So, I admit, I know.. basically nothing about this genre (I watched one magical girl anime as a small child and forgot the name and that’s basically it lol). I know some tropes commonly used, but the specifics, the appeal, common flaws, etc. I’m clueless. So, people who actually know what you’re talking about, what do you think makes the genre what it is?
Aug '22
Sep '22
My partner's a fan of the genre — and I mean actual magical girl shows not Madoka-esque edgy dark ones — and its adjacent(?) idol girlgroup genre.
It basically boils down to liking the cute transformations and its messages of friendship and passion.
I think it became such a hit because the genre made stories about young girls that are powerful heroines and solid characters on their own right without giving up their femininity to do so.
That's complemented by the cute transformations and outfits.
Plus the bonds of friendship and camaderie the main cast often gets is a solid hook too.
Isn’t it only the deconstructions that are dark? It seems like most of the stories are feminine young teenagers doing lighthearted action adventures, that doesn’t seem very dark except for more recent stuff that’s intended to mess with it?
Ohhh no magical go crazy I was flabbergasted the first time I watched it, if he is talking about the magical site anime franchise
A lot of the earlier magical girl series were light-hearted adventures, though back then, it was less about saving the world and more about the heroine working up the courage to confess to her love interest.
I'd say dark themes have been pretty common before the recent stuff, Sailor Moon being a prime example of that. It's been a while since I read the entire series, but I do remember storylines that dealt with insecurity, death, the fear of losing those most precious to you, and having some cosmic horror elements (which made sense since a lot of the villains were intergalactic).
I feel recently, and you see this with more superhero comics, there is a focus on what it does when you're the chosen one: when you're the hero who has to sacrifice your life and your mind for the sake of the world. When you watch magical girl series like Sailor Moon, CardCaptor Sakura, and Tokyo Mew Mew, they go through some heavy stuff to save the world: hiding their identities, trying to stop literal extinction, risking their lives with every villain they meet -- things like that. Though there isn't always a deeper dive into what that feels like. Not because it's not important -- rather, because the tone for those stories are still light-hearted. Yes, they go through these dangerous things, but they still have friendship and courage to help them pull through, and they don't have to sacrifice themselves to do that.
On the flip side, stories that dive deeper into the hero sacrifice show what it means to be a magical girl -- highlighting expectations that may be pushed onto the heroine and what that constant fighting does to her development as a person. And a lot of questions are tossed around: what happens if she doesn't win? What happens if she dies? What happens if her family and friends find out? Does she have to isolate herself to get the job done? Does she have to sacrifice her humanity to save humanity?
I guess the genre is so popular because it has both of these types of stories and dive into topics about femininity, identity, and heroism from different perspectives. It's also popular because these characters are often kids saving the world. Usagi from Sailor Moon was only 14 when she become a Sailor Scout, and most magical girls are either in high school or middle school. You got kids who are responsible with saving the world, all while trying to live a semi-normal life.
That speaks to kids who feel they're carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders and adults who felt like they had to grow up quick to take care of themselves (thus losing out on their childhood).
It's been a while since I watched some magical girl anime, but...
Appeals:
* Female main characters
* cute/cool costumes that young girls like (frills, hearts, stars, jewels, ornate armor, depending on the age group),
* usually an ensemble cast where you can identify with your favorite magical girl
* cute animal sidekicks
* dilemmas that would interest young girls (school drama, crushes, forbidden romances, being special and chosen for a dangerous task) .
* Cool transformations (very important). Google those oldschool Sailor Moon transformations for examples.
Basically, it's made with a young female audience in mind, and they're like... magical superheroes with neat gadgets. The western analog might be something like My Little Pony or Powerpuff Girls (which actually did have a magical girl spinoff anime). There might be some magical boy characters, but mostly as love interests and supporting characters.
FWIW, my favorite magical girl anime was Magic Knight Rayearth, which had a surprising amount of emphasis on platonic friendship and strength of will. 
I like magical girl stories that battle aside, the characters are just also dealing with normal struggles. Normal life and relationship can be difficult and hard to express emotions in a healthy way, especially now since the lens of "social" media can make you feel more lonely where you "should" be OK or normal, juxtaposed that might not be. Also bonus points for power of friendship and "Yes, you can do it" (be a hero, a witch, spiderman, have a healthy work life balance, etc.)
Recent examples for this: Steven Universe, Shera and the Princesses of Power, Little Witch Academia.
Miraculous ladybug is a funny exception, where I'm not drawn too much to the confusing characters/relationships but I like how lore is setup and seeing the fan works for what if ... these same power-giving jewelry was given to someone else . .. in the 1920s.
Yeah, a lot of the earlier ones were just about magical girls doing magical things. Often transforming into a grown up version of themselves. It was Sailor Moon that put the super hero spin on the genre. Apparently, Naoko Takeuchi was inspired by Super Sentai.
This is Takeuchi with the Zyurangers. Dunno the context for the pic but it's fun.
On a basic level, Magical Girls are superheroes, but with a very feminine aesthetic, and using magic that tends to be quite simple and impacted by emotions rather than science as the basis for their powers, meaning the action tends to have more focus on emotional stakes over physical ones.
It's a simple, but elegant concept. Girls are just as drawn to the "secret identity with a cool costume" and "having special powers" tropes as boys, but aren't always necessarily into the hypermasculine aesthetic of superheroes or the focus on physical power or using tech to overpower a threat. Magical girls often have themes of turning the problems girls often deal with into dangerous threats, or use monsters as metaphors for them, which is appealing in a world that tends to trivialise "girly stuff".
Cardcaptor Sakura was the series that got me into manga and anime. When I discovered it in my teens, I was completely entranced by the idea of having the high stakes and action of a superhero series but with such a very feminine aesthetic and a focus on girl characters and emotional conflict. I'd previously seen "girly" series as a kid, like "Maxi's World" and I loved superhero stuff like X-Men, but I'd never seen a girly superhero without it being kind of played as a joke or a twist (like the Power Puff Girls or even Buffy, the cute and girliness is meant to be a funny or surprising contrast to their strength at punching), so Cardcaptor Sakura (or "Cardcaptors" as I initially knew it) was something really special for me. Also, Sakura changes her outfit like every episode, which blew my mind! I'd never seen that in a cartoon!
I don't make a magical girl series myself, but I think there are obviously a lot of mahou shoujo influences in Errant. It's about a group of colour-coded friends with magical powers who fight monsters, and there's a masked stranger in formal wear. I don't think anyone would be surprised to know I'm a fan of the genre! 
I grew up with Winx Club and Mermaid Melody, so it makes me a little nostalgic talking about these. 
Magical girls are usually a lighthearted genre aimed towards children and teens, focusing more on friendship, love and identity. Though in 2000s there seems to emerge a trend for the genre to tackle more mature themes. (Cue my surprise when I read Madoka. 
Fantastic story, though.)
I think what makes the genre so appealing is feminine empowerment. It's appealing too that while they contain fantastical aspects (fun transformations sequences! Blasting villains with magic!) the opposite is also what makes them popular. Like most superhero genres, the characters have a very human aspect to them that makes them much more relatable to the younger audience. That while they're working part-time saving the world, they also have other responsibilities such as school, making friends, facing bullies, falling in love.
So magical girls are more often relatable for the younger audience–and serves as an exciting and nostalgic getaway for adults.
closed Sep 22, '22
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