On the 8th of July 2017, a red-haired girl named Mary Smith took flight in a way that had never been seen before in Japanese animation. Mary Smith, voiced by Hana Sugisaki, was not a chosen hero or a magical prodigy in the traditional sense. She was a bored, clumsy girl living in a red house in northern England, struggling to find her place in the world. Her life changed when she discovered a glowing flower called fly-by-night, which granted her the power to become a witch for only one night. This flower, found by Tib and Gib, Peter's cats, led her to Endor College, a complex of buildings floating in the clouds. The film, directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi and produced by Studio Ponoc, was the studio's first feature film, marking a new chapter after the dissolution of Studio Ghibli. The story, based on Mary Stewart's 1971 book The Little Broomstick, was a tale of transformation, not just of magic, but of self-discovery. Mary's journey was not about becoming a powerful witch, but about understanding the value of her own identity and the importance of friendship.
The Red Hair Secret
Red hair was the key to Mary's magical potential, a trait that set her apart from other witches at Endor College. Madam Mumblechook, the headmistress, and Doctor Dee, the college's chemistry teacher, were obsessed with the idea that red-haired witches were the most powerful. They believed that Mary's red hair was a sign of her prodigious abilities, but in reality, her powers came from the fly-by-night flower. The flower was a rare and coveted plant, known to give witches the power to perform advanced spells like invisibility. Mary's red hair, however, was not a gift from the flower, but a natural trait that made her stand out. The film explored the theme of identity, showing how Mary's red hair was a symbol of her uniqueness, not a curse. The story also delved into the history of the flower, revealing that it had been used by witches for centuries to perform dangerous experiments. The flower was a source of power, but also a source of danger, as it could be used to transform humans into witches against their will. Mary's journey was a quest to understand the true nature of the flower and the power it held.The Mad Scientist's Lab
Doctor Dee, a faculty member at Endor College, was a mad scientist who conducted experiments on animals, including Peter's cats, Tib and Gib. He was searching for the fly-by-night flower to use in his transformation experiments, which aimed to turn humans into witches. The experiments were dangerous and often failed, resulting in the creation of fantastical creatures. Mary and Peter discovered the lab and found that the experiments had trapped Peter within a gelatinous monster. The lab was a place of horror and wonder, where the boundaries between reality and magic were blurred. Mary used a spell from a spell book to undo the transformations and unlock the lab, freeing Peter and the other creatures. The story of the lab was a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked scientific ambition and the importance of ethical responsibility. The film also explored the theme of redemption, showing how Mary and Peter worked together to undo the damage caused by the experiments. The lab was a symbol of the film's central conflict, the struggle between the desire for power and the need for moral integrity.