Little Witch Academia: The Midnight Crown (リトルウィッチアカデミア 月夜の王冠 Ritoru Witchi Akademia: Tsukiyo no Ōkan) is a Shōjo manga based on Studio TRIGGER's Little Witch Academia and is illustrated by Yuka Fujiwara. The manga ran in Ribon from September 5th to December 28th, 2015 in promotion of Little Witch Academia: The Enchanted Parade.
Taking place in an alternate continuity, Luna Nova Magical Academy has announced a magic competition called the Academia Contest, which is composed of a series of magic tests that one must undergo, with the winning prize being the titular Midnight Crown, a crown that can grant its wearer special powers. Atsuko "Akko" Kagari, a young student at Luna Nova who desires to become a great witch like her idol Shiny Chariot, decides to enlist in the competition to win the special crown, since it happens to be the crown Chariot wore in her shows.
However, she is not the only one completing, as several Luna Nova students, such as The Ace Diana Cavendish are also competing, as well as students from a Spear Counterpart to Luna Nova called Solpatel Magical Institute, one of which is a childhood friend of Akko's by the name of Yuuto Minazuki, who she becomes interested in after he saves her from a magic mishap.
Despite the odds being against her, Akko will stop at nothing to win the crown and with the help of her friends, Lotte and Sucy, she might have a running chance.
Much like Teri Terio's manga adaptation, the manga has never received an official English translation, remaining only in Japan. Though fan scanlations are available.
The Midnight Crown contains the following trope examples:
- Academic Alpha Bitch:
- Diana Cavendish is the top witch of the school and is as bitchy, haughty and snobby as she usually is, with her introductory scene in chapter 2 having her boast about herself in front of Akko and telling her that she'll snatch victory away from her and that she should give up. She's still a Jerk with a Heart of Gold though, as she rescues Akko and Yuuto from a bunch of branches in the same chapter.
- Yuuto is a male version. He is a talented and intelligent wizard who can nearly go toe to toe with Diana Cavendish, but he is also prone to being a haughty and cold jerk to those he deems inferior, such as Akko.
- Adaptational Relationship Overhaul: While Diana still looks down upon her, Akko is not as vitriolic towards her as she was in the films and their relationship is considerably friendlier compared to other incarnations, even if she's still annoyed by her snobbish attitude.
- Adaptational Superpower Change: In most LWA works, Akko is an Inept Mage who can barely do even basic magic, but can use the Shiny Rod very well. In this adaptation though, the Shiny Rod doesn't appear bar a flashback to Chariot's show and Akko, unlike other incarnations of the character, can use a unique type of magic with her bare hands called light magic. She's still not great with it though.
- Alternate Continuity: It's safe to say this manga does not share a universe with the short films, the TV series, or the other two mangas, due to its depiction of magic being one that uses a completely different system.
- Art-Shifted Sequel: The manga mostly ditches the franchise's western animation-influenced art style in favor of a more traditional Shōjo art style courtesy of Yuka Fujiwara. Though there are a couple of points throughout the manga where characters would briefly shift to a style closer to the franchise's typical art style.
- Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: The final challenge in the contest for the Midnight Crown has the finalists fight a huge Chariot-like apparition summoned by the Midnight Crown itself.
- Anti-Magic: As the contestants find out the hard way, their magic attacks don't do anything againstthe giant Chariot apparition, who merely reflects their attacks back at them.
- Boring, but Practical: When trapped in a special underwater cave during the penultimate trial, instead of using magic, Akko uses a giant boulder to smash the floor. Much to Yuuto's bafflement. To her credit though, it ends up working, as the boulder creates a crack that allows them to escape.
- The Cameo: Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka make a brief cameo during a crowd shot at the end of the manga.
- Canon Foreigner: Yuuto is a wizard exclusive to this manga and is one of the few wizards shown in the franchise.
- Childhood Friends: The manga introduces Yuuto, who is a childhood friend of Akko's and like her, is a fan of Shiny Chariot who took up magic to become a wizard.
- Cool Crown: The titular Midnight Crown is one and is said to temporarily increase one's powers.
- Demoted to Extra: Just like Teri Terio's manga, the Shiny Rod only appears in a flashback to Chariot's show and is absent in the story proper.
- Fairy Companion: Both Lotte and Sucy use a telepathic fairy that can switch between the two to secretly help Akko win the contest.
- For the Evulz: Sucy (no surprises there) releases a swarm of venomous bees during a magic-demonstration class, which then goes on to attack the other students. Akko eventually saves the students and stops the swarm using light magic.
- Friend-or-Idol Decision: Akko is faced with this dilemma when she encounters the Chariot apparition with the crown in hand, who gives her the option to either take the crown for herself and win the contest or to concede her victory and put it on Yuuto to restore his magic. Akko ends up choosing the latter, which ultimately turns out to be the right choice.
- Glass Smack and Slide: Akko does this after her attempt to fly a broom has her fly into a window in chapter 1.
- Hope Spot: In chapter 2, Diana ends up coming across the entangled Akko and Yuuto, which Akko was glad to see, hoping that she'll free them. She ultimately walks away instead, much to Akko's disappointment. This is quickly subverted however, as Diana ends up freeing them soon after, with her saying that she was just stepping back to perform the spell to free them.
- Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: Chapters are referred to as "Magic" in this manga. Hence instead of Chapter 1, it's "Magic 1" instead.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Yuuto is standoffish and aloof, with him coldly telling his Childhood Friend Akko that he doesn't want to see her again after they reunite for the first time in years, but he is shown to care about her still, to the point that he protects her from an onslaught of shards, losing his magic in the process.
- Loophole Abuse: During the foot race in chapter 2, it is stated that flying broomsticks are prohibited, presumably to avoid using them to cheat the race. However, Diana ends up cheating the race anyway by using a magic carpet to effortlessly carry her through the race, to the bafflement of Akko and the contestants. After all, it was stated that only flying brooms are prohibited, not any other flying thing.
- MacGuffin Title: The titular Midnight Crown.
- Oddball in the Series: The manga is a bit weird when compared to the rest of the franchise. The art style ditches Trigger's cartoony style featured in the rest of the franchise in favor of a cutesy, Shōjo style, it has male wizards in a prominent role (the rest of the franchise is mostly focused on the female magic users) and Akko can use magic from her bare hands (which is not the case anywhere else). It is also the only manga out of the three that is aimed towards the Shōjo demographic (the other two manga are aimed at the Shōnen demographic) and unlike the other two, which are purely episodic, this one tells a single serialized story.
- Shout-Out: The cover for the third chapter is one towards The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as it depicts Akko holding a ruby slipper, and has palm-sized figures of the Tin Man, Scarecrow, and Cowardly Lion floating around her.
- Spear Counterpart: The manga features one to Luna Nova itself in the form of Solpatel Magical Institute, which is depicted as being an all-boys magic school in contrast to Luna Nova being an all-girls magic school.
- Taking the Bullet: Yuuto uses his own body to shield Akko from a shower of shards. Thankfully he survives, though he ended up losing his magic in the process. Though he gets that back too eventually thanks to Akko.
- Tertiary Sexual Characteristics: Akko and Diana both don ribbons on their hair.
- Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Akko notes how Yuuto used to be a rather sweet kid back when they were children, as opposed to the aloof jerk he is now.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Aside from Akko and Diana, a third Luna Nova student managed to make it to the final round of the contest for the titular Crown. However, she wasn't seen again once the giant Chariot-like apparition showed up to attack the contestants.
- Worthy Opponent: Even though the two are competitors, Diana and Yuuto have a clear mutual respect, which they show several times throughout.
