Tag: magic

Up to episode 18 of The Irregular at Magic High School (spoiler warning)

I kept watching out of sheer inertia, ‘cos I was too lazy to start anything else. That doesn’t mean The Irregular at Magic High School has improved much over the first 6 episodes. The second arc was a slight improvement over the first, but not enough to move the series into “good territory.”

Last time I mentioned that the large number of characters hurts the series, and all the second arc did was add even more inconsequential characters who get a little attention for a few minutes and then vanish into the ether again. Honoka, for example. We get that she has a crush on Tatsuya, but… so? Erika’s brother appears, then disappears. And apparently his name is “Kentsugu” and he’s dating Mari, but didn’t Mari refer to her boyfriend as “Shu” in an early episode? Well, whatever.

In any case, a series about an overpowered hero is only good if he has someone to really show that power against. The more competent the bad guys, the better the main character looks when he overcomes them. When they’re Saturday morning cartoon villains like in this show, then it’s just like shooting fish in a barrel. I even start feeling sorry for the poor suckers.

mahouka miyuki tatsuyaThe first arc was a laughable affair, with some of  the stupidest terrorists I’ve ever seen in my life. So you want to break into the school and steal their secrets? Why do it in broad daylight when nearly all the students are present? Why not go in at night when there’s only security and maybe a few stragglers to dispose of? And once their attack on the school failed, why would they all stay huddled together in one building waiting to be taken out by anyone who cared to do it? Why not disperse and regroup later? Since they were so dumb, Tatsuya gets no points for taking them out.

But that was just the introduction, right? The subs even call it the “Orientation” arc. Then the Nine School Competition begins, which is pretty much the Olympics for magicians. And there’s a shadowy group of triad members plotting to take down our hero’s school, will they succeed? And what is Tatsuya going to do about Suzaku a super-powerful rival by name of Ichijou Masaki?

Yeah, well, he basically kicks everybody’s asses like he always does. That Ichijou guy was an overrated one-trick pony anyway. The only reason we know he’s supposed to be good is because the story says so. All he does is put some magic circles in the air, then Tatsuya jumps around all kung-fu like and stuff and then eventually beats Ichijou by snapping his fingers. …This post contains spoilers, btw.

The “fight” with the triad guys is even more pathetic, so much so it doesn’t deserve a description. He basically shoots them all from 1000 meters away after toying with them for a bit. “Nobody threatens my little sister and lives!” Good for you, Tatsuya, good for you.

tatsuya-shiba-anime-mahouka-koukou-no-rettouseiSo… not much has happened since the series started except the whole world is being forced to recognize just how strong and manly and intelligent and unbeatable and wonderful and [insert 200 other superlative adjectives here] Tatsuya is. Whether you like The Irregular at Magic High School or not will depend largely on how much you like Tatsuya and enjoy watching his bored-looking efforts.

Personally I’m on the fence. I can’t say I like him, but I don’t hate him either. His characterization is a bit inconsistent though. Sometimes he says “I have no emotions except siscon love” but then he goes ahead and shows all kinds of emotions anyway, from amusement to annoyance to embarrassment to shock and surprise, so what exactly does he mean by he has no emotions? Luckily the writers aren’t skilled enough to make me care about getting to the bottom of his personality. I just wish someone strong enough to push him to the limit would show up before the series ended.

I’m going to place my final hopes on the third and last arc. Another 8 episodes and we’ll talk again.

Ten yori mo Hoshi yori mo manga review

A classic shoujo romance manga by Akaishi Michiyo. Ten yori mo Hoshi yori mo is at least 35 years old at this point, but a good romance is a good romance. About the only thing “off” is the lack of mobile phones, which made me go “Why don’t you just call him! Oh wait…” many times.

The story is about three high school kids who find themselves with superpowers, the love triangle that develops between them and their quest to find out who they truly are and where those powers came from.

Since it’s that old, I don’t mind spoiling: The girl Mio, and her beloved Sou/Rei turn out to have been Shizuka Gozen and Minamoto Yoshitsune from ancient Japan, finally reunited in the present. The bad guy Tadaomi is Oda Nobunaga reincarnated, meaning he has nothing to do with those two lovers and is just an interloper. He most likely mistook Mio for someone else, but this is never gone into.

The series ends with all three getting shot by policemen who mistake them for monsters. Tadaomi jumps into a fire, and that’s the end of him. Mio and Sou walk into the ocean, where presumably they are finally together in death. It’s possible that Mio used her powers to shield them from the water until they got further away, but not only has she exhausted her powers stopping a tsunami right before, but they have also both been, you know, shot, so it’s unlikely. So yeah, it’s not a very happy ending.

As far as romances go it was good, though. There’s no waffling between lovers, no silly misunderstandings, no petty squabbles between the lovers and lots of love and mutual respect. Mio and Sou find each other early and stay true to each other in the face of adversity. The cast is also kept reasonably small, allowing the story to be focused and fast-paced. I like that. If all shoujo romance series were like Ten Yori Mo, Hoshi Yori Mo, I wouldn’t have a problem with them at all. Except for, you know, the whole miserable ending thing. I still recommend it as a very enjoyable read with memorable characters.