English Dub Review: The Irregular at Magic High School “Ancient City Insurrection Part 1”

Overview

The Nine Schools Competition has ended, and it is now the second semester. Ayako and Fumiya visit Tatsuya to deliver a letter they were entrusted directly from Maya. The letter was a request asking for Tatsuya’s cooperation in capturing Gongjin Zhou. The Kurobas were also pursuing him but lost sight of him in the Kyoto area. Gongjin Zhou has been receiving help from the Traditionalists, a faction of Ancient Magicians, in his escape. The Traditionalists and the Kudou Family have conflicted with each other for many years. So, Tatsuya decides to reach out to Fujibayashi, Retsu Kudou’s granddaughter, to ask for Retsu’s cooperation in capturing Gongjin Zhou.

Our Take

Following the conclusion of the Nine Schools Competition and the start of the second semester, Tatsuya receives a letter from Maya via Ayako and Fumiya. In it, Maya asks Tatsuya to help capture Gongjin Zhou, who has been eluding the Kuroba family’s surveillance near Kyoto with the aid of the “Traditionalists,” a faction of magicians with historical conflicts against the Kushima family. Seeking assistance, Tatsuya contacts Fujibayashi, Kudou Retsu’s grandson, to arrange a meeting with Kudou Retsu.

Fujibayashi informs Tatsuya that Kudou Retsu is willing to meet at the Kudou primary residence in Ikoma. While the meeting offers convenience, Fujibayashi warns Tatsuya about the dangers of delving deeper into Japan’s magical society. The conversation reveals the meeting’s potential risks, underscored by Fujibayashi’s ominous attitude. She promises to be present on the meeting day, leaving Tatsuya to ponder the implications of their plan…

Overall, this episode sets the stage for the final arc of the season given that we now have 3-4 episodes left, and it’s clear that Tatsuya’s task to capture Zhou won’t be without it’s challenges, especially given Zhou’s significant influence and the involvement of ancient magicians. The buildup episode introduces the central antagonist and reaffirms the stakes, while also providing a mix of light-hearted moments and serious undertones while keeping focus on what characters we the audience are supposed to care about, and I’m left curious to see where this goes next!