Magical girls (魔法少女 mahō shōjo?) belong to a sub-genre of Japanese fantasy anime and manga. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. (anime in Japanese, ˈmɑŋgə is the Japanese word for Comics (sometimes called komikku コミック and print Cartoons In their modern form manga date from shortly Magical girl stories feature young girls with superhuman abilities who are forced to fight evil and protect the Earth. They generally possess a secret identity,[1] although it can just refer to young girls who follow a plotline involving magic and a transformation (such as Full Moon wo Sagashite). A secret identity is an element of fiction wherein a character develops a separate Persona (usually adopting a Pseudonym) while keeping their true identity is a Japanese Shōjo Manga by Arina Tanemura. According to the Furigana, the Kanji in the title are read furu mūn Magical girls are known in Japan as majokko (魔女っ子? lit. "witch girl"), though this term is generally not used to refer to modern magical girl anime. Sally, the Witch in 1966 is seen as the first magical girl anime. [1]
Magical boys are much rarer, but easily identifiable as they are designed along similar lines such as with D.N.Angel. A is a type of Fictional character in Anime and Manga. They are the male counterpart of mahō shōjo or Magical girl anime DNAngel is a Japanese Manga series written and illustrated by Yukiru Sugisaki. A magical girl should not be confused with a catgirl or a magical girlfriend. This article deals with the Catgirl in popular culture For information of historical interest on the mythical creature, see Bakeneko. A magical girlfriend (魔法彼女 mahō kanojo) is a Bishōjo character often associated with Romantic comedy Anime series Sometimes, the catgirl and magical girl character types cross over; the magical girl may have cat ears and tail as part of her costume or a catgirl could have some form of magical powers. Examples of these include Tokyo Mew Mew and Hyper Police. also known as Mew Mew Power, is a Japanese ''shōjo'' manga series written by Reiko Yoshida and illustrated by Mia Ikumi. is the name of a Manga and Anime series created by Minoru Tachikawa under the Pseudonym MEE A magical girl and a magical girlfriend typically differ in that the magical girlfriend is not the protagonist.
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General examples
A general example of a magical girl starts with the magical being, such as a witch or an angel, attempting to function in a mundane world. An angel is a Spiritual Supernatural being found in many Religions Although the nature of angels and the tasks given to them vary from tradition to tradition Examples include: Sally Yumeno of Sally, the Witch, Meg Kanzaki of Majokko Megu-chan, and Misha and Shia of Pita Ten. ("Little Meg the Witch Girl" is a Magical girl Anime series is a Japanese Manga created by Koge-Donbo which was serialized in MediaWorks' Shōnen manga magazine Dengeki Comic A second type is a normal girl may also be given power by a magical figure without the baggage of combat. An example is Doremi Harukaze of Ojamajo Doremi. One generic power is for the character to turn into an older version of herself and enjoy some of the freedom from awkward youth, which the audience identifies with. Examples include: Fancy Lala, Creamy Mami, and Akko-chan. is a Magical girl Anime series produced by Studio Pierrot in 1998 is a Magical girl Anime series by Studio Pierrot from 1983 It went on to have five OVA adaptions and featured in other Studio Pierrot special presentations is a pioneering Magical girl Manga and Anime that ran in Japan during the 1960s A third type is a normal girl given power, or had her own already-existing power awakened, in order to fight malevolent forces such as in Sailor Moon or Devil Hunter Yohko, or with Kisaragi Honey from Cutie Honey or Nanoha Takamachi from Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha. is the title of a Japanese Media franchise created by Naoko Takeuchi. is an Anime series created by Madhouse, produced by Toho (the company famous for the Godzilla franchise and published in North America is a Japanese Media franchise created by Go Nagai. Cutie Honey first appears on volume 41 of the 1973 edition of Shōnen Champion. The name of Nanoha's weapon is "Raising Heart" This is not a typo nor is it incorrect Although they are latecomers to anime and manga compared to the previous two,[2] this has become the archetype definition of a magical girl.
