Magical girl

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Not to be confused with Magical girlfriend.
For the Spanish film, see Magical Girl (film).
"Magical boy" redirects here. For other uses, see Magic Boy.
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Magical girl (Japanese: ?? ??, Hepburn: maho shojo) is a subgenre of Japanese
fantasy light novels, manga, anime, and video games which features girls who use
magic or possess magical powers. Magical girls transform into cute frilly outfits,
to unlock their powers and are often accompanied by an animal familiar or mascot,
using wands or scepters as a weapon to fight monsters and the forces of evil.[1][2]
Since Sally the Witch premiered in 1966 on Japanese television, magical girls
developed into a staple of anime and manga storytelling and are popular all over
the world.[3] Notable examples include Sailor Moon[4] and Cardcaptor Sakura.
[citation needed]

Contents
1 Genre history
1.1 Anime and manga
1.2 Live-action
1.3 Magical boy works
1.4 In non-Japanese works
1.4.1 In Asia
1.4.2 In Europe
1.4.3 In America
2 See also
3 References
4 Further reading
Genre history
Anime and manga
Manga and anime historians regard the Princess Knight manga, released in 1953, as
the prototype for the magical girl genre.[5]:77 Himitsu no Akko-chan, serialized
nine years later (1962) in Ribon, is generally accepted to be the earliest magical
girl manga.[6]:8 Sally the Witch, adapted from the manga of the same name, is
regarded by historians as the first magical girl anime.[5]:78[7] Sally the Witch
was inspired by the Japanese dub of the television series Bewitched.[2]

Mahotsukai Chappy (1972) and Majokko Megu-chan (1974�1975) popularized the term
"majokko" (little witch or witch girl) as a name for the genre. Megu-chan has been
noted for its portrayal of multiple magical girls and the friendship between girls.
Due to the women's lib movement in Japan, magical girls began displaying a "certain
coquettishness" in the 1970s.[2]

In the 1980s, Magical Princess Minky Momo (1982) and Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel
(1983�1984) showed girls transforming into a "grown-up image of themselves". This
has been linked to the increasing prominence of women at this time (such as
politician Takako Doi, the girl band Princess Princess and pop idol Seiko Matsuda)
and the passage of the Equal Employment Opportunity Act in 1985.[2] Yuji Nunokawa,
the producer of both Minky Momo and Creamy Mami, noted that male fans of the
magical girl genre increased after Creamy Mami due to the shows' use of
transformations and enjoyed watching girls using magic to solve their problems in
ways men traditionally could not.[8]

Kumiko Saito argues that magical girl anime is best understood as "twenty-five-
minute advertisements for toy merchandise", highlighting the high production costs
and the involvement of Bandai in Sailor Moon and Pretty Cure. She acknowledges that
despite this and the childish plots, magical girl anime discuss gender roles and
identities.[9]

The Sailor Moon manga and anime are considered to have revitalized the genre in the
1990s and paved the way for later successful titles.[6]:199[10] A key feature of
the heroines of Sailor Moon is that their transformations make them look more
feminine, as well as make them stronger. The romantic relationship between Usagi
Tsukino and Mamoru Chiba and Usagi's care for her future daughter, Chibiusa are
seen as points of difference between Sailor Moon and "typical Western
superheroines".[2] Another notable example is Cardcaptor Sakura, with its manga and
subsequent animated series being highly popular in and outside Japan.[citation
needed]

The magical girl genre earned renewed popularity in the 2010s with the advent of
Puella Magi Madoka Magica, whose mature themes and darker approach earned acclaim
from viewers and critics outside its target audience.[11]

Live-action
Along with anime and manga, live-action magical girl series were produced as a
female counterpart to tokusatsu series aimed at young boys, such as Super Sentai,
Kamen Rider, and Ultraman; however, interest in the genre declined in the early
1990s due to competing toy sales with Sailor Moon and other magical girl anime.[12]
Tokusatsu magical girl series were revived with the Girls � Heroine Series,
beginning with Idol � Warrior Miracle Tunes! in 2017.[12][13]

