The Irregular at Magic High School has developed a dedicated, albeit soft-spoken fandom since premiering in 2014. Originally a series of light novels, this story has something for everyone: a cast of interesting, accessible characters, captivating animation and a plot that feels simultaneously familiar and progressive. With two seasons already squared away, viewers have been champing at the bit for a third season, now set to premiere Dec. 31. However, unlike the action-packed, intrigue-driven first and second seasons, Season 3 of Irregular at Magic High School will be taking a different track.
The series follows Shiba Tatsuya and his sister, Shiba Miyuki. Miyuki, the younger of the two, is an adept magician and honor student, while Tatsuya is deemed barely capable and relegated to the lesser Course 2 group in school. However, as the story progresses, Tatsuya distinguishes himself as a capable magician and fierce hand-to-hand fighter.
The Shiba siblings share a unique bond -- even among sibling relationships in anime. Despite her advanced position both at school and within their own family hierarchy, Miyuki is devoted to Tatsuya. She is quick to defend him, particularly when others try to belittle his abilities, and even quicker to impede his would-be abmirers.
In turn, Tatsuya behaves more like a bodyguard toward Miyuki. Yet, while steadfast in his dedication to Miyuki's wellbeing, Tatsuya is not so overbearing or clingy as his younger sister. The uncommon sibling dynamic between them is precisely what Irregular at Magic High School's "Reminiscence" arc will explore.
As the name suggests, the "Reminiscence" arc will be a flashback, its focus being the relationship between Shiba Tatsuya and Shiba Miyuki and how it came to be as strong as it is. Although this leaves more than a few questions from Season 2 unanswered, the "Reminiscence" arc will provide Irregular at Magic High School viewers with some much-needed insight on the nature of the Shiba siblings' relationship, as well as the inner workings of the powerful Yotsuba clan.
While the "Reminiscence" arc seems like a major departure from the series' previous, action-packed seasons, it's precisely the direction Irregular at Magic High School ought to take. By more fully establishing Tatsuya and Miyuki's relationship to one another, their own individual motivations will take on a greater significance to viewers. True, there are likely to be fewer magic battles or rapid-fire fist-fights, but the struggles that await the Shiba siblings after the "Reminiscence" arc will carry more meaning -- and possibly graver consequences.
