectations can get a series cancelled (what was the last time that happened? Zombie Loan? and it was not because of viewers uproar) or "make them understand this kind of thing should not be done again".

If you ask me, it was an error to try to publicize the series with the "no panties" statement, made people fill the blank with all the wrong answers about what the show was going to be like.

[SeijiSensei]

The opening sequence in Madoka told us right away this wasn't going to be the usual magical-girl anime regardless of how it was portrayed. Somehow you knew we'd eventually get back to the death and destruction that was shown. The opening of Majo no Tabitabi was quite conventional.

https://www.facebook.com/16685398004...4606211266864/

[Rasty]

^ I must admit I forgot how the first episode of Madoka Magica looked, but yeah Yuki Kajiura's music, lots of explosions, one girl crying and another on the verge of death... well that certainly doesn't scream "standard mahou shoujo anime".

Originally Posted by mangamuscle

Both were one cour magical setting which have a bright colored opening (that pointed towards your average magical girl dumb shennigans).

Lol, the first 2 minutes in MM are in monochrome (except some atacks and the girls).

[mangamuscle]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

The opening sequence in Madoka told us right away this wasn't going to be the usual magical-girl anime regardless of how it was portrayed.

I said opening, not opening sequence, mind you. But about the opening sequence of Madoka, to me it clearly spoke about heroism against the biggest of odds and self sacrifice, themes that are common in anime in general:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UEkrUVmPIc

... and in magical girl anime in particular (need I really remind anyone of the ending of the first season of Sailor Moon or the ending of the Sailor Moon R movie?).

Somehow you knew we'd eventually get back to the death and destruction that was shown.

Death & destruction do not mean grim dark, because in that sequence is clear that what was shown was a premonition of sorts, nos something set in stone as "the bad ending that no one can change".

The opening of Majo no Tabitabi was quite conventional.

Mind you, I am not only an anime fan, I personally love anime opening and endings, when people talk about manually skipping them and berate crunchyroll for not adding a button to skip them I only roll my eyes. So a clear difference we can see (if we pay attention to both openings) is that Madoka is frenetically running to the left (not just walking or simply jogging). This means our protagonist is not only going against the current, against the odds, she is obviously doing something beyond her capacity. Meanwhile if you watch Elaina in her opening, she moves casually, comfortably, sometimes to the right, mostly to the left (sometimes quite timidly, sometimes boldly encouraged by a group of birds). So the opening is clearly delineating how they will behave in their respective series.

But saying it was obvious can't be farther from the truth, Madoka took everybody by surprise at the ending of episode 3. Meanwhile, Elaina has a light novel and a manga, so no one can really say "who would have thought the series would go in that direction".

[Random Wanderer]

Originally Posted by mangamuscle

But saying it was obvious can't be farther from the truth, Madoka took everybody by surprise at the ending of episode 3.

Maybe with the exact specifics how how things happened, but even before it aired people were predicting that it would turn into a horrifying bloodbath of soul-destroying torment and evil, so saying that "everyone was surprised" doesn't really seem accurate. Maybe people who ignored all discussion of it beforehand, didn't pay any attention to who was making it, and who completely missed all the incredibly dark, ominous, and unpleasant imagery and implications in the first two episodes were surprised, and maybe some people were surprised at how dark it got, but plenty of folks went into Madoka expecting something like what they got.

As for Elaina, yes, again, pre-anime discussions and reading of the source material did warn folks that things weren't happy here, but assuming that you missed those there was nothing in the opening or the first two episodes of this series to make people think that it would be turning dark like this. Not a thing.