Attention: This review contains analysis and therefore spoilers. 

Is Ghibli magic? Those two word arrive together more often than not and the pairing is rarely disputed. Is magic replicable? Mary and the Witch’s Flower, the new release from Studio Ponoc seeks to expand the magic beyond the walls of the venerable studio. Unfortunately, while the beauty of the imagery, and its close approximation to Ghibli’s style, cannot be denied, it takes more than beauty to make magic.  Continue reading →