The first movie from Studio Ponoc, formed by members of Studio Ghibli leads us to Mary a raggedy red-headed klutzy girl who doesn’t seem to have many friends. But she’s up for an adventure and she’s about to get her wish. Wandering into the woods following a cat, she comes upon a beautiful blue glowing flower. Being the curious girl she is she takes one and brings it home. Upon contact with the flower, all of the sudden gives her the ability to use magic. She can fly a broom use spells she’s never seen or heard of. She quickly learns the magical world she’s transported to is in trouble. There are those who have hidden agendas and want the flower for their own gain and will do whatever they have to to accomplish their goal. The world created is beautiful and stunning and the animation is very cool. The score is phenomenal and leads and transitions very smoothly with where we are in the story. The voice-overs are very well done and capture the emotion of every situation. It will keep you entertained from start to finish. Studio Ponoc should be very proud of themselves with their first release. Those anime fans of Studio Ghibli will notice the likeness of the way the style and the way the film is animated. It’s very entertaining and well told. Are you an anime fan? If so, this is definitely one you should enjoy.

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