Yesterday

## Images

**Yesterday** is the 23rd episode of the *Little Witch Academia* anime series. It also serves as the second part of four-parter second cour finale (second season on Netflix) of the series.

## Summary

The episode begins with Diana being informed by Lotte and Sucy that Akko doesn't return to Luna Nova after the commotion at the town. Despite Diana's reassurance, Lotte is still anxious as the snow falls.

Ursula's rise and fall as Shiny Chariot came to light: From her childhood, she felt a great passion for magic, and it was that passion which allowed Shiny Rod to appear on her hands when Woodward summoned her and Croix to determine which one of them that will break the seal of Grand Triskellion with it. Since then, Chariot managed to unlock all Seven Words of Arcturus except for the last one. Although Croix reassured that she didn't mind that her dream now in Chariot's hands not in the way she wanted, little did the latter know that whatever resentment and envy within her didn't go away as time passed.

One day, a show producer appeared and offered to Chariot a chance to become a stage performer to make a good use of her magical talents, at which Chariot accepted it out of belief that this would help her unlocking the elusive Final Word and to bring smile upon everyone at the same time. Her shows became wildly popular despite undeniable controversy among more conservative witches, but the public demanded more amazing magic in turn. While struggling for new ideas one afternoon, Croix appeared and introduced her a new experimental magic called Dream Fuel Spirit which might be helpful for her next shows.

After her fateful performance at Japan, Chariot reveled over how dazzling her performance with the experimental magic. Croix is also satisfied as well, albeit in more sinister way. It is then Croix revealed the true feelings along with actual effect of said magic: It turns the people's dreaming power at the expense of their magical abilities they possess. Croix then lashed out on the horrified Chariot over the fact that Shiny Rod chose the latter instead of her and went so far accused her for not taking the quest for Grand Triskellion as much as her out of their lack of progress in it and anguish over the seemingly doomed fate of the magic in their world, which didn't help by everything Chariot did as Shiny Chariot. Croix then denounced both her support for Chariot and their friendship before leaving the saddened Chariot behind, but not before affirming that her show and magic would eventually forgotten.

Despite such heartbreaking betrayal, Chariot decided to go on her shows, but vowed not to use such dangerous magic anymore. Unfortunately, her popularity declined due to her inability to cast more amazing magic than before. Steadily losing her way, Chariot, pressured by the public's expectation for more amazing magic, conjured an overpowered Shiny Arc which scarred the moon, a mistake which costed her worth to wield Shiny Rod and subsequently, the chance to discover the meaning of the Final Word of Arcturus. Fortunately, Croix, who presented during the whole event, managed to cover up her former best friend's actions by using amnesia magic on the audience. Shiny Rod then withered away to Arcturus Forest on Chariot's hands, an event which forced Chariot to disappear from public eye from that point on.

Back in present day, Ursula, who had returned to her room, staring sadly at the moon she scarred long ago. Just then, Diana knocked on the door and wanted to talk about an urgent matter. While initially reluctant to start a conversation, she eventually relents once Diana revealed the older witch's true identity due to her current name was not listed on Luna Nova's records. With that, Ursula tells the young Cavendish the event that had transpired (while implied to kept Croix's involvement a secret at the same time). Upon learning that Akko disappeared after learning her role model had harmed her and others with Dream Fuel Spirit which stripped them of their magic, Diana found herself at loss upon learning what really happened to her magic back then, but chose to put her anger aside due to Akko's well-being is her utmost priority at the moment. To her frustration, Ursula is too consumed by the guilt even after being told that Akko needs her most at this very point, only responding that she had a matter to take care of. Disillusioned, Diana was forced to make leave and take the matter in her own hands, but not before telling that Ursula has become a disappointment in the present than in the past. Once the door closed, Ursula pleaded to Diana to take care of Akko from there on, not wanting either of them to witness what she was about to do next.

A while later, the gang are left horrified with what they have heard from Diana through her conversation with Ursula. Amanda expressed her curiosity whether Akko ended up leaving after such ordeal, upsetting Lotte as it doesn't help everyone's predicament. Sucy on the other hand, asked Diana how Ursula knows about Chariot's involvement in the Dream Fuel Spirit incident, which made it evident that Diana made it sounds as if Chariot and Ursula are separate individuals, at which Diana stated that she will explain more later as finding Akko is their utmost priority. With that, the gang set out to find their missing friend. As Sucy noticed the Shiny Rod sitting on the desk in their dorm room, Diana takes her premium Chariot card with her.

The gang splits around Glastonbury Tor looking for Akko to no avail as the snow falls, with Amanda can't help but frustrated to the Japanese for making their friend worry. Standing on the very stone bridge where she scared the daylight out of Akko with ropes that enchanted into illusory snakes, Sucy remarked that Akko being genius when it comes about troubling everyone with a hint of genuine worry in her voice. As she suggested Lotte who just show up to check the plaza together, the Manbavaran noticed that the Finnish is crying, despaired by the prospect of Akko leaving. Sucy reassured that Akko would likely return while moaning that she's hungry as usual, which calmed her a bit. Simultaneously, Diana finally found Akko sitting alone at the bench near Glastonbury Abbey with her eyes devoid of cheerful spirit she normally had.

