Yet another paint-by-numbers show about super-powered teenagers makes it debut. But…this one could possibly have a saving grace.
What They Say:
Episode 01: “Enrollment Part I”
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Based on the light novel series by Tsutomu Satou with illustrations by Kana Ishida, Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei, rendered into English as The Irregular at Magic High School is now being made into an anime by Madhouse. This is a fairly large franchise at this point, as it has already had 5 manga adaptations (separate versions of the light novel series’ multiple arcs) and given rise to two recently released games, a mobile game and one for the PS Vita. Will the story told now in anime form hold up to all the attention it has gotten so far?
So, we have some portentous opening narration about the discovery of magic as a real thing, a period of global war and while not quite a post-apocalyptic era, a period of time where the human population has sunk back down to 3 billion by the end of the 21st century because of the fighting (including a World War III that stopped just short of the use of nuclear weapons). Instead of a nuclear arms race, now the reduced nations of the world are engaged in a magic arms race. So, happy times?
We begin on April 3, 2095 with a school entrance ceremony. Apparently, some things will never change, including anime (and the light novels that inspire them) using the Japanese high school as its microcosm of choice. All of that serious business of the opening is somewhat forgotten for the moment as we see two students, a brother and sister, arguing in front of the school. It would appear that the sister, Miyuki, is upset that her brother was not named the class representative for the incoming class, even though he scored highest on the written exams for the school. Not just that, but he appears to have been accepted as a second-class student, a “reserve.” He is not upset at all, because he points out that paper exam results are meaningless compared to his weak performance in tests of actually using magic. So, instead it’s Miyuki who will be making the opening address, as she would appear to have very high magical ability.
Oh great. Miyuki is completely besotted with her elder brother. Not this again…
The brother, whose name we haven’t heard yet, now gives us some exposition about the place: National Magic University Affiliated First High School, where only the very best of the best, the elite, are allowed to enroll. So while he may be a “Weed,” someone without top magical ability, he has been allowed to enter the elite school. A couple of magic users pass by and comment disparaging about the “Weed” in their midst, but that’s interrupted by a cute girl appearing, the Student Council President, Mayumi Saegusa. It’s only now that we hear the brother’s name, Tatsuya Shiba.
We get more exposition as Tatsuya enters the assembly hall for the welcoming ceremony. We learn about “Blooms,” those with strong magic ability who get to sit in front, and “Weeds,” those with less who sit in the back. Discrimination is very clear at this school. Doesn’t mean there won’t be more cute girls, as a very pleasant glasses-wearing girl named Mizuki Shibata introduces herself to Tatsuya.
Okay, so this show is Tatsuya’s Harem. At least that’s how it’s shaping up as yet another girl, Erika Chiba, introduces herself to him. Where it doesn’t quite degenerate into that is Tatsuya’s continuing voiceover, which shows him aware of curious trends among his classmates (names that involve numbers–numerology has long been associated with magic) and their potential powers, including Mizuki and her ability to read auras. Tatsuya is worried about that in particular, as he is apparently hiding a secret of some sort. Another move away from Tatsuya’s harem is when we’re introduced to another acquaintance of the siblings, Mr. Yakumo, the heir to an ancient clan of ninja (though he rather insistently prefers the term shinobi). There is a lot more to the Shibas than we might have originally suspected.
But enough of the exposition. It’s time for high school romcom standards. The jokey classmate Leonhart Saijo, who immediately butts heads with Erika. Talk among what will be the core classroom group about what they plan to do (Tatsuya, continuing to claim he has no practical magic skills, intends to become a magic engineer). A female teacher who appears to know Tatsuya, though this is a mystery that remains for the moment. A trip to the cafeteria, where we learn about the class-distinction between Blooms and Weeds, as they do not apparently fraternize. Stinking peasants!…I mean Weeds! Get away from the samurai…I mean Blooms!
The friction comes to a head after school, when a group of Miyuki’s classmates dislike the idea of Miyuki going home with her Weed brother, while Erika and Leo take issue with the Blooms’ attitude. A fight nearly breaks out, which would be bad for Tatsuya as he may well be hiding much more practical magical ability than he has let on and might be forced to employ it to prevent anyone from taking serious harm. Miyuki warns him not to interfere, but fortunately for them both the school’s Disciplinary Committee shows up, headed by Mari Watanabe. She’s a smart one as she directly accuses Tatsuya of hiding something. He demurs, but we know that she’s right. It’s at the end that we learn what the “irregular” of the title refers to, as the school’s student body, according to Tatsuya, consists only of honors students and irregulars, those whose magic abilities are somehow exceptional compared to the general population, but not up to snuff in some way or another.
So far, there are too many paint-by-numbers elements to the show. The high school setting and the discriminatory class distinctions are all too commonly put together and this show doesn’t really show any sense of wanting to use the theme of discrimination as a mirror for present day Japanese society. Social commentary this is not. At least, not yet. The class group that Tatsuya falls into is all too filled with cliched types. A hotheaded boy, a sporty tomboy, a cute meganekko. Miyuki’s classmates also count among similar types from what we’ve seen so far. Other than the magic, which gets talked about far more than used until the very end of the episode, there really isn’t all that much that is special about this high school for high achievers. And then there is its most troublesome trait, in that Miyuki is apparently yet another brocon, a young sister in love with her elder brother, though thankfully it has not been taken to eye-roll-inducing levels just yet. It’ll get there eventually, I’m sure.
Time to abandon ship? Well, maybe not just yet. They have done a decent job of priming us with the topic of “Tatsuya’s Secret.” While itself a cliche, the hidden secret of the protagonist, I am curious enough about it to want to continue for the moment. It also helps that not every character is a one-dimensional idiot. Mayumi the student council president and Mari the discipline committee head both seem quite intelligent and are not easily taken in by Tatsuya’s “subterfuge” (the perfect word for what he’s engaging in). If there continue to be some intelligent characters, combined with a slow doling out of the deep secret Tatsuya is hiding, this could at least be entertaining with some decent magic fighting action on occasion.
That animation is fairly slick from Madhouse, with rather shiny and very crisp and clean designs for both characters and settings. The color palette is interestingly on the muted side, the only cheerful spots of color coming from the girls’ uniforms, which have bright random highlights and patterns to compliment their shimmering, “magical” feel. The boys’ uniforms are much more military in character, which is probably deliberate considering the ultimate purpose of training these young people in magic. So far the voice acting is pretty good, with recognizable seiyuu (Yuichi Nakamura and Saori Hayami) in the lead roles. There is definitely a decent budget being put into this product. The question is if the story and the telling of that story will make it worth the effort. At the moment, it remains a question.
In Summary:
Tatsuya Shiba has just enrolled at the most prestigious high school for talented young magicians in a world where magic is real and vital (for national defense). But he is only a “Weed,” a student with lesser ability. His younger sister Miyuki, on the other hand, is a “Bloom,” those who have very visible magical ability. It’s not so simple as a talented younger sister and inferior older brother, however, as Tatsuya is clearly hiding a secret or two regarding his abilities with magic. Most of the elements so far fall within high school romcom norms, which does nothing to distinguish this work. The mystery surrounding Tatsuya’s true power, however, if handled right, could make for an interesting story. It will all depend on the execution in the next few episodes.
Episode Grade: B
Streamed by: Crunchyroll
Review Equipment:
Apple iMac with 4GB RAM, Mac OS 10.6 Snow Leopard
