Ikoku Nikki (Journal With Witch)
A phenomenal and thought-provoking story! I loved how the themes of grief, loneliness and how people dealt with them differently are explored in such a thoughtful way. Makio is such a fantastic character. Her relationship with Asa was so good!
The theme of how people can never truly understand each other was central to Makio and Asa’s relationship but it was also shown through Makio’s relationship with her sister, Asa’s relationship with her mother and even Asa’s friendship with Emiri.
I also want to talk about Minori (Makio’s sister and Asa’s mother). It was easy to see her in a bad light from Makio’s memory but the flashbacks in episodes 7-8 really helped to flesh out her character. She was pressured by social norms and expectations so she lashed out at those closest to her. Yes, she hurt Makio but she, herself, was hurting too. I really felt for her despite everything. I also loved Makio’s relationships with her friends and Shingo. Honestly, every relationship in this show was so well-written and well developed.
The production value of the anime was top-tier in my opinion. I can feel that a lot of love and care went into this adaptation. I definitely want to check out the manga too!
9/10