Genre history
The Japanese dub of the American TV series Bewitched was popular among Japanese young girls in the 1960s. Bewitched is an American Situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972. [3] This was in the formative years of Japanese animation as a genre, and animators wanted to create a series aimed at young girls; since Bewitched was popular with them, animators decided to make a series about a witch. This witch would not be a witch in the usual Western sense of the word, such as that of the evil witch in Hansel and Gretel, but a witch of the same vein as Bewitched's Samantha: a witch who looked just like a normal person and used her magic for everyday tasks and the good of others around her. Hansel and Gretel ( Hänsel und Gretel) is a Fairy tale of Germanic origin adapted by the Brothers Grimm and earlier by Giambattista This inspired Mitsuteru Yokoyama—best known in the U. was a famous Japanese manga artist. His works include Tetsujin 28-go, Giant Robo, Akakage, Babel S. as the creator of the manga Gigantor—to create Sally, the Witch. Gigantor is the American adaptation of the Anime version of Tetsujin 28-go, a Manga by Mitsuteru Yokoyama released in 1956. [4]
Cutie Honey, which began in 1973, is considered the prototype for the transforming magical girl genre. is a Japanese Media franchise created by Go Nagai. Cutie Honey first appears on volume 41 of the 1973 edition of Shōnen Champion. is the Japanese word for " Transformation," literally meaning "to change or transform the body [5][6] The transforming magical girl genre was later popularized by Sailor Moon, which began in 1992. is the title of a Japanese Media franchise created by Naoko Takeuchi.
According to the analyst John Oppliger of AnimeNation, since 2003, magical girl anime targeted at least partially at male audiences has become a prolific trend alongside the traditional female-oriented works, coinciding with the rise of moe genre popularity. AnimeNation is a well-known Retailer of Anime, Manga, and other products of Japanese culture founded in 1995 and located in Tampa AnimeNation is a well-known Retailer of Anime, Manga, and other products of Japanese culture founded in 1995 and located in Tampa is a Japanese Slang word originally referring to fetish for or Love for characters in Video games or Anime and Manga. [7]
Common themes and features
Magical girls generally obtain their powers from some sort of enchanted object such as a pendant, a wand, or a ribbon. By concentrating on this object, in addition to speaking a special phrase or command in some cases, a girl undergoes an intricate transformation sequence and changes to her fully powered form. is the Japanese word for " Transformation," literally meaning "to change or transform the body A major theme of magical-girl stories is learning to harness these powers and develop them fully. Teams of magical girls often learn to combine their powers to perform massive, super-charged attacks. Powers or no powers, though, magical girls are rarely pushovers even in normal form, as they tend to learn ordinary acrobatics, martial arts, or other offensive or defensive actions, to supplement their supernatural talents, although they do need to use their power against whatever villains they have to fight. Acrobatics (from Greek Akros, high and bat, walking is one of the Performing arts, and is also practiced as a Sport. Martial arts are systems of codified practices and traditions of training for Combat.
Magical girls are not alone in their adventures. They occasionally receive the help of mysterious, magical boys. These boys sometimes disdain their female counterparts, but other times, they show romantic interest in one of the girls, or vice-versa. Another common theme is some sort of talking animal sidekick with magical powers of its own. The talking animal or speaking animal term in general refers to any form of animal which can speak human languages These pets rarely participate in combat; instead, they offer advice and help train the girls in the use of their abilities.
Magical girls' powers are usually ill-defined. While it is clear that their powers have a source behind them, the extent and exact nature of their powers are usually not known or left unclear. Thus, it is not uncommon for a magical girl to summon extraordinary new magical powers that she was previously not capable of in the last moments of an epic battle, and which serves as a deus ex machina to resolve the major conflict in a climactic fashion. A deus ex machina ( lat. ˈdeːus eks ˈmaːkʰina literally "god from a/the machine" is an improbable Therefore, it differs from shōnen in that shōnen tends to specifically state what a hero's powers are and what the extent of those powers can be (in most cases said powers are always enhanced as time goes by usually by extensive training), whereas magical girl series tend to leave these factors ambiguous, and instead allow her powers to be more free-flowing and open to change based on the situation. is a Japanese word literally meaning few years which can have the following meanings Shōnen a typical Boy, from elementary school through junior high
Much of the magical girls' time is spent trying to keep their powers and their normal identities secret. A secret identity is an element of fiction wherein a character develops a separate Persona (usually adopting a Pseudonym) while keeping their true identity The reasons for this vary, but traditional Japanese ideals of womanhood have little to do with running around fighting evil in usually skimpy outfits. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Other times, magical girls may simply be too embarrassed, or sometimes even outright forbidden, to let their friends and family know about their secret powers. However, despite their best attempts to keep their normal and supernatural lives separate, strange events tend to occur to magical girls in normal life with alarming regularity, forcing them to transform and fight.
Magical girl stories tend to be upbeat and cheerful. The characters fight for idealistic causes such as love, peace, hope, and beauty — never for revenge. By forming teams, the heroines learn the values of friendship and co-operation. Distinguish from Corporation. Cooperation, co-operation, or coöperation is the process of working or acting together Even the magical girls' enemies leave them alone most of the time; the girls are the ones who pursue the enemies and attempt to thwart their plans. The genre can be intriguing due to the contrasts and conflicts the magical girls represent, caught up as they are between the childish and mature, or helpless and powerful.
