「かわいいヒナには旅をさせろ」 (Kawaii Hito ni wa Tabi wo Saseru)
“Send Your Cute Hina on a Journey”

OP Sequence

OP: 「BUTTERFLY EFFECTOR」by TRUE

「合体は一日にしてならず/花よりおにぎり」 (Gattai wa ichinichi ni shite narazu/Hana yori onigiri)
“Transforming is Not Mastered in a Day/Rice Balls over Flowers”

If Wikipedia is to be believed, I must have travelled ahead in time. The 2nd episode is up, despite being pegged to air on the 8th July. This confusion is what caused me to be slow on the uptake, in regards to releasing this post. Not that it matters. The summer season truly begins, and let me preface this post by saying I’ve never seen the original Luck and Logic. What I’ve heard hasn’t been too great. But there really aren’t many things that excite like a baptism of fire. Here goes!

First Episode Quick Recap

Tractor up the mountain, scruffy girl in tow, it is here that we already get a reminder that looks can be deceiving. Contrary to her country bumpkin appearance, who could have guessed that Liones Yelistratova (Madoka Asahina) was a stowaway princess from another country?! She enrols into the ALCA, an institution dedicated to training Logicalists, those who wield special powers that make or break the balance of world peace. There, she meets many new people, and a surprise old acquaintance in Nina Alexandrovna (Yamamura Hibiku). Her initiation into the academy includes a debacle where she loses control over her latent powers, falls into a river with Nina, and faints in a hotspring while bathing with the other girls.

General Impressions

So far so good, as the show is shaping up to be everything Takaii said it would be:

“It feels like Hina Logi: From Luck & Logic is going to be something along the lines of a school-life/slice-of-life show that integrates magic and magical-looking girls to spice things up.”

Welcome to the vibrant world of Logicalists, where partners are contracted through cards, in order to use their powers for battle through a process called trancing! The art was pretty gorgeous if not ‘chibiful’ at times, with the colourful and bright palette being quite a treat. For me, the show does a really fantastic job with magical girl transformations. You get an initial sequence reminiscent of Madoka Magica, which is then topped off with a stylised pose set in an artistic frame. The ensuing action hasn’t been too bad so far, and I hope this is merely but a taste of what is to come. There really is potential for some cool magical girl style battles to go down! But Belle was my favourite thing about the episodes, and she has to be the most adorable thing I’ve seen so far this season! This token mascot wasn’t just for show, often interacting with other members of the cast, but not taking over scenes in a way that detracts from Lion.

The cast comprises of various interesting members, and already, we’re presented with plot threads. Despite possessing top Logicalist capabilities, the ice-cold Nina is told by her superior that she has room to improve, without being given any hints as to what this could possibly be. If I had to wager a guess, this probably refers to developing some semblance of a humanity via social interactions. I look forwards to seeing how Nina will resolve this by forming friendships with everyone else, and learning to care for them as the series goes on. Judging by how things are going, I’m expecting gradual reveals where other characters have their own sets of problems that need sorting out, in between all the fun we’re getting. At the moment, I’m really liking Mahiro (Takamori Natsumi) for her mad scientist vibes, and Yuuko (Ueda Kana) for the tranquil ‘Ara ara’ she constantly gives off (much like a certain Undine from Aria). My fingers are crossed in the hopes that these two will receive more character development!

Concluding Thoughts

If this show flew under your radar, I suggest that you should definitely give it a try. Overall, Hina Loji ~from Luck & Logic~ is pretty energetic and most importantly it oozes fun. With its quirky characters, cute girl antics, and a magical girl trading card game premise, I have to confess that these first two episodes have me completely hooked. I’ll personally be sticking around for more!

ED Sequence

ED: 「ベィビィバード!~ガクエンロジック~」 (Baby Bird!!: Gakuen Logic) by Leones Yelistratova (Asahina Madoka), Nina Alexandrovna (Yamamura Hibiku), Mahiro Kyoubashi (Takamori Natsumi)

19 Comments

  1. Um… all of your image links in the body of your review are broken. Every single one of them 404s.

    Anyway, this appears to be set chronologically after the previous series, given the comments about the invasion being over, and that radio bit in the beginning with Yukari and Chloe (two characters from the previous series).

    Wanderer
    1. Hey Wanderer. All fixed! It was an issue caused by a strange interaction between & and the automated hyperlink.

      I wouldn’t have known that, because I didn’t watch the original series, so thanks for the useful information!

  2. This anime is surprisingly interesting… But i will still wait for episode 3 and see if this will go to my MUST watch list or will become a filler to my weekly anime schedule or will be dropped

    Jeffers
  3. What’s going on with the release schedule seems to be that they’re dropping episodes a week in advance to internet streaming services like CR and whatever services they have on Japan (or you could say the TV broadcast is a week behind). The point is, the plan is for subs to be a week ahead of the TV broadcast

    bassgs435
  4. I must say I’m disappointed that they went the moeblob route with this season. Especially after the first season had a more serious tone..