Bringing Akko to Last Wednesday Society to warm her up, Diana tells Akko that she has heard what had happened from Ursula, but the Japanese remained unresponsive until Diana confessed that she is secretly a fellow Shiny Chariot fan along with her premium Chariot card as a proof. This revelation slightly surprised Akko, at which Diana explained that she kept it a secret due to controversies that surrounding their idol. Diana further elaborated how her late mother arranged so she can watch Chariot's show at Japan and when she finally did, the show turned out marvelous beyond her expectation that she can't help but deeply moved by it. The said confession reminded Akko about Andrew's statement where Diana once lost her ability to cast magic along with how she regained it through reworking it from the beginning, a fact that left Akko envious as Diana's determination to succeed her late mother as the Head of Cavendish has allowed her to be a prodigy while restoring her powers at the same time while she herself herself still unable to fly. Diana argued that it was simply one of her drives to become the accomplished witch she is now — her main drive was in fact, the passion Chariot instilled into her, the same passion which driving Akko all this time. As the Cavendish reassured to Akko that her magic will be fully recovered while not giving the Japanese her sympathy, Diana added that through the said drive and her status as a Cavendish, she had to grow over her childish dreams to live up everyone's expectation, though it doesn't prevent her from choosing to enroll at Luna Nova, the same academy Chariot attended.

Completing her story, Diana revealed that she is envious towards Akko for being closer to Chariot than she ever been and even capable of performing incredible feats which she herself unable to accomplish, so much that it might be the true reason why she decided to left Luna Nova back then. With that, Diana entrusted her childhood treasure to Akko as she confirmed that the Japanese's commitment to the dream Chariot instilled into her heart being her greatest strength and what allowed her to overcome her shortcomings when it comes about her study and being reckless. It is then the damage that Croix had done into Akko's heart completely undone with the cheerful light in her eyes shines once again.

Just then, the two notices someone barged into the cafe, and before long Akko found herself being tackle-hugged by the crying Lotte who begged her not to leave. Realizing how much she made her friend worry, reassured that she won't since she had a dream to achieve and apologizes for troubles she had caused. Sucy then follows by poking Akko with Shiny Rod before returns it to its emotional owner as Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka follows. As this happens, the shop proprietor appears with free hot tea for the girls, much to their pleasant surprise. With that, the gang happily enjoy the tea while teasing Akko.

However, the atmosphere in Luna Nova is still grim as Ursula made her way to Croix's lab. Oddly enough, there's no opposition she met along the way, and as it turns out, Croix had expecting her while presenting her nemesis the completed Noir Rod and gathered Noir Fuel Spirit. Ursula on the other hand remained silent, barely reacting to Croix's taunts. Ursula has come to understand that her former friend was beyond redemption and that she will never get Akko and her old life back due to her and her own failures. The only way she can ever be free from this guilt is to acquire the Grand Triskellion and uses its power to restore Akko's magic. Assuming her true identity, Ursula vowed to stop Croix and she will do it, even if meant using lethal force...

## Order of appearances

* Diana Cavendish
* Lotte Jansson
* Sucy Manbavaran
* Ursula
* Amanda O'Neill
* Jasminka Antonenko
* Constanze Amalie von Braunschbank Albrechtsberger
* Croix Meridies
* Atsuko Kagari
* Cafe Proprietor
* Magic Wand
* Shiny Rod
* Magic Broom
* Noir Rod
* Magitronic Tablet
* Seven Words of Arcturus
	+ First Word: Noctu Orfei Aude Fraetor(flashback)
* Noir Rod

## Trivia

* The actual full story of Ursula aka. Chariot's past is revealed in this episode, though played rather differently than in short films as per lore updates and revisions made for anime TV Series' continuity. In short films, it's implied that Shiny Rod seemingly lose power for good which made her retired and become Luna Nova professor.
	+ It's also implied that, at least in this continuity, Ursula aka. Chariot started her career at her final year at Luna Nova.
* This episode takes place at the start of February, along with "The Road to Arcturus" and most of "Tree of Leaves", as stated in the chronicles book.

* A quote by Jennifer the Witch. Notice it also has a verbatim about elemental magic.
* Lorem Ipsum from Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis
* Lorem Ipsum from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's *The Sorrows of Young Werther*
* Various designs of basic magic circle as shown at bottom left.
1/4
* If one looks closely on the passage of the textbook Chariot reads while looking for new magical performance in her would-be next show, the passage beneath Jennifer's quote which seemingly says "Reality is just an illusion and a fragile one at that" was lorem ipsum taken from Franz Kafka's *Metamorphosis*.
	+ Another lorem ipsum in the same textbook was a line taken from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's *The Sorrows of Young Werther* which says, "O my friend — but it is too much for my strength — I sink under the weight of the splendour of these visions!", which repeated in 3 of its pages.
	+ If one looks closely on Jennifer's aforementioned quote, a verbatim about elemental magic can be seen below it.
	+ At the bottom left of another page of the textbook Chariot consulted with as she searches for newer magical demonstrations for her next shows, one can see various designs of magic circles.
* Though his name is not revealed in the series proper, the producer Ursula used to work with as Shiny Chariot is revealed to be Alan and modeled after Jerry Bruckheimer in Chronicles book.
* Takashi Kawabata finds the episode challenging to work at, as he had to properly depict emotions felt in the episode and character relationship (particularly in the second half), uncertain whether he'll able to properly execute it.
* The episode is named after the namesake popular song by the English rock band the Beatles which acknowledged by Guinness World Records as one of the most recorded songs in the history of popular music.
* The bench Akko sits at by the time Diana finds her is the exact same one she briefly rested at in A New Beginning, which further drive the point of tragic turn of her life over the course of second cour's four-parter finale.
* The ornate box in which Diana kept her precious premium Chariot Card revealed to be in her person since her youth.

## References

1. ↑ http://littlewitchacademia.jp/tv1st/story/23.html
2. ↑  https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/265265778230689793/354307531914608650/IMG\_20170904\_124940318.jpg
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Little Witch Academia Chronicles, Chapter 2, page 64
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Little Witch Academia Chronicles, Chapter 2, page 65

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