Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
Fenrir366
Mandrake casually aura farming.
Plot holes this massive haven't been seen since the Garlasco case.
I genuinely don't know what happened here. The movie constantly introduces things that feel like they should be important, only to completely forget about them five minutes later. Characters appear, do something completely insane, and then the story just moves on as if nothing happened.
The CGI isn't even that bad, I've definitely seen worse. The problem is that the characters feel like 2D designs that were forcibly adapted into 3D models. Something just feels strange, like they were never really meant to exist in 3D.
And just when the movie finally seems to be taking a more straightforward direction, it completely self-destructs. Right at the end, it randomly reintroduces a character we…
Read at the source555february
I went into this anime with fairly low expectations, but it turned out to be a genuinely fun experience. Its colorful atmosphere and quirky cast of characters kept me entertained from beginning to end. I'm honestly not sure why so many people were so harsh on it. The story flows effortlessly, and I found myself looking forward to seeing what the main girl would do next.
Although I usually prefer darker stories with heavier philosophical themes, this was exactly the kind of lighthearted series I needed as a break from those. It was simply fun.
There were only two things I didn't like. The first was the incomplete ending, and the second was the song itself. Even if the production had a limited budget, I think more attention should have been given to the song, since it's played repeatedly thr…
Read at the sourceMoonSpider
I watched this for the "The Witching Hour" 2026 Summer Stack Challenge. Meaning it has a traditional witch in it, and this (in addition to some DVDs I was given for a series called "Tweeny Witches") was already on my PTW, and quite an easy watch. I was planning to make my way through the entirety of Ghibli's works eventually, hopefully getting all that I can as their steelbooks as well, but this was good enough of an excuse to watch it as any.
And with all the fuss that was made 5+ years ago when this movie first came out, my expectations were pretty low. Though the only criticism I remembered was that Ghibli was using a 3D CG art style for once. But also, interestingly, this was yet another movie adapted from a book by Diana Wynne Jones. The same lady wrote the book for "Howl's Moving Ca…
Read at the sourceTank13
As the latest of Gorou Miyazaki any steps forward he learned from From Up on Poppy Hill seems have gone backwards. He put himself in a up hill battle (pun unintended) with ditching the Studios art style with a more modern 3D look which could have worked. I will say there are good parts to this film, like the music and the animation is spot on and the colors brighten up the screen. Then after that it's down hill, first the movie should have been longer it was too short for the story Gorou was going for. Closer to 2 hours maybe would have helped the story breathe, but the world is properly set up. There are way to many coincidences throughout the movie. The main character is to me very poorly written, is always and I mean is always right even if when she is manipulative. This story has a lot…
Read at the sourcemaya_kotori
This was honestly a movie I didn’t enjoy at first. I watched it for the first time last year, and only a few days ago I realized I never wrote a review for it (I swear, I’m starting to lose track of everything…). The main reason I didn’t like it at the beginning was the graphics. It looks completely different from the rest of the Studio Ghibli films, and that threw me off immediately. But despite that, the movie pulled me into its story unexpectedly fast. Before I even realized it, I was invested, curious, and eventually… I fell in love with it. The charm is still there, just in a different form. The characters, the atmosphere, the little magical details, they slowly grow on you. So even if the visuals don’t attract you at first glance because they look “different,” it’s still worth giving…
Read at the source1stDecame4Danime
People only hate this because 'SHEGEE!!!' of generic Western animation style and the plot of this children's mystery movie went entirely over their heads.
It starts off somewhat poorly with an action intro scene that is meaningless to the audience initially, followed by boring/silly scenes in the orphanage, so it's a bit of a rough start, but it has fantastical charm after Earwig gets adopted, even if it gets a bit bogged down at times by some potionmaking/cleaning repetitiveness. And it has great music and a good climactic ending before a reasonable epilogue. (The brown-nosing manipulator moral for children to get what they want rather than being good, I suppose, might make some parents complain.)
Unlike the original book source material there is actually a complete story here (the book…
Read at the source0zner0l
This was honestly not as bad as people said it was. If you compare it to the other works of studio Ghibli such as Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke etc. then it obviously falls short, but as a whole the story was decent. For once, I prefered the dub as I felt it matched the story's setting in England more, but maybe that's just me. If you've not seen many Ghibli movies then this is probably not the best place to start as it is very different to the rest of them (animation included) but if so, you will probably enjoy at least some part of this movie.
