Mahouka LN - Spoiler-restricted Q&A (for people who want short, simple answers only)

[Kairin]

This thread is for those of you with simple questions about the Mahouka light novels where you just want simple answers, and not unneeded spoilers. There are many questions that don't need a whole thread to discuss them. A simple practical answer straight from the source without any speculation can solve these conundrums. If someone has such a question about Mahouka which can be solved by answering with facts from an official source, then please ask that question here.

Please don't post in this thread unless you are asking a question or answering one. Please remember that it only takes 1 person to answer a question. And don't speculate! You can only reply with cold, hard, merciliessly unforgivable facts. If you have to speculate, then please just tell the querrant that no answer is known, but here are some facts that might help him make up his own mind.

We have a bunch of other Q&A/Discussion Threads for other topics, including: Magic & Technology, World and Setting, Character Powers, Families, and Other. In these other threads spoiler can be discussed openly. So please only use this thread for simple Q&A when you don't want unneeded spoilers or details. If the question goes beyond the scope of a simple question/answer, and you want more advanced spoilers, you are encouraged to check out the other threads.

For the purpose of this thread, we discourage anything that reveals important or significant details about plot or characters, and such information should not be posted unless it is required to answer a direct question. In such cases, please use spoiler tags, as explained below.

---

Untagged spoilers are risking a ban. There are two ways to create clearly marked spoiler tags, as shown below:

The easy way: By simply clicking on this icon which can be found in the Quick Reply or Reply to Thread template.

or

The macho way: By using those uber vB codes as shown in the following...

Spoiler Tag Example

[spoiler=title, i.e. your reason for the spoiler tag]Don't forget to use a title for the spoiler![/spoiler]

...becomes...

Spoiler for title:

Don't forget to use a title for the spoiler!

[Mentar]

Woooooo-hoooooooo

I hope it's okay to just write a big big "Thank you" for creating this subforum in this thread (didn't see a better match). This will help to finally sort discussions properly and avoid the spaghetti mashup of the past!

A big thank you to the mods!

[bietchie11]

Ok, first question: why do you guys close the original, official and old-school LN thread??
What is its substitute?
I want a general discussion thread so I can just bookmark it for easy access, not spinning over bunch of sub-forums that only serve the benifit of anime-only viewers.

[kusabireika]

If I guess the old tread is compost of many topics a mash-up of on-topic & off-topic it is same hs dxd very old treads according of my experience

[Galacticichi]

Originally Posted by bietchie11

Ok, first question: why do you guys close the original, official and old-school LN thread??
What is its substitute?
I want a general discussion thread so I can just bookmark it for easy access, not spinning over bunch of sub-forums that only serve the benifit of anime-only viewers.

Also really would appreciate a thread like that although we should move these comments to the requests for new threads.

[IceHism]

Is there even any spoiler restricted question that needs to be answered in mahouka anyways? Literally everything in the plot is either foreshadowed or explained.

[Rava]

Originally Posted by IceHism

Is there even any spoiler restricted question that needs to be answered in mahouka anyways? Literally everything in the plot is either foreshadowed or explained.

It's intended for anime viewers who have questions about things they see in the anime but don't want a spoiler ridden info dump answer for it. It's possible some of the foreshadowing is so subtle that people won't see it in the future anime episodes.

[c933103]

I see some comments on the show and I would like novel readers explain their view on this without spoiler...

Spoiler for some comment:

Original author: 反竹川
Original publishing date: 2013-12-18 07:11 (GMT+8)
Original address: http://tieba.baidu.com/p/2766226257
Original posted on: Baidu Tieba, moe-war(saimoe) division
Background Information: Network Novel is not really anywhere near positive in the atmosphere of that Chinese social network space where this passage originally posted, due to the nature of global network culture, and is used to represent works that have similar characteristics
Remark I: My translation cannot fully reflect what the original post worte due to my own limited capability
Ramark II: This article is the reason why some Chinese-using peoplpe use "the light of Heisei" as a short form to call Mahouka
Remark III: From wikipedia: Heisei (平成) is the current era in Japan. The Heisei era started on 8 January 1989, the first day after the death of the reigning Emperor, Hirohito. His son, Akihito ...
Translation of title: MKR, the light of Heisei! MahouRettou must be starting a new era for LN-adapted anime!
Translation of content:
Mainstream teenagers had just accepted Light Novel in the past twenty or thirty years, but to talk about all those rise and fall of fashion shifting in it, that would be more vivid and splendid than political struggles of any little African countries.

