Light Novel Adaption by Madhouse
Simulcast on Crunchyroll

Premise

A young boy meets a young girl with magic and becomes involved in a conflict between two worlds.

Lifesong’s Verdict: Like an Old Pair of Socks

So many cliches and tropes are thrown around so quickly this first episode almost feels like a comedy. There is a sense of nostalgic fun as all the obvious as day scenarios play out. Magical Warfare doesn’t success at most what it tries to do in this first episode, but it does succeed on the action front at the very least. The use of magic for combat is some of the best I’ve seen not until this season, but since Blast of Tempest. I’m a bit conflict, my inner critic sees many things I could point out that could have been done better, this anime introduces cliches like they were being pumped out of a Gatling gun, but my inner child was completely sold on the magic itself. I’m intrigued, I can’t say that I’m impressed overall, but I am definitely interested in watching more.

Jel’s Verdict: Action Anime: The Anime

Not to be outdone by Witch Craft Works, Magical Warfare is so generic it can’t even manage a unique title. Unlike that other show however, this is more of a mash-up of a billion other action titles as opposed to a connect the dots rendition of the “Magical Girlfriend/Slave” plot device. Sure it still sucks but I would say I enjoyed Magical Warfare more, at least on a completely superficial level. Once you get past wanting to smash your screen during the god awful production values, exposition, characters, and “accidental” kiss scene, the fight scenes were alright (I’m always down for an old fashioned magically enhanced swordfight) and the magical powers sound cool on paper. Make no mistake, you should not watch Magical Warfare, but I can’t deny the first episode delivered a little bit of a cheap thrill.

Iro’s Verdict: Boilerplate

This is the anime equivalent of a saltine cracker. Or, considering the quality of the first episode, a soggy saltine cracker. Seemingly opposed to creating interesting characters, Magical Warfare instead takes a bunch of blank slates describable only via their roles (Protagonist, Best Friend, Jealous Girlfriend, Exposition/Real Love Interest) and bestows them all magical powers with no rhyme or reason. Nobody seems to react to the fact that a girl is shoving a gun in their faces, or that a guy is walking around with a comically oversized sword, or that now they have to go into an alternate post-apocalyptic universe to attend magic school. It’s a bunch of mildly interesting ideas mashed together on a plate with no common thread to tie it together or give the audience any reason to care. Skip it.