The "Diet Ghibli" dilemma
If you look at the screenshots, you’d swear this was a lost masterpiece from the legendary Studio Ghibli. It has the same lush, watercolor backgrounds and the same obsessed-with-detail character designs. That’s because the team behind it basically consists of Ghibli royalty who struck out on their own.
But while the craft is top-tier, the soul of the movie is a bit thinner. Critics went wild for it (89% on Rotten Tomatoes) because they appreciate the technical difficulty of hand-drawn animation in a world of CGI. Audiences were more honest, landing at a 70%. It’s a beautiful cover band: it hits all the right notes, but it doesn't quite write its own melody. If your kid is an animation nerd, they’ll be floored. If they’re looking for the deep emotional gut-punch of the classics, they might find this one a bit hollow.
Where the friction lives
The "magical school" trope is well-worn territory, and while Endor College looks incredible, the movie takes a sharp turn into some weirdly dark imagery. We aren't just talking about mean teachers. There’s a subplot involving magical experiments on animals that results in some distorted, chimera-like creatures.
For an eight-year-old, it’s probably just "cool-scary." For a sensitive six-year-old, it might be "nightmare-fuel." These sequences are the main reason for that age 8+ recommendation. It’s less about the peril and more about the slightly gross, "mad scientist" vibe of the transformations. If you’ve spent time reading The Flower Thief to a younger sibling to explain why we don't just pluck every pretty thing we see in nature, Mary’s journey with the Fly-by-Night flower is a much more intense, high-stakes version of that same lesson in respecting the natural world.
The "if they liked X" test
Think of this as the bridge between the whimsical safety of Kiki’s Delivery Service and the high-octane weirdness of Spirited Away.
- If they loved Harry Potter: They’ll find the magic school stuff familiar, though Mary is a much more reluctant hero.
- If they loved Ponyo: This might be too slow and "talky" for them.
- If they’re bored by Pixar: The slower, more intentional pace of Japanese storytelling is a great palate cleanser.
The movie doesn't rely on snarky sidekicks or pop-culture references to keep kids engaged. It assumes the audience has an attention span. That’s a win for parents who want to move away from "distraction media," but it does mean you might need to be patient during the first thirty minutes while the world-building happens.
How to watch it
This is a "big screen" movie. Don't let the kids watch this on a phone in the back of a minivan. The scale of the flying sequences and the detail in the forest deserve the living room TV at the very least.
It’s also a great pick for a kid who feels like a "late bloomer." Mary starts the movie feeling clumsy and useless, and her arc isn't about becoming the most powerful witch ever—it’s about realizing she’s enough without the shortcuts. It’s a solid, earnest message that lands well without feeling like a Sunday school lecture. Just be ready for the "Can we get a cat?" conversation immediately after the credits roll.
