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S2 #11

Viewers are not much closer to seeing the full picture behind the attacks, but some clues dropped earlier in the season are starting to manifest themselves. My gripe is that these clues were really minor and insignificant, and it is only now that they're being dropped in in a sudden and unexpected fashion. Hooded figures were seen approaching the locked vaults earlier in the season, and now it's clear who they really are. One of the instructors even suspected the Waste Tower occupants were highly likely to be the thieves, yet did nothing about it as the incident didn't pique his interest. This is despite being warned along with the rest of the instructors to keep a lookout, but I suppose this is why the Principal was resigned to not having the full cooperation of the teaching staff as she suspected something like this would happen.

It would not surprise me if the instructor Simeon who was attacked was also involved with the Waste Tower in some capacity. There is no link between him and Lucy to suggest a common enemy; the attacks are quite random but something must have allowed the spell to latch onto them. It might well be the case that the perpetrator(s) don't have a plan and the spell is just being thrown out without careful consideration.

Philomela's grandmother is pulling her out of the academy as she doesn't rate her spying abilities nor appreciates her presence being that of charity from one of the other Great Clans. She just got the opportunity she'd been waiting for. It would be devastating for Philomela; despite her demeanour she genuinely prefers being there than in the claustrophobic family home and she's even mustered up the courage to make friends with Chise of her own volition. Most likely her patron was eavesdropping on that conversation, and is retaliating in a fit of pique prompting the letter. Philomela's situation evokes pity, but there's nothing Chise can do to help her right now as the obstacles to overcome to allow her to keep attending the Academy are formidable.

Next week is the final episode of this season's adaptation, yet there's so much more to cover for this Academy arc. I have enjoyed it so far, but it would be such a waste if this franchise doesn't get another adaptation to finish the story properly. Looking at the trailer, there's some action to be had for the season finale, but how much of a conclusion the episode will deliver will determine how hopeful non-source material viewers will be for more adaptation.

S2 #12

If this episode had ended the adaptation, it would have been most unsatisfactory as there are many questions that remain unanswered and several more which were raised in this episode itself. Fortunately, the announcement that another quarter will air in October has salvaged the situation. I'm looking forward to it, as the cliffhanger at the end leaves the adaptation at a suitable stopping point with interested viewers looking forward to more when it next resumes.

The Waste Tower sorcerers are known to the main College, but they are not allowed outside their Tower and students who enter their domain without supervision risk considerable danger for their part-time work. Zaccheroni like many sorcerers has experimented far too much and is no longer fully human, but Chise is not an easy mark for him to risk losing his life over. On the other hand, the condition for extracting the commissioned plant was having killed someone, which makes me wonder what Philomela and her cousin involved themselves in that forced them to commit such a deed. The non-human sorcerers were prepared to abduct one of the students if the opportunity presented itself, which probably explains why all volunteers sign waivers to reduce the litigious risk to the College.

The Webster arc remains unsolved in this quarter, but at least the surviving siblings have reconciled to some extent. Lucy's desire for revenge drives her on, whereas Seth is happy to live his own life with his surviving sister his only link to a family which exiled him. If she does get into more danger than she can handle, he'll try to bail her out but he needs her to trust him or she'll not benefit from his assistance. I can't seen Lucy touching the funds he provides for her any time soon, but at least she'll be slightly less prickly when he's around.

I didn't realise Isaac was keen on Philomela, but his intervention allowed the principal to produce her wildcard to fend off Philomela's grandmother. Elias was invited specifically to witness this, so it was premeditated and the intent of the message was clear. I'm surprised the dorm matrons are Cait-Sith, which are the infamous Celtic feline faeries. Elias himself is surprised they're in the College, but the principal says they are on equal terms in the professional relationship so that is another angle that might be explored in the next quarter. I was also wrong about Philomela's grandmother; she was not informed about the mysterious attacks which I had assumed was the commission she received a few episodes back. If she's not working for the College on this matter, could she be the one responsible for the attacks? Something else to look forward to in the next quarter.

Considering the big gap between the first and second seasons which the 3-episode OVA could only do so much to tide over, this adaptation so far has been extremely entertaining to watch. It's not recommended for new viewers who didn't watch the preceding material since there's too much that would be lost without context, but for everyone else who did a rewatch of the first season is highly recommended before watching this again. The gap between the adaptation for this arc is for the best: more time for the animators to produce quality entertainment. October can't come soon enough.

