What sets Doremi apart from other mahou shoujo? Why is it so highly regarded?
I haven't watched that much mahou shoujo, especially not compared to some people in anitwitter, so here's a general "why Ojamajo Doremi is awesome":
* diversity - there's no monster-of-the-week set formula, so there's a considerable amount of different types of episodes - you have character-focused stories, season-crossing recurring arcs, comedy episodes, witch exams...
* main cast - the ojamajos are more than hair colors or archetypes - all of them have their families, friends, aspirations, dreams, vocations, problems, virtues and flaws. They are very well-rounded characters
* side cast - the series has an extremely robust side cast, but I'll point out two groups in particular: the ojamajos' parents, whose personalities, professions and problems we go into in detail, and the school. The five seasons follow the characters through four years in the same school, and we get to know pretty much all the classmates and teachers in detail. Some of them have a single episode, some have their stories intersect with others as time passes, some stay during the whole show, but it's hard not to look at a shot of the class and go "I recognize that kid, and that one too, and the other one..."
* drama - Doremi manages to tackle very heavy subjects for a kid's show with effortless grace, and often with more emotional impact than in some adult-oriented works
* episode directors - the show is generally well-made, but there are a few recurring directors that made some distinctive work: Takuya Igarashi, Shigeyasu Yamauchi, Junichi Sato, Tatsuya Nagamine and even two guest eps by Mamoru Hosoda. They are almost always visual treats, it's interesting to see their styles evolve, and sometimes they put out episodes that are truly outstanding - I'd single out Sharp #40, Naisho #4 and #13, and Dokkan #40, #49 and #51 as miniature masterpieces
* two hundred and sixteen episodes - some would consider it a hinder, but it's the massive length that lets Doremi experiment around, drop uninteresting topics and look for better ones, deal with such a wide range of themes, plotlines and characters and constantly renew and improve itself. It only gets better as it goes along (each new season is better than the last one), and the Dokkaan finale, where all the accumulated emotional weight of the show hits you at once, is simply masterful
* and, of course, funny faces
* diversity - there's no monster-of-the-week set formula, so there's a considerable amount of different types of episodes - you have character-focused stories, season-crossing recurring arcs, comedy episodes, witch exams...
* main cast - the ojamajos are more than hair colors or archetypes - all of them have their families, friends, aspirations, dreams, vocations, problems, virtues and flaws. They are very well-rounded characters
* side cast - the series has an extremely robust side cast, but I'll point out two groups in particular: the ojamajos' parents, whose personalities, professions and problems we go into in detail, and the school. The five seasons follow the characters through four years in the same school, and we get to know pretty much all the classmates and teachers in detail. Some of them have a single episode, some have their stories intersect with others as time passes, some stay during the whole show, but it's hard not to look at a shot of the class and go "I recognize that kid, and that one too, and the other one..."
* drama - Doremi manages to tackle very heavy subjects for a kid's show with effortless grace, and often with more emotional impact than in some adult-oriented works
* episode directors - the show is generally well-made, but there are a few recurring directors that made some distinctive work: Takuya Igarashi, Shigeyasu Yamauchi, Junichi Sato, Tatsuya Nagamine and even two guest eps by Mamoru Hosoda. They are almost always visual treats, it's interesting to see their styles evolve, and sometimes they put out episodes that are truly outstanding - I'd single out Sharp #40, Naisho #4 and #13, and Dokkan #40, #49 and #51 as miniature masterpieces
* two hundred and sixteen episodes - some would consider it a hinder, but it's the massive length that lets Doremi experiment around, drop uninteresting topics and look for better ones, deal with such a wide range of themes, plotlines and characters and constantly renew and improve itself. It only gets better as it goes along (each new season is better than the last one), and the Dokkaan finale, where all the accumulated emotional weight of the show hits you at once, is simply masterful
* and, of course, funny faces
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TEP
