Magical girl (Japanese:魔法少女,Hepburn:mahō shōjo) is asubgenre of primarily Japanesefantasy media (includinganime,manga,light novels, andlive-action media) centered on young girls who possess magical abilities, which they typically use through an idealalter ego into which they can transform.[1][2]
The genre emerged in 1962 with the mangaHimitsu no Akko-chan, followed bySally the Witch in 1966.[3] A wave of similar anime produced in the 1970s led tomajokko (魔女っ子,lit. 'little witch') being used as a common term for the genre. In the 1980s, the term was largely replaced by "magical girl", reflecting the new popularity of shows produced by other studios, includingMagical Princess Minky Momo andCreamy Mami, the Magic Angel.
In the 1990s,Sailor Moon redefined the genre by combining "transforming hero" elements from live-actiontokusatsu hero shows. The growth of late-night anime in the early 2000s led to a demographic shift for the genre, where series with more mature themes such asMagical Girl Lyrical Nanoha (2004) were created and marketed towards an older male audience.
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Despite no presence of magic, the manga seriesPrincess Knight (1953) is seen as a prototype for the magical girl genre,[4] as it set forth the appeal of girls who transform to do things they normally cannot perform.[2]Himitsu no Akko-chan (1962), serialized in theshōjo manga magazineRibon, is credited as the earliest magical girl manga series.[5]: 8 Sally the Witch followed in 1966, with a concept inspired by the American sitcomBewitched.[1][2] Its 1966 anime television adaptation produced byToei Animation, is regarded as the first magical girl anime.[4]: 78 [6][7] This anime adaptation introduced the idea of using acompact to transform, a characteristic that is still present in modern series in the genre.[8]
Toei Animation produced most of the magical girl series of the 1970s,[1] collectively known as theMajokko Series [ja].[1] This popularized the termmajokko (魔女っ子,lit. 'little witch') for the genre, especially withMahōtsukai Chappy (1972) andMajokko Megu-chan (1974).Megu-chan has been noted in particular for its portrayal of multiple magical girls and the friendship between girls.[1] Coinciding with the influence of thewomen's liberation movement in Japan, magical girls began displaying a "certain coquettishness" in the 1970s.[1]
In 1980, Toei releasedLalabel, the Magical Girl, the first instance of the term "mahō shōjo (magical girl)" being used.[9]: 6 In the following years, other studios besides Toei began producing magical girl anime series, such asMagical Princess Minky Momo (1982) andCreamy Mami, the Magic Angel (1983), the latter of which was the first installment ofStudio Pierrot'sMagic Girl Series [ja].[9]: 7 A characteristic ofMinky Momo andCreamy Mami showed girls transforming into grown-up images of themselves,[10]: 29 which has been linked to the increasing prominence of women at this time including politicianTakako Doi, theall-female bandPrincess Princess, and popidolSeiko Matsuda, as well as the passage of theEqual Employment Opportunity Act in 1985.[1]Yuji Nunokawa, the producer of bothMinky Momo andCreamy Mami, noted that male fans of the magical girl genre increased afterCreamy Mami due to the shows' use of transformations and they enjoyed watching girls using magic to solve their problems in ways men traditionally could not.[11] Due to the popularity ofMinky Momo and Studio Pierrot's shows, the term "majokko" had largely fallen out of use in favor of "magical girl".[citation needed]
Sailor Moon (1991), whose anime adaptation was broadcast from 1992 to 1997, revolutionized the magical girl genre by combining "transforming hero" elements from live-actiontokusatsu hero shows likeSuper Sentai andKamen Rider with traditionally feminine interests, such as romance and fashion.[1][9]: 8 Up until then, magical girl series were comedic and the characters' use of magic only exacerbated social conflict.[2] A key attribute of the transformations inSailor Moon is that they focused on exaggerating the characters' beauty through make-up and fashion, negating the link between cuteness and weakness traditionally seen in women.[1] In addition, unlike previous magical girl series,Sailor Moon featured a team of magical girls as the main characters, with male characters supporting them in battle.[10]: 28 The format of using fighting, transforming heroines became popular and were used in other magical girl series followingSailor Moon.[5]: 199 [12] Series that attempted to capitalize onSailor Moon's success includeAkazukin Chacha, whose anime adaptation created an original arc featuring "transforming heroine" characteristics;[9]: 106 Cutie Honey Flash (1997), a remake of the original male-oriented science fiction seriesCutie Honey (1973) for a young female demographic;[13] andWedding Peach.[14]
