Brief Summary
This video is an analysis of the music in the anime series "Little Witch Academia," focusing on the main theme and its variations. It explores how the composer, Michiru Oshima, uses musical techniques to represent the story's themes of magic, dreams, and perseverance. The analysis covers the structure of the main theme, its harmonic and melodic content, and how it is adapted in different contexts throughout the series to convey various emotions and narrative elements.
- The main theme represents Akko's journey and aspirations.
- Oshima uses musical techniques like chromaticism and diatonicism to depict magic and whimsy.
- Variations of the main theme are used to convey different emotions and narrative contexts.
Intro
The video starts with a personal anecdote about discovering "Little Witch Academia" and its composer, Michiru Oshima. The speaker recalls watching the first OVA and being immediately impressed by the music. The speaker expresses his deep appreciation for Oshima's work and the joy the series brings him, placing it in his top 10 anime.
Setting the Tone
"Little Witch Academia" began as a short film to train Trigger studio's talent, later gaining a crowdfunded sequel and a Netflix-produced anime series. Trigger and Gainax are known for original anime content with over-the-top antics integrated into a storyline. While not as impactful as "Kill la Kill" or "Gainax's Girl," it remains a personal favorite of the speaker due to the enjoyment it provides, largely attributed to Oshima's music. Oshima is admired for her stylistic versatility and ability to compose for film, games, and concerts. The speaker first heard her music in "Blast of Tempest," appreciating its full orchestral soundtrack, and has since followed her chamber work, including pieces for string quartet, Hilary Han's violin piece, and her work on the early 2000s "Godzilla" films, as well as various anime soundtracks.
Chariot's Theme Analysis and Breakdown
The analysis begins with "Chariot's Theme," which serves as the main theme for the series. The piece opens with a trail in the high woodwinds and violins, followed by rapid diatonic runs from the strings and harp. The high and low strings play in opposing wave-like motions, converging as the trail ascends a half step, adding brightness and playfulness through chromaticism. Trombones and double basses introduce the show's main motif with a slow, rising four-note melody. This section transitions through various keys, including E flat major, A flat major, D flat major, F major, G flat over A flat G minor, and C major, filled with chromatic and diatonic runs in the woodwinds and strings, mirroring the magic show's bursting spells. The excessive chromaticism and diatonicism without a stable key represent the whimsical nature of the events and the unfolding story.
The main motif opens in F mixolydian, using the flat six to add character to the call-and-response melody. A rising figure in the brass melody moves from C to the C an octave above, answered by a slight rise and fall that lands back on the same higher C. This four-bar phrase is simple and memorable, keeping the rising and falling melody recognizable across different keys and tempos. The call and response allows for variations in the responses, maintaining the general melodic shape. In the fourth line, the phrase shifts from a repetition of the second line to a different falling pattern, extending it by two measures to land on an F major chord with a C on top. This new pattern plays with the circle of fifths, using the flat seven to pivot to D-flat major or A flat mixolydian briefly before returning to F mixolydian. The strings then take over.
The brass melody represents the spectacle of magic and Akko's dream of moving people's hearts. The rising and falling melody shows the uneven path she will take. The use of F mixolydian indicates the difficulties Akko will face as she enters an unknown world from a non-magical background. Despite her stumbles, the music always returns to the tonic F major chord, showing her resilience. The strings take the forefront, slowing the music and making it more dramatic, shifting into A flat major as the snares and double basses push the melody forward. The melody rises and falls, gradually getting higher, with Oshima using slash chords to obscure the key. Cadences and pivots create instability, representing Akko facing trials and adapting to new situations. Secondary dominance and melodic voice leading are used to pivot into new keys. The final section features a powerful rising figure from the strings, reintroducing the brass. The full orchestra swells and quickly winds down. The strings build out of the silence with chromaticism, leading to a climactic moment where the main motif is reintroduced at half speed, closing with a powerful swell.
While technically Chariot's theme, the piece serves as the main theme for the series, representing Akko's journey to become a witch worthy of inheriting the Shiny Rod. Akko's admiration for Chariot allows the piece to remind her why she pushes forward. Oshima wrote the music to sound triumphant and fitting in a magical world.
Memories
This version is a simple reduction from full orchestra to a mellow piano solo. Given the title and Oshima's familiarity with film scoring, using a piano solo to represent memories is straightforward. Aside from a few different harmonies in the left hand, this piece is similar to the full orchestra version, without the ornamentations and emphases. While not particularly special on its own, it is important for comparison with a similar version later on.
Magic (Excited)
This is a marching version that gives the impression of working or training, thanks to the steady snare rhythm and bass line. It plays when Akko becomes Constance's assistant, helping her develop her airship for the Wild Hunt. The music accompanies a montage of Akko carrying out tasks while Constance builds the ship, capturing the show's goofy aesthetic with a parade-like tuba line and woodwind flutters. The slower breakdown section from the original is replaced with a Celtic-inspired marching melody on the strings and something more chromatic in the woodwinds.
The Future
This version has two distinct halves, often played separately to fit the scenes. The darker half features strings and flute playing in dissonant minor intervals, with a bass line moving chromatically to remove tonal stability. The rising motif plays a minor sixth interval, followed by a minor third, creating a spooky sound. Unlike the original's bright perfect fourth to perfect fifth, this pattern settles on a tritone. The second half is bright and hopeful, befitting the title. It plays when Akko and Andrew find the Fountain of Polaris, after which Ursula explains that the fountain only accepts the wishes of a worthy witch. Akko, who only sees a vision of Chariot's journey, expresses her desire to become like her. Emotional strings support Akko's goal, with the lower strings delaying their entrance until the full weight of her dream is felt. The horn carries the weight upward, matching her resolve, and the full orchestra comes together on an upward harp gliss, driving home Akko's determination.
Road Trip
This track, unexpected from Oshima, is fitting for a lighthearted traveling scene, featuring acoustic guitars to capture an organic sound related to human connections. The portability of the instrument associates it with traveling or camping. Oddly, it doesn't play when Akko and Susie travel to Lante's hometown in Finland, but instead as a barely heard radio song in Susie's dream when Akko hitchhikes to Susie's memory theater.
Dream (Piano)
This is another piano reduction, but it conveys a much darker, lonelier sound. Contrary to what the title might imply, the darkness relates to Akko's inability to perform magic and the toll it takes on her. It plays when Akko argues with Ursula and after Croix reveals why Akko can't fly or control her magic, leaving her in shock and confusion. The response to the rising four-note motif immediately falls back down, conveying a sense of loss. The strings add a heavier emotional toll, driving home the fact that Akko's dream was taken away by Chariot.
Words
This piece utilizes another important theme of the show before transitioning into the main theme. The melody following the piano intro sounds similar to the main theme but takes a gentler approach. Originally the credit roll track for the first OVA, it has a more atmospheric sound. This explains its easy transition into the main theme, as the credit roll piece needs to relate to the overall work. The main theme relates to Akko and her journey, while this secondary theme relates to the Seven Words of Arcturus, tying Akko's and Chariot's journey to achieve their dreams together. This is why this theme is quoted in Ursula's theme, though obscured by the humor of the track.
Outro
The speaker concludes by stating that "Little Witch Academia" embodies beauty and simplicity, making it a personal favorite due to its fun and emotional engagement. Oshima's soundtrack plays a huge role in the show's quality. The speaker encourages viewers to share their thoughts on "Little Witch Academia" and Oshima's soundtrack in the comments. He also invites viewers to like the video, subscribe to the channel for more anime theme analyses, and support him on Patreon for access to transcriptions and other exclusive content.
