The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 10 Review - Best In Show

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The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 10 Review – Quick Summary

In The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc episode 10, “Visitor Arc X,” Tatsuya Shiba, his sister Miyuki, and others tried to engage, disable, and seal the parasites. They had made considerable progress when Lina/Angie Sirius crossed paths with them — and simply gunned down any parasite in her way. Tatsuya explained that the parasite used the host’s death to escape, but Lina insisted she had to complete her mission. Finally, circumstance forced her to face the consequence of her decisions. Will Tatsuya and Miyuki be able to protect her? Will they be able to protect Pixie, who the other parasites seem desperate to reclaim? And what will Lina do if she’s forced to admit there’s another foe beyond her — with both Tatsuya and Miyuki watching?

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

Favorite Quote from The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 10

The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 10: Miyuki thinks Lina is "simple"

Miyuki wasn’t trying to be mean. At least, I don’t think she was! Capture from the Hulu stream.

There are times that I feel like Lina is in this story just to be a punching bag. I actually like the character, so it kind of bothers me that the narrative seemed to casually brush aside her skills, experience — even her feelings.

I liked what Tatsuya said about her towards the end, namely, that the two of them were similar. Both had had too little say in their own fates. Since I’m more comfortable now that the narrative considers her a sympathetic character, I feel a little better about highlighting Miyuki’s observation as my favorite quote.

Tatsuya had just finished musing how similar the two of them were. He actually offered to help Lina leave the US military if she wanted. At first, the offer shocked Miyuki. Then, it worried her. What if Tatsuya had romantic feelings for Lina? After all, Miyuki had seen him showing actual concern for his friends.

After he had reassured her that no, he wasn’t falling for Lina, he wondered aloud if he’d gone too far in making the offer.

“She may be a little simple, but she’s smart,” Miyuki said, trying to reassure him (22:33). She even laughed when he suggested that was a little rude of her to say.

Best in Show Moment for The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 10

The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 10: Lina made the best decision she could

Circumstance drove Lina into a corner. She made the best decision she knew how to make. Capture from the Funimation stream.

Setup: Lina, Caught Between Sanity and Duty

This season gave us two clear messages about about Lina back in the first episode. First. we learned that she was the pillar of her unit, and probably the most powerful magician in the USNA. Her unit looked to her to put down Freddy, for example. At the same time, she was still a young woman, still in high school, who despite her power, had gaps in her experience.

Once she was in Japan, she found the parasites kept her very busy, but nothing beyond what she could handle. It took two other young high school students to really ding her sense of pride. Unlike us viewers, Lina only had the USNA’s perspective to inform her. She didn’t know that Tatsuya and Miyuki are themselves practically forces of nature. That meant when both of them soundly defeated her, she was left with a shattered self image. After all, she was the best in the USNA. Everyone there told her as much. And yet, two “mere” high school students swatted her aside.

The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 10: Angie Sirius knew Tatsuya was right

When Tatsuya asked if she would please stop killing the parasite hosts before he and his team could seal them, for just an instant, Angie Sirius’ expression showed she knew he was right. But duty trapped her. Capture from the Funimation stream.

Worst of all was the catastrophic failure of her mission at the end of episode 5. She was more or less a bystander as Tatsuya, Erika, and others dealt the rampaging parasite. Or, tried to. They had failed, but only after putting up a good effort. She hadn’t even been able to do that.

Lina knew she was no match for Tatsuya and Miyuki. She knew she was no match for what the parasites were becoming. And yet, Colonel Virginia Balance still expected Lina to do her duty, as defined by the USNA.

Delivery: Too Focused a Sense of Duty

Miyuki Clarified the Situation for Lina

My favorite scene was near the end. Tatsuya’s operation had crossed paths several times with Lina. Tatsuya’s goal was to immobilize the parasites, then seal them. Lina’s orders were to kill the parasites’ hosts. Trouble is, every time she did that, another parasite was free to roam. And attack.

Lina had killed at least nine parasite hosts.

Those nine parasites converged on Pixie and tried to destroy her robotic body to reclaim one of their own. Tatsuya and Miyuki were deciding what do when Lina arrived, aghast. She asked what in the world she was seeing.

Miyuki answered, saying that Lina was seeing (11:46), “The result of you not listening to what my brother told you.”

The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 10: Miyuki nearly lost her temper

Miyuki was seriously fired up, and she didn’t bother trying to hide it. Capture from the Funimation stream.

Lina’s duty compelled her to kill the parasites. Her good sense condemned simply releasing the parasites to do more damage. Lina felt trapped. She saw with her own eyes the results of her decision.

Miyuki was past angry at this point, and she point blank asked Lina, “How do you plan on making amends for this mismanagement?”

Lina Made the Best Decision She Could

When she said she was just doing her duty, Miyuki asked if there was any way she could clean this up. “Even my brother had to take a passive method by sealing them,” Miyuki said (12:12).

The trap was complete. She couldn’t fulfill her mission. She knew she couldn’t take on nine or ten rampaging parasites if they were beyond what even Tatsuya could handle.

But she still had her pride. “Just watch,” she snapped (12:18).

Tatsuya tried to talk her down, and she cut him off. “I need to finish this mission successfully,” she said (12:23). “If I don’t, then what am I even doing here?”

The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 10: Lina had no retort to Miyuki's arguments

Angie Sirius knew that if Tatsuya couldn’t destroy the parasites, she had no chance. But the trap caught her. She could admit defeat and fail in her duty, or she could plunge forward with all she had. Capture from the Funimation stream.

She launched herself at the parasites even as she spoke. I said this was my favorite moment. It’s not my favorite because it was smart, or brave, or stupid. It was probably a little of the last two, but the key for me was how well the series prepared us for the moment. It was the culmination of all of Lina’s experiences. She’d been backed into a corner, and she had made the best decision she could.

What did you think of even Kuroba Ayako being nervous in the presence of Kudou Retsu? What was your Best in Show moment? Let me know in the comments!

The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 10 Review – Best In Show

The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 10 Review – Quick Summary

Favorite Quote from The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 10

Best in Show Moment for The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 10