magical girl database

Pretty Cure

Progress: watched 10 seasons in full, almost finished Hirogaru Sky!, started Yes! 5 (abandoned for now), watched a bunch of All Stars movies and regular movies

The ultimate magical girl IP, has everything for everyone. I have my favorite seasons and I was disappointed by others, and I'm not following it as actively as I used to, but I'm still regularly checking out new logos and transformation sequences to decide if I should watch the upcoming season in full!

My first experience with Precure was a random episode of (Futari wa) Pretty Cure when it aired on German TV in 2005, and I was in awe at Cure Black, a tomboy-ish magical girl who fights with her fists while dressed in black (pretty much the antithesis of Sailor Moon!! which was exactly what I needed as a baby goth), and while I wasn't super captivated by the episode itself, that image was forever burned in my mind.

Literally 10 years later, I was looking for an anime to watch and Go! Princess Precure's thumbnail caught my eye. The first episodes blew me away and it brought back that memory of the original series, so while waiting for the series to progress I started going through older seasons, and here we are...

This is taking way too much space already lol so expect a Precure shrine in the future ~

Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica

Progress: watched the original series and the first 3 movies, played the first story arc of Magia Record, watched all Magia Record seasons, anxiously waiting for the 4th movie!!

The 1st time you watch Madoka, you're a little put off by the square-ish moe faces, you get hooked by Gekidan Inu Curry's clashing yet wonderful art style, and you stay for the incredible twists.

The 2nd time you watch Madoka, you're here for the yuri.

The 4th time you watch Madoka, you're here for the catharsis of teenage girls falling into despair as they realize all their hopes and dreams are destined to be crushed by systemic oppression and objectification.

... The 6th time you watch Madoka, you're here for the socialist commentary. (it's even more obvious in the original MagiReco game, but that subtext was butchered in the anime adaptation...)

Anyway, I re-watch Madoka every year. Might make a shrine for it one day!

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon

Progress: watched Sailor Moon, Sailor Moon R, Sailor Moon S, and started Sailor Moon SuperS but never managed to finish it...

An obvious classic. While I was a fan of Sailor Moon growing up, it took me decades before I finally sat down and started watching it in full... And I very much struggled with it at first lol. Usagi's constant crybaby personality really doesn't work for me, and despite the beautiful transformation sequences and the rest of the cast, I had to soldier through the first season to warm up to it.

The 2nd and 3rd seasons were much, much better, and I was so happy to finally watch Sailor Uranus, Neptune and Saturn in action (I had magazines and used to draw them all the time as a kid, but I don't think I actually ever watched an episode they were in... these mysterious, cool magical girls throwing enigmatic glances at the viewer...)

Following that high I was ready to start SuperS, but I was incredibly put off by the suggestive way the season's villains forcefully open the "door to the dreams" of young girls and women and shove their heads inside while their victims scream in pain :) Maybe I'll manage to get past that one day, but for now I'm more interested in other series.

Card Captor Sakura

Progress: watched all 3 original seasons, can't remember if I watched the first movie but I definitely watched The Sealed Card, watched Clear Card and started reading the corresponding arc but I haven't finished it yet.

Well, here too, while I did watch some episodes on TV it took me many more years for me to finally go through the wole series. By that point I had already read xxxHolic, most of Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, and watched all of Chobits, so I was obviously very receptive to a magical girl series that has the same overarching sense of mystique, esotericism, and beautiful art style. I was also very pleasantly surprised by the love triangle that happens early in the series!

Shoujo Kakumei Utena

Progress: watched the full series and the movie, and I think I read the manga version of The Adolescence of Utena?

A series I didn't really get when I first watched it (I was still too young and naive for its subtext tbf) but it gets better and better with every rewatch.

I equally love the sword duels, the dramatic songs, the tragedy and misery that looms over the plot, and the Nanami scenes. I think about the visual imagery in the finale a lot, but the movie is even better in terms of art direction. And I regularly quote "You have no choice but to revolutionize the world".

I should make a shrine...

Ojamajo Doremi

Progress: watched a few episodes on TV back in the day lol

I really love the costumes and the items/toys, and I think Yoshihiko Umakoshi's character design fits much better here than it did in Heartcatch Precure!, but... I never managed to start watching it seriously lol, I'm afraid I've grown too old to be able to appreciate it. Still, it's always in my references when it comes to visual design! (non-baby) Hana looks super cute...

