The third season of the TV anime “The Irregular at Magic High School” (TOKYO MX, BS11, etc.) began broadcasting on April 5th at 11:30 p.m. In July 2021, the series celebrated its 10th anniversary, and in April of this year, it celebrated 10 years since the anime began broadcasting. We asked Yuichi Nakamura, who plays Tatsuya Shiba, Saori Hayami, who plays Miyuki Shiba, and Kiyono Yasuno, who plays Mizunami Sakurai, about their memories of the series, the dubbing process, and highlights. (Reporting and writing: Masaki Endo/Editing: Hideaki Sakurai)
■For the past few years, I have fond memories of the “Magic Department” series.
“The Irregular at Magic High School” is a series written by Tsutomu Sajima and illustrated by Kana Ishida that has sold over 25 million copies in total (original novel series has sold 14 million copies in total). Set in a world where magic is an established technology, it depicts the turbulent days of a brother and sister and their friends who attend what is commonly known as “Magic High School.”
The first season of the TV anime began broadcasting in 2014, followed by the visitor edition in 2020 and the remembrance edition in 2022. In 2021, the spin-off anime “Honor Student at Magic High School” was also aired. The third season will consist of three parts: Double Seven, Steeple Chase, and Ancient City Civil War.
–This April will mark the 10th anniversary of the anime’s broadcast, and the third season will be broadcast as we enter the 10th anniversary year. Please tell us how you felt when you decided to produce it.
[Nakamura]There was “The Irregular at Magic High School the Movie: The Girl Who Calls the Stars” between the first and second seasons, but since there was a short period of time between the TV series and some of the actors When the season started, some people were like, “Is this the third season?” (laughs) In that respect, I felt that the production of the second and third seasons was faster, and since there was also “Honor Student at Magic High School”, I had the impression that “Magic” has continued for the past few years.
[Hayami]I’m grateful that I’ve been able to regularly work on the “Magic High School” series over the past few years, and I feel like I’m always with “Magic High School”. This season, Tatsuya and Miyuki have moved up in grade, so I felt like they had a new feeling during the dubbing.
[Anno]When she appeared at the end of the second season, I remember being happy and thinking, “I can see the water waves moving in the anime,” but I was surprised that four years had passed since then. This episode also has a lot of content.
–In the third season, Tatsuya and Miyuki became second-year students. Looking back on the rich story of their first-year years, please tell us about any memorable episodes.
[Nakamura]There are many ways to look at it and find it interesting, but the story in the first season where everyone took a hot spring together made me realize that there was one way to enjoy it personally. I’m sure the boys are also participating, but even though they’re competing brilliantly in the nine-school competition, they’re barely visible. At that time, I felt like I saw Director Manabu Ono’s true potential (lol).
–I see (lol). What exactly does this mean?
[Nakamura]Of course, there were some attractive productions and presentations up until then, but the hot spring scene was especially skillful in showing the charm of the characters! This work has a lot of characters from the start, and you can get hooked on the drama alone, but I think it would be easier to get hooked if the characters were divided into different roles, or how they were presented well. When I saw it on air, I was really impressed with how well it was presented.
–You could say it’s a way to enjoy the cast’s unique perspective.
[Nakamura]That may be true. So it’s time for the hot springs.
–What about Hayami-san and Yasuno-san?
[Quick review]This is the first episode of the first season, taking into consideration what happens when the students become second-year students. It’s so impressive that I still remember the dubbing from when it started. Especially in the beginning, Onii-sama’s lines were difficult to understand, and I was excited to see a story on a grand scale that goes beyond school life.
[Anno]Mizunami’s first assignment was to escort Miyuki-sama at the offshore tower. This is an episode where Tatsuya’s brother was able to figure out the internal structure of a skyscraper in an instant and rearrange it in an instant, showing Mizunami how great his brother is. In addition, the scene where he jumps off from near the top is a surprising action scene even in Hollywood movies, and it left an impression on me. After that, the whole process of officially taking care of him as my cousin was like a roller coaster, but it turned out to be a very happy development.
■Tatsuya & Miyuki are 2nd year students!Impact and change of consciousness
――There are some changes in the story, such as Tatsuya and Miyuki’s advancement, but have you ever noticed any of them?
[Nakamura]Tatsuya himself doesn’t intend to do that, but his tone of voice, personality, and calm demeanor tend to make him seem a little bossy. Up until now, I’ve always treated myself as the youngest person, but now that someone younger than me has joined the team, I feel like I’m acting more like an upperclassman. I felt that kind of change while acting, and I was conscious of things like, “How much should I say? It’s not good to be too good. But this is Tatsuya.”
