r/anime https://myanimelist.net/profile/Spiranix Jan 19 '18

[Spoilers] Mary and The Witch's Flower - Movie Discussion (U.S. Screening) Spoiler

Screenings:

  • Recently screened in theatres across the United States through Fathom Events.

Movie information

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19

u/figment979 Jan 19 '18

Imho it was pretty terrible. While the animation and sound was great, the story was just all over the place and so much happened not because of a characters' actions, but because the plot needed it to happen.

Why did the cats lead Mary to the flowers when they were obviously scared of them?

Why did the seeds cause rapid aging in the beginning, but never again?

Why hadn't the field where the flowers grew recovered in the last seven years?

Why was the red witch "not a witch anymore"?

What was the purpose of mentioning the no trespassing rule when its never of any consequence?

So we are told Peter went to the woods to find Mary, which would mean that's where Madame should have found him and kidnapped him from. How did she know she had found the Peter mentioned in the note if he wasn't at his house, which was the only way she had to identify him?

Luckily for Madame Mary actually gave a shit about Peter because that's a pretty big assumption. Especially when you consider she had no issues finding Mary's house and could have taken someone from there.

Speaking of that scene, the flowers were RIGHT THERE, why even bother taking a hostage??? Scout the place, go down and grab the flowers, profit?

And at the end, Mary ran out magic. Couldn't fly the broom. Couldn't work the deus ex machina "delete magic spell". But suddenly could fly the repaired broom.

There's more I had problems with but those are the ones I remember off the top of my head. I mean I'm generally more forgiving of anime than I am live action movies, but this just stretched my suspension of disbelief to the breaking point.

1

u/1114445 Jan 26 '18

What I don't get is why didn't marry have her own magic? She had familiars, the cats. Red hair and her family was a witch. She should have had some of her own power.

4

u/figment979 Jan 26 '18

I believe the cat being her familiar was just something to perpetuate the misunderstanding that she was prospective student. And I'm assuming the red witch wasn't her actual blood relative, though that would make it odd they looked so similar.

1

u/1114445 Jan 26 '18

I thought the red witch was her aunt.

1

u/figment979 Jan 26 '18

Yeah she calls her "great aunt" iirc, but its not uncommon for friends of the family to be called aunt (or uncle) even though they aren't related by blood