Forum - View topicEP. REVIEW: Reign of the Seven Spellblades
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NeverConvex
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Kinda torn on this so far. I'm super fatigued of "magical school" settings, the animation is kind of mediocre, and I feel like the characterization and story-telling has not been executed super well so far; but, I don't mind the still artwork, I sort of like what appears to be the outline of the samurai lass's background and trauma, and that the setting seems significantly darker/less forgiving than most school settings? Gonna ride it out a few more episodes, I s'pose.
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Iron Maw
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One of things i really liked about this episode was it showing that on the contrary to some might have been expecting, Oliver is not almighty problem solver like your LN MCs. He doesn't always have all the right answers, can get angry when he's far emotional invested in problems concerning himself that it clouds his judgement. If not Chela leading the discussion with Nanao things wouldn't gone anywhere and Nanao might still be attempting suicide to get over her confusion and heartbreak. She is quickly becoming the true linchpin of the group whose affordable nature makes her easy to talk too.
Last edited by Iron Maw on Fri Jul 21, 2023 11:35 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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AQuin1904
Posts: 270 |
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I enjoyed the LNs, but this anime really isn't doing it for me. It feels like it's rushing through the first book to get to what comes later, but the result is too fast-paced to have any emotional weight.
On the other hand, if they took things slower and spent a full cours on one book, people who would like what comes later would probably dismiss it as too generic and drop it. Clever adaptation choices in the script and directorial flare in the visuals might have struck a good balance, but both are lacking here. |
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Iron Maw
Posts: 505 |
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As another LN reader, I think the show is just fine. The real problem is there a lot fatigue with magical academy genre as much they are with isekai as you pointed won't much appreciation even for that do them well without relying standard LN tropes like harems or all powerful MCs and take proper time set every hing. Re:Zero went through this same problem in early episodes until about episode 7 and that too had decent amount differences from your usual isekai but didn't stop sizable amount of people from thinking it rote. The difference here Re:Zero lucked out in releasing before isekai reached its peak. If Spell blades had came out 7 years ago there would less resistance to it. Even if hadn't read the LN I could easily mark this out in being better magical school just by fact story and writing is so far avoiding common problems that plague most magical academy while focusing building up its characters. Are the cast starting out simple archetypes? Yeah but that every show, but they clearly fleshed out relying too much on empty spectacle to do so. It helps feel closer individuals with their own problems rather appendages of MC. So their budding friendship feel good, its just a couple of good kids who know no one else nor that much about each other in this environment latching on to whatever anchor of warmth they can to navigate this terrifying place. As for the comparison to LN, ultimately the biggest advantage the LN has over the anime you can get whole setup in vol 1 and right through its climax in one go and get what whole series is about as opposed to wide though this piecemeal weekly until the shoe finally drops. As adaptation of a long running work in already overcrowded genre it was going to have a touch battle ahead for it, especially part of book is it meticulous world-building and character driven plot whose fruits don't manifest into a truly satisfying way until a little later in it. |
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MFrontier
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It's funny how they basically just have Satoshi Hino playing Rengoku again. But I'm glad at least some senior students are looking out for their Kouhai.
I see Nanao believes in love through mortal combat, though she's growing to experience love in a proper high school way. Not that Katie is all that happy by how close she and Oliver are. I'm really worried Katie and her animal rights activist actions is going to keep landing her in trouble. She means well, but... There are only six known spellblades when the show mentions seven? I'm sure that won't be relevant! Andrews is totally getting wrecked. |
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Iron Maw
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This episode reveals its even worse for Katie in someways because parents are famous civil rights activists. Just as their ideology filtered down to her the scorn of children with conservative parents will be direct at her since she is so strong-minded about it. |
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Iron Maw
Posts: 505 |
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Good lord, JC Staff really stepped it up with this episode.
While the show has never looked bad this clearly above the rest. Its also great various bits of build up in the previous weeks starting to converge even as things escalate as they did here. The classroom bawl is easily the surely sign how much on Katie's side the Spellblades is not going to follow HP's footsteps by being wishy-washy on the subject. Andrews also getting as surprisingly solid amount of characterization that added some actual dimension to his character this early on despite only being a secondary one was very welcomed. With this vol 1 is almost done and cannot wait to see how JC staff one of big moments coming in it. Last edited by Iron Maw on Sat Jul 29, 2023 1:45 am; edited 1 time in total |
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MFrontier
Posts: 13677 |
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JC Staff proving they can deliver when needed. The action, direction, impact frames, music, and everything was executed phenomenally. Even the creatures were pretty much 2D animated!
I love how their "detention" is literally a dungeon jail cell. I would've loved to have seen the brawl as they schooled those bullies making fun of Katie. Bit of karmic justice at the work here. Kill a bunch of creatures for sport, then they turn on you. Seems like an animal rights extremist finally had enough and sicked the Garuda on them. Curious to see if this will involve Katie more. Andrews may talk a big game he can't completely back up, but he chipped in when it counted and now there's mutual respect which is probably for the best. Also, Nanao is awesome. That is all. |
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jr240483
 Posts: 4447 Location: New York City,New York,USA |
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i think you mean kadokawa and not JC STAFF considering that the reviewer himself put out a "kadokawa being a majority owner of ANN!" disclaimer after all! also when that garuda used his magic to send a message about humans being the prey this time, it showed they are far more intelligent than they look. surprise the reviewer didn't mention that for i am sure that it MIGHT have implications regarding the treatment of magical creatures in the long haul . though i could be wrong about this since after all, i am a manga reader, not a light novel reader and i dont believe the source materials have even been released overseeas as of this moment |
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Aerodynamic41
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It's actually available in English from Yen Press. Eight volumes have been translated so far. |
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druv
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Wish Oliver had not taken the lesson "I should have controlled myself" from the blow-up in the cafeteria, but rather that it's real stupid to not speak up for your friend (and your beliefs, though Oliver doesn't necessarily share Katie's beliefs) as soon as people start talking s*** behind their backs.
Keeping quiet, when it is relatively safe for you to speak up, means allowing that kind of discourse in the cafeteria/office/wherever. Yes, it's uncomfortable, but it's the people being not-so-nice-people who make it so, not you for speaking up. By keeping quiet, the people sympathetic to you will make people sympathetic to you avoid that situation/place, while letting the not-so-nice-people create a collective space for them. And in Oliver's case, might avoid a situation where he's going straight to assault and detention. |
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Gina Szanboti
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And in English! Properly oriented toward the recipient! Fwiw, it seems to me like all the magical "beasts" so far have been rather humanoid, in the sense of being bipedal with human-like torsos (furred or not) and five-fingered hands. Dunno if that's a lack of imagination of the designers, a sign that maybe they weren't always bestial, or just my failure to notice other types. 
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Andrew Cunningham
 Posts: 521 Location: Seattle |
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The anime hasn't really explained this, but what you're missing is the difference between demihumans and magical beasts. We see a bunch of magifauna in the opening parade (the griffin, etc.) Demihumans that can speak human languages have been given rights, and the civil rights movement is campaigning to get rights for the others--including trolls and kobolds. The garuda is likely something else entirely, but he hasn't actually explained that yet. |
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Gina Szanboti
Posts: 11586 |
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So as I expected, just my failure to notice other types.
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Iron Maw
Posts: 505 |
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Milligan artificially modifying a troll's brain to bring them up to standard humans can accept and give them rights easily is very mage-ike way to solve a problem like this. Given that her parents seem to have adopt a similar manner in improving her magic capabilities it further hints a lot about... the lack of priority given to more ethics and morals in this mage society.
Last edited by Iron Maw on Fri Aug 04, 2023 11:55 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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