So I was going through the Little Witch Academia wiki and saw that there was an entry on Akko’s parents. There was even a picture of the from the manga. I was like, “What the H? I have all three volumes of the manga and have never seen them.” A few google searches later, turns out that there is another Little Witch Academia manga. This one is only one volume and has five chapters. It was a quick read and I have…mixed feelings about it. Before I go chapter by chapter, here’s a few notes I have about the manga overall:

also MAJOR SPOILERS

I don’t like the art on Akko. I understand that Akko is supposed to be (for lack of a better term) the dumb one of the group, but that doesn’t mean you have to draw her dead eyed with her jaw just hanging open. It’s weird and creepy. There are several panels where Akko is just staring off into space with her mouth open. It’s weird because there are several times where the artist draws characters like Chariot, Diana, and Lotte to look really attractive. So why draw Akko looking like Patrick Star? Gross, dude.

I don’t like the characterization on Diana. In the OVA’s Diana was haughty, but she could back up her arrogance. She always did end up getting swept into whatever Akko was doing. In the Netflix series, they played it up like it was tough love. Like she’s getting after Akko for her own good. In the manga, it’s a little of both. She doesn’t hate Akko, but she does get annoyed at whatever misadventure she gets wrapped up in. In this manga, she’s more of a bitch. There’s a really sad scene in chapter two and she’s smiling the entire time. She’s always doing that anime “fu fu fu” laugh. She even tricked Akko into thinking she set her on fire. I’m a big time diakko shipper so I was not happy with this.

Changing the origin. Maybe I should get into specifics for this one:

CHAPTER ONE:

That’s the first panel up there. That’s what we start with. Not a good start and it doesn’t get any better. It starts with Akko getting her acceptance letter and then she’s at Luna Nova in the next page. No Shiny Rod. No Forest of Arcturus. She’s introduced to Lotte and Sucy by walking down the hallway. I guess the other way was too exciting. Diana is there and she’s pissed at Akko for yawning during her speech at the entrance ceremony. Little Witch Academia everybody!

CHAPTER TWO:

Is actually very good. It’s a real tearjerker and could easily fit anywhere in the LWA canon. Everyone is making golems in class. You’re supposed to destroy them right after you use them, but Akko thinks it’s cruel so she keeps hers. Time passes and the golem (named Lemmy) gets bigger and smarter with Akko even teaching him the alphabet. However, she can’t do any of her assignments even worse than usual. The reason why witches destroy the golems right after they use them is because they’re powered by the witch’s magical energy. Since Lemmy is still around, it’s draining her of her magical energy. Lemmy messes up their room and runs away after growing larger. Akko finds him at night and gives him a notebook saying wherever he goes he can always write to her. Diana and her friends show up to mock Akko (because in this continuity she’s a huge bitch) and the golem attacks them. Akko reluctantly destroys Lemmy. Sucy believes Lemmy did it on purpose to help Akko. The chapter ends with Akko finding Lemmy’s notebook with a drawing of them together that says “MAGICAL STAR AKKO LEMY.” Then Akko starts crying and so did I. And now I’m crying again. Oh god.

CHAPTER THREE:

Is actually pretty funny. Akko discovers that Shiny Chariot’s costume is up for sale on an online auction and tries to borrow money from everyone to buy it. Diana is curious why Akko needs so much money and discovers the auction. She tries to buy the costume herself and because she’s rich, she can always just up the bid every time.

Professor Ursula overhears about the auction and checks her closet to find that her stage outfit is right there, so it can’t possibly for sale. She even puts it on. SPOILER: It’s tight. She calls her old production company to ask if they’ve ever sold a copy of her outfit and they discover the pattern has been stolen.

Akko and Diana track down the original seller and discover he’s the guy who stole the pattern so he can sell knockoff Chariot costumes. They take him down (after a very tasteless joke of the old man grabbing Diana’s ass. Piece of shit) and Ursula takes back the pattern without anyone knowing.

CHAPTER FOUR:

I don’t like chapter four. Chapter four is actually about Sucy and Lotte. They go to Sucy’s home in the Philippines and Akko stays behind because she’s Akko and has a bunch of make up assignments to do. Sucy’s mom has called her back home to choose a familiar. Her sisters try to help her but merge with this magical beast and Sucy tricks them into splitting up. Whatever. Nothing special. There is just one itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini of a problem:

SUCY WAS ADOPTED

The creator of LWA and the good manga (because that’s what I’m calling it now) both say that Sucy was adopted. She doesn’t have a mom that looks exactly like her just with big tits and she doesn’t have little sisters that looks exactly like her but smaller. Two out of three falls says Sucy was adopted. This entire chapter is flawed.

CHAPTER FIVE:

Is kinda weird. Akko, Sucy and Lotte are having lunch. Lotte says she doesn’t like fish and Akko blames the cafeteria food. They go out to the lake to catch some fish so Akko can make sushi. A giant fish attacks them and Lotte uses a spirit to move a sunken pirate ship to kill the fish. Akko takes it and makes sushi. Akko and Sucy don’t like it, but Lotte loves it until she realizes that it was a giant fish so there is a lot of fish to eat.





Overall, I really didn’t like this one. I can see why they stopped at five chapters. If I had to grade this by stars, it would be one star for chapter two but take away a quarter for making Diana a bitch. Same for chapter three. I liked it but take away a quarter for making Diana a bitch. Total 1.5/5.





Let’s hope the light novel will be good.