Anime adaptations have this funny habit of disappearing for years, thought to be dead in the water by their fans, only to return half a decade or more later, usually with notable changes. The Irregular at Magic High School is one such oddity and fans who watched it back in 2014 could be forgiven for having forgotten it during the wait, but Season 3 seems poised to pull them back in.

Based on the light novel series by Tsutomu Satou, Irregular premiered back in the Spring of 2014, animated by none other than Studio Madhouse (Frieren, One Punch Man, Death Parade). Besides a film in 2017, the main story wouldn't continue until the Visitor Arc in 2020, followed by the Reminiscence Arc in 2021, all three of which were animated by Studio 8bit.

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"Troubled Days Begin Once Again"

Season 3 begins right as Tatsuya Shiba and his sister Miyuki prepare to begin their second year at First High School after two seasons of chaos. Tatsuya has even transferred to the Magic Engineering course, a new curriculum created largely due to his accomplishments in the Nine Schools Competition from Season 1. He hopes for a peaceful year, but sure enough, the universe conspires to throw their lives into disarray once more.

It all begins with the arrival of three new first-year students: Izumi Saegusa, Kasumi Saegusa, and Takuma Shippou. The high school drama becomes entangled with an increasingly intricate web of magical politics and plots that threaten Tatsuya, his friends, and more. As of the time of writing, the total episode count is unknown, but the following arcs are confirmed to be adapted:

• Double Seven Arc (Volume 12)
• Steeplechase Arc (Volume 13)
• Ancient City Insurrection Arc (Volumes 14 and 15)

The Staff Behind Season 3

After a decade and a change in studios, it makes sense for things to look different, but in Irregular's case, the changes are remarkably subtle, yet reveal a refinement over the years. The animation has a slightly livelier look to it, not just in the action scenes, but in the small moments of character acting. The camera work feels dramatic thanks to some ambitious perspective shots, to say nothing of the shadows, which are bolder and draw more emotion out of the character animation.

Despite the changes, it retains a lot of its visual identity and this is thanks to returning staff members. Season 3's director is credited as Jimmy Stone, an animator who has been working on the series since it began. Likewise, Kana Ishida is yet again the character designer and chief animation director, as she has been for the entire series. Ishida was a key animator on Code Geass and recently worked on Spy x Family CODE: White.

A new addition to the staff is art director Kouki Nagayoshi, who previously was a background artist on Fate/Stay Night: Heaven's Feel, Haruhi Suzumiya, and art director for 2017's Re: Creators. They are accompanied by a series regular; art designer Yuho Taniuchi, who has also worked on Attack on Titan, Spy x Family, and Sword Art Online. Wataru Inata (AKA Kou Inaba), who worked on Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, serves as the mechanical designer.

The Music

As if the production team behind Season 3 wasn't celebrating the anime's 10th anniversary enough already, LiSA is back performing the OP. "Rising Hope" from Season 1 might be the best anime theme in LiSA's vast discography - though there is stiff competition. It's certainly what drew many fans to the anime in the first place, and for those who have missed out on it since, her return might be the best advertisement the show could ask for.

"Shouted Serenade" is the new theme, and it's clear from the small sample in the trailer that LiSA is evoking segments of "Rising Hope" in this new, similarly bombastic track. The musical delights extend far beyond the opening theme, however, as once again Taku Iwasaki is composing the original score. Iwasaki has long been one of the very best of his craft, having composed Gurren Lagann, Soul Eater, Bungo Stray Dogs, and much more.

In 2021, The Irregular at Magic High School celebrated the 10th anniversary of the novel series with the Remembrance Arc adaptation. More than two years later, it's the anime's turn to celebrate a decade that was mostly spent waiting for the adaptation to even continue. After its return, the series has been blessed with continued success, and Season 3 looks to be upping the ante, and reminding fans why that decade was one worth remembering.

The Irregular at Magic High School Season 3 premieres April 5 and will be streaming on Crunchyroll.

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