Mahō shōjo in Japan
Until the appearance of Sailor Moon, the original term mahō shōjo in Japan referred primarily to girls who did not transform themselves and used magic for acts of mercy and succor rather than heroism against evil; for example, Mako of Mahō no Mako-chan. is the title of a Japanese Media franchise created by Naoko Takeuchi. Aid (from the french word aide, also known as international aid, overseas aid, or foreign aid, especially in the United States) is In fact, there were magical girl series such as Himitsu no Akko-chan and Fushigi na Merumo in which the heroines were given the power to transform themselves into whatever they wished, not for the sake of fighting evil, but for the sake of adventure. is a pioneering Magical girl Manga and Anime that ran in Japan during the 1960s is a Magical girl Manga and Anime by Osamu Tezuka. This series centered around Melmo a nine-year-old girl whose mother is killed in an auto accident However, the term is generally used in the west to refer only to evil-fighting magical girls. The series Sally, the Witch and Magical Princess Gigi are hardly known in the United States although they are popular works of magical girl series in Japan. also known as Magical Princess Gigi or Gigi (France is the title of two different magical-girl Anime.
An example of a series that transcended these two cases was Akazukin Chacha, which was a Japanese mahō shōjo manga that portrayed adventures of the protagonist Chacha and her friends. is a Shōjo manga series by Min Ayahana. It was serialized by Shueisha in the Manga magazine Ribon from 1991 and 2000 and collected When it was adapted to anime, Chacha became a "Magical Princess" in order to battle with villains. Another is Majokko Megu-chan (Toei, 1974-75), in which the heroine, Megu, uses her magic not only to fight villains but also in dealing with everyday situations (such as in teaching her younger brother to swim). ("Little Meg the Witch Girl" is a Magical girl Anime series
See also
- List of magical girl anime and manga
References
- ^ a b Patrick Drazen, Anime Explosion!: The What? Why? & Wow! of Japanese Animation, p 123, ISBN 1-880656-72-8
- ^ Ross, Christina. Sailor Moon. is the title of a Japanese Media franchise created by Naoko Takeuchi. THEM Anime Reviews 4. 0. Retrieved on 2007-02-16. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1249 - Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khan of the Mongols
- ^ Drazen, Patrick (October 2002). Anime Explosion! The What? Why? & Wow! of Japanese Animation. Berkeley, California: Stone Bridge Press, p. Berkeley is a city on the east shore of San Francisco Bay in Northern California, in the United States. 281. ISBN 1-880656-72-8. OCLC 50898281. The OCLC Online Computer Library Center is according to its website a "nonprofit membership computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purpose
- ^ Boren, James (September 2003). "The Making of a Magical Girl". Animerica 11 (9): 31. Animerica is one of the original Magazines reviewing Anime and Manga in North America. Viz Media. Viz Media LLC, headquartered in San Francisco California, is an Anime, Manga and Japanese Entertainment company founded in 1986
- ^ From Cutie Honey's Premble (Japanese). The World of Go Nagai. Retrieved on 2008-02-13. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1258 - Baghdad falls to the Mongols, and the Abbasid Caliphate is destroyed “「七変化ものはできないだろうか？」 これが先方の提案だった。きっと「多羅尾伴内」が東映のプロデューサーの頭にあったのだろう。 ['How about something with seven changes?' That was their proposal. I bet the Toei producer had 'Tarao Bannai' in mind. ]”
- ^ Who Is Cutey Honey?. Retrieved on 2008-02-13. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1258 - Baghdad falls to the Mongols, and the Abbasid Caliphate is destroyed
- ^ Oppliger, John (2007-10-22). AnimeNation is a well-known Retailer of Anime, Manga, and other products of Japanese culture founded in 1995 and located in Tampa Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 202 BC - Hannibal Barca, leader of the Carthaginians, is defeated by the Roman legions under Scipio Africanus Ask John: Is Magical Girl Anime for Male Viewers a New Trend?. AnimeNation. AnimeNation is a well-known Retailer of Anime, Manga, and other products of Japanese culture founded in 1995 and located in Tampa Retrieved on 2008-05-30. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1416 - The Council of Constance, called by the Emperor Sigismund a supporter of Antipope John XXIII burns Jerome of Prague following
Further reading
- Yoshida, Kaori (2002). "Evolution of Female Heroes: Carnival Mode of Gender Representation in Anime". . Western Washington University Retrieved on 2007-09-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 66 - Emperor Nero creates the Legion I Italica. 1236 - The Lithuanians
- Napier, Susan J. [1998]. "Vampires, Psychic Girls, Flying Women and Sailor Scouts", in Martinez, Dolores P. : The Worlds of Japanese Popular Culture: Gender, Shifting Boundaries and Global Culture (in English). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521631289.
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