Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei: Reminiscence Arc Review: A Special From The Irregular at Magic High School

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei: Reminiscence Arc Review

The Irregular at Magic High School or Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei was an anime I quite enjoyed however rather than getting a straight sequel we instead had quite a long gap before finally the Visitor Arc appeared finally continuing the story. Then we got the spin-off, Mahouka Koukou no Yuutousei which just didn’t quite hit the spot. Now we have the Reminiscence Arc which is essentially a prequel framed through a reminiscence the current Miyuki is having. And it is only a one hour special so it isn’t exactly going for a deep dive but there is the promise of more Irregular to come so maybe I’ll just have to be patient.

I’m so good at that.

Reminiscence Arc

Reminiscence Arc examines the trip Miyuki and Tatsuya took together to Okinawa and the incident that occurred there.

Basically, Reminiscence Arc wants to explain how Miyuki ended up being completely obsessed with her older brother Tatsuya, give a small amount of insight into the family behind the scenes, and give us a little more back story on how Tatsuya became the fairly emotionless, overpowered main character he becomes and just why he seems to care so much about Miyuki’s safety.



As a gap filler it is perfectly serviceable and if you were going through a check list of wanting answers you could tick most of them off by the end. However you could just as easily put the information out in a wiki so that real question is whether or not they’ve woven an entertaining enough story around which this information is evealed.

On that point mileage may vary.

Reminiscence Arc

While Reminiscence Arc sets the scene well demonstrating tensions between Miyuki and Tatsuya as well as the very strained family dynamic that they exist within there’s a lot of plot convenience going on here. Miyuki’s internal thoughts are very much for the benefit of the audience more than her given so much of what seems to cross her mind for the first time is something she really shouldn’t just be thinking for the first time having lived with this situation for seven years.

More than that, her conveniently walking into the beach thugs, who naturally then go straight to picking a stereotypical fight, and those same thugs ending up being employed at the military base they visit later but there’s seemingly no problem that a soldier picked a fight with a child on the beach… It’s all a bit artificial and exists only to allow the story to happen pushing the characters toward the final conflict where Miyuki and their mother are placed in danger and Tatsuya has to go and destroy the enemy while Miyuki gets a history lesson from mother dearest.

Reminiscence Arc

On that note, can we put their mother down in the list of worst anime parents ever. I mean, it was kind of obvious from the previous narrative arcs that the family were pretty awful but finding out just how cold their family really have been to Tatsuya and how they’ve shaped him into being who he is was pretty horrific. That Tatsuya even saved her life after the attack at the base is kind of amazing given everything (then again, he isn’t holding grudges because that would require him to have emotions toward her).

Reminiscence Arc

The final conflict in Reminiscence Arc is similar to previous ones where Tatsuya has finally gotten serious, although he is clearly younger and less experienced here. Still, if you like watching Tatsuya clean up the rubbish then Reminiscence Arc has you covered.

The framing with Tatsuya and Miyuki in the present day returning to Okinawa works well enough but really isn’t actually necessary as it adds little to the reminiscence itself. It won’t even really help people who haven’t seen the rest of the story catch up as there just isn’t enough information and those who have seen the rest of the story don’t need it.

Still, I enjoyed this. I kind of wish we could just get another series of Irregular but as a stand alone encounter Reminiscence Arc hits the right notes and the character information was appreciated.

Images from: Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei: Reminiscence Arc. Dir R Yoshida. 8Bit Studio. 2021


Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James


Why Do We Criticise Main Characters For Being Overpowered?

Overpowered Feature

I know right from the start of writing this article that I’m going to step on some toes but the argument about main characters being over powered and whether that makes them less interesting comes up time and time again and I decided I wanted to discuss this.

Why are overpowered main characters considered a bad thing?

Admittedly, I do like anime where the underdog comes forward and finally overcomes the seemingly unbeatable peril, but that doesn’t mean every main character has to be a wimp or a developing hero. It’s nice sometimes to have someone competent, in control, and at times even confident to follow along on their quest. In those instances, it isn’t tension that you are wanting to experience but rather the satisfaction of seeing someone overcome a challenge in a fairly capable manner. So, different emotional payoff but still entertaining, right?

