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Akashic Records of Bastard Magical Instructor
Episode 12

by Theron Martin,

How would you rate episode 12 of
Akashic Records of Bastard Magical Instructor ?
Community score: 3.8

Before I get into the story content of this finale, I have to ask: does anyone actually think that Sistine's wedding hairdo looks good on her? The wedding dress, sure, but the rather bulbous way her hair is put up is much more of a distraction than an enhancement.

That aside, this series unfortunately doesn't finish with one of its stronger episodes. The problem isn't with the way the largely predictable way that things play out; although it might have been interesting to see what would happen if Glenn hadn't come to the rescue by interrupting Sistine's forced marriage to Leos and literally running off with the bride, the standards for storytelling in this series practically mandated that he would. The main villain expecting exactly this reaction, along with a confrontation to follow between him and Glenn, also didn't come as a surprise. The reveal that Mr. Spectacles – unmasked as Jatice Lowfan, an Imperial Court Executioner gone rogue – was masquerading as Leos after being seen in the wagon with him last episode was a less expected twist, but his control over the Angel's Dust and instrumental role in Sara's death a year ago isn't much of a shocker either. Sadly, the writers apparently couldn't come up with any better reason than “bat-shit crazy” for his motivations of wanting to bring down the country (which he claims is founded on evil), though he's set up to represent a total counterpoint to Glenn. Whereas Glenn sought to become a Mage of Justice for heroic reasons, Jatice's obsession with “justice” is a full-blown mockery of that quest.

The real problem comes from the execution of all this. Up until the climactic fight, everything about the episode was much too rushed. Angel's Dust zombies suddenly appear at the wedding after Glenn runs off with Sistine? The Imperial Court Mages instantly show up? The AD zombies suddenly manifest in big enough numbers to corner Glenn and Sistine on the streets? All of this and more could have used quite a bit more set-up. And how did the classmates know where to find them at the end of the battle?

What saves the episode is Glenn and Sistine's scenes together. Seeing Sistine struggle to reconcile the bloodier side of Glenn with the teacher she's come to care for was a necessary and relatively well-handled scene, but the shining moment was Sistine once again backing Glenn up as he goes into the final battle against Jatice without his trademark spell. Not only do the two work beautifully together as a team, but it's also gratifying to see that Glenn trusts Sistine to be an active participant, just like he did back in episode 3. Too often the female character in this situation is just a cheerleader or provides only nominal support, but here she's fully integrated into the battle plan and more than carries her weight.

Naturally, Jatice isn't totally defeated at the end because the story still has to bring the Akashic Records into the picture, and Elanor is still up to her own shenanigans, both of which provide solid hooks for any future seasons. This is a reasonable stopping point though, rounding the series out as a decently entertaining effort overall. It never achieved great heights, but it definitely managed far better than its rough start initially suggested.

Rating: B

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


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