    They could have easily continued Yoshichika Tsurugis story, but they gave us this. Blah.

    Lyfe
    1. I always need one moeblob show per season. Last season, it was Hinako Note. The season before, it was Urara Meirochou. It provides some good wind down, and serves as a Hors D’oeuvres that whets the appetite, for all the better stuff in a season.

      1. It just feels like a downgrade for the franchise to go along this route. Especially when they had enough of a set-up with the original series to make a multi-season, multi-character arc for Yoshichika and co.

        I’m not judging anyone who likes this show, if anything there are probably a billion other anime shows with moeblob characters with generic character types. I’m just disappointed by the abandonment of the original cast for this.

        Lyfe
      2. You DO know that almost nobody likeled the original MC, right? And that the original show flopped? And that the original cast lacked any real personality, right?

        DmonHiro
      3. Nobody, like who? This is like the only English anime community I bother to post on. I don’t really know or care about any other. On your flopped point, these shows are made pretty much to sell the cards(The sales aren’t hugely relevant on DVD/BD). The Wixoss anime shows weren’t big sellers either(Mostly flops), but they never went along the moeblob route, and it didn’t stop them producing proper sequels.

        As for the personality point, that’s a matter of opinion, though I doubt you’ll see or experience any better with this series. Nor will it sell any better than the original series either.

        Lyfe
    2. Honestly, the serious parts were where last season struggled so I can’t say I’m devastated to see them go. And with who the radio voices in the first episode were we might find out what happened to Yoshichika anyway.

      Aex
  5. Honestly, I have nothing against just making a show whose sole purpose in a Grand Scale of things is world-building, even though it’s more or less an SoL / Magical Girl series. I mean, what’s wrong with a couple of action here and there, and some sweet sweet diabetes?

    … Well, unless you weren’t as invested in Luck & Logic’s World, in which case, that’s kinda sad.

    And honestly, if you’re watching at least one other series that can be as dark as it can get, a slice of life will definitely cheer you up. This is one of my recommendation lists, especially for people who can’t seem to get over Symphogear’s cliffhangers.

    ronelm2000
  6. I dropped the original show after the first episode because I couldn’t bring myself to care about the cast but this hits all the right buttons for me when it comes to a CGDCT show. Definitely worth that watch if you like shows about cute girls doing cute things.

    Jason
    1. It sounds like you care less about the show being a Luck and Logic based show and more about the show having moeblobs. I was going to make that point above when replying to Zaiden that the show would appeal to people like that, with the title and premise being totally irrelevant because moeblobs.

      Lyfe
      1. That’s correct. I don’t know the card game (as I imagine most overseas watcher do, given that it’s Japanese only) and I dropped the original show too after 1 episode. This show seems much greater for people who don’t know or care about the card game (or the lame MC) and just want some cute and light-hearted fun.

  7. Luck and logic is unique. Its not a good show. But its not a bad flop show like Big Order. The first season of luck and logic story and character is vibrant AMD interesting. Its serious but fun, Its unique in a good kind of way.

    But hina logi isn’t that good. Its throw what the first season did Out of the Window. The magic fantasy battle is reduced to moeblob, cute girls, with generic and cringeworthy moment. I know its harsh. But as someone who watch the first season. I think hina logi isn’t the kind of show it meant to be.

    Shinwinds
    1. You might disagree, but I feel like the world of Hina Logi is the direct consequence of the events of the OG Season. After all, without that sense of world peace, this show would just come off as a rip-off of KanColle, or a more focused BGHS, or Schoolgirl Strikers.

      As is, it gives a similar vibe to Mahou Shoujo Lyrical ViViD, and that’s honestly a good thing! we’ll see how much action is thrown in there, but as is, there’s already enough for what has been advertised from the start as a light magical-girl-esque series.

      ronelm2000
  8. Didn’t watch Luck and Logic, and it seems it’s not a sequel either despite the timeline is placed after Luck & Logic (according to comments posted before me) so I think it’s okay if it separate itself from the said serious tone of original Luck and Logic. It’s an okay anime and I’ll think of this as more of a weekly dose of SoL/CGDCT.

    But Belle was my favourite thing about the episodes, and she has to be the most adorable thing I’ve seen so far this season!

    YES. Belle’s various expression is my favorite thing so far in this show xD

    raxar
  9. Honestly, Luck & Logic was an OK show. The best character was Quetzalcoatl and the only other stand out character was his human logician. Pity we don’t have him back.

    Hina Logi, so far at least, has less action and dramatic stakes, and is also an OK show abet one without any good standout characters (yet).

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