Summary
Wistoria: Wand and Swordepisode 7 was arguably the best episode in this series thus far. The action sequences were exhilarating, the drama surrounding the battle was short but intense, and the pacing was perfect as well. It took the viewers by the throat and wouldn’t let go until the ending song came in.
However, the success of episode 7 means the subsequent episodes have to live up to the new standard created by episode 7. Being entertaining alone is not enough. It has to be able to put the viewers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end. So how does episode 8 fare compare to its predecessor? Well, let’s find out.
A Pinch of Romance
Wistoria: Wand and Swordare known for its exciting and fast-paced action sequences. But recent episodes have proven that it can weave some drama into the story as well. So what about another subgenre, like romance? Well, there’s a hint of romance scattered throughout the series, but they haven’t really explored this part of the story yet. That is until episode 8 comes along and offers usplenty of memorable romantic-comedy moments.
Rosti vs Colette
Will may only have his childhood friend,Elfaria Albis Serfort,occupying his head and his heart 24/7, but there are actually other people who feel the same way about him. One of them is Colette, a girl who’s always been by Will’s side since the beginning of the series. Colette wears her heart on her sleeve, so it is apparent to everybody, except Will, that she is in love with Will.
The other person who has also always been supportive of Will and one of the reasons why he can survive for this long in the dungeon is none other than his roommate, Rosti Nauman. Unlike the shy and introverted Colette, Rosti never hesitates to show his affection in public. The contrast between their personalities creates numerous funny and heartwarming moments in this episode.
A Refreshing Intermission
After such an intense battle and action-packed story arcs, a lighthearted intermission is always greatly appreciated. After all, an unbroken chain of fast-paced actions can get boring and exhausting after a while. That’s why a wholesome moment where we can simply sit back and enjoy the funny and heartwarming scenes is just what the audience needs to relax for a bit and be prepared for the next roller-coaster ride.
Another notable thing that deserves to be mentioned in this episode is the fact that this intermission is so brief. This series knows that its greatest power is its actions. A slow and cheerful moment is great to make the audience relax for a while and provide some character development, but there’s no need to spend too much time in that moment. You don’t see an hour of breakbetween each round of a boxing match,do you?
The audience comes and stays for the action, so a short and sweet intermission is all it needs before we jump right back into the action. That’s why halfway through episode 8,Wistoria: Wand and Swordimmediately gets into its usual groove and jumps right back to the action.
The Beginning of Another Thrilling Story Arc
At the beginning of episode 8, Prof. Workner talks about something that will be the main event of the new story arc after the Grand Magic Festival, which is the All-Student Praxis. Based on what is presented in the latter half of the episode, the All-Student Praxis has the potential to beanother action-packed storyarc.
An All-Student Praxis
Every student can, and should, dive into the dungeon to gain valuable live combat experience against various monsters. The deeper they go, the stronger and more dangerous the monsters will be. That’s why for their safety, the students are only allowed to go up to the sixth level at most. Any lower than that and they might lose their lives.
An All-Student Praxis is a special event where the academyallows access to the dungeon’s lower levels,specifically from level seventh through level tenth. In the dungeon, stronger monsters are worth more credits. This means if they can slay the strong monsters in the lower levels, they can basically get years’ worth of credits in just a couple of days. That’s why every student is so eager to participate in the All-Student Praxis.
Considering the danger of this activity, the academy creates base camps on every level, especially the lower ones, fully equipped with any kind of support that the students might need. Not only that, teachers are also standing by on every base camp to keep the students safe from any unforeseen dangers.
Ending the Season With a Bang
The first season ofWistoria: Wand and Swordis scheduled to run for 12 episodes. That means it’s highly likely that the All-Student Praxis will be the last story arc for the season. Judging from what has been mentioned in this episode, this new arc will be the most intense one yet.
After all, unlike regular humans,the dungeon monsters won’t hesitate to killthose who dare to stand in their way. This type of enemy greatly increases the risk of the battle, making it way more thrilling to watch. So we expect great things from this new story arc.
A Handful of Surprises
A more intense and gripping action is not the only thing that episode 8 promises for the new story arc. There will be dramatic moments thanks to the interaction between five highly different people. And it all starts when Will receives an offer that he can’t refuse.
An Offer You Can’t Refuse
While he is in the middle of a little fun shopping trip with Rosti and Colette, Will is approached by the best student in the Regarden Magical Academy, Lihanna Owenzaus. Lihanna invites Will to discuss the upcoming all-student praxis in a more discreet location. Unbeknownst to Will, the other top students in the academy (Wignall Lindor, Julius Reinberg, and Sion Ulster) have been waiting for their arrival.
The all-student praxis requires the students to form a team,which means who you pick to go to the dungeon with you greatly impacts how successful your dungeon dive will be. Needless to say, everybody will want to have one of the top 3 in their team. Since Shion and Will have distinguished themselves during the grand festival, a lot of people want these two on their team as well.
Lihanna recognizes the importance of this test for their future and wants to maximize her chances of gaining the highest credits possible. That’s why she immediately invited the top students to join her team. And now, the best student in the entire academy also offers the same opportunity to Will Serfort, somebody who was known as the worst student in the academy.
“Simply ascending the tower isn’t enough. What I need is to become a Magia Vander. All of you are ambitious as well, are you not?”
– Lihanna Owenzaus, Episode 8
New Enemies on the Horizon
Having Will join forces with the strongest in the academy is a really nice surprise. In similar circumstances,the protagonists will usually form a team with their closest friends.While there’s nothing wrong with wanting to fight with your friends, if they are truly serious about their goal, it makes much more sense to set aside their pride and differences to join hands with the strongest. That is precisely what Will decided to do.
That’s why it’s good to see the usually meek and submissive Will make a decision that prioritizes himself over other people. This little moment of character development will always be appreciated.
Another great thing that we get to see in episode 8 is the appearance of new enemies. There seems to be a group of bad guys who plan to interfere with the all-student praxis. They are a ruthless and merciless bunch who won’t hesitate to kill people to get what they want. In other words, a true villain. Looking forward to seeing Will’s team clash with this new villain duo.
Episode 8 ofWistoria: Wand and Swordhas two main purposes. Firstly, to provide some wholesome moments to help the viewers relax after such an intense fight in the last episode. Secondly, to set up the premise and hype up the upcoming story arcs. It does both jobs tremendously well. We wholeheartedly look forward to the next episode.
Wistoria: Wand and Swordis available to stream onCrunchyroll.
