Episode 04 – “We Lost”

Well, I’m glad that Miyu and Illya have agreed (well, kind of forced) to work together in their search for the Class Cards that threaten the well-being of the entire city. Unexpectedly and almost amusingly, the two magical girls and their mentors are easily trounced by their next target, Caster. I like how they don’t even show their first attempt of fighting her and just cut to the point where they’re already defeated. It’s very subtle comedic genius, in my opinion.

Another thing I find really funny is how easily Illya manages to fly. I think the fact that the only reason she can do it is because she watches a lot of mahou shoujo anime, which speaks volume about her character. On the complete opposite side of the magical spectrum, we have Miyu who is so logical with her thought processes that it actually hinders her ability to do spectacular magical maneuvers such as flight. With this, we have an interesting digression from the normal formula. Rather than the rival treating the amateur hero with scorn, they immediately become equals to each other. Each girl has something to contribute and do it in very different ways.

The girls decide to regroup before taking on Caster once more. In that time, Illya and Miyu watch some mahou shoujo anime series as training. I find that to be the most hilarious and meta thing ever. In round 2, Miyu fairs a little better in combat. While she still can’t fly exactly, she physics driven mind has allowed her to jump through air. Not a bad way to go about things.

While Fate/kaleid may be a not so serious mahou shoujo series, the animation quality does not joke around. Sure, the character animations can be a bit iffy, but this battle sequence with Caster is pretty impressive. Illya and Miyu traverse the skies at high velocities, weaving through Caster’s onslaught of magic beams, and there’s just a lot going on all at once. With some unconventional thinking from Illya (and essentially attacking her own ally), Miyu is able to take down Caster and obtain her Class Card. However! We have a surprise visit from a certain saber-wielding servant, and it only took half the series’s length!

B.W.