Read at the sourceTanikaze
General review: 9/10
I have read all the negative reviews and watched so many YouTube videos about why the story is disappointing and the animation is terrible. In my opinion this movie was great! I laughed so much. I loved the direction Ghibli took with this movie's animation it looks incredibly detailed very heartwarming, clean and pure. I can feel the texture of everything and also the smell. I will never understand the harsh criticism. Please consider the hard work which is going into these type of things. I think this was amazing. I enjoyed so much.
Art: 10/10
Call me mad for this but one of the things I admired was this beautiful art style. Everything was so good. It's hard to describe but very in between a full house CGI neither a cartoony like. It's so good. Looked like a Ghibli m…
Read at the sourcePitBoy
First, this is not Hayao Miyazaki, This is Gorou Miyazaki, let's not compare Hayao's movies with Gorou, I don't think is fair. Second this is Studio Ghibli 1st full CGI animated feature, meaning that everything, from animation to assets had to being done from scratch, and I remember hearing that the crew was also new with 3D software and It shows, there are things aesthetically that could be better, but I don't think they are in a bad direction and if Studio Ghibli decides to make another CGI movie I do have hopes that they did learn something from their first experience and they'll make It better next time. The movie isn't bad, but It does leave a lot to desire. The movie ending on a cliff-hanger without any news about a second part doesn't help the case. With all this information, It's a…
Read at the sourceSzanowna_Herbata
Why is this movie hated so much?
I mean, yeah, it doesn’t have the best graphics, but overall it's a really good movie.
Plot 9/10
At first I thought it's because of the low expectations because of the rating and overall hate, but I thought it was really good. So I watched it again. And again. And I still think the plot is interesting. The only confusing thing there is the ending. I think I should remind to some people that it's made for kids. You can't expect the plot to be complicated. Yes the plot is simple, but really fun to watch.
Characters 7/10
I have mixed feelings about the characters,but after watching it again, I think their interactions are really fun to watch, especially those between Aya, Bellayaga and Mandrake at the end, really wholesome.
Graphics 4/10
Graphics...we…
Read at the sourceCobweb_Forest
I really want to like this. I think the moive is super cute and the story is really great. the problem is the moive makes me want more and not in the good way. If I found out a series was coming out based off this movie I'd be totally excited. the movie feels like it ends in a cliffhanger and cuts you off with no real ending. All of the personality and charm that this movie gave just kind of makes me depressed there's nothing left after watching it. I enjoyed it as I was watching it but I don't know if there's going to be a watch because of the reasons I said up above.
Read at the sourceThorison1080
This is the best Ghibli movie ever created. Nough said. Cry about it ; p
This is the most Iv been glued to my seat when I watched a Ghibli movie. Earwig was a very very endearing character, and I loved watching her get their way in the end.
The ending can be a lil abrupt but with context it isnt bad, plus the whole charm and point comes from the middle half with the character interations. Most homie ghibli movie Iv seen. Eat your heart out My Neighbor Totoro.
This is some of the most endearing cgi iv seen in a anime, its impressive how well they kept the art style consistent with the other movies despite the style change, Earwig is exactly the Ghlibli movie girl at a glance.
Read at the sourceioo22oos
I'm going to go easy on this one. Miyazaki Goro, Hayao's son, made this movie. He excels in static forms of art (architecture).
So first things first: the author of the original story passed away before finishing. No one knows what happens next. The staff dealing with this movie were young animators - which explains why there are lighting issues. The movement is okayish, sometimes dull, almost unfinished. The storyboard needs more work and is tedious at times. I'd give this a 4/10, but considering it can be a good watch for little kids, I'm giving two extra points.
It's a movie you'd put on for kids you're babysitting. Maybe to make fun of Earwig's ponytails. Or that disgusting shepherd's pie.
Read at the sourceNaloops
This film does not deserve anywhere near the level of hatred it gets. Does it deserve criticism? Oh yes by all means, but nothing like the vitriol it gets from Ghibli loyalists. The film is good. It's not great, but it's not bad either.
