Intelligence and Sensibility

## Images

**Intelligence and Sensibility** (知性と感性 *Chisei to Kansei*?) is the 20th episode of the *Little Witch Academia* anime series.
It also serves as the second part of two-parter episodes centered around Diana.

On Netflix, the episode is titled "**Intellect and Sensibility**".

## Overview

*Diana enters the Cavendish family sanctuary. Akko and Andrew overhear Daryl gloating about trapping Diana to prevent her from completing the ceremony.*

## Summary

Despite Akko's protest, Diana remained adamant to enact the succession ceremony and only able to watch as she enters the stone door which led to the underground pathway for the shrine. Entering the pathway, Diana forms a bridge out of tendrils before passing through but is immediately ambushed by snakes that she immediately recognized as Daryl's. As she feels her consciousness slipping away, Daryl entered the scene and expressed her desire to maintain her position as the proxy head of the Cavendish family so she can do whatever she wants.

Meanwhile, Akko is still distressed that she can't convince Diana to continue her studies at Luna Nova. Andrew stated that it can't be helped due to the young heiress' determination before revealing it to be something she had since she once lost her ability to use magic for some reason before eventually regained it through hard work. Just then, the two hides just as Daryl returns and having a conversation with her daughters where to their shock, had seemingly disposed Diana so she can't perform the succession ritual. This, of course, prompted Akko to return to the gate to the pathway and attempted to force it open to save her classmate with Andrew following behind. In contrast to their fiasco back at Arcas' lair, Andrew decided to lend a hand in aiding Akko opening the gate despite Anna's protests that a calamity curse would fall upon those who dare to interfere the ritual. Once the two managed to get through, Akko stopped Andrew and reassures that she'll handle it from that point on and left, much to Anna's distress.

Finding Diana unconscious while still restrained by Daryl's snakes, Akko taunts the snakes before fighting them by switching between animal forms she mastered with Metamorphosis Magic against them. When the snakes managed to bite Akko with their venomous fangs, Akko boasted that it won't stop her thanks to poisons Sucy thrown against her back at the academy, but soon finding herself in great disadvantage with them cornered her in her large turtle form. Fortunately, the awakened Diana blasted the snakes away just as Akko collapsed by their poison.

A while later, Akko found herself awakened at an unknown part of the dungeon pathway. The Japanese are surprised that the young heiress chose not to go for the sanctuary without her when she had the chance, and Diana replied she can't simply leave her on her own fate before reminded Akko of her original intention to stop her, which filled the brunette's heart with remorse. Reassuring that she simply not capable enough, Diana revealed that they now in a covert hospital built by her family back in medieval times along with its history; the place was used by her predecessors to heal those in need, especially during the war times. Diana further added that her ancestors heal people regardless of which side they were on, though they also forced to keep their practice a secret as not everyone agrees with their altruistic ways. Diana then showed Akko the old library full of Cavendish family's notes and other records pertaining to their history and healing magic, though much of that knowledge were forgotten in the wake of medical science. It is then Akko noticed the stone portrait of the founder of Cavendish family, Beatrix Cavendish herself, as Diana added that the Cavendish family's secret hospital no longer needed with the war times ended along with the fact that her mother had fought to defend their family's legacy prior to her untimely passing due to her poor health and exerting herself too far.

Upon fully understanding Diana's drive to succeed her family, which is to protect the altruistic legacy of House of Cavendish, the deeply moved Akko tearfully begged the heiress not to give up and even suggested her to become the Head of Cavendish family while continuing her studies at Luna Nova at the same time. Startled by such an idea, Diana felt unsure whether she can accomplish such a feat, but Akko reassured that she can before stating that believing in oneself is one's magic. It is then that Shiny Rod's orbs glow intensely, at which Diana, aware with the significance of this turn of event, revealed the Fifth Word to Akko along with its connection with traditions; "*Sybilladura Lelladybura*". Reciting the Fifth Word, Shiny Rod transforms into Shiny Balai, Shiny Chariot's legendary broom. While delighted that she now has the advantage to reach the succession sanctuary, Diana decided to take Akko with her and with that, the two warped to the sky of Cavendish Manor with the broom's magic.

Seeing that they indeed have some time left for succession ritual, Diana and Akko give chase just as the sanctuary revealed itself on the manor's moat right below stone pillars whose main structure has a giant stone unicorn with a Sorcerer's Stone as its horn. The two friends soon meet opposition in the form of Daryl, Maril, and Merrill who now use aggressive force by firing energy snakes to stop them. However, Diana and Akko are too fast, prompting the three to chase them only for a strange force knocked them down from the sky and fell not far from the two. To Diana's horror, the said force is turned out to be the aforementioned calamity that will strick anyone who dares to interfere with the ritual. As they painfully consumed by the curse that slowly turning them into trees, Daryl and her daughters begged for Diana to save them with Akko noticed that the time for succession ceremony is running out. Despite Akko's protests, Diana eventually chose to save her aunt and cousins' lives with a curse-breaking spell instead of proceeding. For a time, Diana was saddened by the consequence of the very choice she had just taken until the spirit of Beatrix herself appears and approved her of her actions without a word before disappears.

