Highlights
- Wistoria: Wand and Sword is a new fantasy anime that sticks to familiar fantasy tropes in a fun way.
- Episode 2 highlights elitism within the magical academy through a high-stakes duel between Will and Edward.
- The intense action sequences in the series are the standout feature, showcasing unique sword fighting styles.
Since the first episode, Wistoria: Wand and Sword set itself as a new fun fantasy anime to follow for this summer. It does not intend to break any new ground or create something different that you’ve never seen before. On the contrary, it creates a checkbox for every single story element that contributes to a fun fantasy anime and ticks them all out one by one.
The first episode neatly laid out the foundation for the story and showcased some intense and exciting moments, especially near the end of the episode. It was a good episode, and it made most people who watch it want to give this series a chance. So let’s see what the second episode has to offer.
Elitism at the Magic Academy
The first episode established the fact that there is an inherent sense of elitism going on within the Regarden Magical Academy, especially towards a non-magician like our protagonist, Will Serfort. Episode 2 proves that this issue is actually a lot deeper than you might think because, this time around, it’s not a mere student who complained about Will, but it’s actually a teacher who wants to see this boy expelled from the academy.
Let Me Put Him In His Place
One of the people who fervently oppose Will’s enrollment in the prestigious Regarden Magical Academy, despite the young man being in his sixth year already, is a teacher named Edward Serfence. He thinks that letting somebody who couldn’t even do a simple magic spell be a student in this academy is a disgrace to this prestigious institution.
So the headmaster asks Edward to see with his own eyes and decide whether or not Will deserves to be part of Regarden Magical Academy. Giddy with the prospect of finally getting rid of the stubborn boy, Edward proposes a duel. If Will can land a clean hit on Edward, he will be awarded 5 precious credit points, but if he succumbs to Edward’s barrage of attacks, then he will be expelled.
“This academy has no need of anyone who is a warrior and not a mage!”
— Edward Serfence, Episode 2
An Uneven Match
Despite Edward’s blatant elitism and an apparent abuse of power, this is actually a good chance for Will. After all, Edward’s class is all about magic spells, which is why Will always fails his class. So, in a way, this is the only chance for him to pass. Unfortunately for him, he is thrown into an uneven match with no time to prepare.
Forget about the apparent difference in magical power, the biggest red flag in this match is the fact that Edward can use whatever spells he wants while Will is not even permitted to use his sword. So how does a swordsman without a sword fight against a high-level magician? Well, there’s nothing he can do but run and jump around to evade Edward’s relentless attacks. That is until a plot armor comes along and Edward manages to get his sword back, which instantly turns the match around.
Traces of Other Series
The idea of an elitist person in a position of power refusing to accept an eccentric newcomer which leads to a duel is not exclusive to Wisteria. It is simply another one of the interesting story beats that this series incorporates into itself. So let’s take a look at some recent examples that also use this type of concept.
Kaiju No. 8
In Kaiju No. 8, the Earth Defense Force risks their lives to fight against the rampaging kaiju. These colossal monsters have destroyed so many cities and massacred untold amounts of innocent lives. It’s no wonder they become humanity’s main object of fear and hatred.
So imagine if a hybrid of a human and kaiju, codenamed: Kaiju No. 8, comes along wanting to join the forces. Well, the most obvious course of action is to kill that man. The highest commander of the Defense Forces, however, thinks otherwise. He forces the Kaiju No. 8 into a duel to see whether or not this monster hybrid can retain his sanity and become a valuable asset for humanity.
The structure of the plot is pretty much the same as what happens in this episode. The main difference is the intent behind the figure of authority. In Wistoria, it’s all about elitism and hatred towards the little guy, while in Kaiju No. 8, it’s all about giving the bizarre rookies a chance to prove whether or not he can fight for humanity. The former stems from negative emotions, while the latter comes from curiosity and optimism.
Irregular at Magic High School
For something a bit more negative, let’s look no further than another fantasy series that revolves around magic and duels, the Irregular at Magic High School. In this anime, the protagonist is somebody who can only use basic-level magic spells yet he dares to enter one of the most prestigious magic academies in Japan.
As expected, it doesn’t take a long time for students who come from elite families renowned for their magic ability to challenge our protagonist with the sole intention of humiliating and forcing him to withdraw from the school. Unfortunately for them, our protagonist is actually a master combatant. Before they can cast their spell, he knocks them down without even breaking a sweat.
The motives and overall progression of the plot are similar to Wistoria. Not to mention, it also revolves around magic and magic academy. The only difference is the fact that it is a duel between students, rather than a teacher and a student like in this episode.
A David vs Goliath Moment
So why is the story for this second episode so interesting? The main reason is mainly because it goes back to the age-old story about the helpless man fighting against the powerful giant. A David vs Goliath. An underdog vs a reigning champion. And as we all know, everybody loves to support the underdog.
A Colossal Magician
Edward Serfence may appear to be just another teacher at Regarden Magical Academy, but he is actually the closest person in the academy to being a Magia Vander, a title given to those who have attained the highest level of magic. So, the boy who couldn’t cast a single spell is not just dueling a random teacher, he is challenged by one of the most powerful magicians in the entire country.
Edward can weave common magic spells into something that Will has never seen before. That’s why everybody involved in this brawl expects nothing but a one-sided beatdown. What they get instead is a masterclass in superpowered sword fighting.
A Super Intense Match
The action sequence is by far the greatest thing about Wistoria: Wand and Sword. When it comes to various story elements, it may take inspiration from other series. But the super intense and highly dynamic fighting scenes are where the author’s originality shines through. And to be perfectly honest, this is the part of the series that we care about the most.
From Edward stacking multiple magic circles of the same spell to create a relentless barrage of black flame to Will’s three-dimensional sword fighting style that allows him to slash through magic attacks from multiple directions, the fighting scenes are undoubtedly the best part of this series.
Conclusion
The second episode of Wistoria: Wand and Sword continues the fun and exciting nature of the first episode. There’s a bit of drama that makes the story that much more engaging, but the action sequence is still the most interesting aspect of this episode. Looking forward to episode three.
Wisteria: Wand and Sword is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
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