Only it seems there is a very vocal group on the internet that seem to think that an overpowered MC exists only as a plot device and can’t possibly be an interesting character. While they are entitled to their opinion, and if an anime that features a strong main character isn’t for them, so be it, why do they feel the need to berate anyone who feels differently or to tear down these anime?

The king of overpowered main characters - superman

Before we get into anime characters that seem overpowered, I would like to point out the most overpowered character of all time, Superman. Seriously, there is only one thing in the entire world that can even slow him down and its ridiculously hard to come across (unless you are a B Grade villain living in Metropolis in which case it seems you will find it every time you sneeze). And with nothing that can actually harm him, let’s be honest there is very little reason to ever feel concerned about the outcome of a battle. His girlfriend died and he turned back time to save her (didn’t worry about all the other victims though).

One of my favourite characters in anime is Sebastian from Black Butler, but by every definition he is overpowered. At no point in the series do you feel he is actually in any danger, and by association there is little that will actually endanger the protagonist of the series, Ciel.

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Does that take any fun out of the series? Does it mean it is pointless to watch because you know Sebastian is going to win the fight and finish with s smug smile, usually while polishing something, and then give a cheesy line about being “one hell of a butler”? I didn’t think so. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the series and the fact that not every conflict could be solved simply through pointing Sebastian at it and saying ‘defeat’. Sure, the outcome of any conflicts were inevitable, but the process of getting to that victory was usually quite amusing to watch and it made for a very satisfying experience.



And Sebastian never complains. Or cries. Or pleas for more power. There are no training montages, no wise advisers showing up, or even friendly rivals (at least not in the first season). All of these clichés that occur in anime where the protagonist is still developing and not overpowered can be removed because what on earth will our character learn from them? They are already strong so most of their learning comes about themselves or other people rather than combat.

Another character who seems to take hits for being overpowered all the time is Kirito from Sword Art Online. Firstly, why is he considered overpowered? He nearly dies in every single battle and fails fairly regularly to protect those he is trying to save, which takes a fairly heavy emotional toll on him. The fact that he manages in most instances to save his own life doesn’t make him overpowered.

Kirito_Dual_Blades

While some haters argue that knowing Kirito will win a fight makes it pointless to watch. Unless you seriously haven’t ever watched or read any kind of story before, of course the main character is going to win. They only ever lose if it serves a greater purpose in the plot. So knowing he’s going to win doesn’t make him overpowered either.

Kirito isn’t always confident of victory, and he doesn’t walk needlessly into danger or expose himself to harm. He trains hard and he works with other characters – who admittedly get sidelined in critical battles to show off how amazing Kirito is but that’s a whole other discussion – and lastly, he continues to grow and develop as a character (which is another key criticism of him that he doesn’t develop). While his growth is subtle, it most certainly is occurring.

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Remember back in the very first episode of SAO when Kirito realised that the game was real and that he could die. The fear he felt and the way it nearly overwhelmed him. And that emotion led him to the conclusion that he had to get strong and had to survive. Then as the series progressed he realises that mere survival won’t be enough. He has to find a way to live. And then he helps other characters realise that they can find a way to live as well. Kirito may become an exceptionally strong character, but he doesn’t just blink and get that way. And I personally found his journey very interesting even knowing he wouldn’t die.

Then again, if you really hate Kirito you can watch SAO abridged and that is pretty funny regardless.

Lastly, I’d like to bring up Tatsuya Shiba from The Irregular at Magic High School. He is totally overpowered in almost every conflict he is involved in. And even though that is blatantly apparent to the audience the rest of the cast that inhabit his world are a little slower on the uptake. Does that make him boring to watch? Not at all. Tatsuya is fantastic to see in action.

tatsuya.jpg

Here is a character who exudes calm and confidence in every situation. I would say the issues come more from his lack of personality than from him being overpowered. And once again, it isn’t as though he is never in any danger or never injured. And it isn’t that the people around him aren’t put in danger or injured. The fact that he is going to win a fight doesn’t make it any less exhilarating to watch.

So, while I will admit that an overpowered main character can cause some plot problems (for instance the increasingly ridiculous ways they will try to make villains or situations that do challenge them), having an overpowered MC is not an instant sign that an anime is flawed, terrible, or without a story.

