The Irregular At Magic High School / Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei

Review By: John Fragglepuss Evans

Genre: School, Romance, Sci-Fi, Supernatural, Fantasy, Blooms vs Weeds

First aired: Spring – Summer 2014, 15 episodes out so far

Summary: Magic has been harnessed as legitimate technology instead of the product of the occult or folklore.

At the National Magic University First Affiliate High School students are divided into two groups. The “Bloom” demonstrate the highest grades and better magical performance. They are enrolled in the First Course. The “Weed” have a poor academic record and sub-par magical abilities. They are enrolled in the Second Course.

Of course, the anime begins with a very different brother and sister enroll as new students. The brother is an under achiever that enrolls as a “Weed,” while his younger sister is an honor student, who enrolls as a “Bloom.” The brother is very serious, with a somewhat philosophical expression, and the younger sister has feelings a little stronger than sibling love for him.

I felt that The Irregular at Magic High School went at too slow of a pace for my liking. Every little detail had to be explained. Something would happen for a minute and then the rest of the episode would be characters hashing out why it happened the way it did. If this style is what you enjoy, then this anime is right up your alley.

You might enjoy this if: You like to hear technical explanations of how and why everything happens.

You might not like it if: The strange brother/sister love scene that occurs on occasion in anime bothers you.

Note to the Viewer: This anime takes all the sexiness out of magic.

EXPANDED REVIEW: WARNING, MAY CONTAIN MINOR SPOILERS!

Our anime group, Salt Lake City (SLC) Anime, reviewed The Irregular at Magic High School this month and here is what the group thought:

The group was split on what I mentioned earlier about the pace of the show. Some people enjoyed the slow, explanatory pace while others did not. Some people were bothered by the brother/sister love situation while others were not. Some people thought the character development and interaction left something to be desired. There were some that really enjoyed the connection of magic and technology combined with how everything was explained in great detail. One person mentioned that they really appreciated how the anime would give you some detail and then leave the viewer with a lot more to think about. Overall, people either loved or hated The Irregular at Magic High School.

Fragglepuss.com