Mahou Shoujo Nante Mou Ii Desu Kara S2

Wait. What?! You mean this managed to get a second season? I wouldn’t have expected it even if it is the end of the world that Mahou Shoujo Nante Mou Ii Desu Kara would get a sequel because of how boring and lacking any direction the first season was. Maybe I never bothered in the first place. And because the second season came as a surprise, I guess I need to ride that surprise hype to check it out if it would be better or not. I mean, what else can a magical girl do when there are actually no monsters or other side missions to fulfil?

Episode 1
Right off from the start, a magical girl transformation scene from Yuzuka. Apparently she and Chiya are taking advantage of this transformation to have water sprinkle all over them. Miton watches them but since he is eating their ice cream, they punish him. So while they share what’s left of it, Chiya asks if there has been anything good for Yuzuka ever since she turned into a magical girl. Well, all perverted hijinks are what she can think of. Chiya turns her anger at Miton. Luckily he is able to come up with some lame excuse that lets him off the hook. They get an invitation from Mafuyu but on their way out they meet Daiya passing by who is going to the pool to swim. Oddly they notice she is wishing her grandma. But nobody’s there… This café belongs to Mafuyu’s grandpa. She is temporarily helping him out because he is currently trying to qualify for some online guild match to represent Japan! He can’t leave the computer! You go, grandpa! The reason Mafuyu invited them here is so they can show off their magic.

Episode 2
This time we start off with Mafuyu’s transformation followed by Yuzuka. This prompts Miton and Pochi to comment on Yuzuka’s swimsuit outfit that she might be an exhibitionist. Chiya doesn’t take that lightly and burns them with boiling water! Pochi’s misery continues because Mafuyu shows off her magic by throwing Pochi into a sack and then changing its size. So that’s her ability? Though Yuzuka is embarrassed to walk outside in this swimsuit, Mafuyu tries to stay positive that wearing it enough will have her get used to it. Maybe she’s missing the point. Grandpa takes a shot break from his game by wheeling into the shop, making weird comments and then going back in again. Yup, he’s crazy in the head. At least he is healthy. Mafuyu then says it is a shame she can’t transform together with Chiya but is looking forward to it. Once Mafuyu retires, Pochi will most likely choose Chiya to be the next magical girl.

Episode 3
Now it’s Chiya’s turn for her magical girl transformation although it is mostly a what-if scenario if she becomes one. Mmm… I think I’m going to love her magical maid outfit! They further fantasize how the trio will save the world! Sure, with Chiya’s blasters they will. However Pochi rubbishes that because Mafuyu’s retirement and his next assignment are 2 separate issues. Also, Mafuyu won’t be retiring soon. Thus Mafuyu is glad she gets to continue so she can have fun and mess around with Yuzuka and Chiya. Wait. What? Mafuyu adds that after she graduates from high school, she plans on taking over grandpa’s café. He couldn’t be happier because this means more time to play his games! On the way back, Yuzuka remembers and answers Chiya that there is one good thing since she became a magical girl. Because dad always comes home late, she has to eat dinner alone. It’s nice to have Miton accompany her and enjoy her food. But the good mood is ruined when Miton adds it’s because her food is better than the garbage he ate! She slaps him into the garbage truck. How fitting. She takes back what she said earlier.

Episode 4
Pochi suggests a study session under Mafuyu’s tutelage. However Chiya disagrees as they don’t have any study problems. I guess Pochi has seen too many cliché magical girl characters that he can’t accept there are no such perfect girls! Pochi is in a dilemma on how to report this to Mafuyu because she really wanted to help them out in some way. Miton then suggests to hold a tea party. He then talks to Chiya about it and when she agrees, he tries to hug her but her deadly swiftness reminds him that they’re not friends. Never. Friends. Remember. With Yuzuka agreeing, Chiya texts to Mafuyu if she would admire and appreciate Yuzuka with her. Wait. What? Excited Mafuyu thinks of replying in an adult manner and replies she would like to admire and appreciate Chiya too. A swift reply that says they’ll discuss this another time. I guess that escalated quickly, huh?