I guess it all comes down to why you are watching the story and what you are after. If you want nail biting tension and uncertainty in a battle’s outcome, certainly these overpowered main characters won’t be for you. But if you are after something else, there may be quite a bit of enjoyment to be found.

Share your thoughts. Do you like or hate overpowered characters? Who are your favourite/most hated overpowered characters?


Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James


A Decade of Anime 2015

Anime of the Decade

What a year 2015 ended up being. There’s so many fantastic titles that came out in this year and so many anime that I have watched and rewatched again and again. Anime 2015 is a year worth remembering.

With so many great titles to choose from even Death Parade, My Love Story and GATE, all of which I love, couldn’t manage to land a place. The first season of Food Wars also deserves a mention because it was actually a fantastic season and it is more the later seasons that wore thin however it also didn’t make the final list. So let’s get into the anime that did make the cut.

The Rules:

No. 1: No sequels of any kind.

No. 2: Only one anime from each season which gave me 4 picks from each year.

No. 3: Other than 2019 anime, no matter how brilliant an anime was if I hadn’t rewatched it since it aired then it didn’t make the list. If I don’t like it enough to watch it more than once then it doesn’t deserve to be on an anime of the decade list.

Incidentally these anime are not the technical best anime of their seasons but are the ones I would pick if I could only watch one anime from that season. They are anime I loved, for whatever reason, and felt deserved to be remembered.

What were my favourite anime 2015?

Winter 451625886 1577945280422

Assassination Classroom

best anime 2015

2015 opened with a bang as it brought us the story of the yellow octopus teacher threatening to destroy the world unless one of the students in the E Class at a certain school managed to assassinate him before the year end. Yes, that glorious insanity is Assassination Classroom and it is an anime I fell in love with. The comedy works as does the high energy. The teacher mentoring the students and helping them find themselves and their confidence is a little trite and fits the overall story.

Not to mention watching the kids wracking their brains to come up with increasingly complex assassination plots is pretty entertaining and it is great when they very nearly pull them off (actually it is pretty fun even when nothing works).

I will admit, I have more merchandise from this anime in the form of stickers, keyrings and the like then I should and honestly I just really enjoy it. While I’m not the biggest comedy fan the mix of action and comedy here tempered with a bit of drama just hit the spot and I absolutely loved watching this anime. Just letting you know though that if you continue on to the second season, be prepared to cry before the end.

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Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon

is it wrong to try to pick up girls in a dungeon season 2 release date spoilers for danmachi e1436273064961

If you don’t already know about my undying love for this series then you clearly have not been following my blog for long. And while the long awaited season 2 was a little bit on the flat side it doesn’t diminish just how much I loved watching Bell growing stronger and exploring the dungeon in season one. DanMachi gave us one of the best one on one fights ever when we watched Bell take on the Minotaur and honestly this series is just all manner of fun.

This is also a series I’ve now seriously gotten into the light novels of which if why I’m desperately hoping for a third season. I love Lily, Welf, Hestia, Bell and really all the characters in this story and I love seeing them overcoming the odds even if it is at great cost. What I also like is that the series manages to put the characters in some pretty tight spots and build tension but it always remembers to have fun.


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Summer 623397914 1577945307757

Snow White With The Red Hair

snow white red hair cast characters summer 2015 anime bentobyte

This is a glorious fairy-tale style anime about Shirayuki who runs away from her own kingdom to avoid being made a concubine to a prince and ends up… well falling in love with a prince. Still she gets to make it on her terms and works hard to earn a place as a healer in the castle so that she can be near him. Snow White With The Red Hair is just beautiful to watch and is full of fantastic characters who surround the central duo who are both great to watch. Zen and Shirayuki are awesome together and they really sell the fairy-tale.

In this case season two is every bit as solid as season one was so be sure to watch on and then, like the rest of us, you can be sad that there is no season 3 yet even though it feels like there really needs to be at least one more season. Then again, spending even a second longer with this cast would be great so we’ll take whatever we can get.

