The Irregular at Magic High School, Vol. 21: Upheaval Prologue Arc I

魔法科高校の劣等生 [Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei] (Novel) #21

by Tsutomu Sato, Kana Ishida (Illustrator)

March 2097—Brazil deploys the strategic-class spell Synchroliner Fusion in South America, starting a wave of unrest that will reach as far as Japan, where the new school year is just beginning. Tatsuya and Miyuki have entered their third year at First High, but anti-magician sentiment has been steadily rising. As many young scions of the twenty-eight families gather to discuss what to do about the concerning political climate, a much more immediate threat sits just beyond the shores of Sado Island…

Genres: Light Novel, Magic, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Manga, Urban Fantasy

173 pages, ebook

First published February 10, 2017

About the author

佐島勤 / Tsutomu Sato / Tsutomu Satou

Author of 魔法科高校の劣等生 / Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei

Reviews

[Lila]

Sometimes I get so frustrated with Tatsuya's apathy. I get why he's like that, but still. Also, very annoying because it seems like the world is literally against him. That's why he and Miyuki are good for each other.

[Pieter]

The volume is very much a setup for the next part of the series which considering the title of the arc should not come much as a surprise. In one part it shows what is happening over the world, including the addition of some players we have not seen before. In another, it introduces two new freshmen, their interaction with each other and some members of the crew (most notably Erika, Tatsuya and Miyuki). The arc itself consists of 2 volumes, but it is not a cliff hanger ending.

Personally I really enjoyed the volume. For me it adds some necessary information on the world and some entertaining interactions at the school (a good way to depict time has progressed and that things have changed at Magic High School). If you wanted a focussed plot, action and/or Tatsuya though, you might end up feeling a bit disappointed. Those two new freshmen feel more like the main characters of this volume than Tatsuya and Miyuki. So, your mileage might vary. For me though, it was overall positive even though I do feel it could have used a bit more focus on an actual plot.

[Niall Teasdale]

Hm. Too short. Nothing happens. It's filler.

There's stuff in the afterword about how this was supposed to be one book but it had to made into two because reasons. The reasons are kind of weak, IMHO. It feels like a cash grab; add an extra book as the series comes toward its end, and that way some more money can be squeezed out of it. I may be being over-cynical, but when I saw the 'to be continued' it came out of nowhere and it felt like I hadn't been reading for five minutes. *sigh* I only have to wait until May for the next part, I guess.

There are some interesting developments. Stuff is happening which could be interesting. People are moving in the background. I can only hope that all this is going to turn into something interesting rather than another 'Tatsuya is a god' resolution. Well, I wouldn't mind seeing Tatsuya kicking butt once again, but it'd be nice if he didn't pull another super-ability out of his butt to do it.

[Lila]

Haven't had wi-fi when I was reading it, and now it's been too long and can't remember particulars so my star rating will have to do.

[Bernard]

The author is basically back on track. He is adding and highlighting an interesting dichotomy. He is bringing in the differences between government interests, special interests, and military interests. That can be difficult because it tends to create the need for far lengthier tomes...

A few new characters were added. The relationships between the families is being shown in greater detail. The USNA folks are running around, at a distance.

This is the first half of the beginning of a new story arc. Don't expect any big changes or ends to be tied up. It feels like jogging in place. The story needs to get moving. IT is all well and fine to pre-position your characters, but get to the meat already!

Great series, the author should be chained to a steel desk until the series is complete.

[Max]

this one was a mixed bag. It was interesting to see the state of affairs of other strategic class magicians. The confrontation with the new soviet union and soon the USNA is very exciting. Especially reveals about the secret information system and its admin made this a worthwhile read. The lows of this volume were quite boring, though. I know it‘s a high school LN but the parts in school are becoming increasingly boring. I do not care about Shiina and especially not her idiot friend and his training arc with erika.

[slugbiscuit]

I was very excited to finally see this come out. First half of an apparent two volume arc. This volume was mostly set-up, but I always find this series engaging and look forward to the next volume.

[Shannon]

Story is fantastic. The translation SUCKS. It's better in the later novels but it still bites. Can't believe Yen Press of all companies let this slide. Sadness. Tsutomu-sensei does not deserve this.

[Robert Kent]

4/5