Recently, CBR uploaded an article regarding a Fall 2020 seasonal entitled "Majo no Tabitabi," or in English, "The Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina," and its current progress thus far. Two weeks ago, the series' ninth episode, as the article says, upset the audience due to its "bait-and-switch tactic." Seeing the reaction of many people in forums, discord discussions, and other social media, this is true. Before I continue, however, those who are currently watching who haven't seen the anime or haven't yet reached the ninth episode, please be warned of spoilers. Moreover, I am an anime-only watcher, so if there are inaccuracies in my facts, I apologize in advance.

Returning to the topic, bait-and-switch. At first glance, the anime does indeed exude that certain aura where everything would be bright as Elaina, our main character, travels the world. That's the bait. To be perfectly honest, I also didn't expect that things would suddenly go south in the third episode. That's the switch. That dark premise went on to the fourth episode where we see a princess who thirsts for revenge and killing her father, who she had turned into a monster. After this episode, I began to think: would the next episode be dark as well? Or would the mood be lighter? Episode five gave us Elaina's reunion with her teacher, episode six portrayed Elaina's reunion with Saya, the witch who she somehow "tutored" in the second episode. Episode seven featured two stories that share the same concept of towns being divided because of conflicts like disagreement and production power. Episode eight talks about Elaina's hair that was cut short—and that makes four straight episodes with somehow positive atmospheres.

Of course, that's when the ninth episode surprised almost everyone. If I may exaggerate a little bit, episode three is like candlelight compared to how dark and twisted this episode was. The last thing I would have expected is to see a kid dying gruesomely. However, in my case, it isn't really something completely unexpected. I thought that there would be a dark episode sooner or later, based on what I have watched so far. I could even say that such an episode was overdue. I admit that I was baited by the first two episodes. Yes, I thought that everything will be bright, and once again, the third episode did take me by surprise.

But since episode three, I began to think that once Majo no Tabitabi continues with more episodes, I shouldn't expect everything to be as bright as I initially thought. With that mindset, I began to see what I think is the perspective from which this anime is really supposed to be seen.

Remember, this anime is about a witch who travels the world. Let's look back and think about the real world, for instance. For example, let's take a look at Ferdinand Magellan's globe circumnavigation that started in 1519. Magellan had some ups and downs in this journey. In 1521, he and his men introduced Christianity to the islands that would soon be called the Philippines. Unfortunately, just as he thought that he had befriended the locals, there was still some opposition that led to him being killed. It's an example of a victory that soon had its tables turned. Let's try another situation that I think is more common. Suppose a family is having a trip—a journey—to somewhere far away. They were happily chatting about their vacation, but as their car was running on the highway, the father driving the car lost control of the brakes. The car crashed and everyone died.

What would be my point here? The world isn't always bright as one may think. I trust that everyone already knows that. Whether one accepts it or not, not everything has a happy ending. This is especially true if one were to witness many different and various situations like what Elaina is currently experiencing. That's the thrill and perhaps also the downside of adventure—you'll never know what will happen next. After all, it's not supposed to be predictable. Sure, precious things like memories, relationships, and others could be acquired by a traveler as he/she encounters more people along his/her way. But like what I have said earlier, it doesn't happen all the time. In journeys, the road to the destination isn't just a straight clean line. There would be detours, obstacles, dead ends, and many more that would hinder a traveler in his/her tracks.

This is why I think Majo no Tabitabi is perfect, or at least, satisfactory the way it currently is. As Elaina travels the world, she sees both its light and dark sides—its happy and sad moments. The way how various situations are portrayed just strengthens the realistic quality of how journeys should really be. Expect the unexpected, they say. I think that this anime's sudden change of genres and inconsistent focus per episode is exactly where its charm should be looked at. That's what I think is the entire point of Elaina's journey. Many things happen so suddenly because not everything will happen just because the traveler wants it to. I'll say this once and I'll say it again: a journey isn't a straight line. It's jagged full of hindrances, detours, and obstacles. That's how journeys should be and Majo no Tabitabi portrays it well. I guess I should also answer my opinion on the article I cited at the beginning of this video: I don't think episode nine's horror twist was necessary, but I also don't think that it was completely out of place. Yes, it was harsh, but that's how life really is.

Today could be very sunny, while tomorrow, a devastating lightning storm may brew. Quoting Lea Salonga's song entitled "Journey," one can go through sorrow, one can go through bliss. Where you'll be tomorrow, you can only guess. With Majo no Tabitabi's eleventh episode airing soon, it would likely end on a positive note due to Elaina, Saya, Fran, and Sheila going to the same town where they could meet. Of course, there is still that possibility where there could be a twist, but, unless I read the light novel or I am the author or the anime producer, once again, I can only guess.

Thank you for watching the video. If you liked it, please press that subscribe button. Now, I know that I have missed many things especially about Elaina's character development, but I believe that's for another story. For now, I await episode eleven to air and appreciate how things might go.