Japanese LN beginned from flooding of shoujo novels in 1970s, and then space drama type of epic scifi going popular in 1980s, after that in 1990s it developed into a carrier for a type of literature and subculture that is based on TRPG and Sekai Type novel, tightly connected to anime and manga in the same age, all of them uses the setting of interpersonal relationship as a starting point, closely connected to social life at that time, and to a greater degree expressed contradiction of humanity, contradiction of people against themselves, and contradiction of individuals against society. These artistic expression method allow LNs of that era, not just carrying abundant amount of literature and art content in it, but also serve as an awakening call to Japanese teenagers at that time which are experiencing Heisei Economic Growth.

But what heartbreaking is that, since the arrivial of new ceuntry, by the SWuzumiya Haruhi anime's hit and MF bunko J shifted into uchronia fantasy genre, selling moe/ero plus useless male protagonist starting to be the majority of Japanese LN. At the same time, by the childisation of readers and deterioration of reading quality, as well as collapse and death of Sci-Fi works, all these turned Japanese anime-manga culture into part of low-end commercial competition, and even their consumeristic value are being extracting to its end, new generation of Heisei boys had forgotten the honor and pride from age of their father, given up what they hold and fallen be moe pig. Even Okada Toshio whom title himself as OtaKing, cryed out "オタクはすでに死んでいる (Otaku is already dead)".

When those authors and editors wake up from the laurels they were resting on and witnessed the setting sun on top of those moe pig, a new sun is now rising in the closely connected network novel area. It would be another rise and fall for different superior medium.

Year 2012, the year representing catastrophe in Hollywood movie, must leave an important remark on Japanese LN history. On July of this year, three of four Japanese LN that being called as four excellence in Network Novel Type: Sword Art Online, Campione!, and Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero, are having their anime air one after another, lightened interest on anime and manga among ordinary people again in Japan like a bomb. It can be observed via Google Trend, by comparing statistical data before and after August 2012, keywords related to Japanese Anime-Manga industry reversed their falling trend and started their rapid growth. Japanese Network novels are just like a wisp of breeze that injected new vivid power into the dying industry.

And it is the April next year, last of the four excellence in Japanese Network Novel Genre: Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei is now finally coming late in this time and must lead the re-activation of the whole industry and form a new trend after 2 years of time!

Across the whole history, while the creation of Asahi Sonorama Bunko had been viewed as the earliest starter of LN, but it's until year 1977 when Arai Motoko started writing and established New spoken-written-language-unification style that made the LN gain its status and let Arai Motoko be honored as the beginning of Light Novels. For the same reason, although works like SAO created Network Novel stream and leaded the improvement of the whole industry, but to made it into a social phenomenon, and extend influence of Japanese anime-manga around the globe, it can only be achieved be Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei.

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei make its name sound as a network novel, is "a work that effectively elaborate the 'network novel specific out-of-order style' to the maximum extent" (As Kawahara Reki said). As a network novel, writer Satou Tsutomu bravely used creational writing method, using interpersonal relationship as a guiding point, cut in via mentality of characters, and added fine description on their emotion and action, detaily illustrated the cluster of "revolver" centered with protagonist Tatsuya, with "Liberate magican from the identity of being used as item/weapon" as the ideal, resist and against the whole social machine that's suppressing magicians, expressing how the writer criticize and reflect on the modern society that, judge people's quality by their result, divide and reflect every fresh people as according to their result coldly. And all of these, are what lacked by nowadays Japanese teens that're poisoned by exam-oriented education. It is the shout made by writer Satou Tsutomu to waken anaesthetic Japanese people, it is the light of Heisei!

The setting of Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei is huge, and it have a sophisticated setting. Unlike other works that also focused on setting at the same time, e.g. Horizon or Toaru series, setting of Mahouka is progressively completed alongside the progress of writing. As setting are growing more and more meticulous and detailed, and would not be limited by obsolete structure, thus it have a wide creational space, author successfully shown his own fantasy world to readers step by step, without feeling odd or the feeling of mechanically adding parts into the story.

