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The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 7 Review – Quick Summary
In The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc episode 7, “Visitor Arc VII,” Colonel Virginia Balance wasted no time in changing Angelina Kudou Shields/Lina’s orders. Lina was to immediately cease trying to retrieve the parasites. Instead, she was to either capture or kill the primary target: Tatsuya Shiba. Even though she hesitated for an instant, she acknowledged her orders and began preparations. Does she seriously think she has a chance against Tatsuya? Has it not yet dawned on her just how powerful he is? Or does she have some other plan in mind? Meanwhile, Tatsuya and the others continue their search for the parasite.
Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.
Favorite Quote from The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 7
That’s as close to an exasperated look as I’ve seen from Tatsuya. Honoka didn’t look pleased, either, and Miyuki… well, she was just being Miyuki. Capture from the Hulu stream.
The robotics club helped Tatsuya and the others track down where the parasite had fled to after the disastrous confrontation at the end of episode 5. It had gone into the robot named Pixie. Tatsuya carefully re-activated the robot (the security systems had shut her down during the night after she tried to access school records). To his surprise, Pixie, who has no face actuators, smiled at him and said, “I found you.”
Then she launched herself at him and gave him a very emotional hug.
There was a shocked silence until Kanon Chiyoda drily observed that, “Shiba is even popular with robots.”
Neither Miyuki nor Honoka Mitsui were amused. But I was!
Best in Show Moment for The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 7
Setup: Lina’s Powerful, But Inexperienced
Colonel Balance gave Lina a reproduction of the mythical weapon Brionac with orders to capture Tatsuya or kill him. Of course, as soon as I heard her give the order, I knew it wouldn’t go well for Lina. I just didn’t know it would go that unwell for her.
Over the last six episodes, we’ve gotten to know her a little. We saw how she handled the parasites on USNA soil. That her team looked to her to strike the killing blow was telling: they’d fought beside her, and they knew they could rely on her.
Lina was the leader of the USNA STARs — she is no slouch. Capture from the Hulu stream.
She also grew to like or at least respect Tatsuya. She saw how he and his friends handled themselves during the battle at the end of episode 5, so she knew he was no weakling. She also remembered how he had easily cancelled her camouflage, once he knew the trick.
At the same time, this is the same young woman who had admired her own reflection in a changing room mirror. She also cried after being defeated by “high school students.”
Those traits, plus everything we know about Tatsuya, provided the perfect setup for their final and brutal conflict.
Delivery: Experience Makes a Difference
Lina Drew First Blood — Literally
Confident, armed with Brionac, Lina made a big mistake at the very start of her fight with Tatsuya. Because of her developing friendship with him, she canceled her camouflage and made a personal appeal for him to surrender.
When he instead fell into a fighting stance, she made her second mistake. She fired Brionac to simply blow off his right arm. She should have dealt considerably more damage. Remember, she knew he was massively powerful. Yet, because of her feelings, she tried to hurt him as little as possible. To be fair, she had no idea about his Eidos. But she was a solider, on a battlefield, acting under lawful orders. She should have struck harder.
Lina struck hard — but not hard enough. Capture from the Hulu stream.
She made her third mistake by asking him again to surrender instead of immediately following up with another strike. That’s when Tatsuya started his counter-strike. The squad that had tried to capture him before had been augmented humans who probably only had a few years’ life left. He threw that callous manipulation of human life in her face. It obviously bothered her, and her reaction distracted her as he regenerated his arm and shoved his pistol into the business end of Brionac. Knowing he could withstand the resulting blast, he pulled the trigger.
He had to restore his hand (and his pistol), but the concussion blew Lina tens of meters away. Dazed, she tried to erect a magical shield, but he blew it aside with a single shot. Four shots later, she was on the ground, completely incapacitated.
Tatsuya Critiques Lina’s Technique
What he said next was interesting, as much for what it implied as what he actually said. “Lina,” he said (17:56), “you’d be better off quitting the army as soon as you can. For a solider, you’re too naive. Or rather, you’re too soft. Sirius, commander of the Stars… I really don’t think you’re fit for this job.”
If he were a vindictive foe, it’d be easy to interpret what he said as cruelty. Yet, I had a sense he was honestly trying to give her what he saw as good advice. But think about that for a second. He’s saying she is too soft because she didn’t put him down when she had the chance. Yet, he spared her — and later even healed her.
Tatsuya could have easily killed Lina. He decided not to. Now who’s soft? Or maybe just humane — as in human? Capture from the Hulu stream.
Several posters in the Reddit discussion (see link below) said he spared her because killing her would have caused an international incident. I’m not so sure. Lina was part of a clandestine USNA mission on Japanese soil. I don’t see how the USNA could complain if they lost assets on an illegal mission. No, I think the reason is that Tatsuya himself has a soft spot for Lina. I think he’s developing emotions, just like Miyuki concluded near the end of episode 4.
I really enjoyed this moment not only for the raw magical power, which was well-animated. I also liked it for what it showed about both Lina and Tatsuya — and what it implied about what’s to come.
What did you think of the ordeal poor Honoka had to endure while Pixie confessed on her behalf? What was your Best in Show moment? Let me know in the comments!
The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc Episode 7: Other Posts
Other Anime Sites
- Reddit: Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei: Raihousha-hen – Episode 7 discussion
- Random Curiosity: Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei: Raihousha-hen – 07
- The Anime Rambler – By Benigmatica: Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei: Raihousha-hen Episode #07
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
