This anime abounds with interesting intellectual ideas, including the equality-ideal mirage, deterring effects of excess emotions on performance, socially constructed morality and its price, and "power". People say Tatsuya of this anime is the most over-powered character in anime industry (Unfortunately, they're just being ignorant. Have you not seen Modocka the world?), this makes a good place to see how immense power can play out. For these qualities, this show will broaden your outlook on life. It will not do much more for you, I'm afraid.
This anime also entertainment value, as hinted by its popularity. I believe in "ArtAdmittism": Art (including anime) is mostly useless to an individual's growth, thus it must only be judged by the emotional joy it activates in the brain of the individual. In other words, Art is created to stir the desired emotions and it is good to the extent it does so."
This anime did this to a great degree for me. The badass attitude of Tatsuya the perfect activates the mirror neurons, resulting in great enjoyment.
My greatest recommendation for you: Do not bother with anime reviews. Just check the genres, summary, general weighted score and give it a shot. This is a heuristic to choose anime, and it is the most efficient one I have found. And please spread this heuristic, because it will save a lot of time for a lot of people, and they'll enjoy seeing better anime (Search in the google for why a heuristic can turn less into more). Thank you.
PS: I do not mean "ignorance" in a negative way. We are all ignorant. We have to admit it. You can search for "the turkey illusion" and the "black swan" for more evidence for this.
My old review (Don't bother by this one):
(Spoiler Status: NA)
First I have to say,I am a fan of the original LN and I have decided to write this review,because other reviews by people who have not read Light Novels is really doing an injustice to this anime.
The story here is made of:Interesting Characters (As a whole) - A highly Overpowered protagonist (Which his true power won't be shown in this season,I believe) - His bro-con sister (Which can be annoying or desirable,based on VIEWER's viewpoint,and I did like her very much) - A good Si-Fi Magic theory - Fast battles focusing more on how someone wins,not that someone wins or loses - Some big issues which likely aren't going to be solved (Like the conflict between protagonist and Yotsuba,USNA threats,Miyuki's fears of future which are real and serious,...)
So,let me honest and brief and fast: This anime is for persons:
1- Have read novels
2- Like OP characters and/or Mary Sues.
3- Are not narrow-minded enough to dislike the 'certain' relationship between protagonists (Which is kinda one-sided really)
4- Are not looking for battles in this
5- Like theory-based fantasies (Which are a rarity,I think.Take harry potter for example.It doesn't have any real theory behind its magic.Why the hell is that voldemort so strong?There are lots of people who can kill easily with magic Avadekedavra (?).)
6- Like sound and art
7- Have accepted wish fulfillment as a good way of having enjoyment in a world so cruel that all dies and nothing remains.
Why I insist on reading novels?The anime does a very bad job at developing the characters,explaining the magic theory and more importantly explaining who Shiba siblings (protagonists) are and why the hell are they so powerful.
Story is not that great in my opinion,but still is good.
If you liked novels,do watch anime.It is highly enjoyable.
Now you can consider this review finished and I would be happy if another fan edits and polishes this review and republish it here.
Now I go and answer some of the criticisms of other reviewers who plainly have not read light novels (May contain spoilers).
"We are special, we are awesome, but our society doesn't appreciate us, everybody is against us, so we will show them what we can do, and win all the time, and have all the girls call us awesome.
Read more at http://myanimelist.net/anime/20785/Mahouka_Koukou_no_Rettousei/reviews#YuCF4rGrEUciefRR.99"
That is kinda right for the viewer but is not at all the case with the protagonist.He IS appreciated highly by Research companies,national army,powerful individuals,his sister and later on pretty much all his peers.And he actually is trying to hide his abilities (Which are on highest grade,not 'smart' techniques) and never wants to be in spotlight in the first place.He does zero work at 'showing them what we can do'.And either gender calls him awesome and he really doesn't cares.
"Having an OP main character is the death of any story, period. There is nothing the rest of the cast can do if he is around and in this case HE IS AROUND ALL THE TIME. Just imagine that in an episode we are allowed to have a duel between two girls, just because Tatsuya didn't bother to capture the bad girl himself in a fraction of a second. Other stories will try to make it seem like the MC can die, or focus on other characters for awhile, or at least not make it seem like it’s all too easy. But not here. Here it is all about Tatsuya doing everything effortlessly and everybody being amazed with him."
