Akashic Records of Bastard Magical Instructor

Episode 9

Has this series reached its limit on improvement? While the show has become distinctly better since it started, it seems to have hit a plateau with these last couple of episodes. It's just lacking that certain something to push it up from being pretty good to very good, and I'm having trouble putting a finger on what it's missing. Perhaps the issue is more what it already has that it doesn't need. Maybe it's that ridiculously gleeful evil expression plastered on Elanor's face that suggests there's nothing more to her character, or perhaps it's the unhurried way that Albert and Glenn pass through the sewers in their Rumia rescue effort, or perhaps it's the fact that we're only nine episodes in and Rumia is already being rescued for the third time.

A big part of the problem may be its rigid adherence to three-episode story arcs, which are forcing the story into more formulaic patterns and limiting what can be done with character development and especially building emotional attachment. Granted, this can be accomplished in three-episode stories; DanMachi did a good job quickly building up Liliruca as a sympathetic character that way, for instance. However, that series kept its focus better without as many distractions. Re=L's situation needed more time to develop, as her backstory couldn't be established sympathetically with such little room. It also didn't help that her suspicious name, quite similar to the main character of Ergo Proxy, spoiled the surprise of the big twist concerning her, which (unsurprisingly) also bore a similarity to Re-L's arc in her series.

I do want to stress that my complaints are about the series failing to impress at this point rather than outright failing. The story is pretty solid, with the details about Re=L's past coming out in an unobtrusive way, and the arc ends with a solid link to future developments for a change, via the completed spell data that Elanor has obtained. The all-too-common “I'll hold this guy off while you go on” routine played out in more sensible fashion, with Glenn actually having to maneuver around the baddie under Albert's distraction rather than the foe just letting him pass. Sistine's scene where she discourages the others from trying to get involved was also handled better than normal, as was her trust in Glenn. Surprisingly, Re=L's “sisters” were not a fearsome threat, and it was satisfying to see Re=L dispatch them herself. Allowing Albert and Glenn to get through their fights with relative ease was also welcome; having them dominate all the time would become boring, but they should be able to use their skills as trained operatives to breeze through lesser opponents.

In other words, for this episode not doing anything that impressive, it still came together pretty well.

Rating: B

Akashic Records of Bastard Magical Instructor is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.