_This review contains SPOILERS for Wistoria: Wand and Sword, My Hero Academia, and Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire_
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DARK HORSE OF THE SEASON! (told ya)
▶ Video
After the finale of Kaijuu No.8, most were likely thinking that the next season was going to be devoid of good action sequences and good shounen material, in general. Boy, how wrong we were. Wistoria took shounen lovers by storm when its first episode aired, showcasing a combination of a simple, yet satisfactory setting and breathtaking combat animation. I kid you not, there was choreography, there were angles and even impact frames. Action-wise, couldn't be better. However, the only flaws came with the writing.Mediocrity in writing
Will Serfort (VA is Kouhei Amasaki who also voices the goat Otto Suwen from Re:Zero) is a student at a magical academy in a magical word where the majority can use magic. The sole problem is that he can't. He's constantly persecuted for being a no-talent and a laggard among his colleagues. His path is a hard one, but he desires to reach the top of the tower, the place where the best of the best reside, in order to reach his gifted childhood love. Remind you of anything? Isn't that the whole premise for Kaijuu No.8? Ain't that Asta's (Black Clover) issue? Now, I might be reaching, but there's more.
The show took a lot, and I mean A LOT of inspiration from other popular series and implemented some of their aspects into its own. There's really nothing wrong with that, albeit, in this case, it felt annoyingly cheap. It was first obvious during the Grand Magic Festival. I mean, come on. The whole thing was just Harry Potter and The Goblet Of Fire, infused with some elements of the UA Sports Festival (MHA). A giant dome full of students watching, tiny balls flying around (golden snitch). Then you got a race to the dome and a battle inside it. Not convinced? What if I tell you that Sion and Will's relationship, and Deku and Bakugou's relationship ARE EXACTLY THE SAME. A cheap copy, if you will. Sion hates Will for being a laggard who never gives up, and hates himself for being so pathetic. Will who was born without basic powers, works hard and easily surpasses Sion. It's THE SAME THING. Dwarves are looked down upon, Will is a squib. Hell, Edward is just Severus Snape and Aizawa.
And what's with the designs? Fire users got red hair, ice users got blue hair, elves have green hair? The fiesty teacher has dark hair and black clothes, while the nice one has white hair? A child can create these designs.
What's the budget?
Now that I'm done calling out the bs writing, let's praise the production, shall we? Will is a no-talent in terms of magic, but he's a prodigy when it comes to physical combat. This makes for a perfect formula for high-speed, exilerating, close-range action sequences. Incredible work by Actas and Bandai Namco Pictures . Incredibly fluid action sequences week after week, never dissapointing. That, combined with the mystical atmosphere and the satisfying medieval-esque soundtrack did not fail to provide chills. There is actually a plot to follow with the whole barrier and Albis Vina thingie, certain characters to be explored a bit, a setting that attracts fantasy genre or medieval theme lovers, and a love triangle.
Episode 11 was simply gorgeous. The beautiful soundtrack, the sword engulved in flames, the alluring atmosphere, the title drop and the credit roll instantly reminded me of Demon Slayer. Almost as if it was Wistoria's version of KNY Episode 19 (great ep btw), the execution was stunning. Let me know if it reminded you of other episodes. I don't mind if it takes inspiration for execution purposes, but you have to be original in building your world and characters. I just hope that once the barrier breaks, the outside world is worth exploring.
▶ VideoMaybe it's due to the poor pacing or execution by the studious when adapting, but another subpar thing about the show is its inability to effectively explain the concepts. Nobody knows anything about the world of Wistoria, and yet, they persistently slap new information about the magic system and special items directly in our faces without elaborating. Sure, the commercial bumps sometimes specify these questions, but a lot of the times, they don't.
Soooooo
A solid 7.5 to 8 anime. Highly recommended for action and battle shounen lovers, but it's definitely not for everybody. You can't expect any depth or organized writing from this, but if you just enjoy it for what it is, then the hype train is bound to roar.
▶ Video (btw notice how the number of Will plushies increase with each arc?)✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺
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