Since it debuted over a decade ago, The Irregular at Magic High School has been a huge success in many different mediums -- from web novels to light novels to manga to anime, leading to several upcoming anime additions.
One of these will be an adaptation of the manga, The Honor Student at Magic High School. Whereas the main series follows the ridiculously powerful Tatsuya Shiba, The Honor Student at Magic High School instead focuses on the sister he's sworn to protect, Miyuki. Here's what fans can expect from the upcoming anime.
The Irregular at Magic High School
The Irregular at Magic High School is set in a world where magic and science coincide, though the ability to use the former is determined by genetics. There has also been a major change politically, with a massive culling of the Earth's population resulting in a world divided into four superpowers. The rarity of magic proficiency also means that those with the gift must attend special schools in order to hone their abilities.
One such school is First High School, which is attended by Tatsuya Shiba and his sister Miyuki Shiba. Tatsuya, despite lacking the ability to use magic, acts as his sister's bodyguard. Despite this seeming limitation, he is extremely powerful -- arguably overpowered -- in his own right, allowing him to rise in the ranks of the school's system.
The Honor Student at Magic High School
The Honor Student at Magic High School began as a manga in 2012, continuing until Summer 2020. It was written by Yu Mori, making it unique among the franchise's manga. The main series was created by Tsutomu Sato, while its various manga adaptations were all handled by different people. The series will now be receiving an anime adaptation as part of the 10th-anniversary celebration of the franchise.
The biggest difference between Irregular and Honor Student are their protagonists. Both follow the same basic storyline, but Irregular follows the powerful and tactical Tatsuya, while Honor Student and its upcoming anime adaptation will be from the perspective of his sister Miyuki. Other major characters will be Honoka Mitsui and Shizuku Kitayama, who are also from the main series.
Whereas Tatsuya's show was based around fights and his quest for dominance in the magic-ruled school, Miyuki's series will be much more focused on slice-of-life antics in school and potentially blossoming romance. The official synopsis reads: "A manga spin-off of the immensely popular light novel series The Irregular at Magic High School, The Honor Student at Magic High School follows the events of the original series as seen through the eyes of Miyuki Shiba, Tatsuya's sister. The life of an honor student comes with a lot of expectations... and unexpected hidden feelings?!"
The first trailer keeps the main anime's art style, but its presentation is much more shojo-esque. There's no focus on battles or anything of the sort, and even the series' magic is hinted at only in the title of the series and the school. Despite this, Miyuki's adventures may actually be more interesting than those of her brother.
For one, Miyuki actually has magical powers which she has to train and learn how to use, giving the character something to strive for. Combined with her overachieving academic mindset, this makes her much more relatable than the stoic and overpowered Tatsuya.
The more relaxed pace of Miyuki's perspective could also bring in a wider audience, especially for those who might have been otherwise turned off by the main series' overpowered battle-shonen approach. Miyuki may magically conjure up more fans than her brother ever could when the series hits airwaves this July.