Series Overview

Magatsu Wahrheit: Zuerst (禍つヴァールハイト -ZUERST-), or simply Magatsu Wahrheit, is an action, fantasy series based on a mobile MMORPG. Usually, when anime are based on games they’re either based on gacha games or visual novels. So seeing one based on an MMORPG is pretty unique.

The plot of the series doesn’t too much sense, but I think that could also be because it seems to only be the prologue of the story. By the end of the 12 episodes, although a lot has happened, it feels like the story is just beginning. And because of this, there are still a lot of unknowns even at the end.

Simplified, the plot is basically about a group of “terrorists” who are fighting the government of a kingdom from the shadows. However, along the way, they learn of a cataclysmic prophecy that’s been hidden from the citizens, along with some good old human experimentation.

There are also quite a few magic elements to the story, many of which seem to be analogs for radiation. For example, there’s a lava-like substance called coldfire that can infect and slowly kill anyone who’s exposed to it. And [spoiler] the cataclysmic event is effectively a magic version of a nuclear blast.

Because this anime is based on an MMORPG, and the fact that it seems to cover the prologue, I don’t think it will get a second season. It ends just as the action is ramping up, which is frustrating. But at the same time, it’s the perfect conclusion for getting people to download the game because they want to know what happens next.

I’m not going to go play the game. But I could see how the ending of this series could make other people want to.

Headkeeper Members

The “terrorist” or rebel group fighting against the kingdom is known as Headkeeper. There’s probably some reason for it being called this beyond it just being a random name. But if that’s the case, it wasn’t explained in the anime. The main Headkeeper group in the anime work as weapon smugglers.

Innumael Grauer technically isn’t a Headkeeper member (but he basically becomes one). He’s the protagonist of the series who gets mixed up with the rebel group in the first episode and then tags along with them from then on. As he learns more about the conspiracies within the kingdom, he becomes more involved in Headkeeper’s activities.

Schaake Gutheil is one of the core Headkeeper members and specializes in magic. In fact, I think she might actually be the only member of Headkeeper who we see use magic throughout the series. Magic use seems to be pretty rare, but there was no indication that it’s limited to special people.

Arnolt appears to be one of the more senior members of the Headkeeper group in the anime. He’s still just a smuggler, so he’s not a true leader of the rebellion. But he’s the leader of the smuggling operation and is able to remain level-headed and direct his men even in the face of danger.

Benjamin is the final Headkeeper member I’ll mention. Like Arnolt and Schaake, he seems to have been part of the group for at least a few years before the start of the anime. He’s devoted to the cause, but he’s also the most cautious of the group. Benjamin prioritizes safety over quick action.

One last character I do want to touch on is Leocadio Wöhler. He’s not a member of Headkeeper but is instead a soldier in the Imperial Army. Throughout the story, he’s basically a mirror of Innumael.

It Doesn’t Feel Like a Game

One of the things that I liked about Magatsu Wahrheit is that it didn’t feel like an anime based on a game. Well, except for the fact that it ended right where the main portion of the game probably starts. As I mentioned earlier, most game-based anime are either based on gacha or visual novels — and you can often tell.

You’ll know an anime is based on a gacha game when there are a lot of characters who make random cameos. For example, the Azur Lane anime features basically every Azur Lane character from the game at one point or another — which is a lot.

For visual novel-based anime, there are probably going to be multiple timelines, or routes explored. Higurashi – Gou is a current example of this. And then there’s Fate, which combines both gacha and visual novel aspects to make one giant mess.

Magatsu Wahrheit sets itself apart from other game-based anime because it doesn’t do any of those things. There are quite a few characters, but they all play a role. It’s not like characters are being showcased in the anime just for the sake of it. And it has a single, centralized plot that feels more like a long-term commitment than various visual novel routes.

I don’t know if the Magatsu Wahrheit game actually follows this main story from the anime, though. I don’t know how a story really works in an MMORPG because I don’t play them. But I do think that the anime plot does a good job at setting up the world that the game takes place in even if the plot doesn’t continue.

If I didn’t know that this anime was based on a game, I would think that it was based on some long, complex series of novels. And, I think that’s the best part about it. Despite this probably being the case, it doesn’t feel like a series that you’re only going to watch for 12 episodes.

Conclusion

I know I’ve said a decent amount of good things about this series. But overall I think Magatsu Wahrheit: Zuerst is a 6/10. I enjoyed watching it, but it wasn’t particularly good. It’s definitely not something I would ever rewatch. However, if it ever gets a second season, I’ll check it out.

Also, the OP and ED for the series both have good songs. The OP visuals change over the course of the anime. I liked them when they were just abstract at the start. But once the visuals showcase scenes from the anime, I think it’s worse. The ED has no visuals and is just scrolling credits. Still, both are good songs.

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