――So there is a change in nuance due to having a junior.
[Nakamura]It’s been 10 years since the first season, and I’m getting older, so I tend to sound bossy (lol). The way I talk to younger people is different than in the past, and I feel like I have to make sure that I don’t let things like that come out that I’m not consciously aware of. ‘There are times when I think. In fact, there were some parts of the casting process for the first-year students that I felt were difficult, as there were a lot of young students.
[Hayami]Personally, I think Miyuki being at the mercy of her juniors is a little nice. The Shiba siblings have perfected their skills, talents, and humanity, and the older brother in particular has an unwavering quality. Miyuki is also seen in the same way, and there aren’t many people who really invade her personal space, so what should Miyuki say to her junior? How should she be involved? I think it’s refreshing to see him looking a little flustered.
–Mizunami will be joining the school as a first year student, but what do you think of Tatsuya and Miyuki who are now second year students?
[Anno]To Mizunami, the two of you are two great beings, and I think it’s true that everyone respects you and you’re really worthy of them since you started attending school together. I think her comfort level is different between Mizunami, who is by her side while doing housework at home, and Mizunami, who is treated as her cousin and junior at the school. Even though I’m excited, I feel like I’m watching from a distance so as not to touch the world of the two of you. In the first episode, when Izumi-chan of the Saegusa sisters comes to see Miyuki-sama as an ardent fan, we see Mizunami’s dignified side for the first time, and I think we’ll see many other expressions. thought.
■Does Yuichi Nakamura aspire to study commerce? Presentation using PowerPoint If you want to go back to your high school days and relearn
–Tatsuya will transfer to the newly established Department of Magic Engineering (Magic Engineering Department). There are many subjects in the real world, but if you were to go back to high school and re-study, which subject would you choose?
[Nakamura]I don’t want to learn (laughs).
[Hayami & Yasuno]Ahaha.
–I wasn’t expecting that answer (lol). Did you all take regular classes?
[Nakamura]That’s right. It’s difficult because I can’t imagine any school other than the one I went to.
–For example, in the commerce department, you can learn about marketing, bookkeeping, information processing, etc., in the industrial department, you can learn specialized knowledge and techniques in various fields of industry, and in the agricultural department, you can learn about production technology, management, and the use of animal and plant resources.
[Nakamura]I see. When you hear this, it means commerce. If you can’t use Excel or Power Point, you can’t create business materials these days.
[Quick review]Can I see Mr. Nakamura giving a Power Point presentation? (lol)
[Nakamura]There are also situations where it would be convenient for us to use it. Thinking about it now, I think it’s easier to work in some situations because you’ll be able to submit materials yourself, so I’d probably go with the commercial department.
[Anno]I went to the international studies department, and there were a lot of returnees, so it was great to be exposed to different customs and ways of thinking. However, if you go to university just because you like English, you may end up losing your heart for English (bitter smile). There was an English placement test after I entered the school, but I slacked off a bit during spring break, so I was truly an inferior student in English (lol).
–It’s quite difficult. By the way, do you want to go again?
[Anno]It was fun, so I’d like to try again with a new mindset.
[Quick review]International studies looks fun. I wanted to experience different cultures, ways of thinking, and viewpoints from an early age, so I might want to go there. I am also an active artist, so I am interested in the music department.
–thank you. Lastly, please tell us the highlights of the third season.
[Nakamura]The image I received from the material during the dubbing gave me a strong feeling that “this is how they want it to be done,” so I think the third season will be enjoyed by people. I want everyone, both those who have been watching for a long time and those who are new to the show, to enjoy it.
[Hayami]I think the Shiba siblings will take different paths due to the change in their grades, but these two remain unwavering. There will be many new characters, and I hope you will enjoy this big story again.
[Anno]If the end of the second season was Mizunami’s “run-up”, I’m glad that this is the season where she was able to enter Magic High School as a first-year student and was put in a position where she could be fully involved in the story. It’s an enjoyable season with plenty to see, including battle scenes that take place outside the school, and the nine-school competition. As Mizunami, I’m looking forward to not only the tense scenes, but also the moments where she and Miyuki-sama relax, and I think this will be a season where we can follow Miyuki-sama’s wavering heart. I hope you all find a lot of fun and enjoy watching it.
