The Irregular at Magic High School

By: Robert Murphy

Hey guys, let's grab our wands and head back to Hogwarts for another exciting year of magic and mischief. Wait, sorry there are no wands here, no in fact in the world of The Irregular at Magic High School, magic and technology have merged into one concept and is studied and practice all throughout the world. But, things are not the same in the futuristic world that we are placed in, all the nations that exist today are chopped up in various different ways after a long lasting war took place and magicians were on the front lines fighting one another. Things now are a bit more settled but nations still wage wars with one another and the ones with the strongest magicians usually win, hence the grooming and nurturing of young up in coming magicians at the various schools throughout the world. Our story takes place at First High School and we follow Tatsuya and Miyuki Shiba, brother and sister, who have just joined the school. The two and the entire student body at First High School will prove to be much more than regular students however as you quickly learn that magic and magicians have serious responsibilities and problems, even at such young ages.   

As I said earlier, magic is not so mystical anymore and has become more of a science in this day and age. Devices such as CAD's and other tools have been developed so people can "cast spells" and use magic for various things but it is most prominently been used in a military capacity, even with major wars now on a stand still. Having powerful magicians in your nation means a lot and keeps others from getting to uppity with you and attacking you to gain your secrets. What is the most peculiar part though is how often attempts to gain secrets happen at First High School, it is a very prestigious school and is top of the line in researchers and engineers but it is just a school. Well, from the first minute you hear the Student Council speak you will understand that some of these kids come from important families and take to their duties with great diligence. The youth here really are not just a bunch of kids learning but they're serious and are being trained for their futures. The whole situation is quite interesting, even outside of Tatsuya and Miyuki, you can see the students all have their roles to play or some skills to them and it becomes an engaging experience. 

Tatsuya and Miyuki themselves have a past that is mostly shrouded in mystery, parts of which proved to frustrate me every now and again but as I slowly learned more it got easier to deal with. Tatsuya is a cold and calculating type, I could tell that he has something going on about him but not knowing what was a struggle for me, even by the end of the show you don't get a clear cut reason to why he acts the way he does. He and his sister also have an odd sort of relationship that every one around them picks up on, nothing ever develops on it but it will give you chills in those moments where it comes close. 

What makes their dynamic better though is the people that surround the two of them, Tatsuya is incredibly cool when he is action and that's his strong suit, fighting and using his great mind for his friends and people who need him, even though he didn't set out to make any in the first place. The two of them have friends who are all great characters, Erika Chiba and Leonhard (Leo) Saijo are two of my personal favorites. Erika is a mischievous and red headed devil of a girl who is always making insinuations about someone or somebody and getting herself into trouble. Normally this type of character is a problem for me but she is spunky and so impossible not to love. Leo is a strong and knuckle headed type of character who almost feels at home with Tatsuya as the guy who knows his friend is a little off but he is too. 

The diaolgue about magic and magic skills is something that is constantly going on in The Irregular at Magic High School. When something new comes into the picture such as someone using their signature spell or their families skills that they themselves have honed for generations, you get introduced to a lot of information. It may be a bit jarring to some but I personally liked the aspect for the show, some of the magic used is quite incredible when it is used especially in the fight scenes and Tatsuya usually is up to the task of giving you the rundown on how it works. More than anything though I enjoyed the technology as well as the magic itself is what impressed me the most out of it all. The show introduces you to a rich background of information on things and how they're used, flying magic, disintegration spells and ancient magic, there is just so much to get wrapped up in with this show. 

The Irregular at Magic High School tells a fantastic story with three different arcs to it. I would have enjoyed learning more about Tatsuya's past by the end of the show as there is clearly a lot of back story to go along with why he is the person he is during the show. This aside, he is still an impressive main character in my mind, his cool and calculating manor is something I love in main characters (i.e. LeLouche Lamperouge from Code Geass). The futuristic Japan that the show is set in is also great, CAD's and magic and the way that is viewed in this world is all very enjoyable to watch and get wrapped up in. If you can get around the odd brother and sister moments that the show has then I can't see anyone not enjoying The Irregular at Magic High School. 

Good:

- Tatsuya is a calculating and hard hitting main character that I loved

- The futuristic world of magic and technology is all around entertaining

- Tatsuya's friends all have unique skills and add to the shows appeal

Bad:

- Some mysterys still aren't revealed about Tatsuya and Miyuki's past that needed to be told

- The odd brother and sister relationship between Tatsuya and Miyuki raises some eyebrows

Scully Rating: 8.0 out of 10