Hoods Entertainment's adaptation of Tomohiro Matsu and Kantoku's Märchen Mädchen light novel had an infamous animation meltdown this year. Character design, background art, basic proportions collapsed midway through the season until staff had to take the entire show on hiatus. Multiple episode delays pushed the show out of its scheduled time block leaving the last two episodes delayed until December. The home video release was also delayed in attempt to rectify the show's many animation problems. The final home video release won't come out until January 30, 2019, over a year after the first episode debuted.

Screenshots comparing the television version to the fifth home video release on October 31 are circulating on Twitter and give a glimpse of how the anime was intended to appear all along. Gone are the copy-pasted sandwiches and melting faces.

The production problems that plagued Märchen Mädchen are unfortunately not unique. Viewers are witnessing a similar breakdown in this season's My Sister, My Writer.

The Märchen Mädchen television anime premiered on January 11. Crunchyroll streamed the first 10 episodes as they aired in Japan, and it describes the story:

This is a story about girls (called "Maedchen") who are selected by “Origin”. They attend school of witchcraft located all over the world to wield their magic and become first-rate “Origin Masters”. Their goal is to win at the annual Hexennacht competition, where representatives of each school compete in their abilities to wield their magic. The winner of the competition gets to have one wish magically granted. Due to lack of members, there were concerns that Japan might not be able to attend the annual competition this year. However, things start to change when one day Shizuka Tsuchimikado, the leader of Japan meets Hazuki Kagimura, a high school student who loves reading and daydreaming. For some reason, Hazuki, a loner who doesn't have many friends is chosen by the Origin “Cinderella” which possesses strong power. She begins her new life at school of witchcraft. The girls practice to wield their magic with “Cinderella” to win the championship while sometimes they enjoy soaking in hot spring baths; their battles are about to start!

Source: @NyattP1, @Hide0110s, via Yara-on