This is part of a wave of ‘informational OVA’, but it is helpful, in that it does explain things a bit better than the show did (or didn’t). “The Irregular at Magic High School” does have a full review, so you can give that an eyeball to see what that’s about. The OVA is very helpful for us, as it explains how things work within the framework of this show, but it is best seen between the first and second acts (after Episode Seven), as it not only clarifies what you have seen, it also sets up better what you will see in the School Competition Arc.

It is, again, done in this extreme Chibi style, and the hosts shift from segment to segment as they explain how their world operates, from how the divisions of class are determined, to how their magic works, to the tournament ahead and what one can expect. I chose for you the best time to view it, as you not only know who everyone is by this point, a lot of what they are saying now will make better sense, as you’ve seen it in action. If you watch it too early, you will be confused; if you watch it too late, it will be of no use, unless you are a huge OVA fanatic. It does sometimes come off as too cutesy (especially when Miyuki ice-freezes Tatsuya, see above. Tee hee hee!) but I assume that if it was more realistic, it wouldn’t have been as effective. Or not. I never know what goes on in the mind of a director.

That is part of the problem of seeing a show just as it comes out fresh: a lot of the other segments come afterwards, when it would have been more efficacious to see it during the time, if they had offered it at the time. Still, if you haven’t seen the show, this is the best way to catch it now; if you have seen the show, this will fill in any gaps or holes and helping you understand things just a touch better. It’s never too late to learn something.

On a scale of 1 to 10:

Artwork 6 (TOO chibi for me)
Plot 8 (Quite informative)
Pacing 7 (Moves along consistently)
Effectiveness 7 (Sometimes the banter impedes)
Conclusion 8 (They could do more, but they covered all they needed to do)
Fan Service 0 (A similar show would be “Honey and Clover”)

Overall 7 (Got a bit too soap opera for me)

And remember, it’s first run until you’ve seen it. I hope it was helpful.