Wistoria: Wand and Sword episode 2 expanded on the world-building a bit more and dove deeper into Will’s determination. While the thrill-seeking fans may have come up just a little disappointed in comparison to the premiere, there was still no shortage of action. In fact, this week’s action definitely held more weight.
Will’s Determination
It’s already been established that Will wants to reach the top of the tower to stand beside Elfaria. It was only this week that really emphasized that unwavering resolve to reach the pinnacle of magic while strolling down the unbeaten path. But is his plea for love any more corny than any other main character with a rather basic goal?
It’s cliche, but “it’s about the journey, not the destination” goes well with anime. We understand Will’s desire just two episodes in and it’s more than likely bound to happen he’ll reach the top of the tower come story’s end. But how he gets there is the enthralling part.
Being bullied not just by classmates, but by your own teacher to the point that he’s being stepped on by Edward was a moment that needed to be shown. That feeling of Will still being pushed around and looked down on needed to come from someone higher up than just an ignorant classmate. Having a teacher berate you verbally and physically can mentally scar someone in ways I don’t want to imagine.
Of course, the moment Will turned a marble floor into pebbles with just his fingertips I knew it was going to be a wrap from there. There’s this sense of heroism in Will that bursts through the seems whenever he gets a sword in his hand. It’s almost like he flips a switch into a completely different person.
I love this in clumsy main characters, side characters too. The moments they get serious are amplified because it lets the fans know they’re in for a treat. We saw in this episode that when a stern character (Edward) “gets serious” during a fight, it doesn’t hit as hard.
Seeing Will crumble a marble floor like it’s paper mache and then grabbing Edwards’s leg moments later made me realize something—Will gripped his leg with nearly the same strength and that’s why Edward backed off or Will held back and didn’t want to harm Edward when he really could’ve.
Colette and the Others
I’m really loving what I’m seeing from Colette the more I watch this series. She’s not like Lemon from Mashle where she just becomes totally helpless and expects Mash to save her all the time. Colette is a support character who does just that—supports.
Colette has her own charm that I love and has now made me laugh in both episodes. She’s someone that Will depends on, not the other way around. It’s refreshing to have side characters who uplift the main character, not the other way around. While we can see the two are best friends, I’d still love to know more about their history together.
We’ve seen Will five years in the past when he just starts off at the academy but never was there a moment he was with Colette. So that’s one thing I look forward to knowing more about. The other being her power. We saw in the opening that she’s no slouch on the battlefield and Shion already indirectly told us she’s an honor student too.
Not to mention, during the opening, there’s a moment with her and Liana, who we’ll be introduced to later at some point, where it almost looks like a blonde bond is severed between the two. Liana looks to be a force with magic herself judging from the opening. So there’s a lot more to explore with Colette that I’m very excited for.
Workner we kind of knew he was the professor who has been on Will’s side from the beginning. The best way to describe him would be stern, but gentle. He’s been Will’s biggest supporter since entering the academy and is the Yang to Edward’s Yin. And now that we know Edward is an ascendant of the tower, it’s just another possible setup for more character development within the series.
Two episodes in, two people are proven wrong in Shion and Edward. I can only hope that there starts to be more Colette’s than Shion’s as the series progresses. Headmaster Cauldron seems to be in the grey area. Letting a teacher step on his student’s head without any sort of punishment is rather distasteful. On the other hand, she’s also given Will chance after chance to prove others wrong.
Wistoria: Wand and Sword Episode 2 – Production
I wouldn’t go as far as to say that the production was on the level of the series premiere. However, it was still damn good for the most part. There was never a moment where I thought, “That looked rough.”
Touches of Tatsuya Yoshihara and wonderful storyboarding by Isuta in the B-part of the episode with all the action still gave Wistoria: Wand and Sword episode 2 its fair share of gorgeous moments. But I think what I loved more than anything in this episode, even the action, was the progression of time constantly shown through Will’s glasses. Ending that sequence with the reflection of Edward in his sword was golden.
It was a nice touch throughout the episode that I enjoyed. Each close-up moment of Will and whatever was reflecting off his glasses was a different way to show the progression of time and stuff meaningful to Will himself. This isn’t the type of series to make metaphors or hone in on heavy symbolism. So it’s nice to see some level of creativity to make the source material that much better.
Wistoria: Wand and Sword Episode 2 Wrap-Up
Last week, I would give Wistoria the top spot in the weekly poll. This week, I’m more toward the top three. Again, the episode was great, but nothing extraordinary happened—and that’s fine. We need world-building in this kind of series and plenty of it was established. I’m sure there’s much more in store going forward. The opening and ending still need to grow on me.
Episode 2 rating: 8/10
If you enjoyed Wistoria: Wand and Sword episode 2 then vote for the episode in our weekly poll! Episode 3 will be released on Sunday, July 21, on Crunchyroll.
Screenshots via Crunchyroll
©Fujino Omori, Toshi Aoi, Kodansha/Wistoria: Wand and Sword Production Committee
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