English Dub Review: The Irregular at Magic High School “Visitor Arc XII”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Fumiya, one of the twins from the previous episode, is reviewing tower blueprints when his sister, Ayako, joins him. They discuss their mission, and Fumiya is resolute about stopping a terrorist attack. Ayako corrects him. She says they’re only supposed to gather intel, and if they prevent an attack in the process, so be it.

Shizuku, Honoka, Miyuki and Tatsuya are enjoying a party in Tokyo Offshore Tower.

Honoka is a little nervous about being so high in the sky, but Tatsuya describes in detail the safety measures the building has in place. Most notably, the use of magicians to stabilize the flywheels in the event of a power outage.

Miyuki and Tatsuya meet with Hayama, who introduces them to Sakurai Minami.

The twins are surveilling the tower, with Fumiya in disguise. They believe members of the New Breed Front may be trying to infiltrate the building dressed as utility workers. Fumiya wants to take them down before they complete their task, but Ayako convinces him it would be better to wait until after they’ve finished their task and let down their guard.

Fumiya reluctantly agrees, and they carry out their attack. Ayako uses Perfect Diffusion, then mock teleports Fumiya to the building’s door. Fumiya/Yami takes the terrorists out with Direct Pain (big fan of the magic brass knuckles, btw.)

Ayako senses an attack on the building. She teleports her and her brother out in the nick of time. They take out the two magicians attacking them, and ziptie them up for safekeeping. Tatsuya observes from the tower using his Elemental Sight.

Miyuki asks him what he’s thinking about. He covers by saying he’s impressed with the party’s guest list.

The twin’s…yacht crew? attempts to compliment the pair, but stumbles due to Fumiya’s disguise as Yami. The group heads out.

Honoka and Shizuku are chatting with the latter’s parents, who tease Honoka a bit about her crush.

Miyuki asks Tatsuya what he was actually thinking about earlier, and he explains that Ayako and Fumiya were fighting radicalized magicians nearby. He states they were successful, and hopes that things end there.

In the basement of the tower, a worker notes the power supply is still on. His boss is disappointed, but moves to proceed with Plan B. He explains that they’ll be commandeering the control room and disconnecting the power to the flywheels.

They broadcast saying their mission is the “sovreignty of magician rights”, stating they only want them to bear witness. The New Breed Front claims that magicians are being used as slave labor at the building. They believe these workers would be forced to be buried alive in the event of a disaster where the building collapsed.

Tatsuya claims they should be able to use the underground area as shelter.

The group further explains they’ll be detonating a bomb in one hour. They tell everyone to evacuate immediately, hoping to avoid a mass casualty.

The episode ends with Tatsuya saying “I guess hoping nothing would happen was too much for me to try asking for.”

Our take:

What is WITH this series and weird sibling dynamics!? Also, highly disappointing to have the concept of working class magicians introduced, then immediately complicated.

In general, this series is continuing to be how it’s always been: highly weird, with a LOT of subtext that’s easy to miss. Partially because there’s a lot of references to characters that haven’t been on screen this season. But mostly because it’s hard to keep watching when everyone’s interactions are so deeply uncomfortable.

Tatsuya going on a full ramble about the flywheels and use of magicians as a safety precaution seems oddly specific. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fully in character for him as a weird nerd, but why does he just…know this?

Also, Miyuki’s reaction to Minami threw me off for a second. It seemed over dramatic, to say the least. According to the Wiki, it’s apparently because she’s shocked at Minami’s resemblance to Sakurai Honami, who I don’t think we’ve seen on screen this season.

I thought she had anticipated (and was appalled by) the whole “guardian/servant” situation that Minami’s being offered up for, but nope, just a reaction to meeting someone’s clone! Side note, I was trying to figure out where I’d seen Minami’s hairstyle before. Somewhat unfortunately, it was on SUPER HxEROS (specifically Maihime), which in retrospect/compared to this series, seems like a totally normal and wholesome anime!

A small quibble compared to the rest, but is Lina’s storyline just wrapped for this season? I thought she was the “visitor” this arc would focus on. But maybe it’s supposed to be the parasites? Either way, I figured she’d play a larger part. Or at least do SOMETHING besides get her ass handed to her and then just head on home.

As per usual, the real action doesn’t happen until the last five minutes of the episode. A group of radicals have infiltrated the building, and move to cut power to the flywheels and move forward with their plans. The New Breed Front (or Advancement of Humanity Front in more literal translation) has interesting goals that seem in line with the occasionally alluded-to struggle of magicians to live unimpeded in society.

To hear Tatsuya tell it, they’re magic supremacists, believing magicians to be elite. To hear them explain their goals, it’s more about worker’s rights. Of course, like any conflict, the truth is somewhere in the middle, but it would be interesting for this show to explore where the main character’s loyalties and thoughts on magic truly lie.

Do they believe themselves, as magic users, to be elite? Or do they simply want to exist without the persecution? How powerful are the previously mentioned groups who seek to get rid of magic through social means?

It seems like most of the villains are the ones pushing for magic to be a marker of a more “advanced” group of humans. And Tatsuya is, apparently, a strategic class magician (btw, are we ever going to hear more about the whole “Scorched Halloween” incident? That seemed important) so this seems like an area worth delving into.

Sadly, it’s far more likely to be glossed over and relegated to the very end of next episode. At the very least, that’ll be a wrap on the season, which for me, can’t come fast enough.