The story is charming, albeit lacking. It's not the most captivating film you'll ever see, but if you're looking for something to relax and get a good laugh with, this film will do that. I will be the first to admit the plot isn't quite on par with other Ghibli films. Even as an enjoyer of this film, I'm surprised they chose an unfinished work to base it off. Still, it is good. The beginning part of the movie establishes a lot of potential for the coming plot, and I would put the first act of this movie a bit closer to the other Ghibli films. It's charmin…
Read at the sourcelamaraptor
I can't understand why people are hating on this movie so much. It's like just saying the words 3D CG at an anime fan will hurt them on some deep emotional level. You don't see anybody criticizing Toy Story, and the animation in the first one looks awful by today's standards.
If you can put aside your petty and pretentious need to point out the fact that this isn't done in the classic Studio Ghibli art style for a second, it's a really fun movie. Honestly I haven't had this much fun watching a kid's movie in a long time. It was reminiscent of some of Tim Burton's work with it's dark aesthetic and whimsical magic. The way Aya manipulates everyone around her is great. There's something supremely satisfying about watching the demonic little girl get everything she wanted and make a total sim…
Read at the sourcektulu007
I've reviewed a lot of Ghibli films in my time. Not all of them, but definitely most of them. This one has a score on Rotten Tomatoes that's actually lower than Tales from Earthsea and has been basically panned. Is it actually that bad? Let's have a look.
Story:
We open with a red-haired witch running away from a magical car. Eventually, she stops at an orphanage and leaves behind her baby with a note saying she's being pursued by other witches and she'll be back for her baby. But the matron decides that Earwig isn't an appropriate name for a baby and calls her Aya instead. Years later, Aya gets adopted by a witch and a Mandrake so that she can act as the witches' assistant.
The big problem with the narrative of this film is that a lot of plot threads aren't really completed. The rea…
Read at the sourceDrAkiMakura
Yeah, not really sure about this one...
Like most Ghibli movies, the plot is simple and straight forward, being mostly carried by great art and ost. This is sadly not the case for this film. That said, this wasn't a deal breaker for me. I'll still give it credit because I do like the character designs, and the animation every now and then. It's also Ghibli's first CG film, so I can't really be all that surprised it's a little janky.
I think it would have been a good move to adopt a stop motion-esque visual style, since the character models look extremely plasticky— much like PVC or Vinyl figures. They should have leaned into it fully. Reduce the scale of the material in some fabrics, some lighting adjustments, framerate adjustments, fake seams on characters and limbs. The film's final a…
Read at the sourceLovelyTekki
If you're looking for more of that classic Studio Ghibli magic, well you won't find it here. I went in with an open mind, and admittedly the starting sequence was promising. Plus, it was a Ghibli take on another Diana Wynne Jones novel, so as a megafan of Howl's Moving Castle, how could I not be a little bit excited? Plus, the 3D animation style didn't bother me and I was interested in how Ghibli would tackle this new style.
But it really is just a generic kids' movie you've likely seen done before. Only, it's hard to find it very enjoyable. Earwig had a happy home at the orphanage, only to be taken in by a witch. Not a fun witch like Sophie Hatter claims to be, but the fairy tale kind. She doesn't ever show a side to her other than cruelty, and this lack of development with the characte…
Read at the sourceRay_Monster
Tired of reading the same salty reviews of the "true fans" of ghibli? Welp, this may give you some relief, as I really enjoyed the film, and I'm going to tell you why.
Story: Aya to Majo is, sadly, a unfinished story, but this doesn't mean is as awfull as much may say. Being based on a book by Diana Wynne Jones (same author as "Castle in the Air", wich was also adapted by Ghibli in "Howl's Moving Castle"), the story tells us about a little orphan (kind of) girl. But that's the mask she puts on infrotn of almost everyone, as she is really cunning, and she's not afraid of using this trait to her favor.
When being adopted by Yaga (a witch) and Mandrake (some sort of demon), Aya/Earwig starts a new period that will test her habilities and sanity. Some say the plot is predictable, but honestl…
Read at the sourceVictoriaLoves
Contrary to popular opinion, I think this movie was a lot of fun. I don't think the CGI was bad, I liked the characters, and I liked the story. The one thing that hurts this movie, and it's probably the thing that has been the most talked about, is that it just...ends. There's no conclusion, no tying up story threads, no growth or change in the characters, just...the end. Now, the credits provided us with an actual ending where we receive all of these things, but that doesn't really count, does it? Because those are the Credits. They're not the story itself. And as cute as it is to see the story continue as the credits roll, it's no substitute for just...telling the story.
Because of the nature of this movie's ending, ie. there not being one, I doubt I will watch Earwig again, but I don't…
Read at the source