Episode 5
Mafuyu has a study session instead. However the duo understand their work perfectly and didn’t ask questions. Bored, Mafuyu tries to tell them a trivia but they can elaborate it with more facts! Didn’t know that, did you? Daiya is here to give them a big salmon present. Mafuyu gets this idea to tutor her. At first it seems great that Mafuyu is teaching her to write certain kanji characters while the mascots are contemplating how fitting Daiya is to be a magical girl. But then Daiya starts asking deeper analytical questions about the word. This is followed by Yuzuka and Chiya asking her questions. In English! Apparently Daiya is a genius who skipped 9 grade years in America! Oh, Mafuyu is only the dumb one around. It’s no surprise she is feeling a bit down as she thought being the one longer as a magical girl she might help them out. Pochi has a plan. Just leave it to him.

Episode 6
Mafuyu invites the duo over to her café. It is like a sauna since the air-cond is spoiled and the repairman can only fix it in 3 days. However Chiya suspects something amiss because the remote control is missing batteries… Mafuyu suggests Yuzuka transform so that her water magic could make the place cooler. It works as Mafuyu fawns over her. They play the Game of Life. After they leave, Chiya could hear the air-cond generator turning on and thus her suspicions were true. Mafuyu has put back the batteries and grandpa asks why she turned it off in the first place, it was to conserve energy since he was always on his online games. Really? While Yuzuka feels she has gotten less embarrassed being in a swimsuit, Chiya is starting to feel Mafuyu might be a little too clingy to her.

Episode 7
Miton is hungry and trying to resist eating garbage. He smells something good that leads him to wallop the offerings of a grave. He is then surrounded and attacked by cats! Daiya is greeting the ghost of a boss cat and when she nears the grave, all the cats got to purr at her. She treats Miton at Mafuyu’s café. It seems Daiya has the special eye as she can see spirits. Like a fallen warrior and grandma. This causes grandpa to panic. Didn’t properly take care of the café, did you? As they notice Daiya’s special ability, Miton explains she isn’t a magical girl but there are a few people who can see such unearthly things without meeting such requirements. Then the mascots had to comment how Daiya would make a much better magical girl than Chiya. Hear those knuckles cracking? She’ll be sending them to heaven alright.

Episode 8
It’s time to know the truth. Had not Chiya forced Miton, we’ll never know this story of where they came from. For better viewing, Miton uses some projection. Horrible drawing? In their world, Miton and tons of his clones were chosen to go on a journey to get a magical girl bracelet. They counter various hazards and dangers. Many were sacrificed till Miton was the only one left who managed to get it. Yuzuka felt sorry for this tragic back story but Pochi rubbishes it all as fake. Time for Miton’s scalding hot water punishment. Pochi explains their world is much more advanced and complex than this. Pochi doesn’t even consider Miton his colleague because they never run into each other or bother trying to find each other. He just ran into Miton by chance. That’s why Miton considers Yuzuka and Chiya his only friends now. The duo feel so bad that they apologize. Miton feels despair that they’re pitying him.

Episode 9
Yuzuka’s dad dozes off at the park and dreams of his daughter and her pals in magical girl form to his rescue. It seems they are under attack by a giant golem supposedly representing the inspection from the labour department wanting them to adhere to strict labour laws. Father won’t be cowed as he drinks an energy drink to turn into a hero to join the girls fighting the menace. In the end, they defeat the golem as father declares he will work till his life runs out because he loves his family. Eh? Karoshi? Father wakes up just enough time to return home to see Yuzuka sleeping. He notes as long as he feels good he can work. And he feels good because he has work. Then he is off back to working.

Episode 10
Miton notes an unusual magical girl Yuzuka is. Studious and does her chores but doesn’t allow him to peep while bathing. But of course. When asked if she is happy to be a magical girl, she ignores him. Daiya invites the gang to her father’s private beach. Mafuyu and Chiya ‘pressure’ Yuzuka to come. Is it because they want to see her in her swimsuit? But isn’t her magical girl outfit one? Well, she’s wearing her school swimsuit so I guess there’s a different sex appeal there. And why did grandpa bother to come if he is just going to play his online games? During the watermelon split, it is either the watermelon or Miton. I’m pretty sure Chiya is aiming for a certain round flying pervert… Since Yuzuka is staying out of the waters, Mafuyu and Chiya team up to drag her out. Meanwhile Daiya sees a spirit swimming and follows her beckoning to the rocky area.

