Rokudenashi Majutsu Koushi to Akashic Records

Is it worth? Who knows! I’ll let you decide, but first, you’ll need to give it a watch 🙂

Also known as Akashic Records of Bastard Magic Instructor, the series takes off in an academy life setting. From the first few episodes, the series doesn’t hide the personality of the main protagonist, Glenn Radars. To put it straightforward, he is a bastard. His personality is very sarcastic, lazy, and seems to never be able to stand still. However, Glenn has shown that he is a capable instructor with a decent knowledge of magic. And in essence, he has a good heart to help his students. So I guess in a way, he is able to walk between the line of a lazy bastard and as a guy his students can rely on. Unfortunately, my early impression of Glenn is that he is very difficult to take seriously and is someone that can barely act his age.

Given the context of the series, the girls doesn’t present a good impression of themselves either. The first time when Glenn interacts with Sistine, a promising student at school, he is literally blasted away by his awkward introduction. Her best friend Rumia seems to be more understanding although she seems to fit into the category of the classic damsel in distress. She is pretty, kind, has blonde hair with a cute smile but unfortunately never able to save herself. You ever see a horror movie where an innocent blonde girl is running for her life and desperately needs to be saved? That’s how I picture Rumia throughout the show as many episodes seems to put her into such position. At some point, I wouldn’t be surprised if viewers label her as a hostage simulator.

On terms of character relationships, the series seems to jump from one to another although the core focus is still Glenn. I have to admit, his relationships with his students is pretty uninspiring. On paper, Glenn and Sistine has a rocky relationship ever since from their first encounter. Their relationship seems to warm up a bit although can hardly be memorable given their contrasting personalities. Let’s face it, Sistine is a serious working student hoping to make her dreams come true while Glenn is a lazy bastard who seems to be taking life like a game. There’s hardly any connection between the two except we learn that Sistine does remind him of another character in the past.

Given the length of this adaptation, that territory is hardly explored which is pretty disheartening to be honest. In the meantime, there’s Rumia and Glenn. They get along better and if I had to guess, she might have developed a girly crush on Glenn just because of how much times he’s saved her. Beyond that, it’s nothing home to write about. Oh and of course, there are some other characters we’ll encounter like Re=L, Albert, and Celica. Between Glenn and them, it just feels like these characters are there and hardly stand out with their role. The only character on that list worth mentioning may be Re=L but she has the personality of a doll and a peculiar background story. And trust me, with a character like Re=L in this show, it feels like they are trying to bring in every type of generic character personality they can into one place.

By expectations, the series probably excels most when it takes a more serious approach at magic. Understandably, this show surprisingly does a neat job at explaining magic, or at least on a level that makes sense. Antagonists are able to utilize magic at a level that looks threatening while Glenn establishes himself as a capable instructor with his knowledge of magic. By storytelling standards, magic is also a core motivation for Sistine as she wishes to discover the secrets of the Flying Castle. So if any positive stands out about this show, I can safely say that magic adamantly stands out. It’s even part of a tournament although the storytelling itself in that field is pretty underwhelming.

If I was to talk about the art of the show, the first thing that pops to my head is the school uniforms. Somehow, the female characters finds no troubling wearing them despite their ridiculous design. Attached to a string and exposing the bellies, it makes me curious if this school even has a damn written dress code. Character designs look somewhat noticeable such as Sistine’s cat ears, Re=L’s blueish hair, or Celica’s black dress. Character expressions for the main cast are somewhat entertaining to watch at times when the timing is appropriate. However, the antagonists in this show are very disappointing to look at. The action sequences on most parts flows well. But again, it’s mostly the magic doing the work.

I don’t have much to say for the soundtrack or music as it feels rather blend. The OP and ED theme songs are pretty generic while the battle soundtrack is hardly original.