Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei

[shinta|hikari]

The kanji is different, and for native Japanese, that is actually a big change.

That, and Tatsuya sucks at normal magic, so he isn't really a suspect for being a part of a top magician family. He is becoming famous for suppressing others without magic, after all. I guess he balances out Miyuki's overwhelming talent, making that look like an accident.

I agree about this episode being quite weak compared to the earlier ones. They just infodumped on us, something I usually dislike especially in VNs.

[Kraco]

It could be that people belonging to the ten families don't normally go to such lengths to hide their origins, maybe the contrary, so that could be throwing off suspicions.

[shinta|hikari]

Sounds right. It would be a waste to not capitalize on the popularity of a family name.

[David75]

Unless that name is too big of a negative weight... Like being traitor to the current regime, regardless if what they did was for the greater good.

Regarding Miyuki, I wonder something about her powers. They seem to manifest without a CAD, or at least those leaks happen when the CAD isn't active. She could also be an irregular in that aspect?
But it could be she's got a custom tuned CAD that has many failsafe's removed to react faster to her emotions and reflexes... but it becomes a danger when she's such a brocon deviant...

[Ryllharu]

I suspect she's just that strong. She's in many ways the compliment to Tatsuya. He has overwhelming analytical skills and precision control but poor magic power, while Miyuki has overwhelming raw power and apparently very poor control.

From what we've seen in the first scene of eps 1 and later in Tatsuya's lab, Miyuki's usual tactic appears to be just spamming an AoE centered on herself. She may or may not have wanted to make him pass out too, but overwhelmed him Nanoha 'friendship' beam style. Both lead me to believe she has no ability to focus her power, or manage it into any specific way, shape or form. It's either on, off, or leaking.

[fireheart]

The kanji is different, and for native Japanese, that is actually a big change.

That, and Tatsuya sucks at normal magic, so he isn't really a suspect for being a part of a top magician family. He is becoming famous for suppressing others without magic, after all. I guess he balances out Miyuki's overwhelming talent, making that look like an accident.

Don't really know enough as I mentioned, only know the characters for the number from playing Mahjong. Either way with the answers in our hands it still feels like a pretty lame cover name.

Sure Tatsuya may not be as universally talented as Miyuki but he's at the top of every written test, so if they still have the whole posting up grades thing he'll get more well known in another way. And Miyuki is in the top for the practical part, so they're dominating the two parts where you get graded. But yeah seeing as most generic students are lacking in common sense it might have never hit them to question anything. Even though what Kraco said makes a lot of sense it still feels weird because the ten families should know each other, but Jyumonji didn't seem to know anything about Tatsuya or he has a really good poker face.

[Ryllharu]

My suspicion on why the other numbered families don't recognize Tatsuya and Miyuki is because while those kids were growing up and training their powers, Tatsuya and Miyuki were actively being used during the war (shown at the beginning of episode 1).

[Kraco]

Episode 5 - HS





-- - - -- -- - - -- -





This didn't feel like much of an episode, though it had a few good parts, so as Tatsuya tricking the activists to open the door. The ending made me think, though, that they are reaching Afghanistan levels here when a high school is attacked with bombs, rpgs, and many men wielding automatic weapons. A bloody high school. I can't help but feel it's just a bit ridiculous (and only happens because the main characters are attending a high school).

At least the incest lessened a bit, even if Miyuki is still sticking to her dear onii-san so closely you'd think they shared a circulatory system.

[shinta|hikari]

Magic high school don't really count as normal high schools. I think it was mentioned before that no one in their school is a civilian.

[Kraco]

Yeah, I suppose cheap-ass terrorists would derive enjoyment from killing the offspring of important families, that's true. But as targets standing on their own, are there any others than Tatsuya (assuming the flashback of the beginning referred to having been deloyed to real combat already)? They are just students, not officials, businessmen, or politicians, though they would be all of those in the future, likely. But like I said, they are reaching quite a low level if a school is targeted (by someone else than a bullied schoolboy or a bitter alumni).

[Ryllharu]

I think the much bigger problem with this episode this week was how heavy-handed the exposition was. Earlier we didn't really get enough explanation of what was happening, and this week we got far too much. The first three minutes contain more dialogue than many other shows do in a half hour, and 100% of it was exposition.

Show, don't tell.

Major failure in storytelling this week.

[shinta|hikari]

Kokonoe was funny. He says that the information block on the Yotsuba siblings is ironclad, then says it is "as expected" of them right after.

