kawitchii

What Kiki Taught me about Life and Magick  The very first character I think about when it comes to little witches is Kiki.   Kiki’s Delivery Service has had a fantastic influence on my life and the lives of many others.  With themes of growing up, being the Other in a new community, and struggling with creative forces, it’s no wonder Kiki has inspired so many to do their best for the things they love.  In fact, Kiki was one of the reasons I became enamored with witchcraft in the first place. She’s also the inspiration for this Witch Watches series. There have already been countless meta written on how Kiki’s story demonstrates the artist’s struggle and the obstacles we encounter when growing up, but most of these pieces I’ve seen have been drawn from the conversation between Ursula and Kiki when Kiki temporarily loses her powers.  Don’t get me wrong, Ursula’s advice is an extremely pivotal scene and an inspiring one at that.  Still, when it comes...

A Witchy American Sweetheart  Today we take a step back from anime’s little witches to look at a little witch close to my heart: Sabrina Spellman.   Long before she started her chilling adventures with black magic, demons, and Satan, Sabrina was just your average all-American girl.   She went to high school, had a teenage romance, and lived with an eccentric family.   Plus, she managed to balance all of this while being a witch.   Though she may not have been America’s first magical girl, Sabrina certainly was America’s first little witch and, as the years have shown, she’s always been beloved by many. From comic book sweetheart, to animated middle-schooler, to black magic princess—the world just can’t get enough of Sabrina the Teenage Witch . An All-American Little Witch through the Ages Sabrina made her debut as a comic character in Archie’s Madhouse in 1962 and kept appearing as a regular until 1985 even though she managed to get her own comic...

A Groundbreaking Magical Girl  Meg the witch is one of my favorite vintage magical girls for a bunch of reasons.   She’s cute, she’s sassy, plus she’s got this adorable parasol that the travels with instead of a broom.   But Meg has some other tricks up her puffy sleeves that makes her show stand out.   You might think Cutie Honey was the only fan service centric magical girl at the time, but you’d be wrong.   Meg can’t catch a break from endless panty shots either. This is Majokko Megu-chan . A Little Witch in a Mini Skirt Changes the Magical Girl Game Meg’s original concept as an anime was one that an older, mixed gender audience would be interested in. Until Megu-chan , magical girls were usually age 12 and under.   Along with Meg’s teen age came a way to draw in a teen demographic: fan service.   In the actual character notes on her design sheet, there is a note that says “Note the length and thickness of her legs…Her underwear may be...

The Very First Shojo Anime Magical Girl  She’s a princess from another world who lives and learns among the humans all while trying to hide her magical powers.   Magic hijinks, shenanigans, and the power of friendship ensue.   No, she’s not Sailor Moon.   She’s Mahotuskai Sally. In a series about little witch magical girls you can’t not talk about Mahousukai Sally. Though it can be argued she wasn’t exactly the first magical girl ever, she was the first magical girl in anime and completely changed the game in terms of anime marketed explicitly to girls.   Therefore, Sally is essentially the grandmother of mahou shojo in anime and should be loved for the adorable 1960s shojo sweetness it provides. Sally and Samantha Sally’s story actually begins with the American 1960s sitcom Bewitched.   Western imported culture was all the rage in 60s Japan, with movies like Cherchez l’Idol introducing the idea of sweet yet sassy, feminine, and European ...

If you are a fan of sparkling dresses, adorable yet deadly weapons, and the power of friendship, you’re likely a fan of magical girls: girls who do magic and kick butt while doing so.   Though it’s a broad genre with many enduring series, a quick Google search of the term “magical girl” will get you the same kind of results with shows like Precure , Sailor Moon , and Madoka Magica .   While all of these series are lovely and filled with amazing female characters, they don’t quite capture the broadness of the magical girl genre.   In a world focused on magical girls who are doing their best to save the world and change history, I personally feel that there is a group of magical girls whose problems are often more relatable even if they aren’t always as exciting: little witches. The little witch genre is full of feel-good moments, warm slice of life, and the occasional magical hijinks all centered around young girls.   In any little witch media, the girls als...