I'm a bit late with this show, so I hadn't much time trying to connects the dots, but I agree about this undefined feeling about it. I like the mood, it's smooth and relaxing, but definitely something is missing. Probably the characters are a bit bland, despite I like them, so connecting with them is not immediate. The storytelling is also disconnected at times. I still don't understand Sagara initial so strong harshness toward Izumiko, for one thing.
Anyways, talking about Takayanagi, I also felt confused about the recent revelation about his still high position in the school politic dynamics.
Probably, I'm guessing, the show failed emphasizing enough the fact that he got defeated by a non-human. That means basically that there wasn't a real match between them in the first place. In fact the "human students" didn't butt in, as they said, they were just viewers. Like when you call your big bro, ghost bro in this case, to take revenge from your bully schoolmate. From this perspective his humiliating defeat is less significant in the magic-school-contest context they are in. Because basically it was unfair.
But it's hard to get the real power of each faction in play, inside and outside the school, so it's confusing.
It's like they are prioritising the mood (pace) of the show over everything else. And I can't say yet if it's a better approach than filling-up the episodes with informations as much as they can.