[Kraco]

Episode 6 - HS





- - - - - - - - - -





Terrorists attacked a school with automatic weapons, rpgs, and offensive magic in order to break into the school library. I think I'm suppose to laugh at this point (but I'm not). While it's true an elite school would have cutting edge technology, in this case magic technology, obviously that technology would be related to education. As we saw, this school has no special defenses or measures against aggressive infiltration, let alone allout attacks, so there wouldn't be anything requiring special protection. From a terrorists' point of view anything stored there would be quite mediocre, but then again, these terrorists don't seem too bright so they might benefit from it.

Considering Tatsuya's plan to attack the terrorist base, the terrorists would be idiots if they are still sitting there after this attack - no matter what the result of the attack turned out to be. I'd very much prefer it if these folks only found booby traps waiting for them and no terrorists whatsoever. That would be realistic.

If this show was better, I'd actually expect this all to be a political move against the school or something, considering lots of attackers were students, but as this show seems to get worse with every episode, I reckon this was an honest terrorist attack with lofty (laughable) goals.

[fireheart]

this show seems to get worse with every episode, I reckon this was an honest terrorist attack with lofty (laughable) goals.

This, though I actually felt that getting current cutting edge magic research made some sense. For example since they've been observing Tatsuya maybe they figured his cast jamming magic would be among the research also most magic so far seem to be focused around combat so getting research on it could potentially benefit them. But frankly speaking it would have made more sense to break into the school at night when no ones there instead of investing all those resources because as Kraco says it doesn't look to be have the best security system in place.

Anyone read the light novels that can say if it gets better or if it's pretty much the same as what we've seen so far?

On to Miyuki, I'm surprised the room didn't freeze over when Mibu held onto Tatsuya.

[Ryllharu]

The biggest problem with this show is how dull it is getting.

There's basically zero tension.

We know Tatsuya and Miyuki will achieve complete victory in anything they do, and their friends are largely in the same boat now that we've found out Erika really is from the world's strongest swordsmanship family. She actually isn't oblivious to the fact that she's samurai supreme as I previously guessed. She's not only aware of it, she's not even humble about admitting it. I guess everyone will soon get to showcase their specialty. Makes you really wonder what the point of any of this is. Tatsuya will put and end to terrorists, rebuke his family, and make the school realize that specialists are just as good as Course 1 students. Whoop-de-do.
Even the conflict got resolved by the scenes at the end. "I didn't really want to fight her, I love her, and want her to shine like she used to." Give me a break.

Really, the only thing to look forward to is what Suzaku is doing in the OP.

The complete lack of tension or any meaningful conflict in anything is making it really boring. We know any conflicts will be resolved rapidly by Shiba, Shiba, Chiba and Co. as they arise, likely without difficulty or injury to anyone.


What is interesting is that the problems I have with this series should be the same problems I should have with No Game No Life, where the two sibling protagonists are equally superior in skill and overwhelming in their given field. But for some reason, it isn't boring like this show has become.

There's a sensation that for as good as Shiro/Sora are, they often win narrowly or through extraordinary preparation efforts and are frequently over their heads. For someone like Tatsuya who is supposed to be bad at magic and even basic spells are a significant effort for him, he sure makes things look easy. I saw no appreciable difference with his wall jumps and Miyuki pressing a single button and flying up.

[shinta|hikari]

I actually like it when the protagonist/s are OP. I'm tired of the usual "tension", where you know they will pull through somehow but always by the skin of their teeth, instead of actually functioning as they are specced. If you are powerful and smart, you should be powerful and smart, not sometimes be stupid or do random nonsensical things that will make you fail or risk defeat. There are far too many stories where the really strong and smart protagonists end up looking uncool just for the sake of it.

This is why I also liked Izayoi in Mondaiji, despite the odd headphone fashion. You always know that he will handle everything, if need be, or if he felt like it.

EDIT:
I cannot wait for Tatsuya to "demolish" the terrorists. I really like ruthless characters. He knows himself, and the enemy, now he will proceed to eliminate. Absolute confidence. I like.

@Kraco - Since this is a magic school, their best defense is their students, and that is exactly what happened. Why would you need special defenses if your entire student body (even the 2nd course ones, as shown by Leo and Erika) are lethal weapons?

The terrorists are undoubtedly stupid though. Why would you attack during school hours? Just wait til they go home before launching an attack.

