Magical Girl Raising Project – Ep. 11

Goodness, when was my last Magical Girl Raising Project post? Almost two months ago, I think. Ideally, I wanted to finish the show as Funimation’s stream for the dub came to a close but between the influx of new anime for Fall 2018 and my job, I felt so overwhelmed and decided to put MahouIku among other things on hold for the time being. Apologies to anyone who followed these reviews for dropping the ball like that, especially at Episode 10 out of 12 no less. Hopefully, me still finishing this project will suffice? …Hopefully? Well, I can dream at least.

To be honest, I am not surprised at all that both Cranberry and Tama get the axe this episode. With so few characters left and the final battle needing to be between Ripple and Swim Swim, it seemed like the natural course to take. That said, the manner in which both characters does come to a shock. Who would’ve thought that Tama of all people would be the one to kill Cranberry? That was a pretty morbid use of her power too. And to think everyone in Ruler’s gang thought digging holes was useless…

Going in, I figured it’d be Cranberry to kill Tama so when I saw that it wasn’t the case, I realized that MahouIku had something darker in store for the latter. I feel so bad for this character. After sticking with two terrible leaders through thick and thin, and all because she just wants to have friends in her life, Tama’s loyalty gets rewarded with a scythe to the throat. It’s just messed up (albeit in the right way), not to mention this also sets a new low for Swim Swim.

I kind of find myself frustrated with how cold blooded Swim Swim has been. That Ruler leave such a toxic influence I get but surely there must be more to this than just children being impressionable. The moment where Swim Swim tries to justify killing Tama while shedding a single tear does suggest that she can still feel some actual emotion but I have a somewhat hard time buying it since MahouIku didn’t really explore this side of her character in sufficient detail. But what do I know? Maybe this show will churn out a flashback next episode to elaborate why Swim Swim is the way she is.

Speaking of flashbacks, they’re of course present in this episode to accompany each death scene. This show just never stops with this tactic, does it? To be fair, I approve that Cranberry’s past is not entirely elaborated. Her flashback ens up just being a more detailed version on Episode 1’s cold opening which is how she became Fav’s master. I appreciate that the show refrained this time around; not knowing much about Cranberry is what helped make her so ominous and compelling. As for Tama, well, she was the only one in Ruler’s gang I objectively liked so I was going to feel bummed to see her die with or without a flashback. That she was a shy girl with low self-esteem was, frankly, easy to tell anyway. There is one surprising bit in which Ruler shows a rare moment of kindness to Tama via providing a Magical Girl for Dummies book and adjust the vocabulary to accommodate for her subordinate’s poor reading skills. Seems a little out of character for Ruler to do to me but I guess it sheds light on why Tama stuck with her in the first place.

With just two combatants left (let’s face it, Snow White won’t harm a fly), the second half of the episode serves as a set-up for the climatic duel. That Fav is the one pulling the strings I find curious. Just what exact motive does have for giving away Swim Swim’s weakness to light and sound to Ripple? Is it in case Swim Swim proves unfit to be the “master” of the raising project? She does seem half-invested in the role (got to get an A+ in school after all). Or, is Fav just a sick fuck? Either reason seems sound to me. Personally, I think this may have to do with Snow White. After all, if Swim Swim and Ruler eliminate each other, Snow White could fall right into whatever scheme Fav has for her. Whatever the case may be, there’s clearly something fishy going on here.

There is something amusing to see Ripple rendezvous with Snow White. Sure, who else is the former going to talk to at this point but let’s remind ourselves that this is the first meaningful scene these two characters share together. A bit odd since the OP briefly shows Ripple grabbing onto Snow White’s hand, hinting at an alliance, maybe even a friendship. For such an important relationship to be set up in the second to last episode, I doubt there’s enough time for this to develop in sufficient detail.

A shame as I like how these two girls seem to be walking on diverging paths. Despite pleas from Snow White and Top Speed (who I guess talked to Ripple in her dreams?), Ripple is adamant about killing Swim Swim. She’s aware she’ll be seen as a murderer but at the same time, she doesn’t care. The bit where Ripple telling Snow White that she admired her sure raised an eyebrow. It’s almost as though she’s conceding to the fact that Snow White is the only magical girl who still committed to actually being one, akin to Hardgore Alice’s assessment last episode. If you ask me, these two need each other. There may still come a day where Snow White needs to toughen up and at the same time, Ripple may need another person in her life who can see the good inside her.

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Thanks for reading!

Magical Girl Raising Project is officially available on Crunchyroll.

For all of my Magical Girl Raising Project Episode Reviews, check out the show’s archive page!

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