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EP. REVIEW: The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic


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Covnam



Joined: 31 May 2005
Posts: 3819
PostPosted: Mon Jan 22, 2024 10:29 pm Reply with quote
It's definitely been great so far. The characters and original ideas are what drew me in when I first started reading it Smile
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zztop



Joined: 28 Aug 2014
Posts: 650
PostPosted: Tue Jan 23, 2024 8:06 am Reply with quote
Something I noticed about the web and light novel releases for Healing Magic:

- The WN is still ongoing on Syosetu, and is regularly updated on schedule.

- The published LNs were a close adaptation of the WN content, up until around LN Vols 11-12 where the author announced they were going to conclude the LNs in Vol 12 and change/shorten the story content to end the published novels there.
https://mypage-syosetu-com.translate.goog/mypageblog/view/userid/373000/blogkey/2417959/?_x_tr_sl=ja&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc
https://mypage-syosetu-com.translate.goog/mypageblog/view/userid/373000/blogkey/2524975/?_x_tr_sl=ja&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc

Initially I assumed the decision to end the novels there was due to some kind of publishing issue; that perhaps novel sales had declined and the publisher, MF Books, was going to/decided to cancel the novels (the LN market in Japan is very competitive, and continued publication of a title is highly dependent on sales figures being met).

Some kind of miracle must have happened in between (either the anime announcement or the manga adaptation), because MF decided to resume publication of Healing Magic's novels. Vol 1 of the continuation came out Dec 2023 under the title The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic Returns.
https://mfbooks.jp/product/chiyumahou/
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Gina Szanboti



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 11588
PostPosted: Tue Jan 23, 2024 9:28 am Reply with quote
I thought it was interesting that Usato assumed the white and blue bears were different species, when in fact it was sexual dimorphism. It was sad the parents got killed, but at least Usato didn't have to kill them just for some stupid test. And now I guess he's got his own mascot, one more powerful than a bunny once it's grown up.
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Emerje



Joined: 10 Aug 2002
Posts: 7406
Location: Maine
PostPosted: Tue Jan 23, 2024 9:50 am Reply with quote
Loving this show a lot! It was my second most anticipated new show for the season behind Solo Leveling, but three episodes in it has now surpassed it as my favorite new show Winter 2024 (Undead Unluck is still my top show overall). It's a lot of fun with a bunch of likeable ruffians that remind me of the oddball group of State Alchemists from Fullmetal Alchemist. There's been a lot of shows lately about healing, be it through magic or potions, and they all now feel like discount rack imitations of this.

Gina Szanboti wrote:
I thought it was interesting that Usato assumed the white and blue bears were different species, when in fact it was sexual dimorphism. It was sad the parents got killed, but at least Usato didn't have to kill them just for some stupid test. And now I guess he's got his own mascot, one more powerful than a bunny once it's grown up.

Is that what it is? I was under the assumption the gray one "evolved" or something and started off blue. Wasn't the cub also male?

Emerje
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Greed1914



Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 4623
PostPosted: Tue Jan 23, 2024 11:07 am Reply with quote
Pretty pleased so far. I was pleasantly surprised that Kazaki wasn't the popular guy who turns out to be nasty as soon as he gets a bit of power and/or special status that meant he didn't have to pretend. He's just a decent guy who is understandably perturbed that he was kidnapped to fight for people he didn't even know existed. I guess I've seen enough group isekais where the only decent guy is the MC that I was dreading the heel turn.
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Gina Szanboti



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 11588
PostPosted: Tue Jan 23, 2024 2:01 pm Reply with quote
Emerje wrote:
Is that what it is? I was under the assumption the gray one "evolved" or something and started off blue. Wasn't the cub also male?

I'm just guessing. I mean, "evolved" could just be "becoming an adult." Like baby birds of both sexes tend to have female coloring until the male hormones kick in. See also silverback gorillas, who don't start out with that coloring.

Rose referred to the cub as "this guy," but that could be a generic guy, since Usato said "its parents" (another clue that the coloring is sex-linked). I guess we'll find out once he gives it a name? Also, that's going on subs, and I doubt the Japanese specified either way. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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Thesarum
Subscriber



Joined: 25 Mar 2022
Posts: 514
PostPosted: Tue Jan 23, 2024 7:13 pm Reply with quote
Rose is of course a great character (and amongst all her other selling points - that endangered Anime species: badass and athletic grown up adult!), but I also love Suzune. She's such an unapologetic weirdo now she's in this world where the expectations in Japan have been lifted. Absolutely living her best life and I'm all for it.

And having a Grand Grizzly as a pet feels totally fitting for a member of the "Rescue" team.
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Mr. Mosty-Toasty



Joined: 24 Jan 2024
Posts: 12
PostPosted: Wed Jan 24, 2024 12:25 pm Reply with quote
Based on the title and synopsis, I would not have even given this series a second thought, but the positive previews in the guide convinced me to try it, and I'm glad I did. I'm really enjoying this so far!

