The first season of this anime comes from the author Kurokata‘s work: “The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic” is indeed the title of an isekai fantasy light novel series that contains illustrations by KeG. Studio Add and Shin-Ei Animation collaborated in producing the TV series, which debuted in Japan on January 5, 2024.
The high school student Ken Usato is living monotonous days, and despite not being unhappy with anything, he thinks that his life is out of the reach of those of the smart and beautiful council president Suzune Inukami and the handsome vice president Kazuki Ryusen. On a rainy day, Usato ends up walking with Suzune and Kazuki who stop to listen to the unexpected and distant sound of a bell. A magic circle appears at the feet of the three students, who are suddenly sucked into another dimension. When they reopen their eyes, they find themselves in front of King Lloyd, who explains that the summoning heroes technique was their last resort for defeating the king of demons who is threatening the peace of the kingdom of Lyngle. To convince a reluctant Kazuki and an enthusiastic Suzune, the king and the entire court kneel before their heroes. But Usato, not having heard the bells of the magic circle used for the summoning, realizes he has been dragged along by chance. Resigned to living as a civilian under the protection of the other two heroes, he will meet Rose, the leader of the kingdom rescue squad, who will change his life.
The birth of the rescue squad is explained through a flashback on Rose’s life, when she was still the battalion commander of the Knights of Lyngle. During the battle against Nero Argence, Rose loses all her sword companions. Grief is a wound difficult to heal, and Rose withdraws into solitude: she feels guilty because she is alive and her companions are dead. For many days, she cannot find peace, so much so that the king and commander Siglis, who understand how afflicted she is by survivor’s syndrome, visit her to ensure she does not take her own life. It’s a thought that crosses her mind, but Rose’s choice is another: she becomes a soldier who returns to the battlefield not for revenge but to heal the wounds of the soldiers engaged in the battle; in this new vocation, her rebirth is generated.
Usato begins to discover his talent by chance when he finds himself catapulted into another world. But he needs a master to help him to improve: the leader of the Kingdom rescue squad puts him to the test through harsh training and survival in the Lyngle’s Darkness. But above all, Rose recognizes his uniqueness: Usato has learned to do things that only he and his teacher can do. This journey leads Usato to reevaluate the popularity he envied in Suzune and Kazuki at school: talent does not correspond to self-affirmation but to discovering a part of the world for which one becomes irreplaceable. Once he understands this, his talent becomes a true passion: Usato will try to use what he has discovered about himself and cultivated over time to make the world a better place.
There is a particular rhythm to this series with the frenetic energy of the action scenes interspersed with convivial scenes and dedicated to dialogues in which Usato finds himself involved, and director Takahide Ogata balances them very well, delivering a dynamic and, at the same time, entertaining anime.
The maturation of the main character is revealed in the acting during the experience at the front: Shogo Sakata (Aki Hayakawa in “Chainsaw Man”) enriches with nuances the warmth and concern of his retorts. The passion the actor puts into his serious lines, and the sarcasm of other lines, makes the character very interesting. Moreover, he adjusted with precious touches to convey to the viewers that, despite the atrocities of war, Usato desires to remain a warm-hearted and compassionate person at his core. Sakata is a voice that is committed to fully understanding the depths of the character. Atsuko Tanaka (Motoko Kusanagi in “Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045”; Hanami in “Jujutsu Kaisen”, Caster in “Fate/Stay Night”) demonstrates masterful control of the script to bring the character of Rose to life. The emotional dimension of the character unfolds through traumatic and painful scenes, where it is possible to perceive how passionate the actress was about it to match the tone of the work and be able to get in touch with the essence of her relationship with Rose. It is a profound, extraordinary, and unique dedication that Atsuko Tanaka showed in cultivating, doing justice to an impressive range of characters.
The Add and Shin-Ei studios guarantee a high quality of motion and animation, rich in close-up shots of characters’ faces that make many scenes iconic, where Kenji Tanabe‘s (“Bluelock”) well-defined and captivating character design stands out. But also the rich overall palette of colors and nuances introduced by Masaaki Hino in the naturalistic scenes and those with applications of magic give the series an extra touch of refinement.
“The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic” is an anime that makes a strong impression on viewers because the technical work remains of high quality throughout the entire series and the personality of the main characters doesn’t fall apart and goes through engaging developments with a strong entertainment character.