I rated this installment as Good, a definite drop from the Excellent I gave season 1. Mainly, I dinged it for having a very disjointed feel. I feel like the first several episodes spun their wheels narratively and even when an identifiable story kicked in, it felt to me like elements were being dropped scattershot. The show is also ruthless with some of its details. If you don't have a great memory or aren't extremely conversant with previous material, too bad for you, because the show is not going to deign to remind you of who is who.

I should have gone ahead with my plan to rewatch the first season before watching this but alas my already full anime slate put the kibosh on that. Even though I didn't enjoy this as much as the first season, I'm still looking forward to Part 2.

I thought that this season didn't really hit with the emotional strength that the first season did. It probably did need the bit of reinvention with the new school setting, but it was a lot of set up. And there were a few times an episode started and I was kind of confused if I was watching the correct continuation of the previous episode, to not even mention the stuff from the previous season that may have been important but I probably forgot.
\My rating will also be Good (7/10).

Perhaps the next season will push it back up again.

S2 #13

I wonder how many viewers will remember what happened in the previous episode, because this week's return doesn't waste any time and moves straight on to the content with no recap. The OP animation is very unusual, with a good song to match. I wonder how much of it is going to be spoiler material for later on. The ED in contrast is much simpler with the students grouped according to their social relationships, song is arguably better than the OP despite the difference in tone and subject matter.

I did not expect to see Zaccheroni so quickly after the last episode of the first quarter. The students who've dealt with him don't trust him at all, neither do the teaching staff as Wachmann is dispatched to oversee his lesson. He clearly subscribes to the "School of Hard Knocks", as his lesson is ultimately very valuable for the challenges to come despite his devil-may-care teaching style. He doesn't appear to have any qualms with mixing business with pleasure, as his later post-lesson duel with Chise and Rian illustrates. Chise's development after unleashing her latent curse and abilities after the Scotland field trip continues to surprise and terrify her, but she'll need to adapt to the changes quickly as I'm betting the College's security apparatus will not stop internal and external threats from making a move on the students and teachers eventually.

There's a heavy hint that Philomela or one of her family members is going to be important in this quarter, the question is whether this is followed up or if it's a false lead. Plenty to look forward to this quarter, even if the competition for attention is as fierce as it's ever been.

S2 #14

An episode posing a lot of questions for viewers to ponder, hopefully with answers down the road. Compared to last week, it's another episode which has a lot of preparatory setup; viewers might struggle to follow what's going on if the previous season's content has been forgotten.

Elias's contact is a Witch, and her temporary hire is a werewolf just like the ones which assailed Chise and company at the tail end of the last airing. Said werewolf also proclaims himself to be a Witch, which means I'm forced to look through older episodes to remember what is defined as a "Witch" in this franchise. After jaunting through Central London, they pay a visit to a shop cum information broker for further assistance in tracking their elusive quarry. If their judgment is credible, then the College intruder as well as the object they seek remain within the College grounds. That narrows the options for the Headmaster, since knowing where the Grimoire is determines what course of action they take beyond wait and see.

Philomela's Grandmother is absolutely horrible, and we now know she has a hold over Philomela that extends beyond family tyranny. If her parents are being held hostage by her Grandmother, then she has no choice but to obey if she wants to be reunited with them. The other thing I found interesting in this episode is the Sergeant Matriarch potentially being the werewolf assault squad's patron. The screenshot isn't conclusive though, and there's still too much left unexplained to draw a definitive conclusion.

On the subject of Philomela, viewers now know Rian isn't being prickly with her to hide affections. Isaac on the other hand clearly likes her, which is going to make Philomela's lot even more miserable if this is found out by her grandmother.

That last scene: if the twins are the next target then perhaps viewers will finally see more of how the assailant actually goes about incapacitating staff and students.

Following up on Harleyquin's speculation, I think there is a very strong possibility that Philomela's "grandmother" is the person we saw with the werewolf children kidnap squad. I speculate further that Philomela is one of those kidnapped children who has been turned into a servant by the Matriarch. She has probably been told that her parents are "missing" and that the Matriarch is the only one who has a chance of finding them again, to secure Philomela's compliance. It's entirely possible that Philomela has no idea she is a werewolf.

Or, I could simply be wrong on all counts.

S2 #15

This episode is a curious mix of time slowing down dramatically for the locked-in students, and the main plot getting a shot in the arm from just two scenes. The series usually leans towards languid exposition, so for this week to deliver the content it has comes as a surprise to me.