Episode 11
The girls notice that something is wrong when it seems something is pulling Daiya deeper. Indeed the spirit is dragging her down to the bottom. At the same time, the spirit somehow puts up a barrier that weakens the mascots. If not for grandpa giving his never-give-up speech, Yuzuka and Mafuyu might have hesitated further. They transform and fly toward the sea. Only Yuzuka can materialize an air bubble as she sinks in to rescue Daiya. However it seems the power is limited and eventually runs out (somewhat affecting Miton too). Now Yuzuka has to hold her breath as she tries to bring Daiya up to the surface. Can she hold out?

Episode 12
When Mafuyu dives in, the spirit goes away. She is able to bring the unconscious duo back up. Pochi then erases the memories of all the witnesses on the beach. Chiya discusses with Mafuyu the possibility of Yuzuka ending up being naked had Miton died. With everyone back to normal, they continue to have fun on the beach. Mafuyu buries Yuzuka in the sand and as ‘reward’ pacts more sand in her boobs. But Miton doesn’t like it and shoves them away! He likes it compact! Time for his beat down courtesy of Chiya. At the end of the day, Yuzuka replies Miton’s question if she was happy becoming a magical girl. She is as she managed to make friends. She named everyone except him. And when she does comment something about him, the damn fireworks muted out her voice. Chiya then uses Miton as fireworks fodder. Tamaya! Such a beautiful display…

I Have Had Enough Of Boring Magical Girl Series!
Somehow I didn’t find this season to be that all bad. Maybe it is because of the low expectations that I have placed earlier on prior to watching this. Very low expectations. Therefore when the series ended, I was surprised to find myself not as disappointed as I should be. Yes, it is still boring nevertheless but it wasn’t so bad that I had to post raging insults on Twitter and Facebook. Oh wait. I don’t even have such social media accounts.

Just like in last season, nothing much pretty happens. If you watched the first season, there was no threatening reason for Yuzuka to even become one. Like as though it was the pre-requisite for Miton to take out his fetish. So when they decided to put some tension and drama in the penultimate episode of this season, it felt like it was shoehorned in because everything was so boring that they had to kick up some drama and near death so as to make us wake up a little. This only brings forth more questions like who that spirit was and what is her connection with our main characters. Because before she disappeared back into the ocean, she commented how she’ll come back to play with them again. Is this a subtle hint that there is going to be another season?! Oh dear…

Unlike last season where Daiya and Mafuyu made only paltry appearances that do not justify their existence, at least in this season they make more appearance. Even though it isn’t much, but it is far better than anything. Of course, the plot of this series itself isn’t anything much so it is better if they make use of these characters to do whatever random stuffs together since Mafuyu looks like a senior desperate for some company and Daiya as a blonde loli who could see ghosts. Not like it really mattered anyway. Yuzuka’s dad is still the overworked workaholic and too bad this season Yuzuka’s mom didn’t even make any appearance. Not even a cameo. So no family time this season. Oh, Mafuyu’s grandpa should take the cake as the most sporting grandpa who couldn’t put down his game controller ever.

Somehow I do not find Miton as perverted as before. There are a few times where his sick nature is shown but it doesn’t compare to how I remember him from last time. Maybe it is because Chiya is always around and keeping a close watch on him. Chiya is still by far the more ‘interesting’ one because of her dark nature to abuse Miton and her secret lesbian admiration to be with Yuzuka. She doesn’t need magical powers to get things done. Her threats will. As for Yuzuka, looks like she has gotten used to being a magical girl even though she might not like it. But hell, it is better than continue to b*tch about it, right? Just go with the flow and she’ll be alright.

Sorry to make my blog for this season a lot shorter because everything else I want to say would be really similar and thus I would only be repeating myself. Earth Star Dream who sang the opening song for the first season, reprise their role this season with the cover of Kimiiro Ni Somaru ~Earth Star Dream version~ (the original piece was sung by Gumi). Sounds more like a generic anime pop and nothing too special.