It's so refreshing to have actual characters for isekai protagonists--I like all three of them already. And the gruff muscle-bound weirdos who are Usato's fellow trainees are endearing. I'm also glad that Rose seems to have some actual depth to her beyond the intimidating exterior.
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The Scream Man



Joined: 01 Mar 2020
Posts: 184
Location: Sydney, Australia
PostPosted: Sun Feb 04, 2024 6:10 am Reply with quote
5 episodes in, Im with the show... but just barely. They need to pick up the pace a little now. I would have hoped Ep5 did more after 4 seeming to lock in Usatos role, or at least what he wants it to be, in the 4th episode. But this one seemed to just slog along in a light comedy way. Its not without its charm (The Pikachu references alone had me grinning) but I feel like we need to get a bit of a MOVE ON. AT the moment we are told there ate stakes but we're not actually seeing them, and thats starting to get to me a bit.
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zztop



Joined: 28 Aug 2014
Posts: 650
PostPosted: Tue Feb 06, 2024 10:10 pm Reply with quote
The Scream Man wrote:
5 episodes in, Im with the show... but just barely. They need to pick up the pace a little now. I would have hoped Ep5 did more after 4 seeming to lock in Usatos role, or at least what he wants it to be, in the 4th episode. But this one seemed to just slog along in a light comedy way. Its not without its charm (The Pikachu references alone had me grinning) but I feel like we need to get a bit of a MOVE ON. AT the moment we are told there ate stakes but we're not actually seeing them, and thats starting to get to me a bit.


Pacing-wise, the current arc is a bit more focused on light comedy (although things should pick up towards its end and give a direction of future plot advancement). That said, I only foresee the anime adapting the 1st 2 LNs given the events pacing thus far.
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Hiroki not Takuya



Joined: 17 Apr 2012
Posts: 2660
PostPosted: Fri Feb 09, 2024 11:57 pm Reply with quote
Not sure if you all were picking up on the hints that they were preparing for war and with Ep6 today that is about to break out, so things will definitely start being more dramatic. Such as the precognitive beast girl showing Usato a terrible future only he can change...
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Cryten



Joined: 19 Jan 2019
Posts: 1136
PostPosted: Wed Feb 14, 2024 9:19 pm Reply with quote
The show definitely wants to focus on the build up to war.

Curious that despite how well received wrong healing magic was, it is not really garning that much conversation or attention. Maybe being part of a giant stack of Fantasy shows this season isnt helping interest. Especially when it is competing against standout shoujo and senin works this season.

Episode 7:

I had thought coming into the episode that we would end the episode arriving at the despair moment to give us a hook for the prophetic vision. Instead the show once again proves itself in its story telling chops by sparing the time to address characters feelings and motivations, really driving home the feeling of anticipation + fear that an oncoming war has. Especially for those who do not have any experience in war. Wrong way to use healing magic continues to impress me.
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Hiroki not Takuya



Joined: 17 Apr 2012
Posts: 2660
PostPosted: Fri Feb 16, 2024 11:06 pm Reply with quote
^^Funny, I was going to say the same (couldn't have said it better)! I have never seen another show have so realistic a buildup to a battle and set the tone and expectation of stakes. Shows take for granted that the team will just go out, kick ass and have a great time but that is such a fantasy and this one is really selling the horrors that await if our unintended Hero doesn't figure out how he can change the future. Also that magic doesn't make it a given that everything will be OK (they aren't Bravern after all!). Really compelling story development and agree it's a shame it isn't getting more attention. I blame Frieren...
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pip25



Joined: 22 Sep 2017
Posts: 178
PostPosted: Sun Feb 25, 2024 7:13 pm Reply with quote
That's it. Episode 8 broke me. It is exceedingly rare that I just close the playback tab on an episode without even finishing it, but this is exactly what happened.

This is an above-average isekai story in nearly all respects. The characters are interesting, the antagonists included. It has light-hearted moments. Serious moments. Character development. Almost everything, but...

The pacing is unbearable. It's like "Rokka - Braves Of The Six Flowers" all over again, except there everything else had gone wrong too. In this show, we're mostly enjoying the ride, waiting for the characters' struggles to finally culminate in an epic conflict against demonkind... and that friggin' moment simply REFUSES TO ARRIVE, DAMMIT!

Until now, you could come up with various excuses. The first 4 episodes were great, even in terms of pacing. Episodes 5-7 felt like they were stretching things a bit, but they had some meaningful character moments still, so I gave them a pass.

But now, in episode 8, we're not only spending the ENTIRE. FRIGGIN'. RUNTIME on people who we already know are dead, but we're getting FLASHBACKS WITHIN THE GODDAMN FLASHBACKS, because for some reason they think we're interested in knowing how Already-Dead-chan met her commander.

This is horrifyingly bad pacing. If there really is something that this flashback is supposed to convey, they could have advanced Usato's plot thread (the thing we actually care about) in parallel with it, switching back and forth between the two. But no, the entire episode is dedicated to it. Why?? If I want to be charitable, I could say they might be following the source material a bit too closely, afraid of cutting or rearranging things to suit the anime medium better.

But I'm not feeling charitable. I'm livid. The anime industry is sinking, drowning in isekai trash, one generic wish-fulfillment nonsense after the other. Here, we have one of the rare exceptions, a concept that actually has the potential to not only be enjoyable, but memorable as well. ...And they've ruined it.
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Cryten



Joined: 19 Jan 2019
Posts: 1136
PostPosted: Sun Feb 25, 2024 7:55 pm Reply with quote
I would not say ruined it, but I would say the flash back is mistimed. Failing to capitalise on the feeling of dread and the conflict going over the top (as in over into no mans land) that the previous episode had built. So the feeling isnt that positive, especially when it feels foolish to have a healer commander abandon her team.

I fear we are about to hit shonen battle power levels. I hope that the story comes back to a person who tries to save lives in terrible conflict, and not that the ultimate warrior is born.
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