On the next day, Diana revealed to Anna the events that had transpired along with the fact that she didn't regret her decision. Though surprised, Anna nevertheless respected the young heiress' decision before returns her childhood treasure to its rightful owner along with the reassurance that she and the rest of other staff of Cavendish family would do their best to safeguard everything that they had until her return. Anna further added that it's time for Diana not to hide her true feelings any longer and to fulfill her childhood dreams like she always wanted. Feeling the warmth of her family's servants' genuine support, Diana expressed her gratitude before she and Akko departed for Luna Nova. As they did, it's revealed that Daryl, despite finding herself still at odds with her late sister Bernadette and her niece about things, has become humbled by her and her daughters' ordeals with their faith in magic and the future of House of Cavendish has been reinvigorated. Hilariously, as the two departed, Andrew found himself amused by the fact that Akko had inadvertently left her hat on his seat as he and his father are on their way back home with their limo.

Closing in for Luna Nova, Diana expressed her gratitude to Akko for her aid during her family household crisis, startling Akko that she pleaded the heiress to say it again. Diana of course, flatly refused out of embarrassment before eventually sarcastically threatened to drop the brunette until she stops pleading.

## Order of appearances

* Diana Cavendish
* Anna
* Andrew Hanbridge
* Atsuko Kagari
* Daryl Cavendish
* Maril Cavendish
* Meril Cavendish
* Beatrix Cavendish
* Magic Wand
* Magic Broom
* Shiny Rod
* Sorcerer's Stone
* Plant Restoration Spell
* Transformation Spell
* Seven Words of Arcturus
	+ Fifth Word: Civilladura Lelladebura
* Energy Serpent Spell
* Curse Lifting Spell

## Trivia

* In Netflix worldwide release, the episode's title name was shortened to "**Intellect and Sensibility**".
* This episode takes place in January, along with "Cavendish", "Wagandea", and "Chariot and Croix", as stated in the chronicles book.
* The motif of the episode's title is based on *Sense and Sensibility*, Jane Austen's first novel published in 1811. Said novel revolves about married lives of Elinor and Marianne, two siblings with contrasting personalities as they start over after losing their father's inheritance. Bernadette and Daryl's differences (contrasting personality traits and approach in preserving their family's legacy) seemed to be influenced by said novel.
* As the plot point of the episode being Diana taking Akko's feelings while acknowledging her own and therefore marks the turning point of Diana and Akko's relationships into true friends they later became, Little Witch Academia showrunners decided to make the whole progress started from the secret hospital at Cavendish Manor's basement to the surface above the Manor's lake to parallel that.
	+ Daizen Komatsuda, the storyboarder of the episode, admitted Diana to be his favorite character and therefore ensured such development to be executed perfectly. He credited Yoshihiro Miyajima, Yūto Kaneko, and Shunsuke Shida for appropriate direction, drawings of challenging parts of involved scenes, and the episode's production advancement respectively.
* Throughout the episode, it appears that wands used by members of the Cavendish Family have a serpent interwined in the handle, this is likely a reference to the **Rod of Asclepius**, from greek mithology, which is a serpent-entwined rod wielded by the Greek god Asclepius, a deity associated with healing and medicine, which is the specialization of magic the family is famous for.
* As revealed in the booklet of Little Witch Academia Blu-Ray Vol. 7, in addition of the scrapped sub-plot revolving Hannah and Barbara's rivalry over the position of new top student of Luna Nova following Diana's departure, the two-parter episode's climax and subsequent conclusion was originally planned differently; Daryl's ill-attempt to stop Diana from commencing the succession ceremony was originally much more intense to the point of her setting the whole Cavendish manor by mistake, forcing Diana to save her family and everyone else within instead of the relics, leading her to lose everything. However, the showrunners realized that would be too much for Diana and would have ruined potential future stories revolving around the manor, which makes sense as the aforementioned scenario also proved too dark for the show's family-friendly image, more than even the second cour's four-parter finale.
* This is Megumi Han (Akko's voice actress)'s favorite episode.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.netflix.com/title/80156387
2. ↑  https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/265265778230689793/354307531914608650/IMG\_20170904\_124940318.jpg
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Little Witch Academia Chronicles, Chapter 2, page 58
6. ↑ Little Witch Academia Blu-Ray Vol. 7 Booklet, page unknown

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