It’s the future, and it’s all amazing and whatnot, in a world where technology has been infused with magic, and at an exclusive high school, a brother and his younger sister (Tatsuya and Miyuki Shiba) start their first year. While she was born a mage and is given the better treatment, he hasn’t, and is thus separated and looked down on by half of the school, like his fellow classmates who were only taught it. But it’s his skill alone that would make anyone think otherwise, and who else would be proud of his magnificent achievements?
His own blood relative, of course.
You see, the way Miyuki Shiba sees it, seeing her big brother’s skill, determination and stuff are so much more important than mere magic. Always praising him (regardless of how much he does…or doesn’t do), and never hesitating to call him “onii-sama”, you could mistake these two for being a couple. We never see him brimming with emotion, but we can still see that the only girl he wants in his life is his sister. Something which she can take advantage of. Something which has made almost made the show so memorable……That’s right. She’s that kind of caring imouto. But, to be honest, I don’t blame her. As the story progresses, we see how alone the two of them are in the world; almost like a us-versus-them. But instead of Miyuki’s open love and adoration, Tatsuya’s is more subdued and subtle. Almost like a perfect couple you’d see in any kind of cheesy romance……the boy keeps his emotions to himself, while the girl doesn’t stop her emotions at all. So I don’t find their brother/sister relationship weird. Unusual but not weird.
But fans have already picked apart Miyuki’s somewhat excessive bro-conning, which sometimes borders on yandere, which is rather amusing. She is, after all, desperate to keep him all to herself, and not to let any of his numerous female admirers have him, so who wouldn’t want an adorable and devoted onee-chan like her? With potentially dangerous magic that can easily ward off anyone who so much as looks at her precious onii-sama in a manner that displeases her, especially…
At the same time though, it can be a matter of opinion. Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei is, after all, an action science-fiction show, so is having a devoted onee-chan who worships the ground you walk on a good thing? I like Miyuki’s character very much, but is she the right character for this genre of anime? A wise, all-knowing and fearsome character like Tatsuya can be fine on his own, with his own classmates and fellow members of the student council cheering him on as he defeats evil. So having Miyuki clinging onto his arm at every moment can get rather annoying throughout the show. Instead she can be an average bog-standard happy imouto, instead of the over-caring and proud one she portrays herself to be.
A separate school ‘romance’ show with Tatsuya and Miyuki could work very well, even with the obvious incestuous tones throughout, but in an action show like this? Personally, I don’t think so. Shame.