For character description, author abandoned the "labeling" method used by LN at past, instead created one after another supporting characters with unique personality&emotion via vivid languages and action description. Bishoujo throwing herself on and loyal, childhood playmate that's natural airhead and not emotionless, it's just like oasis inside desert to readers who are deeply influenced by the usual configuration of character description seen in traditional light novel, greatly enriched reader's sensing power.

Different characters in the book are all having mature personality, have a higher emotional quantity. Especially the male protagonist, when processing romantic relationships, he calm and decisive, cruel and strong, kill whenever it is needed without any hesitation, avoided negative influence on the work like those male protagonist that would just talk.

On top of that, this book preciously returned to last ceuntry's sci-fi style, although themed with magic, all its fine setting and world structure revealed its nature as a sci-fi work. Description about social system, life of ordinary population, and the world structure are quite completed. Usually, it'd be very hard to attach fantasy element into realistic world view, as the fantasy power can't be too strong to alter the world's technology and social structure, and it can neither be too small to be marginalized and made people with those fantasy power hard to act. Which power are known among general public, which are to attract people's attention, which can be done scientifically, which would be more effective when done in magic....all of these are details that general readers would not care, that Mahouka's writer pay extra details on these, making this reality+alpha world able to established lively. This seem to be simple, but is actually the hardest point.

The trend of future Japanese LN, mainstream would surely be powerful and fervent, and those trash moe works represented by OreGairu would be an backwash, although the counter-revolutionary backwash seem to be pressing down fervent mainstream, but by the airing of Mahouka animation, fervent mainstream will surely beat counter-revolutionary backwash!

One cannot resist the trend of the whole world; whoever follows it will rise, whoever opposes it, will perish.

[CatRules]

Originally Posted by c933103

I see some comments on the show and I would like novel readers explain their view on this without spoiler...

Personally, I don't know what to comment other than "yeah, that's Mahouka."

I think most novel reader who have finished Vol12 already know the main focus of Mahouka is actually about politic/social value. The more perceptive ones might have figured it out since Vol.6.

So I don't have anything to say other than that the novel reader wasn't lying when they said "the very first parts were just hints, the real thing comes later."

by the way, there's HUGE spoiler about Tatsuya's goal that should be hinted in Vol.2 and explicitly revealed in Vol. 6 in that quote, you know

[IceHism]

Originally Posted by c933103

I see some comments on the show and I would like novel readers explain their view on this without spoiler...

Spoiler for some comment:

Original author: 反竹川
Original publishing date: 2013-12-18 07:11 (GMT+8)
Original address: http://tieba.baidu.com/p/2766226257
Original posted on: Baidu Tieba, moe-war(saimoe) division
Background Information: Network Novel is not really anywhere near positive in the atmosphere of that Chinese social network space where this passage originally posted, due to the nature of global network culture, and is used to represent works that have similar characteristics
Remark I: My translation cannot fully reflect what the original post worte due to my own limited capability
Ramark II: This article is the reason why some Chinese-using peoplpe use "the light of Heisei" as a short form to call Mahouka
Remark III: From wikipedia: Heisei (平成) is the current era in Japan. The Heisei era started on 8 January 1989, the first day after the death of the reigning Emperor, Hirohito. His son, Akihito ...
Translation of title: MKR, the light of Heisei! MahouRettou must be starting a new era for LN-adapted anime!
Translation of content:
Mainstream teenagers had just accepted Light Novel in the past twenty or thirty years, but to talk about all those rise and fall of fashion shifting in it, that would be more vivid and splendid than political struggles of any little African countries.

Japanese LN beginned from flooding of shoujo novels in 1970s, and then space drama type of epic scifi going popular in 1980s, after that in 1990s it developed into a carrier for a type of literature and subculture that is based on TRPG and Sekai Type novel, tightly connected to anime and manga in the same age, all of them uses the setting of interpersonal relationship as a starting point, closely connected to social life at that time, and to a greater degree expressed contradiction of humanity, contradiction of people against themselves, and contradiction of individuals against society. These artistic expression method allow LNs of that era, not just carrying abundant amount of literature and art content in it, but also serve as an awakening call to Japanese teenagers at that time which are experiencing Heisei Economic Growth.

