Episode Synopsis:
The ladies of Luna Nova are allowed outside school grounds and given some very simple rules of conduct. Once of these rules is that you should not use magic outside school grounds! Naturally, this means that Akko uses magic while out at some graveyard and resurrects a vengeful skeleton! Chaos ensues, but is there more to this Skeleton-Man than meets the eye(socket)??
Episode Review:
Once again, I get an episode that starts off a certain way and ends with a relatively unexpected display of lovely world building.
It was nice to see Akko actually using magic. While she kinda still sucks at it (show…I swear on something magical that if that girl can’t ride a broom by the last episode, I will slap someone), she was able to pull out a magical item, know what it was for and use it for its intended reason. She even manages to use some magic in the final moments of the show to (mostly) help out!!
Of course…this is Akko we are talking about so the “intended reason” I mentioned above does not equal intended result. Akko and Co. resurrect a skeleton and are forced to stop its wild antics as it runs all around town in search of some rival man! Sir Skeleton’s antics are all in good Looney Tunes fun but it’s his discussions about the world he knew, and his true identity that really take the cake this episode.
I am not going to spoil much about this episode, because I want you all to watch this show. I think this Episode has a touching ending and it gives a nice display of how Trigger controls emotions on screen. They clearly want you the viewer to understand that magic is a powerful tool (it resurrects the dead, for crying out loud), but it is not omnipotent, nor is it in the show just for pure comedy (as Akko and her friends might make us believe).
This episode also gives us insight into the Headmistress of Luna Nova, so I enjoyed that a ton. So rarely are adults even recognized in the world of anime, so giving a moment to a character you thought was just there as a figurehead was a lovely touch.
Instead of spoilers, I am going to talk about some fun world building elements. First, for anyone who was curious about whether or not we are definitely ripping off Harry Potter, it turns out, WE ARE! There’s a one off shot featuring money which shows that we are in fact in London! It’s little details like this that really make me love Trigger.
In Episode 5 I mentioned that there was a neat discussion about science and how it’s come into the world to usurp magic. Through Sir Skeleton, we discover that witches were once revered, because magic was used for everything! Despite this, inter-witch marriages (witch+human) were still a taboo thing and thusly we get to see that witches were still in a strange place in a society. In the sequence showcasing witches using magic for every tasks, and in a random shot with a painting, I was awed by the artistic dexterity that the crew of Trigger is able to flex. Though we got to see it best last episode (dat movie scene!), it’s still a treat here, considering how simple the character models of LWA are.
As a final note, the girls are instructed to give up an object of utmost importance so that they can return to Luna Nova at any given time. These objects seem to be in a box with Ursula-sensei and the Headmistress. I wonder how that’s going to come into play?!?!
Episode Summary:
Episode 9 is funny, touching, and throws in world building more naturally than most dark-“mature” shows could ever hope to do. If I had to complain about anything, it’s that the plot of this episode is super predictable. The whole thing plays out with a twist you see coming about 500 miles away. That doesn’t stop it from being great though, and I’m really glad the Headmistress of Luna Nova got a moment of love from the writers. My other complaint is that Diana is completely absent. Diana for life.
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