The mini-game diversion to stop the students losing their minds during exam prep does a surprisingly adept job at illustrating Philomela's state of mind, Rian's past relationship with Philomela, Alcyone's background, Philomela's (now missing) parents and how they treated Philomela as well as Elias's musings about relationships with Chise and other inhabitants of the College. Philomela's parents made a surprising comment about not being able to use modern technology to capture memories; instead being reliant on Alcyone to store memories for them like some kind of magic camcorder. Philomela mistaking Elias for a kindred spirit isn't completely wrong (since Elias can change forms at will) but his reaction to her awkward attempts at conversation also illustrates how much he himself has changed. Even he was surprised he didn't just brush her off and kept trying to keep engaging with her. We already know Philomela has been under enormous psychological strain for years, but the episode also hints at what kind of pressure her ostensible patron Veronica also places on her (which is more subtle but no less onerous).

Last week's little hint turns out to be a full-blown revelation. The consequences are huge; if the identity of the assault squad was revealed throughout wider Mage Society Philomela's clan (and the matriarch in particular) would be completely finished. The Websters have never given up on finding the culprits responsible, and to think one of the scions (even though she's completely innocent in the matter as of this episode) is also enrolled in the same College sets up a potentially explosive showdown further down the line.

Meanwhile, "flu season" in a College under self-imposed lockdown looks to be a lot worse than just a simple virus spreading through common dormitories. If next week's trailer is anything to go by, someone is deliberately making the wider student body fall physically ill. Whether it's the same culprit assaulting staff and students is up for debate.

S2 #16

I'm probably not the only one, but it's about time viewers finally get some insight into what goes on inside Veronica's head. With her sphinx-like demeanour and hands-off approach with Philomela, no one could tell until this week what kind of person she is and what she wants.

Turns out she's well aware of what's going on, but is also constrained by the same factors which oppress Philomela. The big difference being Veronica has long since accepted her lot, realised what she can and cannot do inside her "cage" and gets along with life accepting the parameters she's been set with since she was younger. She is not enthusiastic about Chise's stance, although for me it's not because of hostility but more because Chise hasn't drummed up the resolve to go all the way to help Philomela in anyway she can regardless of what everyone else might think. My personal theory may or may not hold water depending on how future episodes further characterize Veronica though.

I'm dense, so it took me until this week to realise the twins were actually cross-dressing. Like the other old mage families, they carry their own baggage but have reached their own understanding on how to react to the pressures facing them. Violet has taken a similar path to Rian, but is much further along and also has to look over his shoulder to ensure his sister isn't left behind.

Isaac's relationship with Rian being explored in this episode was also a nice touch. All of them have baggage which they bring to the College, and the way they deal with this marks them out as unique individuals.

Nice twist at the end regarding the unexpected participant. Of course Violet wasn't going to be fooled, but he went along with it anywhere knowing it would be brilliant for the courage test experience overall.

Not sure what next week brings, but the trailer suggests fun and games for the students is going to end.

Hmmm, doing a test of courage at a college for sorcery is certainly a different prospect than in a more mundane school. Fortunately for me, I really like the world of TAMB and I like the characters so I'm not particularly put out by the glacial pace of the actual story-telling. Woe to anybody isn't in the same mindset. If I didn't have that, I'm sure I'd be pulling what little hair I have out.

S2 #17

Almost as soon as it looks like a pandemic is sweeping through the College, it ends almost immediately. Again, casual viewers are left to guess why contact with Chise was enough to stop the rest of the student body and teaching staff from collapsing. Interesting how Joseph was the one who helped Chise out before Elias's decisive intervention (that student now has a mark on his arm, I wonder if it's permanent?). It's also interesting that for the first time outside of Chise's immediate circle someone has referred to her innate ability as a gift, and given her advice on how to look for more goals.

It's been a while since we've seen Ruth as well. Beyond a cameo, he might have work to do if the culprit decides to make an open play against the students and staff in person. Ditto for Zaccheroni, who is now directly under observation but his lessons are much more complicated now that they've implemented maze running together with familiar slaying.

In the meantime, Philomela's condition worsens either through psychological stress or because of unknown physical afflictions. Veronica pays a visit, but Philomela can't open up to her which gives her no outlet to confide with others.

I wonder what Chise is making with all those branches she's collecting. Although she missed the pumpkin harvest, Elias did his best to cheer her up by inviting her to tomato collection (without permission). As for Elias, I would never have imagined him giving the advice he did if this was earlier in the franchise. He too has changed, although it's debatable if he's aware of it.

Trailer indicates something dramatic might happen at the Christmas party. We're still quite early in the quarter, so despite the pacing slowing down over the last few weeks this series has more to give, hopefully.

