One of the main themes in the series is Akko trying to live up to Shiny Chariot's ideals by showing the world that magic is still a wonderful thing, while Luna Nova struggles for its continual existence because the general public regards wizardry as outdated.

The key to undoing the seal lies in a sequence of seven magical words and the Shiny Rod, an artifact which reacts only to the wielder's genuine desire to spread joy and happiness.

As a result, she schemes to unlock the Grand Triskellion by force with use of artifacts powered by negative emotions she developed with her technomagical abilities and try to deter both Akko and her rival along the way.

A one-shot manga based on the anime and drawn by Terio Teri was published in Shueisha's Ultra Jump magazine on August 19, 2013.

[19] Another manga by Teri, featuring an original story, was serialized in Ultra Jump between August 19, 2015, and November 20, 2015,[20][21] and was compiled into a single tankōbon volume released on January 19, 2016.

[34] The short premiered at Anime Expo 2015, and was made available for Kickstarter backers on July 3, 2015, before it was subsequently released in Japanese theaters on October 9 of that year.

[40] An anime television series of Little Witch Academia was announced on June 24, 2016, following the final episode of Space Patrol Luluco.

[57] A crossover short featuring characters from both Little Witch Academia and Inferno Cop premiered at AnimeNEXT 2015 on June 13, 2015,[58] and was also shown at Anime Expo 2015 on July 2, 2015.

There, they join the characters of Aura Battler Dunbine and Gurren Lagann in their respective stories while finding their way back to Luna Nova.

[63] Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media described the series as having strong messages about "self-confidence and perseverance", but warned about scary creatures.

Even so, she praised the show's portrayal of "loyalty and craftiness" as positive character traits, and said that the series would "appeal to viewers with a soft spot for underdogs.