The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 5 Review – Best In Show

Quick Summary • Best Moment • Setup • Delivery • Other Posts

The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 5 Review – Quick Summary

In The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc episode 5, “Visitor Arc V,” Shizuku Kitayama reported her findings to Tatsuya Shiba and Miyuki Shiba: The parasites had begun to show up just after the USNA conducted some experiments with micro black holes. Fortunately, Tatsuya knew enough about physics to put the pieces together. Events conspired to test his conclusions quickly when a truck carrying a parasite-possessed human entered the school grounds. That truck set off all kinds of magical alarms. Tatsuya, Miyuki, Angelina Kudou Shields, and others converged on the spot. What will they find? Can they contain or destroy the parasite? And how has it remained hidden for so long?

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

Favorite Quote from The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 5

Shibata knew the risks of becoming a magician, and she did it anyway. Capture from the Hulu stream.

Though she doesn’t get a lot of screen time, Mizuki Shibata is one of my favorite characters in this series. Her ability to project force is minuscule compared to Tatsuya, Katsuto Juumonji, or even Mikihiko Yoshida. Despite that, she’s always been willing to help where she can, and she somehow managed to maintain her self esteem. I know that if I were surrounded by dreadnoughts, I’d eventually start to think less of my abilities. In short, I admire her attitude.

She showed her mettle again in my favorite quote from this episode. The parasite’s attacks pinned everyone down (except for Erika Chiba, who hadn’t had time to get under anyone’s shield; she had to use her physical prowess to evade the attacks). Shibata thought she could pinpoint the parasite’s location if Yoshida dropped the shield he’d erected to protect them. He protested that she’d be in grave danger. Her super-sensitive eyes might even put her at greater risk.

Quietly, she said (19:18), “When I chose to be a magician, I was prepared for the risks.”

Her resolve impressed me.

Best in Show Moment for The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 5

They had survived. But the scene had a strong aura of defeat. Capture from the Hulu stream.

Setup: Where Do You Go From Up?

First, can I just say that I’d watch an entire series of drunk Kitayama debating physics with Tatsuya? Heck, I’d even pay cash money for the Blu Ray. She’s absolutely adorable drunk. Even if she denied drinking.

Anyway.

How do you build dramatic tension around an enemy who’s up against Tatsuya and Juumonji, a character who has been compared to gods or have compared their strength to the god-like characters?

Whether it’s Random Curiosity’s reviews (see Other Anime Sites, below) calling Tatsuya Magic Jesus or comments from reader “SadOldGuy” pointing out in the comments that Shiva might be more accurate, it’s clear that Tatsuya is massively powerful. Just look at his track record.

The entire assembled team had been proven to be powerful. Capture from the Hulu stream.

Look also at the track record of the characters around him. In the school tournament during the previous season, Yoshida and Juumonji teamed up with Tatsuya. Yoshida was clearly the “weakest” in terms of offensive capability, but he still prevailed over his opponent. And Juumonji? He’s like a main battle tank. He and Tatsuya frightened Yoshida, and he was man enough to admit it.

We’ve also seen Lina hold her own against not only Tatsuya, but Miyuki after Tatsuya released her magical limiter. Erika’s physical prowess has been proven time and again. In short, there were absolutely no weaklings among the force that faced the parasite at the end of this episode.

Delivery: You Go Higher

Some folks deride the series for its technobabble, and I can understand that. Me, I love it. It reminds me of Star Trek: The Next Generation where Geordi La Forge couldn’t go five minutes without warning they were about to lose the starboard warp coupling. The tech was part of the experience. And yes, I own the Technical Manual.

Same thing in this series. Tatsuya’s conversation with drunk Kitayama laid the foundation for a massively powerful enemy. At the end of this episode, we got to see it in action. It fought all of them to a stand still.

There’s a mistranslation (reportedly) in the Hulu feed. Tatsuya’s caption read (22:00), “If I’d used Gram Demolition there, the parasite would have been blown away.” Well, maybe not a mistranslation, but not a clear one. User shado6980 on Reddit suggested “blown away” in this context means pushed away, not being annihilated. So it wasn’t that Tatsuya was upset because he used the wrong spell. He was upset because that was the best he could do.

Tatsuya used the best spell he could think of. It wasn’t enough. Capture from the Hulu stream.

That made his closing comment all the more chilling. After reflecting that they just barely got out with their hides and allowed the enemy to escape intact, Tatsuya said (22:22), “What a disgrace.”

That’s how you create an enemy for a previously Over Powered (OP) character. You simply up the ante and show your math. For the first time in awhile, I’m wondering how they’re going to defeat an enemy. I like that!

What did you think of Mayumi Saegusa’s threat to give Tatsuya bitter chocolate on Valentine’s Day? What was your Best in Show moment? Let me know in the comments!

The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 5: Other Posts

Other Anime Sites

• Reddit: Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei: Raihousha-hen – Episode 5 discussion
• Random Curiosity: Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei: Raihousha-hen – 05
• The Anime Rambler – By Benigmatica: Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei: Raihousha-hen Episode #05

This Site (Crow’s World of Anime!)

• The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 1: Visitor Arc I
• The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 2: Visitor Arc II
• The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 3: Visitor Arc III
• The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 4: Visitor Arc IV
• The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 5: Visitor Arc V
• The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 6: Visitor Arc VI
• The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 7: Visitor Arc VII
• The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 8: Visitor Arc VIII
• The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 9: Visitor Arc IX
• The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 10: Visitor Arc X
• The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 11: Visitor Arc XI
• The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 12: Visitor Arc XII
• The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 13: Visitor Arc XIII