But what heartbreaking is that, since the arrivial of new ceuntry, by the SWuzumiya Haruhi anime's hit and MF bunko J shifted into uchronia fantasy genre, selling moe/ero plus useless male protagonist starting to be the majority of Japanese LN. At the same time, by the childisation of readers and deterioration of reading quality, as well as collapse and death of Sci-Fi works, all these turned Japanese anime-manga culture into part of low-end commercial competition, and even their consumeristic value are being extracting to its end, new generation of Heisei boys had forgotten the honor and pride from age of their father, given up what they hold and fallen be moe pig. Even Okada Toshio whom title himself as OtaKing, cryed out "オタクはすでに死んでいる (Otaku is already dead)".

When those authors and editors wake up from the laurels they were resting on and witnessed the setting sun on top of those moe pig, a new sun is now rising in the closely connected network novel area. It would be another rise and fall for different superior medium.

Year 2012, the year representing catastrophe in Hollywood movie, must leave an important remark on Japanese LN history. On July of this year, three of four Japanese LN that being called as four excellence in Network Novel Type: Sword Art Online, Campione!, and Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero, are having their anime air one after another, lightened interest on anime and manga among ordinary people again in Japan like a bomb. It can be observed via Google Trend, by comparing statistical data before and after August 2012, keywords related to Japanese Anime-Manga industry reversed their falling trend and started their rapid growth. Japanese Network novels are just like a wisp of breeze that injected new vivid power into the dying industry.

And it is the April next year, last of the four excellence in Japanese Network Novel Genre: Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei is now finally coming late in this time and must lead the re-activation of the whole industry and form a new trend after 2 years of time!

Across the whole history, while the creation of Asahi Sonorama Bunko had been viewed as the earliest starter of LN, but it's until year 1977 when Arai Motoko started writing and established New spoken-written-language-unification style that made the LN gain its status and let Arai Motoko be honored as the beginning of Light Novels. For the same reason, although works like SAO created Network Novel stream and leaded the improvement of the whole industry, but to made it into a social phenomenon, and extend influence of Japanese anime-manga around the globe, it can only be achieved be Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei.

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei make its name sound as a network novel, is "a work that effectively elaborate the 'network novel specific out-of-order style' to the maximum extent" (As Kawahara Reki said). As a network novel, writer Satou Tsutomu bravely used creational writing method, using interpersonal relationship as a guiding point, cut in via mentality of characters, and added fine description on their emotion and action, detaily illustrated the cluster of "revolver" centered with protagonist Tatsuya, with "Liberate magican from the identity of being used as item/weapon" as the ideal, resist and against the whole social machine that's suppressing magicians, expressing how the writer criticize and reflect on the modern society that, judge people's quality by their result, divide and reflect every fresh people as according to their result coldly. And all of these, are what lacked by nowadays Japanese teens that're poisoned by exam-oriented education. It is the shout made by writer Satou Tsutomu to waken anaesthetic Japanese people, it is the light of Heisei!

The setting of Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei is huge, and it have a sophisticated setting. Unlike other works that also focused on setting at the same time, e.g. Horizon or Toaru series, setting of Mahouka is progressively completed alongside the progress of writing. As setting are growing more and more meticulous and detailed, and would not be limited by obsolete structure, thus it have a wide creational space, author successfully shown his own fantasy world to readers step by step, without feeling odd or the feeling of mechanically adding parts into the story.

For character description, author abandoned the "labeling" method used by LN at past, instead created one after another supporting characters with unique personality&emotion via vivid languages and action description. Bishoujo throwing herself on and loyal, childhood playmate that's natural airhead and not emotionless, it's just like oasis inside desert to readers who are deeply influenced by the usual configuration of character description seen in traditional light novel, greatly enriched reader's sensing power.

Different characters in the book are all having mature personality, have a higher emotional quantity. Especially the male protagonist, when processing romantic relationships, he calm and decisive, cruel and strong, kill whenever it is needed without any hesitation, avoided negative influence on the work like those male protagonist that would just talk.

On top of that, this book preciously returned to last ceuntry's sci-fi style, although themed with magic, all its fine setting and world structure revealed its nature as a sci-fi work. Description about social system, life of ordinary population, and the world structure are quite completed. Usually, it'd be very hard to attach fantasy element into realistic world view, as the fantasy power can't be too strong to alter the world's technology and social structure, and it can neither be too small to be marginalized and made people with those fantasy power hard to act. Which power are known among general public, which are to attract people's attention, which can be done scientifically, which would be more effective when done in magic....all of these are details that general readers would not care, that Mahouka's writer pay extra details on these, making this reality+alpha world able to established lively. This seem to be simple, but is actually the hardest point.