Fall 1533177906 1577945346333

One Punch Man

One Punch Man

This is one of a very small number of anime included on this list that I’ve only watched the twice. Largely because the nature of the anime doesn’t really lend itself to multiple viewings. That said, One Punch Man is worth watching once so if you’ve never given it a go you definitely should. From the hard hitting OP to the hilarious central character as well as some pretty amazing animation, One Punch Man is an anime that really leaves an impact.

I will definitely give a shout out to Genos as one of my favourite supporting characters. Sure he ends up the butt of a lot of jokes, and in pieces a lot of the time, but you have to admit he’s pretty cool and if Saitama wasn’t around, Genos would probably have stepped up as an awesome hero.

Anime of the Decade

That was 2015 but now it is over to you. What would your picks from the year have been? Also, remember to join us tomorrow to check out 2016.


Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James


Check out my favourite anime from each year over the last decade:

A Decade of Anime 2014

Anime of the Decade

2014 gave us some interesting anime titles. Lord Marksman and Vanadis came out and while it certainly won’t earn a spot as the best of the year, it had an interesting approach to narrating its battles which absolutely rubbed some viewers the wrong way but I found interesting. 2014 also gave us the amazing No Game No Life however as the story is still totally incomplete it just always misses out on making any kind of best of list. Without a conclusion, it is quirky and fun but just doesn’t quite measure up. So what did make the list? Let’s see and then I’d love to know what you would have picked from the year.

The Rules:

No. 1: No sequels of any kind.

No. 2: Only one anime from each season which gave me 4 picks from each year.

No. 3: Other than 2019 anime, no matter how brilliant an anime was if I hadn’t rewatched it since it aired then it didn’t make the list. If I don’t like it enough to watch it more than once then it doesn’t deserve to be on an anime of the decade list.

Incidentally these anime are not the technical best anime of their seasons but are the ones I would pick if I could only watch one anime from that season. They are anime I loved, for whatever reason, and felt deserved to be remembered.

Winter 451625886 1577945280422

Noragami

noragami

Quite literally the only thing wrong with Noragami is that there is no third season. I loved this anime when I first saw it. It was so energetic and fun but had its darker moments. The characters are great and the cast gets better and better as the show progresses. Revolving around Yato, a poor and relatively unknown god who takes on wishes for 5 yen pieces, Noragami is a story that goes in some unexpected directions but builds up a world with a rich mythology, some great action sequences, and the music is awesome.

Forget best of the Winter, Noragami was the anime that dominated my 2014 with multiple rewatches. It’s still a go to anime for me when introducing some of my friends to anime. I absolutely love this anime and I would love to see a third season of it at some point.

Spring 1821512031 1577945325489

The Irregular at Magic High School

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Yes, I already know a lot of people didn’t like The Irregular at Magic High School and certainly the anime has some problems. That didn’t stop me from falling in love with this anime enough to watch it again with a friend and then help that friend make a costume to wear at a convention based on the girls school uniform. Honestly, while this anime isn’t the best story the basic concept of the fusion of magic and technology is actually very cool. There’s also some pretty interesting applications of magic within the story and the militarisation of magicians is actually fairly plausible within this setting.

With the story broken into distinct arcs it is easily digestible and I found it very fun spending time with the students as they learned new way to use their magical abilities in each situation. The Irregular at Magic High School isn’t for everyone but I thought it was a bit of fun.



Summer 623397914 1577945307757

Terror in Resonance

Terror

Terror in Resonance isn’t an easy story to watch given it focuses on two teenagers engaged in acts of terrorism in order to bring a government conspiracy around human experimentation to light. That said, the story doesn’t quite go far enough and the end result is one that teeters on the edge of providing social commentary around a lot of issues related to modern terrorism without actually making any kind of statement. It leaves the viewer with an uneasy feeling.

While this series starts strong and ends reasonably well as it wraps up its loose ends and gives characters closure, the mid-season is where the weaknesses of the story really become apparent. Despite that, it is still an anime worth watching as it takes on some fairly big issues and presents a slightly different perspective. All and all, this is an anime that remains relevant in the current political climate and even though it doesn’t quite nail what it might have been going for it at least makes the audience think a bit.

