Wistoria: Wand and Sword
Do you have a childhood friend whom you hold close to your heart? You may have even made stupid promises to each other back then, but the possibility of fulfilling such promises became bleaker as reality set in growing up. You may feel that you have drifted even further away from said promises and friends over time due to differences that sprouted. Whether you abandon or stick to those vows, life will be tough. We all need a goal and/or person to strive towards amidst all the odds and people telling us we can’t do it...
“Wistoria: Wand and Sword," also known as “Tsue to Tsurugi no Wistoria,” is a 12-episode TV anime series that aired from the 7th of July till the 29th of September in Summer 2024. It was produced by Lantis, TBS, Kodansha, Crunchyroll, Jinnan Studio, Bandai Namco Filmworks, and Bandai Namco Music Live and brought to life by Studios Actas and Bandai Namco Pictures. Its central staff includes Minegishi Isao, Yamato Masae, Sudou Koutarou, and Morinaga Chieko as producers. It features action, adventure, and fantasy alongside the school theme. Targeted at the Shounen demographic, this stretch of 23-minute episodes earned a rating of PG-13 for teenagers 13 years of age or older.
The series is based on the manga of the same title, which began publication on the 9th of December 2020 and is still ongoing. It is the work of author Omori Fujino and artist Aoi Toshi, whose work was serialized in the Bessatsu Shounen Magazine. It was published in English via Kodansha USA on the 29th of November, 2022. Additionally, it was simulpub via K Manga. A prequel to the manga exists in the form of a light novel titled “Tsue to Tsurugi no Wistoria Grimo Acta: Hajimari no Namida” (Wistoria's Wand and Sword Grimo Acta), which spans just one volume that started publication on the 14th of July 2024. It is the same author's work, but the artwork is by Yuunagi. A sequel to the anime series titled "Wistoria: Wand and Sword Season 2" has been announced, and it is expected to be based on the same manga as before.
In a fantasy world full of Magic, history speaks of a grim time when mysterious foes greatly oppressed humanity. During this period, five exceptional mages, the Heavenly Invaders, joined their prowess to defeat these enemies and save humanity. But the risk of these formidable foes returning remained, so the five most powerful Mages, known as the “Magia Vander,” built a magical dome and tower to contain them for as long as possible. Ever since then, the five strongest mages of each generation have been responsible for monitoring said dome from atop the Wizard's Tower.
Time passed, and this heroic tale inspired many generations, including childhood friends Will Sefort and Elfaria Albis Serfort. The duo made a promise to climb to the very top of the Wizard's Tower, but time and circumstances were hardly kind to Will. Even as a sixth-year student at Regarden Magic Academy, he has no magical abilities! Meanwhile, Elfaria had succeeded in joining the ranks of the Magia Vander five years ago, thanks to her unparalleled magical powers. As Will attracts the anger and negativity of teachers and students around him, his future looks bleak. On the bright side, Will possesses an exceptional physique and can hold his own using only his sword and a few magical items; he can even slay monsters within the labyrinth and win against skilled magicians this way. Despite everything weighing him down, our protagonist is dead-set on climbing the Wizard's Tower no matter the cost because he is determined to keep his promise with Elfaria.
The story department here is weak, mainly because it follows such a generic setting in a Magic School, and there are so many anime stories that focus on an odd-one-out MC who challenges the entire system of their world. While the plot wants to be serious, the combined cliche-ness butchers it and doesn’t do anything revolutionary or game-changing. We have the hidden-gem MC, entirely outside the norm, an overly supportive female character, an annoying antagonist, and side characters with no apparent purpose or motivations, all tied together by a formulaic plot.
Cliche stories aren’t necessarily bad, especially when it’s intentional, but they must at least make things interesting to keep the plot rolling and build a name for itself. Sadly, this show fails in that regard; the writing is fan-fiction level, and there’s a lack of much-needed twists; all the potential it has goes down the drain so fast. On the bright side, you can enjoy the story if you look past the cliches, but be warned that conflicts get triggered by the stupidest things; for example, one dude hates another for no apparent reason! We need something better than "This noob can't use magic" to drive critical events, and the lack thereof makes everything seem artificial.
Will is an oddity with an unlikely power that shakes the foundation of their society, and he WILL use it to fight against every obstacle he faces. Superhuman strength rewards his inability to use magic, but he must rely on equipment to get through magic. So, we do see him throwing hands at opponents very often, and it is made clear that he is knowledgeable. There’s nothing fundamentally flawed about him, but just like the story, he is way too generic; he lacks confidence, is a complete pushover, shows no good development, and even lacks distinct opinions. The remaining characters are nuanced and memorable to some extent, but none of their motivations are believable. The good part is the positive relationships between characters, and I even found them to be quite wholesome, albeit lacking in originality and reasoning.
The art and animation department is where this series shines! You may notice some similarities with Black Clover, and that’s because the same director did it. However, as this is a comparatively shorter series, we see consistent production quality and jaw-opening visuals throughout the board. The character designs are popping with color, distinct, and memorable; each gives off the character’s personality and vibe, and their many expressions are on point. The background artwork is perfect for the Magical School setting; I could feel the effort they poured into every frame. The animation is very fluid, especially during the action scenes, making up the best moments in the show; the composition, constant movement, camera angles, shading style, and so on are all meticulously constructed. The animation mixes light and dark tones to give a polished and unique look; you’ll remember this department, even if nothing else.
The Sound and Music department is only second to the visuals. The OSTs constantly add emotion and depth to each scene, all while staying true to the central themes. Even the action sequences have music that exaggerates the intensity and tension, with surprising attention to detail and precision. Sound effects are also on-point so that no moment of the battle loses its luster. The opening theme, "Fire and Fear" by PENGUIN RESEARCH, has gorgeous visuals, but nothing about the song sticks; it’s typical Shounen territory you’ll quickly forget. The ending theme is "Frozen" by TRUE, which is better musically. The voice actors also do a decent job despite being handed a largely lackluster group of characters.
When I finished Wistoria: Wand and Sword, I wondered what they were trying to achieve with this show, which is your typical run-of-the-hill Shounen fantasy, one easily forgettable among the thousands of others just like it. The only thing going for this show was the visuals, but that alone is hardly enough to make up for the mediocre or worse levels of the story and character aspects. Credit where credit is due; there’s a chance the main cast will grow on you and leave you wanting to know more about their world and people. So much wasn’t covered this season, leaving the door open for the potentially much better Season 2.
But none of this matters if nothing about their world, story, or main cast captures your interest or appeal even by the season finale. If you enjoy Shounen Anime despite overused tropes and cliches, you may have a decent time with this one. I also recommend this show to anyone who’s a sucker for outstanding visuals because the production quality here is just top-notch! If you are not, it’s best to avoid this one and go for something like “Mashle: Magic and Muscles” or “Black Clover.”
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