I’ve got another fantasy genre for y’all, but it’s a shonen this time (with an added bonus of magic sprinkled in). I feel like it’s very basic of me to say I enjoy magical elements in a story, but here I am.
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When humanity was oppressed by mysterious foes known as the Celestial Hosts, five exceptional mages joined forces to defeat them. In fear that these formidable enemies would return, the five most powerful mages, known as the Magia Vander, built a magical dome and a tower to contain them. Since then, the five strongest mages of every generation are tasked with monitoring the dome from the top of the Wizard’s Tower.
Inspired by this story, childhood friends Will Serfort and Elfaria Albis Serfort promised each other that they would climb to the top of the Wizard’s Tower. However, now a sixth-year student at Regarden Magic Academy, Will’s future looks bleak. Although Elfaria managed to join the ranks of the Magia Vander five years prior thanks to her unparalleled magical power, Will has no magical abilities whatsoever, attracting the ire of teachers and students alike.
However, blessed with an exceptional physique, Will is able to slay monsters in the labyrinth and prevail against skilled magicians with the only aid of his sword and a few magical items. Determined to climb the Wizard’s Tower at all cost, Will is determined to not let anyone or anything prevent him from keeping the promise he made to Elfaria.
~ Summary taken from the series’ MyAnimeList page
My goodness, where do I even start? I think I picked this up when I was on the hunt for something that was not isekai. It’s not that I dislike the isekai genre (I think the genre is fine), but there are already soooo many isekai anime out there, and I just needed something…different.
Initially, I had thought Wistoria was an isekai as well. And boy, was I glad when I read the synopsis to find that it wasn’t. (laughs) When I say this series checked all the right boxes to keep me hooked and entertained, I mean it. It is a bit cookie-cutter shonen, but I think that’s where the charm lies.
The main character, Will, and his peers are all fairly far in their studies (they’re basically graduating if I’m remembering correctly), so you get none of the first-year shenanigans and all of the high-level magic spells.
And the big kicker? Will is incapable of using magic, which in turn gets him bullied by the other students. But his goal is still to graduate and become what is called a Magia Vander (the series’ highest level mage) so he can be with his friend (who is one) because he loves her (and she loves him back). So while he doesn’t have an ounce of magical ability in him, his swordsmanship is unmatched because it was his only way to survive. And let me tell you, every fight is action-packed, the music hits in all the right places, and Will continues to astound me in what he can do in each passing episode. I absolutely cannot wait for what this series has in store. There’ll also be a second season next year! (Ahhh, I can’t wait that long lol)
Per usual, I can’t talk about an anime without talking about the music! Again, this soundtrack is AMAZING. When I first heard the music, it really sounded like My Hero Academia to me. I was curious, so I went to google who the music was done by, and insert the shocked Pikachu face here when I saw Yuki Hayashi’s name listed!
The opening theme brings the action, while the ending theme is more toned down and honestly very cute since it focuses on Elfaria (nicknamed Elfie and is Will’s friend/love interest). I think the cutest part is the last scene of the animation because it shows Elfie sleeping in her bed hugging a Will plushie. As the season progresses, the scene starts including more Will plushies on her bed. (laughs) No spoilers for you! (The below image is from episode 1.)
I can’t think of much else to write, so all I’m going to say is that the end of season 1 prepares you for season 2, the most important part being the lore drops. (Yeah, 2026 needs to come faster lol)
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I had originally planned for this post to go out in April, but as you can see, it’s now July. (laughs) Things got a bit busy with some of my other hobbies, so I never got around to writing this post even though I specifically rewatched the anime to write the damn thing. I did mention before that I wasn’t having fun writing on a schedule, and I did think that posting every two months would be doable. At this point, I’m not sure when the next post will be since my “posting schedule” is now a little out of wack, but there’s only four more to go!
Until next time! Bye bye~
🌸 Hiba
The Skylark's Treasure 