Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei: Raihousha-hen

Episode 8

The Yotsuba Clan is a clan that interests me quite a bit. We know very little about them, and from what is said and understood, they seem to be very mysterious. Not to mention they’re also powerful and can probably wipe out all the other Master Clans whenever they want to. Seeing their increased involvement in the series is something I quite like. Should more of the Light novel be adapted, I think we’ll soon be able to see the full power and influence this powerful and mysterious Clan has over Japan, the magic world.

What are my thoughts on episode eight? Well, for starters, I do not know why this is the case, but I feel like I’ve experienced the same sort of thing several times throughout the during of this anime. It feels like every other episode or two feels like a ‘set up’ episode to another episode—a step up episode where there is nothing but conversation sets the stage for what will happen next. In today’s episode, all I did was watch Tatsuya talk to these parasites who assumed human forms as he tried to get information out of them.

Just when it’s about to get interesting, incomes Mitsui Honoka, a character you wouldn’t expect having any real impact in the anime. Suddenly has a profound magical ability that even shocks Tatsuya. All of it originating from her hair ties? Not too sure what any of that means or how that became a thing, but I am all for characters you wouldn’t expect having impact suddenly getting their time in the spotlight. I am all for that.

Episode 9

Okay, so after watching this episode. Without a doubt in my mind, this story, the self-proclaimed “Visitor Arc,” is something that cannot be told effectively or well, for that matter, within 13 episodes. That fact that is it rubs me the wrong way. Not to mention what ticks me off more about this episode is that it’s another ‘set up’ episode. I do not want to watch or experience another setup episode where we’re once again loaded with more information than we can handle. I do not know how many more 23 minute episodes I can sit through, episodes where it’s just constant dialogue with little to no action.

If we were to compare the first half of the series to the second half of the series, the pacing is all over the place. From episodes 1 through 6 (roughly), we’re speeding through the story. We find out who the parasites are, and we’re already working on a plan to destroy them. That included action scenes, several confrontations etc.; it was action-packed. Every episode after that has been prolonged and honestly boring. It’s almost like they’re trying to stretch out the story as much as possible because they (the studio) misjudged how much content they’ve already told and are scrambling to fill the remaining episodes.

On the positive side, I guess the ninth episode of Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei: Raihousha-hen attempted to link the last season’s antagonists, Blanche Organization, and the No-Head Dragon Syndicate to this season. We now know that the parasites are effectively vassals made by the Blanche Organization to inspire fear into regular humans, turning them against the magicians, effectively destroying them.

There are still things that raise significant question marks. The Yotsuba Clan told the Colonel of the USNA where the captured parasites were. Who then gave Lina the order to assassinate the parasites, which she does. These parasites were captured by Tatsuya and company in the last episode. So why did the Yotsuba Clan effectively undo what Tatsuya was trying to figure out? Is Raymond Sage Clark good? I mean, he’s been giving information to Shizuku throughout the anime, but if you look closely during the OP, you see him smirking; so is he a good guy? Or is he pulling strings?

Not to mention, over the past few episodes, more and more factions are starting to get involved. First, it began with the USNA trying to find and kill who caused the ‘Scorched Halloween.’ The Ten Master Clans, specifically the Juumonji and Saegusa Clans, now we find out that the JGDF counterintelligence got involved. Now we have the Seven Sages playing a role and whatever is left of Blanche and the No-Head Dragon Syndicate having some role to play. Too much information in one episode, too much information to cram into thirteen episodes, and I am not happy about that.