Jan. 27, 2021|Japan|82 Min.|PG
Genre: Animation;Family;Fantasy;Kids
Description: Earwig and the Witch is a 2020 animated film set in 1990s England. The story begins when a witch abandons her child, Earwig, at St. Morwald’s Home for Children. The matron changes the child’s name to Erica Wigg, believing Earwig is unsuitable. As time passes, Earwig grows into a spirited 10-year-old who thrives in the orphanage, enjoying her life with her friend Custard and resisting adoption.
Her life takes an unexpected turn when a peculiar couple, Bella Yaga and Mandrake, adopt her against her will. Upon arriving at their home, Bella Yaga reveals she is a witch and explains she adopted Earwig merely for an extra set of hands to assist with household chores. Earwig reluctantly agrees to help, but only on the condition that Bella Yaga teaches her magic. However, Bella Yaga never fulfills her promise, leaving Earwig frustrated and overworked.
Earwig discovers she can communicate with Bella Yaga’s cat familiar, Thomas, and together they secretly work on spells at night. They create a potion to make themselves resistant to magic and another to give Bella Yaga literal extra hands, hoping it will free Earwig from her duties. The spells succeed, but Bella Yaga becomes furious, retaliating by summoning magical worms. Thanks to Earwig’s magical resistance, the worms are harmless, and she redirects them through a wall, which angers Mandrake.
Amid the chaos, Earwig uncovers that Mandrake and Bella Yaga were once members of the band named Earwig, adding another layer of intrigue to her story.
Cast director: Goro Miyazaki
Cast actor: Kokoro Hirasawa, Shinobu Terajima, Gaku Hamada, Sherina Munaf, Etsushi Toyokawa
Original name: アーヤと魔女