That is basically the draw of story.If anyone doesn't like it,do stay away.But i can not get the idea how "Other stories will try to make it seem like the MC can die, or focus on other characters for awhile, or at least not make it seem like it’s all too easy." is a good thing.Those stories are much shallower in my opinion and they are just trying to make false tension.Here,yes,none of these weak highschoolers can beat Tatsuya but that doesn't mean he is invincible or can protect everyone he wishes (Though of course,those things are not brought in light because the show inclines to be happy).That is perfectly natural,only if you knew his unique stance.But to know that,you need to read the novels.
"Tatsuya doing everything effortlessly" is also completely false.He has worked really hard and payed very high prices for his power.However,you of course can not see that effort in combat.It's just like a exam.The one who worked the hardest, will do the test most effortlessly.Got the point here?(Again,anime does not mention his hard working.)
"So the only thing you get in this show is a guy effortlessly brushing off a few school bullies, under the surveillance of the teachers. There is literally nothing to feel excited about."
And this guy happens to have decided the outcome of 3 large-sacle battles.Why just can't this person understand he has only seen 5 episodes?
"School settings in general are sapping away all tension and ruin the atmosphere."
The settings will change in more serious parts.And well,that is part of the core of story.Erase it and you will have another story altogether.
"They are supposed to be there to offer a haven and familiarity for teenagers but at the same time raise endless questions of the sort “Why does everything happen the way it does, and why the adults don't do anything to stop it?” And the answer is a simple “because adults are terrible people who create unjust societies, and only we, the hormone-crazy teenagers, can do the right thing by smacking the crap out of everything.”
Well,above is not right,however is not completely wrong.There are adults who do things (Kazama,Fujibiyashi,Yotsuba's butler,police,...).However,our protagonist is a strategic-class magician,so it's natural for him to do some 'adult' work.Here we also have children of 10 master clans and other elite students who have the ability.Above statement doesn't get that the adults in this school are much more weaker than their students (As they have become high-school teachers,they can't be anything special after all).And well,age fades in the face of ability.
In parts though,I agree heartily to above sentence and that is the case with almost all of shounen animes.
"Furthermore, the themes are not even presented properly. For a society that runs on meritocracy, the mages of that school are all rare and gifted. There is little reason for the Weeds to feel bad, if they have powers that place them above every other mundane person. And even the most gifted of them, the Blooms, are acting like they are constantly threatened by the Weeds, as if their position can be snatched away if the errant boys try really hard and surpass them. If they really are superior, they shouldn't feel threatened. And if hard work can indeed make Weeds surpass Blooms, then they shouldn't have casts to begin with. These double standards are very easy to spot and because there is a lack of an actually threatening conflict, you are not even distracted from realizing that. This is what makes this plain bad fantasy empowerment."
Indeed true to some extent.However " hard work can indeed make Weeds surpass Blooms" is pretty much impossible (Tatsuya is indeed gifted with huge magic power). "they shouldn't have casts to begin with" is wrong,as they didn't create casts for lack of ability but lack of teachers.
And there are some more explanation regarding the origin of this casts in light novels.
"Because equality is evil all of a sudden" is also explained in novels and is also completely true.Do you think you and I are equal (I don't know who of us is better,but we indeed are never equal)?Do you want to be equal with everyone?
"A school contest! We literally moved from a terrorist attack to teenagers playing sports."
The attack ended and the enemies were annihilated.What is the problem of that new arc?
"I understand how that can work much better in text form"
Indeed,truer than anything!
"it is bad storytelling, masked with fancy words, appealing to easily satisfied teenagers, which doesn’t translate well when adapted to tv format."
The story is not very good,I agree.Fancy words,however,are very hard to make.Try to write something yourself to see." easily satisfied teenagers" maybe true,however I am one of the people who is satisfied quite hardly.
And at last,this is just a work of entertainment.It should not be perfect and it is not.
However,those 3/10 and 4/10 are just non-sense,even for the art and sound alone.
And I don't deceive you,my true rating for this anime adaptation is 8/10.
