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The Irregular at Magic High School Season 3 Episode 7: Favorites

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The Irregular at Magic High School Season 3 Episode 7 – Quick Summary

In The Irregular at Magic High School Season 3 Episode 7, “Steeplechase Part III,” the sheer volume of responsibilities he had shouldered seemed likely to crush Tatsuya. As the competition got underway, he would work all day and late into the night adjusting his teammates’ CADs. After that, he went on missions to find the parasite dolls. Miyuki stood by, more and more alarmed at Tatsuya’s state. How much longer will she remain idle? How long can Tatsuya keep this up? And just what is Yakumo Kokonoe up to?

Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.

Favorite Quote from The Irregular at Magic High School Season 3 Episode 7

The Irregular at Magic High School Season 3 Episode 7: Tatsuya was tired and easily distracted

Tatsuya had completely lost track of the conversation. He had more important things to think about. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

We saw Tatsuya looking very tired in the previous episode. So it came as no surprise that the guy was running ragged in this episode. Whereas before, the effects showed mostly in his appearance, here, we saw it begin to affect how he thought.

Remember being up too late for too many days and trying to make a big decision? It’s hard to tell from the perspective that you’re actually impaired. But the impairment is real. My favorite quote shows that even Tatsuya, as powerful as he is, is vulnerable to exhaustion.

A student from another school was trying to talk to him about the steeplechase situation. Tatsuya zoned out and started thinking about the fastest way to take care of the situation. One idea that he liked was simply nuking the entire steeplechase course – before anyone was on it, of course – and have done with it. But that had some complications.

He thought (07:51), “But how to convince Miyuki and who should I use as a scapegoat?”

Notice the cause of his greatest concern: Miyuki. That feeds right into my favorite moment.

Favorite Moment from The Irregular at Magic High School Season 3 Episode 7

The Irregular at Magic High School Season 3 Episode 7: Miyuki was done watching Tatsuya work himself to the bone

Miyuki asked Tatsuya not to go. She even said please! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Setup: The Wild Card Yakumo Kokonoe

I’ve often wondered what Yakumo Kokonoe was capable of if he exerted himself. Seeing him sneak into the steeplechase course when it defeated even Tatsuya was one thing. Seeing him “interrogate” Kyouko Fujibayashi with profound ease was another clue. I still don’t know what he’s fully capable of, but I know this: I wouldn’t want to cross him.

Yakumo Kokonoe is a great example of a character who’s generally good, but whose motives are his own. I have no doubt that he could kill in cold blood if he became convinced it was necessary. Probably without a twinge of remorse. That’s a characteristic usually reserved for antagonists in most fiction. But not all. 

The Irregular at Magic High School Season 3 Episode 7: Yakumo Kokonoe is a dangerous sort

I’ve added this guy to my list of people not to piss off. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

One aspect I enjoy about this series is how it gives us rich, motivated characters who belong to dynamic political groups – each with their own agendas. And then it turns them loose. It’s a very realistic scenario, and one I paint in my novel series Evolution’s Hand

Miyuki is one of those characters. We joke about her being a bro-con, but she’s more than that. She adores Tatsuya. Excessively so. I’d call it a psychological obsession. And as nice as she can be, as polite and considerate and friendly as she can be to her friends, the girl has a brutal streak.

Setup: Miyuki’s Mean Streak

Remember back in season 1 episode 3 (13:25)? When she accused Tatsuya of lusting after Mayumi and Mari Watanabe? Even as Tatsuya tried to explain there was some misunderstanding, Miyuki decided to punish him.

She killed him to do it.

She likely knew he could restore himself from backup. But she still killed him. That’s Miyuki. That’s the side we saw in my favorite moment.

The Irregular at Magic High School Season 3 Episode 7: Miyuki killed Tatsuya once before in a fit of jealous rage

Remember Miyuki’s reaction to Tatsuya speaking to Mayumi and Mari? I’ll bet Tatsuya remembers! Capture from the Crunchyroll steam.

Through the last two episodes, Miyuki had stood by and watched Tatsuya work himself to the bone. She knew why he did it. He felt responsible for the school’s tournament performance; he didn’t want to let his friends down. Also, he had an assignment of considerable importance. Miyuki understood those things.

And she decided she didn’t care.

As Tatsuya tried to sneak out on a night mission, Miyuki came up behind him. “Brother,” she said (09:55). “You’re about to head out, aren’t you?”

Strangely, she’d caught him by surprise. Maybe that was a sign of his exhaustion, or maybe he had just left his guard down because he was so close to home. He seemed to know he was in trouble – and that in and of itself was cool to see. Not much makes Tatsuya nervous.

Miyuki said (10:18), “Is it really necessary for you to go the enemy right now, Brother?” As she spoke, tendrils of frigid mist began to swirl around her. Not just at ground level, either. The camera angled upward to show the clouds following the same pattern. Tatsuya tried to explain that he finally had a fix on the enemy’s location. 

She asked him why he had to stop the experiments ahead of time – the experiments they suspected could kill other students. Miyuki said she knew she was being selfish, but that didn’t stop her. I don’t think it even slowed her down. The mists gathered momentum.

Delivery: Miyuki Poured Her Heart Out

Tatsuya reacted with shock when she came out and said he was not responsible for every student’s safety during the upcoming steeplechase. Warning him one more time that she knew she was being selfish, she laid it out for him (11:20): “All you have to do, Brother, is protect me! The only person you need to be responsible for is me alone!”

In case she hadn’t made her implications clear, she added, “You don’t have to look out for the students of First High and the other schools!”

Ultimately, she said she’d seal his magic – and hers – if he didn’t back down. So of course he did. I don’t think she needed to go that far. By the time he saw her power ramping up, I think he was ready to give in. But Miyuki had had enough of seeing himself work himself to exhaustion for others. More to the point, she had seen him dedicate attention to everyone except her. 

The Irregular at Magic High School Season 3 Episode 7: Tatsuya understand what Miyuki was trying to say

Miyuki got her point across to Tatsuya. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

She admitted she had been selfish. And you know what? I respect her for that. She wanted his attention, she wanted him to stay healthy, and she wanted his attention. I know – I mentioned “attention” twice. The ratio might be off in that she might actually be two parts “don’t die Tatsuya” and one part “keep paying attention to me.” But seeing her honestly throw her emotions down felt so right for the character. 

Rewatching the scene, I had to wonder – maybe her tears were what really got to him. He didn’t like seeing her cry at all. In a world where the two of them could curb stomp an entire naval fleet, it was almost reassuring to see her tears and his reaction. Both were very approachable, human things to do.

What did you think of Tatsuya sneaking up on Ayako and Fumiya? What were your favorite moments? Feel free to let me know in the comments!

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