Maburaho Volume 3: The Witching Hour - Anime Frontier

• Media Source:Anime Frontier
• Reviewed By:Jared Elswick
• Review Date:08/02/05
• Read the original review click here

"I've become quite addicted..."

The Verdict
Audio
On the audio side of things here, this release offers up English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 tracks, and after listening to the English track on the checkdisc, I went with the Japanese track here. This track in particular is on par with that of the English track, although it's a bit softer, but overall I'd say it's a fairly well rounded track, but it's nothing really special.

Video
Regardless of how I feel about this genre as a whole, Maburaho definitely looks quite good on the visual front. Originally released around the end of 2003, the show looks quite nice overall, benefiting from both wonderful animation and a great transfer. The animation itself is quite nice although it's nothing new, it's just a nice looking show that plays up the standard of this genre. The actual transfer here is rather well done, although I wasn't expecting any less from ADV. There really isn't anything in the way of aliasing or cross coloration here, nor is there any blocking either, everything just looks good here, there isn't much to discuss.

Characters
Haruaki Akai - Akai-sensei is the resident doctor for Aoi Private Academy. His magical powers seem to be formidable but he generally spends his time quietly writing reports, performing health check-ups, and occasionally helping out Kazuki and his friends.

Kaori Inoba - Iba-sensei is the somewhat lazy and very fun-loving instructor of the class that Yuuna, Kazuki, Matsuda, Nakamaru, etc. are in, class 2-B. She often seems to not care about what her class is doing and can often be found playing handheld video games while teaching.

Story
This entire volume of Maburaho involves the girls looking for various ways to increase Kazuki?s spell count. That sounds simple enough, but as they soon learn, there?s a lot more to this than they expected. Kuriko takes a stab at it first by taking Kazuki to a special hot springs far away from the Aoi house, and far away from Rin and Yuna. This hot springs is said to increase one?s spell count, but as they soon learn, only two people have every been able to do it, and it takes roughly 2000 hours of submersion to increase one?s spell count by one. So that option is definitely out of the question.

The next option is to find a Mitama left by a former student at Aoi, although there is a lot of lore surrounding this item. The girls and Kazuki consult Akai over this one and he tells them about how a girl and her sister both died from an unknown illness that drains the victim of their spell count until they turn to ash. One of the girls attempted to use her magic to cure the other, but it didn?t work, and then she happened upon a tree in the courtyard that was going to be cut down because it too had an odd illness. The girl then infused the Mitama with her magic and buried it at the base of the tree, and the girls think that it might save Kazuki, but when they find it they realize it can?t do any good for him. Of course, there is a bit more here as the Mitama is drained of power so Kazuki steps it to recharge it with his magic, but the girls step in and do it for him, saving him from using his magic callously.

The remainder of this volume is what really makes it interesting though as Yuna steps up to try her hand at reviving Kazuki. Her father is apparently an archaeologist and has sent her some medicine that might help out Kazuki. The medicine was supposed to be sent to Akai?s office, but when Yuna goes to pick it up she instead finds a vial that was meant for Akai himself. Upon opening it though, a Yuna doppelganger is created and its intent on destroying everything that Yuna loves, which of course means Kazuki.

The doppelganger ordeal is soon quelled, although it?s not easily done, but everyone soon has a much bigger problem on their hands. As it turns out, the vial contained a pathogen that causes a sickness similar to that in the earlier episode, and Yuna?s spell count is falling, and fast. At this point, Kazuki only has 2 spells left, and when the time comes, he uses one to try and save Yuna as her spells begin to run to their end. However, it doesn?t work, and he instantly throws his last spell away to save her. But is he dead, did he turn to ash? Well, not quite?

Afterthoughts
Overall, this volume of Maburaho is definitely the best so far, and after what happens here I can't even begin to imagine what's going to come next. This show is much more enjoyable than I ever thought it would be and I can't help but want more of this show as soon as possible, as I've become quite addicted with the material presented thus far.

Posted on Tuesday, August 02, 2005 (Archive on Friday, September 02, 2005)