In the following years, the magical girl genre became diversified. WhileSailor Moon also drew in male fans,Cardcaptor Sakura (1998) was extremely popular among men in spite of its target demographic for including themes such ascosplay,boys' love,otokonoko, andyuri.[15]Cardcaptor Sakura was also one of the series that influenced the idea ofmoe, which was integrated into later magical girl series aimed at an adult male audience.[15] Likewise,Cutie Honey Flash also drew in a male audience who were fans of the originalCutie Honey series.[13]: 111–112
After the end ofOjamajo Doremi (1999), Toei Animation's first original magical girl anime series since 1985,[9]: 9 Pretty Cure was broadcast in 2004, with new installments broadcast yearly.[1] Similar toSailor Moon,Pretty Cure drew influences fromtokusatsu hero shows, but unlike the former, it was heavily focused on action and used the same talents who worked onKamen Rider andSuper Sentai.[16] This helped the series achieve widespread demographic appeal outside of young girls.[16]
At the same time, the target demographic of magical girl shows expanded. With more late-night anime being produced in the early 2000s, magical girl shows aimed at an older male demographic were produced, a notable one beingMagical Girl Lyrical Nanoha (2004), aspin-off originating from the adult game seriesTriangle Heart.[15] As the series were targeted towards older audiences, this allowed for dark and mature themes to be explored, including death and the price of magical power.[1] The magical girl genre earned renewed popularity in the 2010s with the advent ofPuella Magi Madoka Magica (2011),[17] whose mature themes and darker approach earned acclaim from viewers and critics outside the conventional audience group.[18][19][20] Other examples of late-night magical girl anime includeDay Break Illusion (2013) andFate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya (2013).[1] Though transforming heroine shows remain popular, traditional magical girl series featuring witches demonstrating the importance of hopes and dreams, such asTweeny Witches (2004) andLittle Witch Academia (2013) were still produced.[1]
In addition to late-night magical girl series, media exploring the idea of male characters as magical girls (colloquially known as "magical boys"[21]) were introduced, most of them as comedic parodies.[10]: 29 Kimagure Orange Road (1985) introduced audiences to the idea of a "magical boy" character.[22]Cute High Earth Defense Club Love! (2015) features a cast of male characters parodying the magical girl concepts combined with growing interest inbishōnen shows aimed at afujoshi audience.[23] Other magical boy parodies includeIs This a Zombie? (2011)[24] andMagical Girl Ore (2018).[25]
Magical girl series use elements associated with female interests, such as accessories associated with traditional femininity, child-rearing, and romance.[1] Magical girl characters are typically 10 to 14 years old, with cute features and an appearance resembling a princess or anidol singer.[13]: 110 Older women are usually portrayed as villains.[13]: 110 Professor Bill Ellis noted that in traditionalJapanese folklore, powerful women were depicted to be monstrous, similar toOni.[26]
In magical girl series, the main female characters transform into prettier, more mature-looking versions of themselves who have special powers, an idea originating fromPrincess Knight. Unlike hero shows, the items used to initiate transformation are often "cute" accessories associated with femininity and beauty.[1] The first example of an item used to aid the transformation is the anime adaptation ofHimitsu no Akko-chan, in which Akko uses acompact to transform; since the broadcast of the series, compacts are commonly used as a transformation item.[8]
The "transforming heroine" (変身ヒロイン,henshin hiroin) is a concept adapted fromtokusatsu hero shows (dramas or movies) that was first popularized bySailor Moon in the early 1990s; it has been a staple of magical girl series since.[1][9]: 9 The transforming heroine features an ordinary schoolgirl who changes into an "adorable" costume with "cute" accessories; she then uses a sceptre (or a similar weapon) to channel magical energy in order to fight against the forces of evil.[1] This format has allowed magical girls to be viewed assuperheroines, especially in the West during thegirl power movement of the 1990s.[1] Comparisons have been drawn to Western superheroines likeBuffy the Vampire Slayer andWonder Woman, but unlike the former, "transforming heroine" series use femininity to weaponize and also features young girls instead of women,[1] while older women are typically portrayed as villains in magical girl series.[13]: 110
A common goal for magical girl characters since the 1960s is romance that eventually results in marriage.[13]: 110 While heterosexual romance was present and received focus in magical girl series, post–Sailor Moon works saw a diminished presence in male characters in favor of focusing on the friendships between the main female characters.[2] Akiko Sugawa suggests that the future of magical girl shows may include rebellion against sexual norms, usingPuella Magi Madoka Magica as an example ofyuri relationships favored over heterosexual relationships.[1]
