Such a shame for a show that has one of the most impressive productions of the season such as Magia Record that its story can’t match up. Magia Record’s story has one fundamental issue: it’s currently a show where the main protagonists are in search for the plot. That’s why the show feels meandering at times, and its game mechanics are more relevant than ever with new quest/ new rumors. The worst part of it all is how the main storyline of Iroha looking for her lost sister Ui is repeatedly put into sideline, with each mystery case doesn’t have any direct connection to it. I, in particular, was waiting for some dreadful things to happen to Iroha when the luck countdown reaches zero, turns out though that nothing really happens at all. Throw in the already-confusing mix, we have the cult group Wing of Magius with questionable motive and even more questionable activity, Kyouko (one of my favorite characters in the original) randomly shows up and leaves as much impact as a mosquito bite.
One big development in episode 7 lies in the reveal that Mifuyu (whom Yachiyo thought she was dead) appears as a lead member of the cult group. The Wing of Magius seems to know the secret about the true nature of magical girls, but that plot thread is so under-developed to the point that I don’t even care one bit about them.
In episode 8, Iroha has to deal with a whole brand new rumors that will of course overlap and relate to each other. There are rumors about “The Invisible Girl”, “The Electric Wave Girl” – which I suppose are the same person – “The Endless Solitude” and several anonymous spams Iroha receive lately. As per usual with Magia Record’s production, the set-pieces are a feast to the eyes, from the statues where the Tower is, to the current school where Iroha attends that looks eerily identical to the school she previously attended. If I have to guess, I’d say the realm of this Kamihama city is ambiguous, it could be the product of Iroha’s mind just like a certain character in Rebellion movie. In addition, the flashback where Iroha has with her sister Ui and her friends reveal the fact that there were 4 people at the scene, but we could only see 3 of them. Could it be that missing person Iroha (meaning she participated the whole time)? Or could it be the pink haired kid wasn’t Ui but Iroha herself?
It’s true that Magia Records jumbles through lots of uninteresting side quests, and the characters aren’t well-written enough for us to root for them, but at heart of all confusing narratives, Magia Record still offers some intriguing ideas with some of the most eye-popping set pieces. That is enough for me to stick with it for the rest of its run.
