Official Trailer
Rating: 7.8/10 | Genre: Animation, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy | Seasons: 2 | Episodes: 24 | Status: Returning Series
Starring: Kohei Amasaki, Akira Sekine, Reiko Suzuki, Atsushi Tamaru, Shinya Takahashi
I just finished binging Wistoria: Wand and Sword and honestly? It’s a lot of fun. Not a masterpiece or anything, but if you like anime that doesn’t take itself too seriously and just wants to give you some good action scenes, this one’s solid. The premise sounds gimmicky at first (magic school but the main guy uses a sword instead), but the show actually makes it work.
The animation is clean, the fights are engaging, and Will Serfort is the kind of protagonist who actually earns your respect. He’s not whining about not having magic. He’s just grinding, getting better with his sword, and proving people wrong through sheer determination. That’s a vibe I can get behind.
Season 1
Season 1 sets everything up pretty straightforwardly. Will gets into this magic academy despite being unable to cast spells, which everyone thinks is hilarious. His classmates are skeptical. Some of them are downright mean about it. But he’s got his sword skills, so he starts showing them what he can do.
The first few episodes are all about establishing the world and the academy life. There’s training, some team-building stuff, and Will gradually earning respect by actually being useful in dangerous situations. It’s the kind of slow burn that works because the fights are good and the character dynamics feel natural.
Around the middle of the season, things pick up. The academy orders students to collect ice cores from monsters, and that’s when you start seeing real stakes. Will teams up with some classmates, including Sion, who’s this overpowered magic user that everyone fawns over. The dynamic between them is interesting because Sion actually respects Will even though Will can’t cast spells. It’s not some drawn-out rivalry. They’re just two strong people who acknowledge each other’s abilities.
The back half of season 1 is where it gets good. There’s a praxis, which is basically a big tournament or trial, and Will has to actually prove himself against real competition. The action here is solid. Nothing mind-blowing, but it’s choreographed well and you actually care about the outcome because you’ve spent time with these characters.
My only complaint about season 1 is that some of the side characters feel a little flat. They’re there, they have their moments, but they don’t always feel like real people. It’s not a deal-breaker though. The show knows who it is. It’s about Will and his journey.
Season 2
Season 2 jumps ahead two months and everything gets darker. The stakes go up. There’s a monster horde incident during what’s supposed to be a celebration, and suddenly the academy is under attack. This is when the show stops feeling like a fun school anime and starts feeling like an actual adventure.
Things escalate in a way that caught me off guard. Without spoiling anything, there are real consequences. People die. Will loses his cool in a way that makes sense given what he’s been through. The show doesn’t shy away from making him suffer a little, which I appreciated.
Season 2 is faster paced than season 1. It doesn’t spend as much time on academy life and training montages. Instead, it’s pushing the plot forward and putting characters in situations where they have to actually change and grow. Rosty’s sacrifice is a turning point that hits harder than I expected. It’s not gratuitous. It actually means something.
The action in season 2 is also a step up. The fights are bigger and more intense. Will has to figure out new ways to use his sword because straight-up strength isn’t always enough anymore. He’s facing enemies that require strategy and growth. That’s good storytelling. The show isn’t just rehashing the same thing.
The only issue I had with season 2 is that it ends on a cliffhanger that makes you want a season 3 immediately. I get that it’s a returning series and there’s probably more coming, but man, they leave you hanging.
Overall, Wistoria is worth your time if you like anime action and you don’t need everything to be perfect. The premise is fun, the main character is likable, and both seasons deliver on what they promise. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s entertaining and it keeps you interested in what happens next. Are you a fan of anime with more sword-fighting and less magical exposition? Then you should definitely check this out.
Episode Guide
Season 1 (12 Episodes)
Episode 1: Like a Lone Sword (8.3/10)
Driven by a childhood promise, Will Serfort is determined to rise to the top of Magical Academy Rigarden and become one of the greatest mages the world has ever seen. There's just one problem… Will can't use magic.
Episode 2: As Though Undaunted (7.6/10)
Sion's defeat of a formidable monster is the talk of the academy, but only he and a few teachers know the truth. Edward in particular can't accept it, so, as a teacher at the academy, he prepares a special lesson for a particular student.
Episode 3: Order & Watcher (8.6/10)
Lady Elfaria issues an order to the academy—gather Frost Walker ice cores. Will quickly heads into the dungeon, but it's already full of others trying to fulfill the order. As he looks for a less crowded area, he spots a fellow student under attack!
Episode 4: The Eve of the Grand Festival (8.2/10)
The whole academy is buzzing about the upcoming festival, but Will hasn't entered any of the events due to his lack of magic. Instead, he focuses on his studies and earning money for tuition. Then, a top student from his year shows up where he works.
