Why WISTORIA: Wand & Sword Is The BEST NEW ANIME This Season!

Imagine a world where magic was everything. Now imagine traversing that world without being able to use magic. Every person looks down on you for being different, and at every step of the way you're always at a disadvantage. So do you give up and accept the fact that you'll never belong amongst the mages, or do you fight through all that and chase the dream that you've set out for yourself? This is the premise of Wistoria Wand and Sword, and while definitely something we've seen before in a number of similar anime, Wistoria feels like the refined, penultimate version of all of them. It's as if someone put together the Avengers of Underdog anime. The story was written by the creator of Danmachi, the anime directed by the director of Black Clover, the animation and art by numerous skilled veterans from all sorts of notable anime, then the music is by the same man responsible for the bangers of My Hero and Haikyuu. Now, I promise I'm not the only one who thinks this too, since the producer himself has gone on record to say that this could very well be the greatest staff ever assembled for an anime. Personally, I don't think I'm qualified to judge whether that's true or not, but what I can say is that the end result is amazing. Wistoria takes what's generally a cliche premise and turns it into a genuinely entertaining and captivating experience. It knows what it is and commits to it 100%. So, while yes, that does mean that the plot stays relatively basic, there's a certain beauty behind the simplicity of it all. It may not be this layered story with numerous themes and complex characters, but of what it is trying to portray, it executes it perfectly. From the animation and worldbuilding to the choreography and music, there's a clear passion in Wistoria that you just don't see in other anime. A passion that clearly resonated with me, and I hope to be able to convey to you. So, what is Wistoria Wand and Sword? Well, think dungeon crawling similar to Danmachi, a discriminatory Magic Academy setting like Mashel, then a magically incapable protagonist like Asta. Combine this with events and tests similar to the regular at Magic High School, and an overall vibe reminiscent of My Hero Academia, and what you get is a very basic picture of Wistoria. I'm not saying that those anime define what Wistoria is, but at the very least, it's something to compare it to. To make that picture more clear, though, this right here is Will, an aspiring student at Ragarden Magical Academy who, as you may have guessed, can't use magic. Why does he attend a school for mages, then? Well, that's because of his childhood friend Elfaria. You see, long ago, the two made a promise to see the sunset together. They would work hard to become what's known as Magi of Andor, ascend the tower as the top is where those Magi of Andor reside, then fulfill their promise and watch the sunset from the peak of the tower. The thing about becoming a Magi of Andor, though, is that only the five strongest mages are allowed to do so. So either you prove your power by ascending the tower and reaching the top, or showcase it another way by creating a new type of magic not known to exist yet. Any person who ascends the tower is then a candidate to become a Magi of Andor, but only five are ever holding the title as such. Their actual responsibilities relate to the larger mystery encapsulating the world itself, but that's something I'll leave for you to find out on your own. For now, all you need to know is that this is the position Will is striving for. Now, the reason I only say Will is because Elfaria has already become a Magi of Andor. She'd exhibited talent unlike any other mage before her, and left Will behind with nothing but these goggles and a motivation to catch up to her. Both are intent on fulfilling their promise, but one has a much more difficult path than the other. So in a world where talent for magic is valued over everything, how then does a talentless person like Will ascend? This brings us to that all-too-familiar concept of the dungeon, since it's here where those without talent can prove themselves. You see, Regarden Academy runs off of a credit system. Out of 12,000 credits that can be earned in total, 1,000 are needed to graduate from one year to the next, 6,000 are needed to graduate fully, and 7,200 are required if you want to advance to the next part of the tower, the Upper Institute which is the next stage of Will's tower climb. If Will wants to make it there, then he first needs to gather 7,200 credits. The thing is, earning those credits are easier said than done since the ways one can earn them are broken down into three main curriculum. There's writing that's worth a total of 3,600, practical training worth another 3,600, then spellwork itself worth the most at 4,800. Since spellwork isn't something that Will can do though, that's 4,800 credits off the table automatically for him. It means if he wants to make it to the Upper Institute and keep his promise, he needs to be perfect in both writing and training. Luckily for him, writing is just a simple matter of studying while the practical training is something he's actually quite good at. It's the process of killing monsters down in the dungeon. Every time he eliminates one, that's a few more credits added to his record. It brings us to the very aspect that makes Will shine since where he lacks in magic, he more than makes up for in everything else. Whether it be strength, agility, swordplay, or tactics, when it comes to the battlefield, Will is an absolute monster. He possesses superhuman strength no mage comes even close to, the durability of a dwarf with his sturdy, rugged body, sword slashes faster than even lightning, and insight into battle that lets him understand an enemy after seeing their movements once. This, of course, didn't come without incredible amounts of training, but when you put it all together, he's honestly this weird combination of Bell, Deku, Asta, and Mash. Deku because of his notepad