Summary
Even with only three episodes in,Wistoria: Wand and Swordhas successfully cemented itself as an anime that excels in crafting fun and exciting action sequences. The swords, the magic, the monsters, and every fighting scene are so intense and engaging. But unfortunately, this series is a bit lacking in the story department.
The story doesn’t move on from its premise of an orphan boy who can’t use magic but is blessed with a strong body who desperately tries to keep his promise to his beloved childhood friend. Telling the same thing for three episodes is a surefire way to bore the viewers. So let’s see whether they stay on this track or perhapsWistoria: Wand and Swordhas something new in store for us in this fourth episode.
Grand Magical Festival
The biggest news in this episode is undoubtedly the much-anticipatedGrand Magical Festival.Every student of the Regarden Magical Academy can participate in this festival of magic. After all, this is the best chance for them to make a name for themselves and even potentially get scouted for the Upper Institute. So what is the Grand Magical Festival?
A Tournament by Any Other Name
In the Grand Magical Festival, the students of Regarden Academy can compete in various fields. Different fields test different aspects of magical mastery. From a dragon race to see who can handle this magical beast the best to a straight-up one-on-one duel to see who is the best combatant among the students. There are so many categories to choose from.
This annual tournamentbrings thousands of spectators from all over the land. Some might even partake in illegal gambling as a way to support certain candidates while making money for themselves at the same time.
Getting Scouted for the Upper Institute
As mentioned earlier, students who manage to win or perform spectacularly in any of the numerous events in the Grand Magical Festival will not only receive rewards from the school but they also get to bask in fame and glory. However, there is one other more important reason why so many students are so eager to stand out in this competition. They want to be scouted into the upper university.
You see, graduating from the academy is merely a first step in their career as a magician. These students need to enter the Higher Institute to gain advanced magical knowledge and earn a higher standing in society along with connection with powerful mages. Those who already excel in the academy,such as the top 3 students(Julius, Wagnell, and Lihanna) will automatically advance to the Higher Institute. But for regular students, especially students with below-average scores like Will, getting scouted is their only hope of getting into the Higher Institute.
Racism in the Magic Academy
Since the start of the series, Will has always been ridiculed due to his inability to use magic. As it turns out, this type of prejudice and straight-up bullying against non-magic users is quite common outside the academy’s walls.
An Epidemic of Superiority Complex
So far, the people who constantly bad-mouthing and bullying Will are his classmates and one of his teachers. As it turns out, they are not the onlypeople with a superiority complex who look down on Will and love to mock him.Almost every magician in the academy shares the same view regarding Will. They believe that magic triumphs everything and those who can’t use it are the biggest losers in society. This view has been so deeply ingrained in their brains that it is hard to imagine them changing their ways anytime soon.
“What is it, dwarf? What’s that look in your eye? You’re an inferior race that immigrated here from another world. You’re being allowed to live in this country by the grace of others. Know your place!”
– Julius Reinberg, Episode 4
Second Class Citizens
The Elves and the Dwarfs are a race that comes from another world to seek refuge in this world. The main difference between the two is the fact that Elves are highly proficient with magic, while Dwarves can’t use magic at all, just like Will. In exchange for their inability to use magic, however,they are extremely proficient at close-quarter combat.That’s why Will feels so drawn to them and respects them a lot.
Needless to say, Dwarfs receive endless hate and mockery from both humans and elves alike. It’s true that they are allowed to live and work in the city, but almost every magician looks down on them and doesn’t want to have anything to do with them. That’s why they ended up living on the outskirts of the city, with little to no contact with the common citizens. It’s not an exaggeration to say that they are considered second-class citizens.
First Appearance:
Episode 4
Unlike the previous episodes, this one focuses heavily on developing the characters, introducing some important plot points, and opening up the world. There are barely any fight scenes here because this episode is all about the story. The plot has officially thickened.
The first crucial plot point is regarding the aforementioned visitors from other worlds. The Elves and the Dwarfs. This information meansthere are other habitable worlds out there,each with its own unique races and way of life. The second important piece of information is the fact that there is a powerful entity out there that can devour a world. Even a race of formidable magic users like the Elves can’t do anything against this opponent. And it seems that this same enemy is the one that the Magia Vanders are worried about.
Another crucial plot point is about the true responsibilities of the Magia Vanders. Most people simply thought of them asthose who have stood at the pinnacle of magic.The truth, however, is much more complicated than that. The Magia Vanders are the only ones who can create and maintain the great barrier to prevent the powerful entity from destroying the world. This great barrier is the fake sky that everybody sees every day.
Conclusion
The biggest weakness ofWistoria: Wand and Swordhas always been their story department. It’s just not captivating or engaging enough to capture the audience’s attention. But that all changed with this 4th episode. The showrunners finally fully focus on the story and they’ve laid out some nice foundations for an interesting journey up ahead. Now we can comfortably say that we look forward to both the action AND the story inthe next episode ofWistoria: Wand and Sword.
Wistoria: Wand and Swordis available to stream onCrunchyroll.