Overall, still a series that has nothing much ado despite its simple and soothing nature. If you don’t like how wacky Teekyuu is and that their random antics will cause you to die of heart attack or laugh till you die, or if you don’t want to watch grim magical girl series that would only break your heart and send you into tears thinking how they destroyed your perception that magical girl genres should be pure, this series might do the trick. Yuzuka doesn’t know how easy she has it going for her as a magical girl. By far the most laidback and freest magical girl duty any magical girl would want. It’s so boring they might even retire early… Better make another season before that happens…

Mahou Shoujo Nante Mou Ii Desu Kara

When you hear a magical girl anime, what do you mostly think about? A cute loli. A magical pet. Cute clothes. Don’t forget the important transformation scene. Magic battles against monsters. Magic battles against darkness. They always triumph in the end. Sounds like fun and a dream for every young girl to be the heroine, right? But what if you want out? You don’t want to be a magical girl in the first place and have had it being one. Just like the protagonist of Mahou Shoujo Nante Mou Ii Desu Kara, she didn’t want to become a magical girl but under the circumstances she is forced to. And thus this is her life as she goes about trying to live a normal one while having this additional magical girl baggage to her name. Oh, did I mention this is supposed to be a funny show?

Episode 1
Yuzuka Hanami is sleeping as usual in the early morning. Her dad must be a workaholic because he gladly leaves the house and happily looks forward to working 21 hours straight! Like any other independent girl, Yuzuka prepares herself and heads to school. On her way back, she sees something scary lurking in the garbage site. WTF is this strange ball creature with wings?! Miton is surprised she can see him and initiates a barrier so that no one can interrupt their conversation. Hey wait a minute. If no normal humans can see or hear him, why the f*ck put up a barrier in the first place? What is wrong with having another human seeing him? Anyway the fact that Yuzuka can see him means she has a potential to become a magical girl! Say, isn’t this how Nurse Witch Komugi-chan was conceived? He gives her a wristband and tells her how to transform. When she does, she becomes very embarrassed with this swimsuit outfit. Miton explains the magical girl outfit takes on the form that best suits its wearer. He can’t stop staring at her… She reverts back and doesn’t want to take up this magical girl job but Miton insists she will get used to it as swimsuits do the best work in summer. Yuzuka is not keen in working with him and Miton’s smelliness from the garbage makes her slap him away.

Episode 2
Miton is taken back to Yuzuka’s home. She blindfolds him as she transforms again to ascertain if her outfit is really a swimsuit. It is. Miton believes it must be her fetish. Better keep quiet if you don’t want her to give you that painful scrubbing punishment. He teaches how to materialize her power and it looks like she could materialize water. This water magic comes in handy especially when this pervert starts saying things that are uncalled for. She can splash him or drown him. Miton notices Yuzuka is good in cooking, something magical girls aren’t supposed to be good at. Is this some sort of stereotype? Yuzuka thinks Miton eats garbage. He is distraught she thinks so and tells of his sad story how he almost died of hunger and had no choice but to eat anything he finds. Yuzuka feels bad for asking that. But then he checks out her panties. The frying pan comes in handy sometimes… Miton learns about her parents are often away and thus leaving Yuzuka alone most of the time. He thinks she is lonely and assures will always be with her from now on but Yuzuka shoots that down and would rather be alone. Ouch.

Episode 3
Miton learns more about Yuzuka’s dad and the way she describes it, it sounds like he is working in a black company. Yuzuka did talk to her dad about this before but he told her why his company isn’t one because he enjoys what he does and gets paid properly. But doesn’t that still make him a corporate slave? Miton decides to follow Yuzuka to school since nobody can see him. Too bad her friend, Daiya could. And even Chiya Sakagami. Chiya asks Yuzuka if there is something bothering her lately and if they are good friends. In that case, what the hell is that ball creature?! Miton introduces himself as Yuzuka’s partner but since she denies it, Chiya abuses him and warns never to say that without her permission! It seems nobody else in school can see Miton. Chiya wants to see Yuzuka’s transformation and Miton allows it. You’re her best friend, right? Chiya is impressed at how cute the outfit is. Just when you thought Miton and Chiya can be friends, Chiya beats him up and another warning not to do this without her. She wants in on this.

