Magic Knight Rayearth (2026)

Matsuoka showing up as Ferio with that lazy drawl was not on my bingo card and I am completely fine with it. Him actually getting a chill swordsman role instead of another screaming lead is the best casting choice this remake has made so far

Matsuoka voicing Ferio is such a left turn and I am absolutely here for it. Hearing that voice be smooth and weirdly charming instead of awkward harem lead is doing things

Umi getting dropped by the ice shards early and then the water dragon at the end. I was not prepared for her to go from the girl who wanted to bail on this world to that

ok the fact that the bracelets still work in a place that cancels magic is going to bug me all week. Someone explain this

Ferio pulling Fuu out of the way of that blast was the moment the whole thing clicked for me. Dude barely knows her and he just goes. That little look after sealed it

That green-haired guy showing up at the very end with Matsuoka's voice. Of course they cast him. Fuu please keep your distance

Dropping the honorifics after the fight got me. Umi and Fuu going from strangers bickering about directions to comrades of destiny inside three episodes should feel rushed but the monster did the convincing

The gauntlets still working in the no-magic forest bugs me more than it should. Either it's a rule or it isn't

Presea's face when she hears what Clef did to get them out. The candy at the end too. Small gesture but it landed harder than any speech could have

The kendo archery fencing reveal is what sold this for me. They earned their first win because they already trained for years. Not because a goddess handed them cheat codes

Honestly, imagery wise this remake efficiently captures the nostalgic vibes, even though its color palette is visibly too vibrant compared to the original's deeper color tones. Still, the nostalgic appeals remain fully intact while watching, and visually, I prefer these current character designs. Adding to that, the story's flow has not lost those chibi goofy reactions which brought fun to the narrative despite its very slow pace due to the heavy dialogue. Most of all, the world-renowned opening never fails to amaze me because it effectively anchors the sentimental feelings after all these years, bringing back a fond longing for this series.

Something about Fuu negotiating their way out of the forest with nothing but a polite smile and a promise got me. She just talked Ferio into being their bodyguard and the other two are standing there stunned

This anime brought back a nostalgic feeling.. A very good update on the animation and graphics.. And the theme song.. Man, it's pure bliss.. Magic Knight Rayearth is not the same without Yuzerenai Negai.. A theme song is part of the anime itself.. It's part of the anime's identity.. Kudos to the production using the original theme.

To be honest, the whole sequence that happened at the latter half of this episode was a huge foreshadowing to one of the most defining moment in the series, I'm glad they gave it justice. In the original, that scene was dragged out far too long than it needed to be, so yeah, it's another point for the remake. That, and there seems to be confirmation that there are going to be massive changes in the storyline as it goes forward. Admittedly, even as a fan of the original, I'm a bit stumped on what would happen next after all this. But I guess that's the beauty of it; this is not simply a rehash, the show is finding it's own identity, and they are making some respectable effort thus far.

Umi reminding Hikaru they had weapons mid-monster fight while her knees were basically jelly is such a Umi thing and I need more of her being annoyingly useful

That evil Fuu grin is going to live in my head rent free. Somebody animated that with actual malice and I respect it

Hikaru refusing to swing at the dog broke me more than the sword fight ever could. She just kept calling for Hikari to remember her

All the chibi cutaways during Presea's lecture got a bit much. Umi's giant beefing with Mokona is fun but you start wondering where the budget went

Starting off at a rather slow pace, this episode focuses heavily on building up the narrative core through theoretical conversations that felt quite sluggish for me. Nonetheless, as the story moves forward, it effectively showcases the strong dynamic between the main trio, supported by elevated stunning visual quality and animation executions. Despite these strengths, the shift in stakes felt a bit rushed, which appears like stitched-together clips added solely to force an extra thrill into the plot. As the end result looks decent, the transitions are fairly noticeable. And actually the comedic approach was quite funny, which clearly redeems the entry of this episode and successfully sets up an intriguing world building narrative core. Though I am still waiting for a deeper foundation to take shape.

And so we have the first ever battle in the series, and the animators spared no expense in reminding the viewers that they mean business with this remake. So keep an eye out for more in the coming episodes, they would definitely be crowd-pleasers for sure. Anyways, we are introduced to new characters with crucial roles in the narrative, in more ways than one. They're just as charming as in the original, but I hope they add more to their personalities as the show goes on. I'll admit, this has potential; if anything, there is a lot to look forward to in just the next few chapters of this story, worth your while to follow it through.