Overview (Spoilers Below): The sacred tree of Lapis has become polluted by magic and must be removed to prevent further damage.
Our Take: Now that the whole “devil magic” problem has been resolved, we can focus more on the main task at hand, right? Well, not really. It was briefly mentioned that Meg now only has seven months to live before her curse takes effect, but it was then tossed to the side yet again for her to tackle another good deed for Lapis. This week’s episode features Meg assisting Inori in removing the town’s sacred oak tree, which is infected by magic that’s killing the plants. For those unaware, the tree is the same one that Meg and Granny Flaire visited way back in the second episode, so it seems bittersweet to let this piece of nostalgia go out like this. It does sound like an easy objective at first, but that is until Meg meets the tree’s spirit, which takes the form of a child named Serena. Serena has been the town’s protector for hundreds of years inside the tree, and if the tree is destroyed before she is set free, she won’t be reincarnated as another tree. So, it’s clear that this is another mission that puts Meg’s faith in helping others to the test as she embraces her recent role as “The Witch of Lapis”. While the magic-infested tree could prove fatal to her world if not taken care of, Meg strives to free Serena before its destruction, even if it means confronting the spirit’s monstrous form. “The Old Giant Tree Sleeps” offered a trip down memory lane thanks to its callback to one of the earlier episodes featuring Meg and Granny Flaire by the oak tree. More importantly, it continues to utilize its seemingly side-quest plot to progress Meg’s growth further, even though some of its emotional beats weren’t as magical as they could have been. This is due to the reincarnation spell she cast to turn Serena’s tree into a cherry blossom tree. As a result, Meg has now become the world’s only hope for repairing Earth’s ecosystem, which is likely to play a significant role in the final episodes. While it does mean that Meg’s tear-collecting quest might still be placed on the sidelines, seeing her navigate her coming-of-age journey delivered enough charm to compensate for that narrative plot’s absence.