Magical boy works

Some series are notable for portraying magical boys as protagonists instead of the
traditional supporting roles. Cute High Earth Defense Club Love! is a 2015
television magical boy anime series created by Kurari Umatani and produced by
Diomed�a, which parodies tropes and cliches common to magical girl anime.[14]
Magical Girl Ore features magical girls who transform into manly-looking forms.[15]
In Is This a Zombie?, a zombie is resurrected by a necromancer after being killed
by a serial killer, inadvertently gains "magical girl" powers, and is forced to
become a "magical boy" (and thereby cross-dress) in the process.[16] In Shugo
Chara!, released in 2006, half of the series' main characters are males that
possess the same powers as their female counterparts.[citation needed]

In Magical Trans!, main character Maki was assigned male at birth and presents
masculine before joining the magical girl club at their high school, subsequently
becoming more and more comfortable with exploring their gender identity and
expression as a magical girl.[17]

In non-Japanese works
In Asia

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding
citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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Chinese animated series like Balala the Fairies, Flower Angel, Sweets Fairy and
Rainbow Ruby have been influenced by and make reference to Japanese magical girl
franchises.

In Europe
The Italian animated series Winx Club uses the magical girl concept for their main
characters, including transformations for each character.[18] This concept also
appears in the Italian comic book series W.I.T.C.H. and its animated adaptation,
featuring five teenage girls with powers over the five classical elements.[19][20]
In 2014, LoliRock debuted as a French anime-influenced animation series of the
genre, and contains many references to Japanese magical girl franchises.[21][22]
[23] Miraculous Ladybug blends magical girl conventions with modern superhero
action and adventure storytelling.[24][25] Ragazze dell'Olimpo (Girls of Olympus),
an Italian series by Elena Kedros, portrays a trio of magical girls who are
reincarnations of the Olympian goddesses.[26]

In America
Magical Girl story lines can also be found in American animation. She-Ra: Princess
of Power, an animated series by Filmation, and Jem, also known as Jem and the
Holograms, are both 1985 American animated television series with transforming main
characters. She-Ra has the addition of an animal friend, Swift Wind, and Power
Sword. 1995's Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders, also known outside of North
America as Starla & the Jewel Riders, and Tenko and the Guardians of the Magic also
use the Magical Girl formula. Princess Gwenevere, along with her band of friends,
use Enchanted Jewels to transform into Jewel Riders. Accompanied by magical animal
friends, The Jewel Riders use magic to defend their kingdom against the forces of
evil. Other American cartoon series such as the Star vs. the Forces of Evil, Bee
and PuppyCat, Magical Girl Friendship Squad and Steven Universe use the magical
girl concept as a sub-theme.[1] Characters in My Little Pony: Equestria Girls are
described as "full-time students and part-time magical pony girls".[27]

