Well here she is, miss antagonist and now another of the visions Akko had when unlocking the second word has come to pass. In a way this is still continuing the episodic structure of the previous episodes but again there’s enough plot in the background to make it feel substantial. We also have a new opening which looks to be hinting at a conflict between Diana and Akko which mirrors that of Ursula and the new professor Croix. I don’t think the new opening is better than the old one, feels a little too standard and like Kill La Kill’s second opening. I rather like the thematic conflict with the main characters. With Akko and Diana being aspiration against realism while Ursula and Croix look to be traditionalism against modernization. Croix, much like Constanze, is mixing magic and technology in an effort to fight against the magic energy crisis. You could argue she has best intentions but her demeanor screams villain to such a degree that I expected rainbow spotlights to appear with a German theme song.
Akko seems well enamored with her but I think this was a missed opportunity to have Constanze play off her. As I said previously, Amanda and her crew have had little screentime so far in the series and I would certainly like to see them featured more than just being background characters. Though I suppose the purpose of this is that Croix is winning over Akko to the side of magical modernisation and leading to a conflict between Akko siding with her idol or her newly respected mentor. I think this was a really strong episode and a good introduction for Professor Croix. The witch academy did seem to be won over by technology a little too fast though even with one teacher still is not convinced. Tradition was one of the things holding back the academy, the Samhain festival is certainly proof of that. However to remove it entirely does seem to risk losing connection with the power of magic. I have a feeling that Croix is deeply involved with the decline of magic and it’s clear she has an underlying motive behind this Academy modernisation after setting up the events that triggered the strike in the first place.
It was quite humorous to have Akko go to try and convince the spirits to stop the strike, only to join them instead. But the real golden moment is that Akko managed to get Diana flustered. Her method was a bit underhanded but nonetheless she did have a point in that Diana didn’t try to understand the situation the spirits were in. She condemned them for demanding more when they were clearly getting a raw deal here. A mere ten percent of the magic energy with witches taking up the rest. Considering that they need it to live that’s akin to cutting off their food supply. Akko may be unreasonable but her cause is justified and it is rather satisfying that after 13 episodes of Diana being a pure perfect witch that Akko managed to shut her up. A one sided rivalry looks to be becoming a true rivalry as Diana acknowledges Akkos worth. It also seems she is catching on to Akko being chosen to revive the grand triskelion which is sure to shake her up even more.
Looking at the opening, I discovered evidences in it that reveal to us what is the endgame of the series.
The first opening had Akko, Lotte and Sucy transformed into the Seven words of Arcturus till transformed into a tree that presents the title of the show. Artistic choice or an intentional clue.
The second was when Akko and her allies were entering the Ley Lines. You noticed that during anytime a Witch enters them, the Ley Lines had these roots or vein like structures on them. This doesn’t mean any thing until you pieced them together from various parts of the series.
Other than the theme of fantasy, Little Witch Academia presented another theme alongside it, nature.
Episode 1, Akko discovered the Shiny Rod in a place known as the Arcturus Forest. However, how did the Shiny Rod is an interesting case. It grew from the ground and one by one till it became the staff Akko remembered when she was a child.
Other than that, Lotte mentioned that salt affects the Leylines. It had been proven that salt can prove damaging to plants.
Episode 11, we were presented to a new character known as Professor Woodward who has an affinity towards nature. Her initial form when she met Akko was a large tree like being which only adds more to the evidence presented.
Plus, Nine Olde Witches and the Nine realms of cosmology. Different Witches from different lands.
The Seven Words of Arcturus whose connection to the Shiny Rod, the Forest and the Grand Triskellion. What they have in common was plants.
After analyzing each one of them, I came to a theory on what kind of plant would have this immense power, Yggdrasil, the world tree of Norse Cosmology. I believed that the Witches are standing upon and drawing their power from Yggdrasil. A ‘tree’ of that size needs that large of power to maintain itself but something has happened.
The magic is getting scarce. Why is that? One theory that came to mind is that Yggdrasil is dying and whatever Croix is planning, she might be accelerating the problem till it will lead to destruction.
Which is why Akko has to learn all the Seven Words and the Grand Triskellion which I believe is a seed to a new Yggdrasil.