The Irregular at Magic High School is one of the many returning anime series kicking off the Winter 2022 season. Based on a series of light novels, the popular anime gives fans political intrigue, magic and plenty of action over the course of its first two seasons. Season 3, however, will step back from the action and take fans into the past to examine the Shiba siblings' relationship -- and the effects it may have on the magic community. Before it begins, here's a quick refresher on the story up to this point.
The Irregular at Magic High School Season 1: Setting The Scene
The Irregular at Magic High School takes place in an alternate history where magic exists and, due to its rarity, is commodified and weaponized by four global superpowers. Shiba Miyuki and her older brother, Shiba Tatsuya, are the sibling protagonists of the series. Miyuki is the magically-gifted honor student while Tatsuya is her less magically adept, bodyguard older brother. Less magically adept at first glance, that is.
Season 1 establishes the ranking system within First High School that defines the story's premise. Students with exceptional magical ability are placed in Course 1, while those with less magical prowess are placed in Course 2. Tatsuya's growing powers in spite of being in Course 2 make him a standout among his peers -- the irregular, for better or worse.
That's not the only thing that causes tension in Season 1, though. Tatsuya, Miyuki and their friends also confront an anti-magician infiltrator in their school, participate in competitions against the other magic high schools, stop an international crime syndicate rigging the competitions, and fend off an attack from a rival nation.
Season 2: International Conflict & Potential Sibling Romance
Season 2 of The Irregular at Magic High School zooms out from the academy to explore society's contentious relationship with magicians. This season also delves further into the Shiba siblings' relationship and their ties to the powerful Yotsuba clan. The introduction of an exchange student, who also happens to be the leader of the United States of North America's magician army, heightens the series' political intrigue.
Not long after, Tatsuya and company find themselves pitted against a group of parasites that are infecting and killing magicians and humans. The parasites are later connected to Gide Hague, a member of the mysterious Seven Sages and leader of the anti-magician terrorist group Blanche. Combine that with the New Breed Front's magician supremacist stance and their foiled plan to blow up the Tokyo Offshore Tower, and fans are left to contemplate whether the tumultuous relationship between magicians and humans is beyond repair.
Miyuki also acknowledges her not-so-secret romantic feelings for her brother, with her candidacy to replace her aunt as head of the Yotsuba looming overhead. Season 2 closes with the introduction of Sakurai Minami, an assistant appointed to Miyuki by none other than her aunt. The finale leaves fans to wonder how Minami will advance the Yotsubas' agenda -- and what effects this will have on Miyuki and Tatsuya's relationship.
Season 3, beginning with the aptly named "Reminiscence" arc, takes viewers back in time to flesh out the Shiba siblings' bond. Their relationship is key to the story and understanding their dynamic as siblings, as bodyguard and detail. Should their relationship dip into romance, any implications will inevitably shed light on the machinations of the Yotsuba clan. While Season 3 may be pivoting away from the action to take viewers down memory lane, fans will learn more about how Miyuki and Tatsuya figure into the Yotsuba's plans -- and what dangers may lie ahead for the duo and their friends.
The Irregular at Magic High School Season 3 will premiere in January 2022 on Crunchyroll.