EDIT2: Now that I have thought about it a little more, I guess it makes sense for the terrorists to attack during school hours. They (understandably) underestimated the students of the school. Most students never show their full potential (as indicated by Mari and the student council president) in the open, so even information gathering and interviews with the traitorous students would mislead them as to what they will face. They probably assumed they can get hostages and make things easier. Little did they know that Shibas and Chiba are there. I'm pretty sure even the dude Tatsuya shamed in a duel would be enough to eliminate these guys.

@Fireheart - I'm not sure what you mean about the future of the story. If you are asking if Tatsuya is going to keep being bad ass, then yes. If you are asking if there are no challenges for the main characters at all, then
SPOILER








no.

[Ryllharu]

This is why I also liked Izayoi in Mondaiji, despite the odd headphone fashion. You always know that he will handle everything, if need be, or if he felt like it.

Except due to the rules of Little Garden, there were many situations where Izayoi could lose, despite his brains and power. He often had to do something unconventional (like he did to tie with Kurousagi in Salamandra, or getting seen at all by the gorgon clan). That's where a least a little of the tension and surprise came from. You knew Izayoi would probably win, just not how. There were also plenty of people Izayoi could not beat outright (Shiroyasha, Kurousagi).

It's not the case here. Tatsuya will finish someone off in an efficient manner, then start talking about how he did it, then resolve the situation with another person involved without violence. Every time.

I'd be tempted to say that overpowered protagonists are beginning to bore me, but with NGNL airing, that's clearly not the case with how much I'm enjoying it. There's been something so formulaic and sterile about this series that I'm getting bored partway through episodes. It's Plot by Numbers. Everything is so expected. This episode far moreso than any other so far.

[Kraco]

@Kraco - Since this is a magic school, their best defense is their students, and that is exactly what happened. Why would you need special defenses if your entire student body (even the 2nd course ones, as shown by Leo and Erika) are lethal weapons?

No. The students are merely students there, no matter how powerful they might be. They have the regular disciplinary committee, whose job is, unsurprisingly, to quell potentially dangerous conflicts between students. That's it, as we saw in this episode. They had no preexisting plans of how to beat outside attackers (which I can't blame them for, since it's a school). They were able to fight back this time because they were attacked by mere tools (since 99% of terrorists are nothing but tools employed by the masterminds, who don't risk themselves). However, without big-boobies-teacher/Tatsuya the terrorists would have achieved their primary/secondary (who knows) goal of stealing whatever magnificient data a school library supposedly would have.

The terrorists are undoubtedly stupid though. Why would you attack during school hours? Just wait til they go home before launching an attack.

EDIT2: Now that I have thought about it a little more, I guess it makes sense for the terrorists to attack during school hours. They (understandably) underestimated the students of the school. Most students never show their full potential (as indicated by Mari and the student council president) in the open, so even information gathering and interviews with the traitorous students would mislead them as to what they will face. They probably assumed they can get hostages and make things easier.

Obviously they had two goals: Steal the info and disturb the school publicly. Otherwise they would have indeed come in the darkness of the night. Big-boobies called the attack a mere diversion, but unless the terrorists weren't only idiots but blistering idiots, she was wrong. It's clear the library had little to no security, so it shouldn't have been much of a problem to get in undetected with a bit of suitable skill. In fact they might have been able to pull it off in the middle of the day as well, considering students walking around a library would be normal. They could have just chosen a good moment to infiltrate that last room, granting them enough time to do what they needed before anybody noticed.

[Xelbair]

I am not sure - but terrorists weren't using magic if i recall right. only the anti-magic ring. Plus it was hinted that they are actually working for some other country to steal top secret research data ep or two ago.

I am disappointed with adaptation - next arc should be better. I expected eyecandy fights... yet fights are as short as possible and they prolong exposition to the worst parts of the series. All my hopes that it will deviate from source have been shattered.

[Kraco]

I am not sure - but terrorists weren't using magic if i recall right. only the anti-magic ring. Plus it was hinted that they are actually working for some other country to steal top secret research data ep or two ago.

Nah, they were using magic alright, for example at 4:20 (HS release) you see a very clear example. Don't forget some of them were even students of this same school; they wouldn't be students there in the first place if they couldn't use magic. It doesn't really matter if some were from another country since all the hostiles were saw here were foolish tools used by someone slightly more intelligent (hopefully).