Full-Time Magister 3rd Season · review
Now that you have made it to season three of Quanzhi Fashi (QF3), you have watched Mo Fan grow from a hopeless flunkie to one of the strongest mages in Bo City, and then put those skills to the test when the city was demolished by frenzied monsters, set loose on the populace as part of a well-planned scheme by the mysterious & evil Black Order. Now, after emerging from the rubble of his hometown a battle-hardened hero and moving to the magic capital, Mo Fan knows that he must get even stronger if he is to survive the evils of this world, and hasset his sights on attending the most prestigious magic university in the country. What awaits our intrepid hero in this latest chapter of his journey, you ask?
As with my reviews of the previous seasons, I will try to keep this as spoiler-free as possible; however, in this case, there may be some light spoilers, due to numerous facets of the story. With that said, here are the scores for this season:
Story: 7
Art: 5
Sound: 7
Characters: 8
Enjoyment: 9
OVERALL: *7/10*
STORY: The story for QF3 is sort of a happy medium between the past two seasons, both in terms of content and timeframe. This first half of the season focuses on Mo Fan's first year or so after surviving the Bo City Disaster, during which he moves to the Magic Capitol, enrolls in Ming Zhu Institution and starts his college career; the second half of the season is more about a specific incident, one which yet again forces Mo Fan to fight for survival whilst putting his life on the line in order to save those around him.
One of the biggest highlights of this season for me is the expansion of the lore. This time around, you learn much more about the different types of magic, including a deeper exploration of elements only barely mentioned in the previous seasons. You also learn about some more advanced levels of magic, different ways a mage can gain stronger abilities, the variety of magic equipment, and other details which give you a more complete picture of magic and just how little Mo Fan actually knows, despite his already-OP abilities. In addition to the exploration of magic, this season also reminds us of the fact that Quanzhi Fashi is something of an isekai anime at heart, and addresses this issue far more than even the first season. The change in Mo Fan’s world is still a mystery that needs to be unraveled, after all, and QF3 gives the impression that this mystery is likely going to be of ever-increasing importance down the road.
This brings us to perhaps the biggest improvement in QF3: the ending (or lack thereof). Unlike the prior seasons, which had extremely-abrupt endings that came off as rushed, in part because the endings were also the climaxes, this season actually has something of a gradual "cool-down" after the climactic battle, and even sets up for a continuation of the story, all whilst stopping at a perfect point in the story. This is easily the best-executed ending in the series thus far, and it made waiting for QF4 to finally drop a little more painful than normal.
ART: I would put the production quality of QF3 about on par with that of last season, which is really about what you would expect at this point. While nothing looks particularly terrible, the animation is still sub-par.
SOUND: It’s there, and it works. I suppose the music is alright, but it is still nothing compared to the first season's smooth, sexy jazz licks.
CHARACTERS: In the last season, you saw a number of supporting characters really get some development, and that trend has continued in QF3. This time around, though, Mo Fan is basically starting from scratch in a new city, so there is a brand new supporting cast. There are a few notable connections he builds, from new friends to business colleagues, and a few of these get a fair deal of attention. There are also several characters who get set up to develop more, should we get another season released.
The character who develops the most, though, is Mo Fan himself, perhaps more so than the other two seasons combined. Not only does his strength increase considerably, but you watch him grow as a person in a number of ways, both personally and professionally. He begins to not only establish his priorities in life, but set for himself a number of personal goals to achieve, both short-term and long-term. While he is still a male in his late-teens, you get the impression that he is really coming into his own, and becoming a force to be reckoned with all the while.
ENJOYMENT: In my opinion, this season is the most enjoyable of the series thus far. QF3 sets itself apart from its predecessors is by giving us some of the best that both of the prior seasons had to offer: The first half is more slice-of-life, as in QF1, following Mo Fan’s efforts to get stronger and more well-connected; the second half is related to a specific conflict, much like QF2, albeit without much of the dystopian feel. When you aren’t cheering for Mo Fan, you are being drawn in by the world in which he resides, ever curious to learn more about his society and the magic upon which it relies. I was having fun through every moment of this season, and I can’t wait to see what happens next!
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IN SUMMATION: QF3 is the best season of this series yet: It takes everything that worked with the prior seasons, and combines them into one season full of Mo Fan kicking ass all over town. While there have been no improvements in production quality compared to QF2, the story and characters are just as solid, but with more extensive world-building. This is a great continuation of Mo Fan’s journey, and I hope this won’t be the last time we see him on the tele.