At first glance, “Mary and the Witch’s Flower” might be mistaken for a work by Hayao Miyazaki.
However, upon reading the synopsis, it’s revealed to be an adaptation of a British children’s novel by Mary Stewart.
I’ve always enjoyed reading children’s literature. Since middle school, I’ve made it a habit to collect every issue.
Initially, it was the aesthetics that drew me in, captivated by the illustrations on the covers.
Later, I grew to admire the talent within, enjoying the various stories.
Not every story appealed to me, but I was particularly fond of pure love stories and fantastical novels, immersing myself in the imaginative worlds of these lesser-known authors.
Eventually, it became a habit. Even if I didn’t particularly like the cover or the stories, I would still buy them.
At that point, it transformed into a collector’s obsession.
Mary’s Countryside Experience: Utter Boredom
If you were to ask Mary about her experience living in the countryside, four words would suffice: utterly boring.
Mary was sent to spend her summer vacation with her Aunt Charlotte in the countryside. Her parents were busy with work, and she was transferring to a school in the countryside. This early visit was meant to help her adjust so she wouldn’t be overwhelmed when school started.
As an only child, her academic journey was destined to be lonely and solitary.
Unlike Miyazaki’s “My Neighbor Totoro,” where the older sister, Satsuki, is also studying in the countryside, she has her younger sister, Mei, as company, a father who works from home, and the opportunity to visit their sick mother from time to time.
Childhood is incomplete without the companionship of friends, as it lacks much of the fun.
The beginning truly resembles the saying, “There’s a temple on the mountain, and in the temple, there’s a monk.”
As the camera zooms in, it becomes, “There’s a red mansion in the countryside, and in the red mansion, there’s an incredibly bored little girl named Mary.”
From a down-to-earth perspective, it’s simple and authentic. Please forgive my unadorned thoughts!
The Eternal Struggle with Hair
No matter how old a girl is, she’s always troubled by her hair.
Mary was packing her belongings when the bottom of her suitcase unexpectedly gave way, scattering her things across the floor. After picking up a crayon that had rolled away, she stood up and made eye contact with her reflection in the mirror.
Her first reaction was to frown. She then attempted to practice her self-introduction for the transfer in the mirror, but as she bowed and straightened up, her red hair became a chaotic mess, adding to her frustration.
Reluctantly, she tied her hair into pigtails but still wasn’t satisfied, making exaggerated faces at herself in the mirror.
I was reminded of my student days during military training when the first thing I did every morning wasn’t opening my eyes but battling with my hair.
Haha, that’s an exaggeration, of course. The first thing I actually did was open my eyes.
Hair is truly a source of endless worries!
When it’s long, you think of the beauty of an oriental woman with flowing hair; when it’s curly, the “bad girl” waves are so sexy; when it’s short, it’s so heroic and dashing.
Of course, this doesn’t include the process of combing it!
My hair used to be dry and frizzy, with severe static electricity when I combed it. At that time, besides a little patience, it was all about impatiently pulling and tugging.
I never won the battle with my hair, often wanting to cry from the pain, wanting to cut it short, wanting to shave my head.
Describing an “Impatient” Girl: Inept at Everything
Incapable of doing anything right, but excelling at causing trouble.
After greeting Aunt Charlotte in the morning, she saw Aunt Banks packing breakfast in the kitchen and wanted to help. However, she bumped into Aunt Banks, nearly ruining the sandwiches. Fortunately, Aunt Banks was steady and had a firm grip.
After Aunt Charlotte finished her tea, Mary wanted to help clear the cups, but she couldn’t hold onto the cup, and it was about to shatter. Luckily, Aunt Banks caught it with quick reflexes, narrowly avoiding disaster.
She saw the gardener, Zebedee, tying flowers in the garden and enthusiastically offered to help. However, she didn’t have a gentle touch, and even though Zebedee reminded her to be gentle, she still ruined the flowers.
Here are two classic lines from the gardener, Zebedee:
- The gardener is also part of the garden!
- Children and dogs are not suitable for working in the garden.
There’s a phrase called “hated by people and dogs,” which, in this scenario, is in the passive voice. Both people and dogs are hated, with “people” specifically referring to children here.
This sentence also reminds me of “No XX or dogs allowed,” which is particularly fitting for this garden.
She then spotted a broom in the garden and wanted to help sweep the fallen leaves.
However, the broom was too big, and she couldn’t maintain her balance, sitting down on the extended wooden plank of the car like she was on a seesaw. A bucket of already swept leaves was dumped over her head.
Not only did she get covered in leaves, but she was also unintentionally seen by Peter, who was delivering newspapers, and he teased her for being a red-haired monkey.
The Incurable Straightforwardness of Boys
Straight Male Trait 1: Giving Nicknames to Girls Upon First Meeting
Peter’s first reaction upon seeing Mary was to tease her mercilessly. The first thing he said was, “So it’s a person! I thought it was a monkey! A red-haired monkey covered in leaves!”
His first impression on Mary was that he was extremely impolite to ladies.
First impressions are important and often leave a lasting impact, which is a significant cause of prejudice.
Their first meeting also foreshadowed Mary unintentionally causing trouble for Peter in a later scene.
Straight Male Trait 2: Not Understanding a Girl’s Insincere Words
The two of them went into the forest to find the cats Tib and Gib.
Mary wanted to enter the forest on a foggy day, and Peter naturally advised her against it, but she wouldn’t listen.
Mary said things like, “Don’t follow me,” “Don’t mind me,” and “Absolutely don’t come over here” in a fit of pique. Peter retorted, “I wouldn’t go anyway!”
He rode away on his bicycle… though he didn’t go far before his conscience got the better of him, and he turned back.
These are my thoughts before watching Mary’s forest adventure!
Due to time constraints, I’ll save anything else I want to say for next time. Stay tuned!