and childhood rivalry. Yeah, Will even has his own light version of Bakugo. In any case, this makes every fight with him a total spectacle since the abilities he puts on display are truly amazing, especially when they're used to show up those who underestimate him, of which I can assure you there is plenty of. This is actually the number one problem Will faces in the Academy since as a sword-swinging brute in a world of elegant mages, the discrimination he faces is endless. Yes, it is a bit cliche, but like I said in the beginning, the way it's done is better than most. What I mean is that rather than have the bullying be this minor element creating some form of superficial adversity, the bullying here fuels Will's growth both internally and externally. It's a core plot device significantly strengthening the development of him and the characters around him. It's never just for the sake of making Will the underdog, but instead usually goes beyond that. Now, the way it's done is also quite extreme too since the man has been non-stop bullied for six years straight. Like, there's even teachers that constantly try to make a fool of him. The way he continues forward focusing solely on his goal though not only highlights who Will is and the determination of his character, but it also makes every time he succeeds that much more satisfying. His struggles are by no means very complex, but I believe the simplicity of it all makes them that much easier to get behind. So, all in all, this is a story about Will, and it's the portrayal of him as he pushes past the societal limitations imposed on him. It's a story of perseverance, resilience, and tenacity. One that follows an admittedly simple goal of keeping a promise, yet builds around said goal with finesse and polish. All that is further refined through the overall presentation of anime, which is by far the strongest part of Wistoria. At first I couldn't pinpoint why watching Wistoria felt so different, but then I realized it felt like I was watching a movie. Everything from the tone, pacing, and music, all the way to the shot direction, soundwork, and animation carry with them this refined style you'd usually only ever find in an anime movie. Like, a great attention to detail was put into bringing the setting to life, so whether outside by the windy corridors of the academy's garden or inside within the massive open area of the spell hall, the atmosphere, background, and sound design match perfectly. It's clear they were all meticulously crafted to engross the viewer as best as possible. So, here footsteps echo as tensions build between Will and his teacher, while the flowing sounds of wind set the tone for the conversation Will and Colette are about to have here. In fact, with a single sentence, three small cuts, and that natural background noise, all at once we were shown the grand nature of the tower, Will's admiration for it, then a hint towards the person waiting for him at the top of it. To me, this was a true application of that whole show-don't-tell attitude, and that's something that makes the most out of the fact that this is an anime. So, over and over I was blown away by just how well some of the smaller scenes were executed. It's a level of quality that for the part remains consistent throughout. That being the case, even if you are turned off by the simplistic nature of the story itself, at the very least you should be able to appreciate the cinematic direction of it all, especially when it comes to the fight scenes. This is the very juicy cherry on top, since in addition to all the detail put into just the regular scenes, even more so is added when it comes to the fights. You see, rather than brief action sequences with flashy lights and invisible characters, Wistoria's fights are filled with fluid animation and stellar choreography. There's amazing camera work I would say is better than a Studio Gohan's trailer, impactful hits and emotional stakes, then above all a clever use of abilities that always makes it feel like Will worked for his victory. I mean, yes, he is pretty OP, but when it comes to putting sword against wand, the way they balance the two is never too one-sided in either direction. Magic should by all means have the advantage, but with Will's strength, tactics and innovative techniques, you're always wondering how it is he's gonna win next. It's a great way of making the fight more engaging. Plus, there's always that extra element of him showing up those who underestimate him, so if you're someone who likes that, then there's really no reason for you not to watch this anime. Now, the world building isn't anything too complex, but the way it's told does make it interesting. Something about Wistoria's storytelling just makes those simple topics all the more captivating. There is one big overarching mystery too, but at this point in the story it's not too prevalent. Really, the focus right now is on Will. Aside from that, there's the music by Yuki Hayashi, who you'll immediately recognize as the composer for OSTs from Haikyuu! and My Hero Academia. They're actually extremely similar to the point that you're watching My Hero. This could be good or bad depending on your taste in music, but for me I found it set the tone just fine. In any case, that's pretty much everything that I wanted to say about Wistoria. In a season where good fantasy has been pretty light, Wistoria steps in and fills that gap for us. It's a high-quality take on the talentless wanting to become the strongest trope, one that knows exactly what it is and delivers on all the elements that make it such. So, if you're looking for a good underdog fantasy with amazing direction, pacing, animation, and music, then I can't recommend enough watching Wistoria. It's my number one recommendation to you this season. So, if you end up watching it because of this video, then come back and let me know what you thought about it. And if you're already watching then let me know if you agree with me. I'd love to see what you all think about it. But anyway, until next time, ciao!