The trend of future Japanese LN, mainstream would surely be powerful and fervent, and those trash moe works represented by OreGairu would be an backwash, although the counter-revolutionary backwash seem to be pressing down fervent mainstream, but by the airing of Mahouka animation, fervent mainstream will surely beat counter-revolutionary backwash!

One cannot resist the trend of the whole world; whoever follows it will rise, whoever opposes it, will perish.

Being someone who dislikes comedy and the cuteness that is usually associated with moe. I agree that I want more serious stories with badass MCs and macro themes. Coming with good plot, fantastic world building, and decent character fleshing is also a bonus.

But the gist of the article is that the guy thinks moe/unseriousness + sissy weak protagonists is bad while stories like Mahouka is good.

[c933103]

Originally Posted by CatRules

Personally, I don't know what to comment other than "yeah, that's Mahouka."

I think most novel reader who have finished Vol12 already know the main focus of Mahouka is actually about politic/social value. The more perceptive ones might have figured it out since Vol.6.

So I don't have anything to say other than that the novel reader wasn't lying when they said "the very first parts were just hints, the real thing comes later."

by the way, there's HUGE spoiler about Tatsuya's goal that should be hinted in Vol.2 and explicitly revealed in Vol. 6 in that quote, you know

1. The one who write this post claim that he hadn't read the novel itself.
2. Some people think that this passage successfully tell readers about how bad the series is...

[IceHism]

Originally Posted by c933103

1. The one who write this post claim that he hadn't read the novel itself.
2. Some people think that this passage successfully tell readers about how bad the series is...

How does he pull a quote from the book without reading it?

And the article is praising Mahouka, so how is he telling people that it is bad? More people are willing to believe what someone writes than are willing to question it. He has probably attracted more Mahouka readers than he has driven away people.

[c933103]

Originally Posted by IceHism

How does he pull a quote from the book without reading it?

And the article is praising Mahouka, so how is he telling people that it is bad? More people are willing to believe what someone writes than are willing to question it. He has probably attracted more Mahouka readers than he has driven away people.

1. quote? which line?

2. the forum that originally post this comment seems like to do these kind of things..anyway, probably.

[IceHism]

Originally Posted by c933103

1. quote? which line?

2. the forum that originally post this comment seems like to do these kind of things..anyway, probably.

First there is a quote from the afterword of mahouka that mentioned kawahara reki and his praise for mahouka.

2nd, the quote of tatsuya to liberate magicians being seen as weapons is not revealed until volume 6 so its not like he got that out of the back of the book. He certainly has some knowledge of the novel

[jmaverf123]

Do you know guys what will they adapt in the LN? Will they adapt volume 6-7?

[c933103]

Originally Posted by IceHism

First there is a quote from the afterword of mahouka that mentioned kawahara reki and his praise for mahouka.

2nd, the quote of tatsuya to liberate magicians being seen as weapons is not revealed until volume 6 so its not like he got that out of the back of the book. He certainly has some knowledge of the novel

probably due to excessive spoiler all over internet....

[Kyuusaisha]

Finally got around to starting this now that the anime started airing and I have a simple question.

Spoiler:

Since Mayumi & Mari are third years at the beginning of the story do they no longer appear after the 1st year for the siblings has passed? Since, I've pretty much been reading spoilers like a crazy person since getting into this I wouldn't mind being spoiled even more since I couldn't really find information regarding this. Thanks

[HypeDemolition]

Originally Posted by Kyuusaisha

Finally got around to starting this now that the anime started airing and I have a simple question.

Spoiler:

Since Mayumi & Mari are third years at the beginning of the story do they no longer appear after the 1st year for the siblings has passed? Since, I've pretty much been reading spoilers like a crazy person since getting into this I wouldn't mind being spoiled even more since I couldn't really find information regarding this. Thanks

Spoiler for Year 2:

Mayumi is still relevant, no sign of Mari yet.

[Kyuusaisha]

Originally Posted by HypeDemolition

Spoiler for Year 2:

Mayumi is still relevant, no sign of Mari yet.

Many thanks, I'm sure more questions will come in due time.

[Moeterum]

So how good are the novels?

Should I keep watching the show?