As a seasoned anime enthusiast with over three decades of viewing under my belt, I must say that the upcoming series, Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc., has truly piqued my interest! This show seems to be a delightful blend of the magical girl genre and workplace drama, two elements that I never thought would mesh so harmoniously.
The magical girl/mahō shōjo genre, a key element in anime and manga, has been a prominent feature since its inception in 1962. Notable early works include “Himitsu no Akko-chan” and “Sally the Witch,” from 1966, which helped set the tone for this genre. This genre is characterized by its portrayal of young females or women who possess magical powers, often manifested through a special persona or guise.
Approximately three decades after Naoko Takeuchi’s creation of Sailor Moon, the fusion of superhero tokusatsu characteristics, which had started evolving into their contemporary form in the late 1950s with the fundamental idea of magical girls, culminated in what is arguably the most iconic feature of this subgenre: the transformation scene. The adaptation penned by Sekka Iwata and illustrated by Yu Aoki, titled Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc., set to premiere in Fall 2024, offers a distinctive take on the magical girl subgenre, honoring its most cherished elements. Here’s why it’s worth your time.
What Is Magilumiere About?
Imagine Magical Girls… At the Workplace
Magical Girls. Strong, cool and agile… Everyone wants to be one. They’re well paid and popular. It’s a respectable line of work. Their main duties involve a particular natural phenomenon: they exterminate creatures called ‘Kaii’. An increase in Kaii over the years sparked a Magical Girl industry boom. Ranging in size from small to large, over 500 Magical Girl companies now exist.
In today’s world, being a magical girl is a sought-after profession where these individuals are responsible for protecting society from harmful creatures called Kaii. Recently graduated Kana Sakuragi has been finding it tough to secure employment. However, her luck takes a dramatic turn when a Kaii attacks during an interview, causing a significant crisis.
With her exceptional memory, Kana assists Hitomi Koshigaya, a skilled magical girl, in eradicating a monstrous entity. This action results in her being employed at Magilumiere Co. Ltd., a compact organization where Koshigaya is employed, and she becomes the second magical girl on their team. The company’s staff includes a weary-looking CEO of middle age who often dons magical girl attire, Kōji Shigemoto; Kaede Midorikawa, who liaises with clients; and Kazuo Nikoyama, their magic engineer.
Background Information
Staff and Cast Behind The Production of Magilumiere
As a dedicated gamer and manga enthusiast, I’ve been eagerly following the journey of “Magilumiere,” a captivating manga penned by Sekka Iwata and Yu Aoki. This epic tale has been gracing the Shōnen Jump+ platform since October 2021, with a total of 14 volumes compiled as of October 2024. For those who prefer English, Shueisha’s Manga Plus website and app have got you covered!
The ensemble of Magilumiere features Yumiri Hanamori playing Hitomi Koshigaya, Fairouz Ai taking the role of Kana Sakuragi, Rikiya Koyama as Kōji Shigemoto, Daiki Yamashita as Kazuo Nikoyama, Chika Anzai portraying Mei Tsuchiba, Kikuko Inoue as Miyako Asō, and Ryōta Ōsaka acting as Midorikawa. Additionally, Kaori Ishihara and Akira Ishida are also part of the cast. Hanamori is known for her role in Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku, Ai from CHAINSAW MAN, Koyama from Case Closed, Yamashita from My Hero Academia, Anzai from Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-, Inoue from Ranma 1/2 and the upcoming Ranma 1/2 2024, Ōsaka from The Devil is a Part-Timer!, Ishihara from Sword Art Online: Alicization, and Ishida from Bungō Stray Dogs.
How Magilumiere Plays With the Magical Girl Subtrope
Combining Workplace Anime With Magical Girls
The thing that makes Magilumiere an interesting title to watch this Fall 2024 anime season lies in its approach to the tried and tested magical girl formula. At this stage, a lot of modern anime deals with the saturation within genres, and avoids copying the formulae laid out by very popular or genre-defining anime by way of subversion. For example, KonoSuba dealt with the overwhelming repetitiveness of the way the isekai trope plays out in the majority of media by subverting expectations with humorous results, which in turn made comedy an important ingredient in modern isekai. In the case of Magilumiere, the series leans into the elements that are central to magical girl anime – like flashy fight scenes, an emphasis on a heroic main character and an unexpected protagonist who attains their power through what seems like fate or coincidence, and of course, the transformation sequence.
In the opening episode of Magilumiere, it excelled in these areas, and Hitomi’s metamorphosis stood out as the highlight: it echoed the idea of transformation sequences made famous by Sailor Moon (and also the animated series inspired by it), amplifying the grandeur and excitement of her transformation to its peak with energetic music and exceptional animation that seamlessly complemented her donning her suit.
The fact that the conduit of her transformation was her company access card was a fun bit that reminded us that this is a professional magical girl, not to mention how the awesome monster designs raised the stakes, proving that the magical girl element isn’t just a gimmick, as truly dangerous, terrifying creatures with strange abilities are the opponents that they face. Kana’s characterization as a graduate who can’t find work and doesn’t do very well in interviews is also relatable, but not in a cynical way. The series retains some whimsy, but also boasts a tech-based magical system that also makes the world of Magilumiere very interesting, with mechanical witch brooms and magic that is as flashy as you’d expect from a magical girl anime, but with a different perspective on how this magic works. Visually, Magilumiere is great, and it also has an interesting concept that makes it worth watching this season.
Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
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2024-10-15 19:34