Episode 4
Unfortunately Miton explains he can only control with one bracelet at a time. Yuzuka doesn’t mind giving up her role but it seems you can’t change the registration of the bracelet. He assures that there is a retirement age for magical girls: 16 years old. Although Chiya is not pleased, as long as Yuzuka is not in danger, she doesn’t mind. Chiya then records every line of Miton says when he assures Yuzuka doesn’t need to fight or be put in danger. Later Yuzuka asks his opinion of Chiya. He knows she doesn’t see him as a friend but is sure she cares a lot about Yuzuka. Then she receives a message from Chiya to be extra careful of Miton and not to be swayed by his sweet words. As they go shopping, Yuzuka realizes how poor Miton is when he can’t stop fantasizing all the premium meat and desserts. Miton enjoys Yuzuka’s finest cooking and wonders if it is alright for her to splurge for his sake. It’s okay. Because Chiya told her to make him owe her! Oh sh*t! Now to make his desserts… No thanks, he’ll pass…

Episode 5
In her bathroom, Yuzuka transforms to test out her water magic. She has some fun but the only downside is the need to wear this swimsuit to use her power. She thinks Miton has peeped at her as he knows what she was doing. He explains he can sense whenever she transforms via the bracelet. He doesn’t understand why she needed to go to the bathroom just to do this since this is her house when she can just transform right here in front of him. I think that is precisely why she did it there. Yuzuka asserts she doesn’t like the swimsuit transformation and even more so a stranger looking at her in one. But Miton considers himself as her partner as he turned her into magical girl although Yuzuka quickly puts her foot down on that. They are nothing more but strangers. Strangers!

Episode 6
Yuzuka’s dad is coming home early today and she wonders if Miton can make himself visible to him. Miton disagrees because doing so will cause more harm than good and will have to manipulate his memories. He fears he would be handed over to some shady organization and experimented on if his existence gets spread around. But when Yuzuka mentions about the potential of getting more money from him and buy better food, Miton changes his mind and supports the idea of not hiding things from the family. Look at how much he is drooling. Once daddy returns, Yuzuka asks if she could get a pet. He okays it. So what will it be? A dog? A cat? What the heck is that creature?! In order for Miton to manipulate his memory, Yuzuka must transform. Although dad catches a glimpse of his daughter in the swimsuit, Miton is able to manipulate his memory to see him as a fat parrot! Miton has also restored his stamina and notes how tired he is. Could his job be tougher than magical girl battles? Next morning, dad feels refreshed with lots of energy. So much so he is ready to work for 200 hours straight! Please don’t!

Episode 7
Miton is placed in a cooler because Chiya is also here in her swimsuit. He is convinced to stay there when Chiya notes Yuzuka will lose he will if he sees her. She then won’t want to do this anymore and won’t like him. Chiya wants to learn more about Yuzuka’s magic. She demonstrates and Chiya finds her cute. The girls want to know what happens to the clothes when transformed. They get replaced? Not a convincing answer. Chiya asks the question what would then happen if the swimsuit is taken off, would it be replaced by another? If that happens, they could sell it! But Chiya disagrees. Because she’ll keep it in her collection. Miton is not sure where clothes go during that but the outfit is essential in supporting the magical girl fight with magic so it won’t do any good taking it off. Wondering if there is any way to leave her original clothes around when she transforms, they test it out but the clothes get mixed up with each other. Yuzuka panics and transforms back but more mix up as this time her panties disappear. So it seems it is a bad idea to add more clothes as it will screw up the process. Too bad. But Chiya keeps her swimsuit top anyway.

Episode 8
Yuzuka introduces Chiya to Daiya. She finds her cute and the trio had a fun outing all day. After Daiya leaves, as they make their way back, they spot a girl with a flying penguin! Miton and Pochi (his name is too freaking long and complicated to pronounce, so we’ll just call him this) know each other. Mafuyu Shinogi points out that since they can see Pochi, could it be that they are magical girls? Thus she mistakes Chiya to be the magical girl. When Miton claims Yuzuka is her partner, she immediately denies it. Mafuyu reveals she is a magical girl and is happy that there is another one around. This too makes Yuzuka happy as this means she has a new friend.

