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littlepurinsesu · 4 years

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V Watches MagiReco - Episode 5 Review

*Spoilers for Magia Record Anime Episode 5*

I won’t deny that I was both extremely nervous and excited for this episode at the same time. There was just so much building up and so many vital things to introduce this week. I was anticipating an interesting conversation between Yachiyo and Mifuyu, a much longer and more difficult Rumour battle, Iroha’s doppel, and a possible Mami appearance.

And I can say for sure that not only did we get all of that, but we got them all done very well, with a few unexpected twists and additions, too!

I feel that they’re deliberately making Mifuyu and her relationship with Yachiyo extremely vague for now; it’s hard to judge as a game player because I already know everything, but I do wonder how anime-only fans feel about Mifuyu, what with how little they’re telling us so far. The scene with Yachiyo and Mifuyu really goes to show how shackled to the past Yachiyo is, which is a nice irony when we consider the short lecture she gave Iroha last episode about being a prisoner of her past. The whole Seance Shrine ordeal basically showed that if anyone’s a prisoner of their past, it’s definitely Yachiyo, and the contrast between how she and Iroha respond to the fake Mifuyu and Ui is a great way to illustrate that. All the symbolism and visual imagery going on while Yachiyo and Mifuyu spoke was also really, really well done. I especially liked the little detail of how much Yachiyo’s hand was shaking when she was trying to purify her Soul Gem; this is probably our first time seeing her so disturbed and shaken up, which really goes to show how important her relationship with Mifuyu was to her.

I was not expecting such an amazing fight with Mifuyu, though! It’s always amazing to see these characters fighting outside of the fixed actions and movements shown with their game sprites, and I really love how graceful and agile Mifuyu is shown to be, jumping and gliding all over the place with such little effort. Yachiyo’s spear going right through her chest was OUCH EW, but I did enjoy that powerful moment from Yachiyo, who shows that she isn’t completely lost in her longing for their past relationship and does retain some good sense after all.

The Rumour looked slightly different from what I imagined (which is okay), but what I really appreciated? Finally a battle of some sort that doesn’t end way too quickly and easily; we finally see characters other than Iroha struggle with a monster that actually puts up a real fight. Iroha is continuously portrayed as weak but very eager to help out regardless, and I like that a lot about her character, even if I’d be just as frustrated as Yachiyo if I were in her position xD I’m really looking forward to seeing Iroha finally growing in strength and becoming a magical girl who can hold her own against the Kamihama Witches and Rumours!

As for the Doppel? I LOVED IT. I’m glad they went into detail about what went on inside Iroha’s mind before it happened, rather than having the monster suddenly exploding out of her with no explanation. The imagery with the bandages was done very well, too, and the creepy face “dark Iroha" makes before the Doppel is released has a very distinct PMMM style to me. My only slight complaint is that I would have liked a good look at the Doppel before she went up, up, and away and tore that Rumour to shreds xD The eerie bird-like sound effects were a very nice touch, but it was a little difficult to see what the Doppel was doing sometimes because everything happened so quickly with so much movement; I had to rewatch the scene a few times and pause on some frames before I understood what exactly was going on ^^;; (Iroha looks super pretty with her hair out, though! ♥)

It’s also really interesting to me that the anime shows that the Doppel doesn’t just effortlessly disappear like no big deal after the big attack. We see that even after the Rumour is destroyed, Iroha’s Doppel is still very much active and rampant, which makes me wonder what it exactly takes for a magical girl to “control” and “rein in” the Doppel and return back to normal, since, in Iroha’s case, it’s interrupted by the appearance of a very familiar magical girl!!!

When Mami appeared with her signature theme and chanted “Tiro Finale,” I legit felt chills down my spine (♥ω♥*) What an entrance!!! I also loved how they presented the tension between Mami and Yachiyo, both of them being the oldest and most mature of their respective groups and one of the most respected magical girls in their city. I think they have a very nice balance between including the original characters enough to keep old fans happy and allowing the new characters a chance to shine on their own, and I really hope they keep up this balance in future episodes :)

I know there’s been a few jokes in the past about Ui sounding like a broken record with how she repeats the thing about magical girls being saved in Kamihama. But this episode takes that idea and turns it up a few hundred notches to present one of the creepiest and most disturbing sequences I’ve seen in this anime so far. There’s something especially unsettling to see Ui looking all cute and happy and “normal” while sounding... well, like that. The fast-paced editing really adds to the urgent, almost claustrophobic kind of atmosphere, and builds up an even greater sense of mystery surrounding her character.

And the final part at Yachiyo’s place? We finally have our first glance at Mikazuki Villa! ^___^ It’s nice to see Yachiyo showing a much more gentle and caring side; she’s not as cold and brash as we’ve seen her, but there’s still a good bit of coolness and an aloof attitude that will defrost slowly as the characters get introduced one by one and the quintet forms :) Iroha sleeping in Mifuyu’s room was also a really nice and bittersweet touch, and I do like the way they’re using this kind of symbolism to set her up as a “new partner” for Yachiyo. Seeing all those mugs (and a quick Kanae cameo!) did hurt, but I like that the story will slowly allow Yachiyo to break free from the burden of her past and welcome a new and loving family. I do, however, wonder if that final scene of Mifuyu’s “ghost” or “spirit” would make anime-only fans think Mifuyu is dead or something xD

And that post-credits scene... OKAY I WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT. That was one of the weirdest yet strangely entertaining scenes I’ve seen in any anime in a good while. I know Kaede summoned her Doppel, but... was the incident even real? Is she “still a Doppel” in the end, and not quite back to human yet? Was that the real world, or a labyrinth? Why was Mitama there? I take it that this is the first time Kaede has ever released a Doppel and doesn’t quite know what’s going on? And the last shot is most likely emphasising how the Doppel purifies the magical girl’s Soul Gem? The entire scene was just super trippy and things didn’t really make sense, yet I loved every second of how strange and wrong it all felt. This is probably one of the most “original” things the anime has done that wasn’t in the game (apart from Kuroe), and if they can somehow make sure that it all makes sense and ties in well together, then I’m all for these kinds of deviations if it means we get an even better and more suspenseful story!

I absolutely loved this week’s episode, and I was definitely not let down even with all the expectations and hopes I had for it. Many people say that the fifth episode of an anime is what “seals the deal” on whether someone will continue watching or end up dropping it, and even if it’s not accurate for me, being a game player and all, I do feel that I’d definitely stick with this series to the end if I was experiencing the story for the very first time.

Looking forward to Felicia’s debut next week! And... could that possibly mean that Kyoko will be showing up, too? (⊙ꇴ⊙)

Oh, and as a sidenote: I knew from the very first time I watched the OP that they would slowly add characters to the last part where Iroha turns around and runs towards Yachiyo >:) Sure enough, we see Tsuruno join them this week, and I can’t wait to see the full team slowly assemble! ^3^

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