In 1989,Shotaro Ishinomori produced the first live-action magical girl series,Mahō Shōjo Chūka na Pai Pai! [ja], as part of theToei Fushigi Comedy Series.[9]: 7 The popularity of the show led to five more installments produced, includingLa Belle Fille Masquée Poitrine andYūgen Jikkō Sisters Shushutrian [ja],[27] with all of them categorized as theBishōjo Series (美少女シリーズ).[9]: 7 The shows were viewed as a female counterpart totokusatsu series aimed at young boys, such asSuper Sentai,Kamen Rider, andUltraman; however, interest in the genre declined in the early 1990s due to competing toy sales withSailor Moon and other magical girl anime.[28] Live-action magical girl series were revived with theGirls × Heroine series, beginning withIdol × Warrior Miracle Tunes! in 2017.[28][29]
Magical girl series aimed at young girls were often marketed with a merchandise line, with Kumiko Saito saying that magical girl anime is best understood as "twenty-five-minute advertisements for toy merchandise", highlighting the high production costs and the involvement ofBandai inSailor Moon andPretty Cure.[30] Reiko Yamashita also mentionedOjamajo Doremi as an example of a series with mass toy production.[13]: 114 Pretty Cure has become Japan's fifth highest grossing franchise as of 2010 in part due to its high merchandise sales.[31] For theGirls × Heroine series,Shogakukan project manager Reiko Sasaki stated that she had to create scenarios on how to integrate the toys into the show.[32]Himitsu no Akko-chan was the earliest example of having a merchandise line and was a "huge hit".[9]: 6 Toys from the 1980s were commonly in bright colors and were mostly compact cases or sticks, with the character's face sometimes printed on them.[9]: 11 From 1990 to 1994, toy sets began including pendants as part of transformation items, along with feminine motifs, such as hearts and stars; most of the toys were pink at the time.[9]: 56 From 1995 to 1999, the toys became more colorful.[9]: 120
ForSailor Moon's 20th anniversary, in 2013,Bandai, the producer of their toy line, released a cosmetics line based on transformation items seen in the series, aimed at adult women who grew up with the show.[33] This was followed by a life-sized replica of Sailor Moon's Moon Stick, which Bandai produced as part of theirProplica [ja] merchandise line aimed at adult collectors,[34] as well as a jewelry line.[35] In the years that followed, other magical girl franchises released merchandise lines aimed towards adult women, through collaborations with fashion brands such asEarth Music & Ecology [ja]'s Japan Label,[36][37][38][39][40]Liz Lisa [ja],[41]Thank You Mart [ja],[42][43] SuperGroupies,[44][45] and Favorite.[46][47][48][49][50][51]
In China,Balala the Fairies is an ongoing franchise originating as a live-action series before transferring to animation, though it was accused of plagiarizingPretty Cure.[52]
Similar to Japan, the transforming heroine concept coined bySailor Moon saw popularity when the show was broadcast overseas in the 1990s due to thegirl power movement taking place in Europe and the United States at the time.[1] The influence ofSailor Moon has led magical girls to be associated withsuperheroines in the West.[1] Notable examples includeW.I.T.C.H. (2001) andWinx Club (2004) in Italy;[53][54] andTotally Spies! (2001),[30]LoliRock (2014),[55][56] andMiraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir (2015) in France.[57][58]
Animated series from the United States, includingThe Powerpuff Girls (1998),[30]Bee and PuppyCat (2013),[59]Steven Universe (2013),[60]Star vs. the Forces of Evil (2015),[54] andMagical Girl Friendship Squad (2020),[61] have been influenced by magical girl themes and reference them. Characters inMy Little Pony: Equestria Girls are described as "full-time students and part-time magical pony girls".[62]
The influence of the genre has also been seen in Western comics and graphic novels, such asAgents of the Realm (2014),[63]Zodiac Starforce (2015),[64] andSleepless Domain (2015).[65]
Magical girl series have been linked tofemale empowerment since the 1970s, from exploringfemale sexuality to weaponizing femininity.[1] Aside from femininegender norms from the genre's defiance against female gender roles, the magical girl genre has also influenced a shift in male gender norms as the stigma between traditional femininity and weakness were removed.[30]
Akiko Shimada's 2011 dissertationRepresentations of Girls in Japanese Magical Girl TV Animation Programmes from 1966 to 2003 and Japanese Female Audiences' Understanding of Them references Yokokawa (1991) and Murase (2000) who state that in Japanese language, the word "shojo" is always used in third person. Young girls do not refer to themselves as "shojo". This reflects on how narratives about shojo are crafted from a third-party, oftenmale lens.[66]
There's also something vaguely reminiscent of the French 2014 – 2017 magical girl cartoon LoliRock, and since that streamed on Netflix, the visual similarities may prove helpful as well.
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