See also
Girl Heroes
References
Donovan, Caitlin (September 15, 2015). "The Influence of Magical Girls on Western
Animation". Epicstream. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
Sugawa, Akiko (February 26, 2015). "Children of Sailor Moon: The Evolution of
Magical Girls in Japanese Anime". Nippon Communications Foundation. Retrieved May
28, 2016.
https://www.funimation.com/blog/2020/02/04/magical-girl-anime-guide-cute-grim-
puella-madoka-asuka-cardcaptor-sakura/
"10 Undeniable Ways Sailor Moon Influenced The Magical Girl Anime". CBR. 2020-02-
08. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
Gravett, Paul (2004). Manga: Sixty Years of Japanese Comics (2nd ed.). London:
Laurence King. ISBN 1856693910.
Thompson, Jason (2007). Manga: The Complete Guide. New York: Del Rey Books. ISBN
0345485904.
Boren, James (September 2003). "The Making of a Magical Girl". Animerica. Viz
Media. 11 (9): 31.
Galbraith, Patrick W. (2019-12-06). Otaku and the Struggle for Imagination in
Japan. North Carolina: Duke University Press. ISBN 978-1478006299.
Saito, Kumiko (2 January 2014). "Magic, Shojo, and Metamorphosis: Magical Girl
Anime and the Challenges of Changing Gender Identities in Japanese Society". The
Journal of Asian Studies. 73 (01): 143�164. doi:10.1017/S0021911813001708.
Poitras, Gilles (2004). Anime Essentials: Every Thing a Fan Needs to Know (4th
ed.). Berkeley, California: Stone Bridge Press. pp. 31�32. ISBN 1880656531.
Ohanesian, Liz (October 22, 2012). "How Puella Magi Madoka Magica Shatters Anime
Stereotypes". LA Weekly. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
"?????????????�?? ??????????!". Real Sound (in Japanese). April 8, 2018. Retrieved
December 6, 2018.
 Yamamoto, Keisuke (2019-02-27).
"???????????? ???????????????????????????"??????"". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved
2019-06-12.
Loo, Egan (September 26, 2014). "Binan Koko Chikyu Boei-bu Love! Anime With High
School Boys Unveiled". Anime News Network. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
Hodgkins, Crystalyn (December 8, 2017). "Magical Girl Ore Anime Reveals Visual,
Spring 2018 Debut". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
"Is This A Zombie?". Yen Press. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
Majitora : Majikaru toransu. 1. Kashi, Yutaka., ??, ???. Fusosha. July 2017. ISBN
978-4-594-61173-6. OCLC 1003299904.
Anders, Ella (February 13, 2016). "Winx Club to Receive Live-Action Film". BSC
Kids. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
Altehenger, Jennifer E. (2013). "Chapter 4: Comic Travels: Disney Publishing in
the People's Republic of China". In Yung, Anthony Y.H. (ed.). Asian Popular
Culture: The Global (Dis)continuity. Hoboken, New Jersey: Taylor and Francis. pp.
66�70. ISBN 9781134089956. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
Bellerby, Grace (August 15, 2012). The History of Magical Girl Anime: Sparkles
Without Cullens (Speech). Amecon 2012. SlideShare. Keele University. Retrieved
October 18, 2017.
Anders, Ella (April 27, 2016). "Lolirock Arrives At Long Last to US". BSC Kids.
Retrieved April 20, 2017.
Jenkins, Bob (October 1, 2013). "Lolirock Gets Ready to Rock". License! Global.
Retrieved January 9, 2016.
Todesco, Bertrand (September 4, 2015). "BACK TO 2011 !: the creation of LoliRock -
part 1: IRIS genesis". Tumblr. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
Anders, Ella (July 2, 2015). "Part Magical Girl, Part Superhero; Ladybug Arrives
State-Side in Fall". BSC Kids. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
Collins, Elle (December 3, 2015). "Teen French Heroes Ladybug & Cat Noir Arrive On
Nickelodeon". Comics Alliance. Archived from the original on February 16, 2016.
Retrieved February 27, 2016. The influence of the Magical Girl genre is
inescapable; when Marinette's mother is captured in a bubble and carried off into
the sky, apparently along with every adult in Paris, Marinette transforms into
Ladybug in a series of twirls and poses, just as Sailor Moon and other magical
girls always do. She even has the guidance of some kind of talking ladybug
creature, fulfilling another Magical Girl trope.
"Girls of Olympus". The Animation Band. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
"The Girls of Canterlot High Return to Discovery Family in Three New My Little
Pony: Equestria Girls Specials to Air Throughout the Network's Annual "Summer
Splash" Programming Event". Discovery. May 26, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
Further reading
Yoshida, Kaori (2002). "Evolution of Female Heroes: Carnival Mode of Gender
Representation in Anime". ASPAC: Asian Studies on the Pacific Coast. Archived from
the original on 2009-09-03. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
Martinez, D.P. (1998). The Worlds of Japanese Popular Culture: Gender, Shifting
Boundaries and Global Culture (Reprint ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
ISBN 0521631289.
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