Episode 9
The magical girls show off each other’s costume. Mafuyu is a Santarina and she quite likes it. Mafuyu has always thought she was the only magical girl around since Pochi said the chances of another one were incredibly low. She hopes they can be her friends. Miton suggests to Pochi to link up but the latter refuses and narrates the hell he went through. No shelter over his head and had to eat food from garbage. That sounds a lot like Miton, right? As Mafuyu is a senior, she will be retiring soon. Yuzuka wonders if it is rude to ask her about the retirement age but Chiya directly asks her. For now, Mafuyu will keep that a secret. They see Miton and Pochi like best friends now. Garbage buddies? Chiya refuses to acknowledge what she sees. They go buy stationery and since Chiya and Mafuyu discover they prefer the same supply type, they become extremely good friends. Probably if they have cut all that chatter, they could have made it since the shop just closed for the day.

Episode 10
You wonder what kind of magical girls Miton handled before because he finds it odd that Yuzuka is properly doing her homework. He thought she should wait for last minute and party first. He asks about things that she cannot handle physically. His sexual harassment? Anything else? The swimsuit. He will look into the system since she dislikes it so much. Yuzuka wonders why he never did it in the first place. It is because by removing the swimsuit it would means she is totally naked. Hey, not bad, right? Yuzuka gets mad and gives him a punishment scrub. So now you know why, right? With Miton adding that her consciousness keeps the swimsuit materialized, looks like the only way Yuzuka can ‘hide’ it is to wear clothes over it after she transforms. He cautions the problem like the last time, screwing up the system with overlapping clothes. She kicks him out and will try it out herself. After her transformation, she realizes her mom was watching.

Episode 11
Mom guesses she is a magical girl as well as this poor mascot design thingy (spot on!) turned her into one. But she asks if all monsters are defeated, why turn Yuzuka into one? No reason in particular. As dad has his memories altered, by right mom should have hers too. But Yuzuka seems to hint mom doesn’t care about this things so it is okay to let her be (why does she sound like a neglected child?). Mom learns about her water power but isn’t impressed with it since it can’t make any money! She has Yuzuka show her transformation again. She demonstrates her magic too and mom can’t stop taking pictures. Yuzuka nearly drowns Miton when he suggests she stays in the swimsuit forever. Yuzuka goes into hiding when dad is home early since his bosses got sick and got the approval to come home. He is so happy that for the first time in 5 years, 3 months and 6 days he gets to be with his family!!! Somebody call the labour department! Dad and mom spend a nice time together and Yuzuka couldn’t be happier.

Episode 12
When Miton notes Yuzuka has not many friends, it hits her real hard. She starts thinking of all the friends she has but can only think of Chiya. She thinks harder and could only come up with Daiya and Mafuyu. Not so bad, right? Although she looks at the bigger picture like classmates, she tries to support her view of having fewer friends means the stronger your bonds with each one will be. The more the weaker, right? This is what Miton understands: She is embarrassed that she doesn’t have many friends. Spot on. With Yuzuka flustering, he rephrases his words is Chiya her only friend at school. This only makes her mad. When Miton tells this to Chiya, same expression. Only, she wants to kill him! Chiya for once imparts valuable advice. She knows he is trying to look out for her but should only say those things once he is her friend. So on the way home, Miton has decided he is going to become Yuzuka’s best friend. Well, at least Chiya smiles and agrees. Really? She is agreeing to let this guy into her life?

Magical Swimsuit Model?
Wait. So this is how it ends? What did I just watch? What just happened? What is going to happen? Although the ending doesn’t make it any better, to be honest, I have mixed feelings while watching and once I finished the series. I can’t seem to figure out if this short anime is good or just bad. So I’m going with my usual middle ground approach. Yeah, that always solves a lot of things, right? :-).

Anyway, let’s start off with why it is bad. Simply because there is really nothing much to it! I wonder if we have been trolled and ‘cheated’ into thinking this is some sort of magical girl show but it feels like it is just half of it. The lack of any evil to fight makes it the biggest pitfall for why this series is really a magical girl genre and raises one of the biggest idiotic questions of how this is even possible. Why the heck do you even need to have magical girls when all the evil in the world has already been purged? Even the so called ‘reason’ gave here wasn’t really any reason in particular. It just felt like lazy writing. Hey, if Miton himself doesn’t know the answer, where else can we find them? Unless you take into account Miton is a swimsuit maniac and thus why Yuzuka was forced to become one then it is a different story but still, why the need of a magical girl when there are no monsters to fight? Therefore just because of having only a transformation scene feels like it makes it legitimate to be called a magical girl show just doesn’t justify it. After all, Yuzuka looks more like a loli swimsuit gravure model who can make water bubbles, that’s all.