Fall 1533177906 1577945346333

Your Lie In April

April

I am not the die hard fan of Your Lie in April that some viewers became however I certainly appreciated this anime for what it is. And what this anime presents is a beautifully packaged emotionally wringing story of a boy who is lost and the girl who helps him to find himself and a path before the tragedy unfolds. There’s nothing new in terms of the plot with so many stories having done a similar thing before, but with the presentation of this particular story they have done a spectacular job.

When you throw in the music and the performances with the wonderful visual metaphors that appear while they are playing it really becomes something quite unforgettable. Even the most jaded of viewers will probably be moved by either the characters or their music at some point while watching. For everyone else, bring lots of tissues because you are going to cry buckets when this one ends.

Anime of the Decade

With that we bid farewell to 2014. I’d love to know your favourites from 2014 and on Monday we’ll continue looking at the anime of the decade starting at 2015.


Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James


Check out my favourite anime from each year over the last decade:

Tuesday’s Top 5: Anime Produced By Madhouse

Tuesday's Top 5

There’s no doubt that Madhouse is a bit of a powerhouse when it comes to producing anime. They’ve got a large number of fairly big titles under their belt and the quality of so many of their productions is undeniable. That isn’t to say they don’t have any misses and those will need to be looked at eventually, but today is about celebrating my favourite five titles by Madhouse and this was one hard list to put together because I really did want to add a lot more than five. Ultimately I’ve tried to assemble titles that I think represent the range of shows that Madhouse has out there as well as ones that are truly just fun to watch.


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ACCA

ACCA: 13-TERRITORY INSPECTION DEPT. ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK


As always, I’d love to see what you would include on your list so be sure to leave a comment below with your favourite madhouse anime.

Please note: There will be spoilers below.

Honourable mentions: No Game No Life and Death Parade.

Number 5: The Irregular at Magic High School

This anime title didn’t have the broad appeal that a lot of Madhouse’s titles have but if you happen to like the story this anime is a really good one to watch. For a magic highschool setting this anime pulls out all the stops crafting a believable world where magic has been integrated with technology and with Madhouse’s attention to detail and great animation has really been brought to life in a truly beautiful manner. Whether the spells are simple or complex, the end result is gorgeous to watch and the fights are exciting and fluid. I really enjoyed this anime for its world building and I think I’m glad that Madhouse was behind this one because in the hands of a different studio it may have ended up decided less than impressive.

Number 4: Ore Monogatari (My Love Story)

I really love My Love Story because of its quirky take on the traditional high school love anime, but again I think part of what makes this show so special is the way it has been put together. The story itself is interesting but without the visuals and animation there was every chance this show would fall flat. Yet every scene draws you into the show and the characters and ultimately watching this is a pure joy.

Number 3: Trigun

This is one of those shows where the story takes awhile to get going so it is a good thing we have fantastic visuals (even if they are a little dated looking by today’s standards) and some really fluid animation to keep us engaged in the early stages where the show presents like a screwball western. Once the story gets going and the transition to dark sci-fi kind of takes over it is impressive how the show manages to remain cohesive but all in all, this is one of those slightly older shows that is worth watching. Vash the Stampede is a hilarious and tragic character who will often leave you scratching your head but when you get right to the end he will step up when needed.

Number 2: ACCA

No surprise that ACCA made my list given it was one of my favourite shows in 2017. It is a slightly off-beat political thriller (kind of) but also has a very laid back tone. Anyway, it all could have been a big mess and yet it became an anime that really held my interest assisted by its distinct visuals and very cool jazzy sound-track. While I wouldn’t describe ACCA as beautiful, it is quite a distinct looking anime and the animation suits the style fairly perfectly. It isn’t as flashy as some of the other titles on the list with less in the way of actual action to show off the fluid animation madhouse has a reputation for, but it certainly has style.


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Deathnote

DEATH NOTE ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK


Number 1: Death Note

Alright, it is a little bit older and from an animation point of view again there aren’t the impressive physical fights to show off just how great it is, and yet this show managed to make writing in a book look intense and amazing and created a visual tone that carried even the weaker parts of the story to fairly lofty heights (there’s a reason this anime is on most people’s must watch lists). With an opening that grabs your attention and is filled with visual symbolism echoed within the show itself (at least the first opening, let’s not discuss the second), and an intensity to every scene that is hard to come by with so many shows striving not to take themselves seriously, Death Note is well and truly worthy of my number one spot on this list even if the second half of the series isn’t exactly flawless.

