Story: 9/10
The story isn't terribly original, but it is wonderfully executed overall. However, the interesting thing to bring the score up so high is that it seems as if the show starts out at the middle of the story. The beginning is not explained, but rather revealed in hints and snippets through the entirety of the series. The background of the siblings is hinted at at moments, along with their precarious relationship, but is not fully expounded upon. This sort of tantalizing gesture would normally cause a score to go down, but the story arcs themselves are so interesting and engrossing that it is truly hard to drop the show. From the beginning of the school year to the summer break tournaments, The Irregular makes the plot interesting with a constant state of tension, relieving the stress occasionally with good comedic moments that make the plot feel relaxed and fresh. The story hides the tension easily, concealing under a slice-of-life type of setting. It is a wonderfully crafted story that trumps the holes left by a mysterious backstory of the sibling protagonists.
Art/Sound:
Madhouse truly put full efforts in the animation of this show, as every combat scene, every slow-motion effect, even the cafe sit downs, look excellent, with the proper lighting and excellent shading in every single aspect. The semi-3D effects, the spell circles, the character outfit designs, all of it are excellently planned out and animated. The sound within the show is very good as well, and the two openings are catchy and upbeat, while retaining that high-energy feeling the show emanates. The last ending, however, deserves to be praised for its sound. Rei Yasuda does an excellent job on "Mirror", and it nicely closes off the last few episodes with a strong sound.
Character: 10/10
Although I did previously say that the story is not character-driven, that is the exact reason why I gave this section a solid 10/10. How can a character that is already fully developed, with a complete backstory and locked in with his emotional state, develop even further? Simple, he can't. I'm sure there's arguments that could argue that the sister could've changed through the show, but the sister's own feelings and unchangeable, and thus making the main characters change would be untrue to the plot itself. If the main characters don't change, then the side characters pick up the slack slightly. Though I won't mention specific characters, in the end, the side characters do develop nicely from the beginning to the end of the show. However, this development does not make a difference in the plot overall, as the main protagonist siblings completely overshadow them in power. This unchanging nature of the characters is what deems this section a 10, because the directors realized that changing the characters would not be staying true to the plot, and thus the 10 is to symbolize the characters' true worth as unchanging stone characters that can defeat anything that comes their way.
Enjoyment: 10/10
The show had its funny moments, exciting moments, its tense moments, and its angry moments. The show is a rollercoaster, but it doesn't feel too fast or too slow at any given point.
The Irregular at Magic High School does not fit within the normal stock of plot and conflict, in the essence that the conflict, which should contribute to rising action and ultimately the climax, does not result in anything at all due to the sheer power of the protagonists. It is a show which does nothing and yet everything within its plot. It is a show of two separate dynamics; of both change within its side characters, and stagnation within its main characters. This combination of two seemingly opposite tropes makes this show an utter masterpiece that manages to make two opposite themes attract. If you're searching for a series that does not rely on its protagonists and instead focuses on the setting and the story more, look no further, and have no fear, for all will be solved by power in the end.
Overall: 10/10
