Mary and the Witch's Flower

2017 ‘メアリと魔女の花’ Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi

Mary Smith, a young girl who lives with her great-aunt in the countryside, follows a mysterious cat into the nearby forest where she finds a strange flower and an old broom, none of which is as ordinary as it seems.

Hana Sugisaki Ryunosuke Kamiki Yuki Amami Fumiyo Kohinata Hikari Mitsushima Jiro Sato Kenichi Endo Eri Watanabe Shinobu Ōtake Ikue Otani Lynn

Alternative Titles

Meari to majo no hana, Mary to majo no hana, 瑪莉與魔女之花

adventure fantasy animation

103 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by matt lynch ★★★ 3

GHIBLI POTTER
Review by davidehrlich ★★★ 3

“Mary and the Witch’s Flower” is something of a miracle. Regardless of its merits as a movie, the fact that it even exists in such a dire time for animated cinema is something worth celebrating. It was only a few years ago, in August 2014, when the peerless Studio Ghibli announced it was re-evaluating its future in the wake of financial hardships and Hayao Miyazaki’s supposed retirement — the move seemed to confirm the collective fear that the world’s most consistently brilliant film studio was lost without the visionary storyteller responsible for so much of its immortal output.
Back then, the news felt like a potentially fatal blow for hand-drawn animation, the final surrender of a cold war that had started with friendly fire (Pixar) and ended with outright humiliation (“The Emoji Movie”). But all was not lost.
READ THE FULL REVIEW ON INDIEWIRE
Review by Allison M. 🌱 ★★★½ 15

Better than I was expecting. Cute with some dramatic moments.
Vegan alert:
-Mary strangles a plant.
-Mary says she's going to feed a cat (assumedly some non-vegan) milk.
Review by Jay D 's Watching ★★★ 2

Might be Diet Ghibli, but Diet Ghibli is still pretty refreshing when you go to the fridge for a Ghibli and you're all out. (Uh, did that analogy make sense?)
Review by 👽 Zara 👽 ★★★½ 2

hey so uh where's the magic flower that gives me temporary powers i need it for reasons
Review by ˗ˏˋ Liam ˊˎ˗ ★★★★ 4

studio ponoc out there doing the lord’s work helping keep studio ghibli’s legacy alive! we love that!
Review by Houston Coley ★★★ 1

Simultaneously feels too long and too short, too overdeveloped and too underdeveloped. But I did enjoy all the creativity visually, and the blending of magic with science was cool.
Review by Justin Peterson ★★★

All the beauty and wonder of a Studio Ghibli film, but unfortunately Studio Ponoc's first feature film was a little weak story development wise.
"No schooling yet look how much you can do, witches your age can barely sweep up with a broom, let alone ride one. And you have somehow tamed a perfect familiar. ... Thanks, I am not used to compliments."
So I guess the moral of Mary and the Witch's Flower is that magic is bad ... or you don't need it to be happy? The story follows Mary Smith who has just moved to the English countryside and is looking for something to do. She then follows some cats into the woods and discovers a mysterious…
Review by Ash ★★★★

🍇 • 🌷 • ✨ • 🌲 • 🌳 • 🐱 • 🧹 • 🧙🏼‍♀️ • 🌾
{Madam Mumblechook} Electricity is a form of magic, you know.
Although this didn’t have a solid message, the visuals themselves were breathtaking. I swear each scene could be a framed painting. The characters were also really cute, especially the adorable cats. Overall, this was a sweet, beautiful little film if you’re in the mood for an alternate anime-infused Harry Potter.
Review by ˗ˏˋ Liam ˊˎ˗ ★★★★ 4

this is ghibli tier y’all need to stop sleeping on it!!!!!! maybe i’m just easily pleased but it’s so beautiful and imaginative i love it can we get 5 more pls
Review by yuki ★★★½ 2

this is when kiki's delivery service, castle in the sky, and howl's moving castle amalgamated and attempted to be a harry potter film. a very decent start of studio ponoc. still, very great animation—not a surprise ofc. its plot is very wizarding world-like. that's all im gonna say.
Review by Mario ★★★★ 3

The Ghibli vibes are certainly strong with this one.
Animated Movies Ranked
7.5/10

Recent reviews

Review by memphis r. ★★★

super pretty!!
interesting storyline and the main characters are all super fun to watch!!
Review by sequoia ★★

Meh-ry and the Witch’s Flower, more like
Review by qa geg ★★★

Ghibli except its not ghibli
Review by qa geg ★★★

Ghibli except its not ghibli
Review by cooleywhistles

If you were...the one 1% percent of the population who thought Kiki's Delivery Service needed to indulge in the more typical fantasy action route...you got your film.
The first film made by Studio Ponoc which was founded by an ex Studio Ghibli member, Mary, and the Witch's Flower does have that feel of a great Studio Ghibli film with a mix of slice of life and fantasy, but this film leans more in the latter direction. Now normally I don't really care for fantasy films cause they can get too oddball and whimsical for my taste, and I don't really care for oddball creatures and powers, I'd rather just stick to science fiction and action; I mean hell I've never…
Review by mari ★★★★★

absolutely adorable
Review by camille ★★★★

Fun, little fantasy movie! Really enjoyed, but it did feel slow (which is okay, but I give it a 4).
Review by roxy ★★★

Kiki Goes to Hogwarts
Review by Lea ★★★★

Very cute and aesthetically pleasing!! Mary and her great aunt are both absolutely precious.
Review by Dany ★★★

I'm not sure what's missing but I can't vibe with this
Review by tobymerpola ★★

wahh, i didn’t vibe with this at all despite it having all the right ingredients. such a shame but it’s soooo hollow. the main character is insufferable and nothing ever means anything or gets explained, there aren’t ever really any consequences or growth. just a slideshow of pretty colours. ghibli’s best remain unbothered
Review by Matthew Woodward ★★★½

Delightfully whimsical! One of the better anime I’ve caught in cinemas