And that is my list for this week but be sure to check back next week for a new list, or you can check out all of my Top 5 lists here. For now though, I’d love to know what you’ve put on your list.


Thanks for reading.

Karandi James

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Top 5: Boring Title Characters

Tuesday's Top 5

My lists are always entirely my opinion and highly subjective (which is why I’m always happy for people to comment on who they would have added to the list). This week is no exception as I look at boring title characters (as in characters named in the title who end up being the least interesting thing in the anime).

As always, feel free to add your own views in the comments.

Please Note – There are spoilers below. You have been warned.

Honourable mention this week goes to Astarotte from Astarotte no Omocha.

Boring Title Character Number 5: Akame (Akame Ga Kill)

akame2

Other than the fact that she survives until the end, why is the show named after her? Okay, first episode she pulls a very cool and scary assassination entrance and looks completely amazing and then… well then we watch her hunt for food, wring her hands over her friends and generally not ever change her facial expression.

Even when Akame is dealing with her sister being part of the team hunting them down she barely bats an eye and while stoic can be a good character trait Akame doesn’t have anything to really make her interesting. You can count the things we learn about her as a person (not things she’s done but what she’s actually like) on one hand and in honesty if they’d killed Akame off I wouldn’t have cared in the slightest.

Boring Title Character Number 4: Haruhi Suzumiya (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)

Haruhi.jpg

Haruhi suffers from an excess of personality but she’s still actually kind of boring. The characters around her are fascinating and the set up of the show is interesting, but Haruhi is just a bully who nobody ever slaps sense into. Frantically running from one thing to the next, Haruhi is bored with her own existence because she has nothing inside of her that defines her. She seeks external events to find a reason to exist and as such is always empty and that pretty much sums up who and what Haruhi is and its the driving force behind everything that happens in the show.

So, Haruhi is an excellent plot point and as the force that gets Kyon moving and actually paying attention to anything (given he’s the narrator and kind of needs to pay attention) Haruhi works. As a character, she’s still number 4 on my list of most boring title characters.


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Boring Title Character Number 3: Nozaki (Gekkan Shojo Nozaki Kun)

Nozaki.png

I know I’ve said this on other people’s posts but my least favourite character in this comedy is Nozaki. He’s just so bland. And I know it is deliberate. He’s the observer of human nature. He internalizes things for use in his writing. But it means that everyone around him is vibrant and dynamic and he’s just this stagnant rock around which events revolve.

Boring Title Character Number 2: Aria (Aria the Scarlet Ammo)

aria.jpg

Aria, how I wish you had a personality above and beyond the cliché angry girl with trust issues. I actually really liked the concept of the world crafted in this anime and some of the side characters are quite entertaining (if you can deal with fan service and violence), but mostly I just disliked Aria and kept wanting her to stop snarling and shrieking and insisting on having everything her way and then acting like it didn’t matter one bit to her. She was an irritating character and one we’ve seen before.

Boring Title Character Number 1: Tatsuya Shiba (The Irregular at Magic High School)

Tatsuya Shiba.png

Here I’m cheating a bit because his name isn’t actually in the title but he is the irregular so I’m going with this. And while I actually really like Tatsuya and the anime, I couldn’t honestly say that he isn’t boring. Why? Because Tatsuya defines overpowered protagonist. Normally I don’t mind overpowered characters and as I said, I quite liked Tatsuya, but there is never even vague tension in this show because you know that Tatsuya will solve the problem.

Even more so once you realise he can effectively undo life-threatening damage to himself or others (at a cost but not enough of a cost that it puts him out of commission or allows his enemies any chance to win). So other than taking tests for the school, Tatsuya is pretty much perfect at everything and while that makes him awesome it also makes him boring and that is why he took out the number one spot.

I will point out that when it comes to Tatsuya I’m a little bit up and down. One minute I think he’s incredibly dull the next I think he’s the most amazing person ever. Objectively I know he’s boring. Emotionally I can’t get enough of watching him in action.

That’s my list done. Who would you have put on yours?


Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James