One the good side, this anime is fairly simple and non-complicated to watch. In recent years, the themes of magical girl genres have gone from being your simple good versus evil trope to one that is complicated with personal traumas and dark themes. I mean, just take a look at Mahou Shoujou Madoka Magica. That has got to be one of, if not the darkest magical girl themes around. We have got magical girls show ranging from dealing with child abuse (Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha), despair and blood (Genei Wo Kakeru Taiyou) as well as hidden dark secrets that might tear even the closest friendships apart (Yuuki Yuuna Wa Yuusha De Aru). With such dark themes around, magical girl series are not for the innocent anymore. Sure, there are still colourful and typical magical girl hype type like the Pretty Cure series down to the silly ones such as Nurse Witch Komugi R and Ilya’s little spinoff, but they still have its own issues to deal with albeit to a lesser degree.

Therefore this series if you are talking and comparing it with recent magical girl series, you would find that this doesn’t even compare to a fraction of it. This means this series is easier to enjoy and easier to understand without the need of cracking your brains, tissues to wipe away the incessant weeping and whatever medication to help your heartache from it all. But this simplicity in turn can be its own downfall because everything is so simple and relaxing, it can become boring. There is nothing much in this anime that makes it memorable in the long run. While it is good for a few minutes worth of chuckles, there isn’t anything much to say beyond that. And that weak ending somewhat ruins it…

Thus having the setting of a world where evil monsters and beings have been defeated and leaving this world a peaceful one is indeed a refreshing premise when it comes to the magical girl genre. So in that case can all magical girls retire early? I doubt that will happen when there are magical mascot maniacs mad about magical girls can’t live the rest of their lives without having to serve one. This leads to the plot suffering because what else is there to do when you have no dangers to face and no inner demons to fight? Hence many of the episodes feel like standalone fillers which don’t really satisfy your magical girl needs. If you really need one, that is. And so I conclude this is how boring and lacking a decent direction a magical girl genre can get if they are not fighting monsters. Yeah…

So okay, overall it might lean towards the negative side and this is also partly contributed by the seemingly simple characters that aren’t anything much themselves. Firstly, Yuzuka is just a typical ordinary girl. That is all. When she comes into possession her magical powers, she is no different than before. Her life somewhat remains the same (albeit now with an annoying ‘poorly designed mascot’ part of her life) and she hardly puts her magic into any good use except impress others and sometimes to drown Miton whenever he goes overboard. Personally I think even Chiya is more interesting than her because of her overprotective-cum-possessive tendencies over Yuzuka and don’t-mess-with-me-you-f*cker attitude and look. She is perhaps the only character why this series is a little funnier. Otherwise it falls flat (no boob puns intended) without anything more to laugh about.

The other funny character is Yuzuka’s dad who seems to be a victim of corporate slavery but can you call it so when he is ‘enjoying’ it so much? Or is he really brainwashed? Somebody should call UN’s ILO and report this company! But then again, with Japan being famous for karoushi, they might just shrug it off. Oh wait… Could this shady corporation be a sleeping evil organization that will burst into the scene for world dominance under everyone’s nose when they least expects it? The much needed antagonist and the reason magical girls are called back to fight evil and putting Yuzuka’s magic into good use for the first time? Yeah. Even so, it might be too late as far as this season is concerned. Let’s not think too much about it.

