Mary and the Witch's Flower Blu-ray Review

Studio Ponoc's "Mary and the Witch's Flower" delivers an exceptional visual experience on Blu-ray, offering a stunning 1080p presentation that captivates viewers from start to finish. The film's vibrant color palette is one of its standout features, with Mary's red hair and the natural greens of the landscape leaping off the screen with staggering authority and vitality. This lively color spectrum is enhanced by the film's meticulous mixture of hand-drawn animation and CGI, providing crisp and clean animation lines that reveal every fiber and hair of the characters. The backdrops, often utilizing watercolors and well-defined backgrounds, bring an additional layer of visual depth, making the scenery pop with rich details.

The technical quality of this Blu-ray release is impeccable. The image is consistently sharp and clear, both in close-ups and wide shots. Fine details, whether in character designs or environmental elements like furniture, fabrics, trees, and brick walls, are rendered with impressive precision. There are no noticeable compression artifacts, jaggies, or banding issues even in more challenging scenes such as dense fog or complex lighting effects. Black levels are deep and silky, maintaining their integrity without any signs of crush. This flawless visual presentation firmly positions "Mary and the Witch's Flower" as demo material, showcasing the high-quality transfer capabilities from Universal.

Universal provides a dual audio experience for "Mary and the Witch's Flower" with 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio tracks in both the original Japanese and English. Both tracks are exemplary, offering clean and clear dialogue that is front-centered and evenly balanced against the adventurous and nuanced score. The initial scenes, featuring a red-headed witch's escape, utilize incredible surround sound and deep low-frequency effects (LFE) to create a thrilling atmosphere. During calmer moments, the LFE remains soft and mellow, while subtle background noises, like footsteps on forest trails and water trickling in fountains, maintain an active surround environment.

Throughout the film, the sound effects continue to impress, with sequences like Mary's broom flight, thunder claps, and substantial magical occurrences bursting from the speakers with precision and power. Especially notable is the dungeon scene in Chapter Seven; its rich sound design truly envelops the listener. The film seamlessly integrates minor ambient sounds, such as chirping birds or a cow mooing, ensuring an immersive and natural auditory experience. The track also showcases meticulous atmospheric details when Mary discovers her broom, delivering a chilling yet subtle underpinning to the scene.

Dolby dialogue clarity stands out, with polished, naturally positioned speech maintaining seamless prioritization across expansive settings like the cavernous lecture hall at the 39-minute mark. The audio presentation ensures superb instrumental spacing and depth, augmented by a robust low end that supports both the orchestral score and dynamic effects. Overall, both language tracks exhibit remarkable consistency in delivering an engaging cinematic audio experience.

The Blu-ray extras for "Mary and the Witch's Flower" are comprehensive and insightful, adding significant value to the viewing experience. Notably, the NTV Special is a thorough exploration of the film’s plot, Ghibli roots, and artistic process, offering behind-the-scenes insight through interviews and video footage. The collaborative discussion in "A Special Conversation" provides an engaging dive into the film's development, while the Film Completion Press Conference gives a lighter, more personal glimpse into the minds of the creative team. The Theatrical Promotional Movie offers a chance to see the lead voice actors in action, presenting a behind-the-scenes look. Additional interviews, trailers, and TV spots further enrich the content, providing viewers with a deep understanding of the film's creation and promotion.

Extras included in this disc:

• NTV Special: Creating Mary and The Witch's Flower: Detailed feature on the film’s plot and production.
• A Special Conversation: Discussion with band Sekai No Owari and filmmakers.
• Film Completion Press Conference: Insights from the creative team and voice cast.
• Theatrical Promotional Movie: Behind-the-scenes introduced by lead voice actors.
• Interview with the Filmmakers: Discussions about Studio Ponoc, character design, and more.
• Trailers: Collection of English and Japanese trailers.
• TV Spots: Compilation of Japanese TV spots.

"Mary and the Witch's Flower," the debut film from Studio Ponoc, directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, offers a visually compelling and heartwarming narrative that, while not reaching the thematic heights of Studio Ghibli’s finest, still provides an enjoyable and engaging cinematic experience. The film centers on Mary Smith, a young girl with unruly red hair who stumbles upon Fly by Night (or Witch's) flowers that give her magical abilities. With a catalyst reaction involving her newfound powers and a broomstick, she is whisked away to the magical school of Endor. There, Mary is hailed as a magical prodigy by Mrs. Mumblechook and Doctor Dee, only to discover that her powers are derived from the rare flowers, leading to a deeper conflict involving her friend Peter.

Thematically, the film explores self-discovery and personal growth. Mary transitions from a self-doubting loner to someone who must confront her own abilities and self-worth. She enjoys the adulation at Endor but soon realizes that true strength lies within, not in borrowed magic. This journey resonates well, encouraging viewers to embrace their unique traits and personal strengths rather than seek external validation. Though the narrative simplicity falls short compared to some of Ghibli's most profound explorations, it remains a heartfelt tale bolstered by Yonebayashi’s confident direction.

Visually, "Mary and the Witch's Flower" stands out with stunning animation that enriches the enchanting world of Endor. The meticulous character designs and vibrant colors bring a vivid life to the screen, showcasing a mastery reminiscent of Ghibli's best works. Though it may not match the depth of Studio Ghibli’s legacy, this film affirms Studio Ponoc’s potential with its beautiful animation and solid storytelling, making it a commendable first feature for the new studio.

"Mary and the Witch’s Flower" is a visually stunning entry that sets a promising foundation for Studio Ponoc, despite not reaching the emotional heights of the best Studio Ghibli classics. Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi and based on Mary Stewart's book, the film offers an enchanting adventure filled with vibrant animation and captivating magical battles. The characters, while charming and well-constructed, do not achieve the deeper resonance seen in Ghibli's masterpieces. Nonetheless, the story remains uplifting and heartwarming, ensuring an engaging experience for viewers of all ages.

Technically, Universal's Blu-ray release of "Mary and the Witch’s Flower" is impressive. Displayed in a 1.85:1 AVC aspect ratio, the video quality is meticulously presented with sharpness and rich colors that truly bring the finely detailed animation to life. The audio tracks include both English and Japanese DTS-HD MA 5.1 options, providing a dynamic and immersive soundscape that complements the film’s vivid imagery. Additionally, the Blu-ray includes a solid array of extra features, enhancing the overall value of this release.

As I said above, "Mary and the Witch’s Flower" can’t match some of the true greats of the old Studio Ghibli lineup, but it is a fun film that really is a great start for Studio Ponoc. It’s visually stunning, filled with some great action, and an uplifting story that really does warm the heart quite nicely. The film’s adventures are palpable, and the high-flying magical battles are sure to put a smile on your face. Universal’s Blu-ray is nothing short of jaw-dropping, with perfect video and audio, and even a decent array of extras as well. I’m a huge fan of Studio Ghibli, and with their inevitable demise, Studio Ponoc looks like it’s poised to take over when its mentor ended. Which hopefully should give us many more years of classic films. Highly recommended.

Technical Specifications:

• Starring: Yuki Amami, Hana Sugisaki, Ryunosuke Kamiki
• Directed by: Hiromasa Yonebayashi
• Written by: Mary Stewart (book), Riko Sakaguchi (screenplay)
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 AVC
• Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1, Japanese DTS-HD MA 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH, English, French
• Studio: Universal
• Rated: PG
• Runtime: 103 minutes
• Blu-Ray Release Date: May 1st, 2018