First off, it is a hard anime to understand at first as it gets very science-y explaining how all the magic works and you get lost in the technical terms a bit. Bare with it. The biggest thing I couldn't figure out at first was what the CAD they kept referring to was so if you haven't seen it: a CAD is a Casting Assistance Device. Basically the devices they use to cast the magic. They can be anything from a cellphone looking device to a gun to watch to a baton or sword. I can say I enjoyed my second watching more than my first.
Now, I love this anime and it is easily in my top 5 of all time. It does a little bit of everything, from sci-fi to action to school days and even a bit of romance and it does all of these things quite well. I have re-watched it completely 7 or 8 times and every time I pick up on something I missed the first time. It's that deep. The main character Tatsuya hits all the right notes for me. He is not naive. He is not emotional. He is not a lovable kind-hearted child who still thinks the world is like disney movies and only can make morally correct choices. If you like that feel free to watch almost literally any other anime because that trope has been done to death and I find it either annoying or frustrating now. I like the progression that builds up to the final arc and slowly reveals just how underestimated Tatsuya is. While they spend a good deal of time on introducing characters and developing relationships in the beginning, they never overdo the romances or the humor like most anime do. nothing comes off forced, it's all very natural. When it gets into the action in the later episodes it's very gritty and real. This anime is not afraid to show graphic violence and death and nobody cries about it after. I could keep rambling about what I enjoy about this show but suffice to say there is a lot to like about it.
Some of its flaws would have to be its initial complication, but after so many viewings it wound up being something else I liked. The main issue with it for me though is that the other characters are never really developed. At the end of my first viewing I kind of couldn't remember who was who especially because a lot of them look the same. As there is quite a lot of them, it's only the first season and everybody wears the same uniform it's forgivable. The lack of development also makes it hard to care about them much but I have to say it's refreshing how it doesn't force your hand so to speak, as most anime do. They never drag you through a filler episode for some 'B' character's background story. Also it ends just as it's getting awesome. And it's weird that you never see any faculty at the school. That's really all I have.
The main arguments against it seem to be that it is slow or has a weak plot and that the main character is extremely overpowered. I can't agree with any of these statements and if people saying them had really paid attention to the show they would see it actually addresses these concerns. The ending arc, which is where all the action is, actually begins building up in the first arc. It's done in a way that's very easy to miss if you aren't actively thinking about it. Something you might dismiss as meaningless conversation or vague inner thoughts will usually make a lot more sense later on, or even the second time around. Suffice to say, the show alludes to more than it actually projects or reveals. As for the main character, he is very powerful yes, but they also state that there are about 50+ others on his level and each country or alliance has at least a few people equally or more powerful. The only people you have to compare him with the whole time are basically other first year high school students who had led somewhat normal lives where it is explained numerous times both mains had a very different upbringing. This isn't a dragon ball z thing where it's just gotten ridiculous (and everybody loves dbz). Almost everything tatsuya can do his peers are capable of as well just not at their age and experience level, with a few exceptions both ways.
I'll conclude by conceding maybe this show is not for everybody, as is the case with almost everything but its flaws are greatly exaggerated. It requires you to actively think about whats happening and make connections yourself. It is not like every other anime where characters are so easily definable. It doesn't paint an easy black and white picture of it's world and society therein. There is no accelerated love story or childish panty humor. In a way it's just as enjoyable for what it's not. I give MKNR a 10/10