Miton himself fails at everything. I thought he is some cheap knock off from 2×2=Shinobuden’s Onsokumaru but looked a little creepier. Usually mascot creatures steal the limelight in many shows but this one just couldn’t lift off the ground. Though Miton can be considered a pervert but he lacks that kind of ‘energy’ and ‘passion’ that makes perverts, well uhm, perverts. He sounds so monotonous which goes well with his seemingly simple yet creepy look but I doubt that with this series also being labelled as a comedy genre, we won’t look at him like some sort of jump scare monster. Thus in comparison to Onsokumaru, this little winged ball is nowhere close and his sexual harassment pales in comparison to that said yellow ball. Not sure if you can even call it sexual harassment. Yuzuka isn’t a violent girl to begin with and mostly you’ll see her angry face and the most if he really steps out of line, water bubble drowning or that dreaded scrubbing (which we only see once ever happening to him). So Miton and Yuzuka reconciling with the possibility being friends at the end whereas for the entire time she was not even acknowledging him as one just feels out of place.

Other characters felt like they weren’t necessary in the first place. Sometimes I feel that they were there just to give a little variety and prolong the series that would otherwise be boring as hell if it was always Miton and Yuzuka and occasionally Chiya. Think about it. What the heck was Daiya’s appearance for when she didn’t really contribute anything to the story. She might as well be a total stranger or a character with no name. Same case for Mafuyu and Pochi. Another magical girl. So what? What was the significance of it all? So perhaps the only reason why such characters appear is for the ‘final climax’ so that Yuzuka could count who her friends are. Really, that’s about it. It could have been a running joke about Pochi (ironically a penguin given a dog’s name) that he is usually cut off and often ignored by Mafuyu. Another running joke is how each time Yuzuka addresses Mafuyu by her surname, Mafuyu wants to be called by her first name. But you know that is blatantly ignored when she does this all the time. And do we need Yuzuka’s mom coming home just for her single episode debut? Therefore with these characters don’t really contribute to the story in the first place (not that the series had a good one either) and only serves to make them feel more redundant.

There is nothing astounding from the voice acting with most of them being newbies in the industry or at least not ‘hot’ enough to land them many anime roles. Most disappointing one goes to Yuuki Wakai as Miton (Reona West in PuriPara series). I’m not saying her voice acting is bad. But because of how bland Miton sounds, this character could be the worst magical girl mascot ever. The rest of the casts are Akane Fujita as Yuzuka (Megumi Uda in Haifuri), Nichika Omori as Chiya (ironically she was the voice of this magical girl, Yurika in Rokujouma No Shinryakusha), Miku Itou as Mafuyu (Sahono in Mangaka-san To Assistant-san To), Asuka Nishi as Pochi (Shinobu in Kiniro Mosaic) and Minami Tanaka as Daiya (Minami in Wake Up, Girls). The opening theme is Yumeiro Tori Dori Parade by Earth Star Dream. Sounds like a song for a carnival or children’s parade if you ask me.

Art and animation seems decent. Simple yet cute but there isn’t anything more to it. After all, this is a simple series and you don’t need to go into elaborate and extravagant designs just to serve its comedic effect. That is why sometimes I feel that Miton and Pochi fail as a mascot design because they look one kind, if not a bit creepy rather than cute. So simple this series like as though it feels like they are cutting corners designing the swimsuit outfit for Yuzuka. Yeah, why not just smack on a bikini top and bottom, slap a pareo attached to it and you got yourself a new magical girl outfit! If she doesn’t look like a girl heading to a beach, she looks like an exotic dancer amateur or magician’s assistant. Really. No doubt one of the worst and could be the worst ever (and lazy too) magical girl design I have ever seen. Sure, it looks like a normal swimsuit but when you classify this series as a magical girl, it is hard not to think so. This series is produced by Pine Jam. This is their debut series and so far the only one they have produced. So let’s hope they use this experience and make greater animes in the future. Trivial note: Their website is full of pine jams animation… Sweet! Yum!

Overall, this series is simple and enjoyable to watch in the short run when you are in need of something cute and funny that doesn’t need a lot of brain cells and emotional draining. A plus point if you are a lolicon. Because of that, the downside to it all is the non-existing plot or even its direction. I believe this isn’t supposed to be a slapstick nonsensical series like, say Teekyuu, Ai Mai Mi and Fushigi Na Somera-chan in which the non-existent plot can be forgiven because the hilarious absurd garbage greatly overwhelms it all. Until there is true world peace, magical girls are still much needed to keep evils in check and the world balance. Because we still need them. Lolicons still need them. They will never have enough of wanting a magical girl.