Akashic Records of Bastard Magic Instructor

Synopsis

Sistine Fibel and her best friend Rumia Tingel attend a prestigious magical academy, where Sistine hopes to learn about Sky Castle as per her grandfather's last wish. When her favorite instructor retires, his replacement Glenn Radars appears lazy, incompetent, and unskilled at magic. Unknown to them, he is a former assassin from the Imperial Court Mage Corps suffering severe depression. An attack on the school by the previous instructor forces Glenn to reveal his true powers. Sistine realizes she misjudged him, and as his students draw him out of his depression, he finds meaning in teaching. The season concludes with a promise of more events to come.

Characters

Glenn Radars comes across as lazy, perverted, and perpetually disinterested, with his main hobby being napping. He steps in as a substitute teacher for Sistine's class after her beloved instructor retires. Despite his slacker appearance, Glenn possesses real magical skill, just not in the usual way. He lost his passion for magic following the death of his former partner, Sara Silvers, and his history as a military assassin nicknamed "The Fool." To counter traditional magic, he created his own technique called "The Fool's World," which stops all magic from being activated within a set area—including his own—though it cannot cancel spells already in effect. After disabling enemy magic, he relies on hand-to-hand combat to win. He cannot use combat magic effectively because it falls outside his specialty, but his deep theoretical knowledge of all magic types makes him a capable teacher, which often puts him at odds with professors who prefer memorization over understanding.

Sistine Fibel has a deep admiration for magic and dreams of uncovering the mystery of the Flying Castle, a secret no one has solved. She keeps a strict, serious attitude and frequently scolds Glenn for his laziness. At first, she despises him, convinced he is as useless as he appears due to his lack of drive. But once he begins teaching properly, she slowly and reluctantly comes to respect him as an excellent instructor. Her looks and personality remind Glenn of Sara Silvers. As the story moves forward, Sistine appears to develop romantic feelings for Glenn, though she is too timid to admit them. Her sister Rumia calls her "Sisti," while Glenn nicknames her "Punchie" for her quick magical attacks and "White Cat" because of her hairstyle.

Rumia Tingel is Sistine's best friend and adopted sister, taken in by Sistine's parents after she was the only survivor of an attack by evil mages. She shares a warm bond with Glenn, who treats her kindly, unlike the teasing he gives Sistine. Rumia is actually Princess Ermiana, the so-called "cursed" princess believed to have died three years ago. She remembers Glenn as "The Fool," the assassin who saved her life, which explains her immediate fondness for him. She has a strong spiritual essence and a special power called Amplifier, which boosts that essence even further.

Media

Seven Seas Entertainment holds the English license for the series. The anime adaptation, a television series produced by Liden Films and directed by Hiraku Kaneko, ran for twelve episodes from April to June 2017. Konomi Suzuki performed the opening theme "Blow Out," while the ending theme "Precious You" was sung by Akane Fujita, Yume Miyamoto, and Ari Ozawa. Crunchyroll offered a subtitled stream, and Funimation handled the home video release through their partnership.