S2 #18

At last there's a partial answer to what's going on inside the College. Unfortunately for Philomela, unless the teaching staff investigate more thoroughly she'll be the one to take the fall for all that has happened. There's hope though, since the book's craving for power has made it consume Chise's protective charm, so Elias most likely has a way of intervening directly with what's really behind the disturbances.

It's almost certain Philomela's grandmother is the one behind everything in the two seasons, and we even have a motive. Philomela's father was initially pliant, but chose to break free from the matriarch's control and likely paid a price for it. When Philomela says her parents are in Hell, she might well be meaning it literally. The werewolves were deployed under her orders to destroy the Webster clan for reasons unknown, but they chose to spare Lucy despite the hostages. Lucy has another lead she most likely forgot (it wouldn't surprise me if that was a younger Philomela at the scene), but her quest will likely end together with the main plot so that's going to stew for a while longer.

Assuming Philomela isn't deemed solely responsible for everything that has happened in the College all this while, there is much to do for the clean-up operation. The Headmaster has deliberately chosen to observe rather than actively pursue the culprit, so now that her waiting has paid off what will she do with the threat in front of her? I'm betting she'll keep the College sealed a while longer while they figure out what happened, but after that it's anybody's guess.

S2 #19

This episode marks the milestone for the season, after this it's more or less a straight line to whatever ending this arc has. Arguably Philomela is the protagonist for this quarter despite her relatively limited screen time, since much of what transpires happens under her agency, willing or not.

The College Headmaster has little choice in the matter: she knew Philomela was self-destructing due to the curse, and between the lives of her staff and students weighed against one rogue student it was obvious she would choose the former. Much has been said about Chise's recklessness in the past, with the Headmaster putting it in very unflattering terms this time round. But is it so bad to want to save a friend? Chise's curses have been a heavy burden to her, but she's willing to risk everything for even a chance to save Philomela. She might well have to pay a price right away, as someone has already come calling for payment. If she does get past this obstacle, there are many more to come before Philomela is even reachable.

Next week will slow things down a bit as Philomela's past has to be exposited at some point. Next week is as good a time as any; if there is a showdown it won't take longer than two to three weeks to finish animating and there's still time left before the season ends. Not sure if the other students and Zaccheroni will be much help but Chise (and Elias) won't be able to do everything on their own.

Lucy Webster's personal arc needs closure as well, but I have a feeling it's going to be bundled in somehow when the group finally gets around to infiltrating the Sargent family mansion. The last remaining werewolf will definitely face them, so if they can subdue it or get answers from the matriarch that will be Lucy's arc done.

S2 #20

When Philomela said her parents were in hell a few weeks ago, anime-only viewers didn't know if she was being literal or figurative. This week gives the answer, and much more behind the Sargent family and Philomela's background. Tragic undersells just how tough Philomela's life has been since the matriarch decided she was worth using as a bargaining chip. Even her parents have their own complicated backgrounds, with the mother in particular being the catalyst and wild card.

Just having the flashback would have been ok for this week's episode, but we get much more than that making this week much stronger than recent episodes. I had to look up what this franchise is referring to when introducing Morrigan, and like so many of the fae Elias and Chise deal with it's yet another Celtic figure from myth and legend making her debut. It's the right one to call upon given the circumstances, but given the caprice and the bargain which has been struck in return for her aid Chise and Elias have work to do if they want to keep her from claiming Chise for her domain. Even Elias has to bow to her, as she has dominion over him given his origins.

Just as the students (plus Zaccheroni and Elias) agree on their course of action, they are put to work fulfilling their roles. Zoe just wants to help, so he's first up fending off the final surviving werewolf. Despite his relative lack of control over his powers, the training Zaccheroni put him and his peers along with Zaccheroni's support(?) should at the very least stall the werewolf long enough for the others to infiltrate the mansion.

It seems the Sargents have powers over illusion or psychology, as Chise looks like she has to relive her own worst memories from her past if the trailer is any indication. Something to look forward to now that the endgame starting gun has been fired and the adaptation is speeding up.

Ooo, things are really getting good. For the first time since the second season began, I'm feeling the same level of engagement with the title that I did in the first season. Don't get me wrong, I've been enjoying the second season, just not to the same extent as the previous one, but that is changing. Now having seen Philomena's background, I am 1000% invested in watching the team rescue her and of course I am dying to see the Sargent family's matriarch get her presumptive comeuppance. Dang, only 4 episodes left...

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