Episode 5: Raise the Starting Pistol (7.8/10)
With Colette's help, Will enters the Grand Magic Festival. The crowd goes wild watching him advance with Colette's magic and his own astounding physical strength. But for the third member of their team, it's a reminder of a painful humiliation.
Episode 6: Between Pride and Passion (8.5/10)
Sion suddenly attacks Will in the middle of their event at the Grand Magic Festival. Sion's emotions fuel his magic as Will struggles to understand Sion's actions. Meanwhile, Julius draws ever closer to the stadium and winning the event.
Episode 7: Twelve Secret Ice Magics, El Glace Frosse (8.6/10)
Will is under attack. Julius is using one of the Twelve Secret Ice Magics invented by the genius mage Elfaria. The arena falls silent in shock and admiration. But no one knows Elfaria's magic better than Will and his counterattack starts now.
Episode 8: Shall we date? (6.8/10)
Students at the academy suddenly see Will in a different light and he receives a flood of invitations to join their parties for the upcoming all-student praxis. Colette panics and arranges a date with Will, but an unexpected third party shows up.
Episode 9: Praxis Begins (8.8/10)
The all-student praxis begins. Lihanna, Wignall, Julius, Sion, and Will, with Colette tagging along, dive into the dungeon together. Though Will's usefulness is questioned, they push forward to floor 10 and their primary target—the Luminous Naberus.
Episode 10: Our Dream (8.4/10)
Will and the others fall into a dangerous region of the dungeon. Separated from the others, Wignall reluctantly opens up to Will, sharing the source of his insecurities. Meanwhile, two mages cloaked in dark magic appear before Colette and Lihanna.
Episode 11: The True Name of Cowards (8.8/10)
Surrounded by countless monsters, Will and the others are in trouble. Even so, Will says they should fight. Faced with an Evil Grand Duke, the same monster that plunged them down to floor 11, will the party retreat or will they make a stand?
Episode 12: Wand and Sword (8.2/10)
Led by wand and sword, Will strikes at the Grand Duke, but even its defeat may not be enough to grant them escape from the dungeon. Meanwhile, Workner and Edward race to reach them in time, but things look bleak. Still, Will isn't one to give up.
Season 2 (12 Episodes)
Episode 13: Barrier Day
Two months after the all-student praxis, Will and the rest of the sixth-years face their written exams with their ascension to the tower on the line, but Edward's final question shocks everyone. Meanwhile in Urbus Rigarden, the new year's celebration, Terminalia, begins. Crowds watch as the Magia Vander lay out a new Great Barrier. Then, a disturbing magic circle appears in the night sky.
Episode 14: The Party from Hell Begins (8/10)
A horde of monsters from the deepest floors appears, transforming the festive capital into a hellish scene. Sensing that they're the targets, the Magia Vander stay within the tower. The city’s defenses fall before the mage slayer wielding High Dinoboros. Colette and the dwarves join Will, putting up a desperate resistance. The Headless activates a magic circle and a Devander appears before Will!
Episode 15: One Single Magic Spell
Rosty sacrifices himself to protect Will. The sight causes Will to lose himself, but Workner swoops in to save him. Edward and the other mages put their lives on the line, but the city’s defenses begin to collapse and enemies close in. As Will laments his lack of magic, Finn appears before him carrying a sword. Will possesses but a single spell. Finn asks Will its name and extends a sword to him.
Episode 16: And the Story Begins
Guided by Finn, Will awakens the power sleeping within him. Enveloped in a silvery light, he slashes through the monsters in the capital, targeting the Devander. He faces the mage-slayer-wielding monster alone. The other students are moved as they watch Will, someone they scorned, do battle. With their cheers at his back, Will presses the fight, but the Devander’s attack breaks his sword in two.
Episode 17: The Day of Departure
Through the combined powers of wand and sword, Will defeats the Devander with his mageblade Wis. Despite mass casualties and the leader of the attack going unknown, the capital begins to move toward recovery. And so, the day of the magical academy graduation arrives. After losing Rosty and having his path to the tower cut off, Will watches as the names of those ascending to the tower are read…
Episode 18: The First Bloom
At last, Will sets foot in the tower where Elfaria awaits. His excitement at seeing the town on the first floor is short-lived. The Bloom begins and Sion, Colette, Lihanna, and Wignall, who were all scouted as students, are welcomed into their respective factions. Will and the others learn the truth-without a faction, they will spend their lives as cogs in the machine supporting the tower.
Episode 19: He Said He Would No Longer Hang His Head
Episode 20: Episode 20
Episode 21: Episode 21
Episode 22: Episode 22
Episode 23: Episode 23
Episode 24: Episode 24
Where to Watch
Stream on: Crunchyroll, Crunchyroll Amazon Channel, Sony Liv
Buy on: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home