Princess Tutu

Progress: watched the full series

I don't remember what exactly happens in Princess Tutu, but I can assure you that it's a lot more profound than just a girl doing ballet.
It has a similar surrealistic quality as Utena (there's a baby crocodile in a tutu taking ballet classes), a dark and tragic undertone you don't really expect from the art style, and Rue/Kraehe's character left a very strong impression on me.

Mawaru Penguindrum

Progress: watched the full series

Not really a magical girl series per se, but... I really tried to like this series and even rewatched it some years later, but I'm just not that interested in the main drama I guess, lol? I was much more involved with the insane yandere girl, her diary and her "rivalry" with her crush's fiancee... The slingshot girl who looks suspiciously like Utena's Juri was also fun.

It's a shame because visually there's a lot of interesting things going on and the art direction is super strong, but as a whole work it's just a little all over the place (and I'm feeling somewhat "hm." about the real events it wants to reference... was it really necessary...)

I read it's very inspired by Night on the Galactic Railroad, so I might check it out at some point, see if a deeper comprehension of the cultural context behind this series improves my opinion.

Tokyo Mew Mew New

Progress: watched a few episodes and dropped it

I'm just putting it here to say: I tried. I never watched the original Tokyo Mew Mew, so I was hoping to jump on the bandwagon when the remake came out... but no, I just struggle to find any interest in it lol sorry (call it catgirl bias).
Just like I did with Sailor Moon for a while, I wonder if the people who call themselves fans of the series really watched it or if they're just into it for the nostalgia and the aesthetic... oh well.

Maybe I'll try again later...

Katsute Mahou Shoujo to Aku wa Tekitai shiteita.

Progress: watched the whole series

A cute romantic comedy about a bad guy falling in love with a magical girl. It's not incredible, but it has fun bits and a cute art style. A little bit too fan service-y at times when it didn't need to be.

Sugar Sugar Rune

Progress: started watching the anime, never finished, read the full manga

UPDATE: turns out ditching the anime and reading the manga was the right move! Moyoco Anno's art style really shines through her page composition, and I can engage with the story at the pace I want.

A super cute series about witches learning about the power of love. The plot is a little simplistic but, well, the protagonists are 10 years old so the target audience is probably in that age group too. The outfits are adorable yet glamorous, and I want to live in Chocolat and Vanilla's house...

Nurse Angel Ririka SOS

Progress: currently watching!

Supposedly proof that Madoka Magica wasn't the first dark magical girl anime. Took 14 episodes for 2 characters to die, so it's a very slow burn so far. On the other hand, the use of holographic foil in the transformation sequence is super charming!

Seizei Ganbare! Mahou Shoujo Kurumi

Progress: watched the first season, where the hell can I find season 2 with subs!!

Magical girls on crack. Love the energy, love the colors and designs, love the humor. Would probably not work if the episodes were longer than 4 min lol

Sweet Valerian

Progress: watched the whole series

Another fast-paced magical girl comedy. Not that funny, but the characters are cute (it's CLAMP, so obviously).

Binan Kōkō Chikyū Bōei-bu LOVE!

Progress: watched season 1, can't remember if I watched season 2

I watched it because it was about magical boys. I think some of the funny bits were alright, but I genuinely do not remember much about it...

Tsukurotte Piature

Progress: it's only one video lol

Tsukurotte Piature is literally a college student project. You can watch it here.
Piature (Piacere Couture) is very likely a nod to Precure, and the creator even made an "official website" for the fake series that feels very familiar.

While the video itself is rough around the edges, I found the concept of the transformation sequence really charming (and more interesting, better paced and more thought through than some recent Precure transformations lol), and the character designs are just as unique and fresh.

Space Patrol Luluco

Progress: watched the whole series

A shitpost series like Trigger knows how to do. It's probably better if you watch their other older works before this one, since there's a copious amount of private jokes and references.

It's extremely fast-paced, it's dumb as hell, it's entertaining and engaging with a great twist, Midori is my fav and I love her transformation.

Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru

Progress: watched all 3 seasons and all movies... I think?

"If you didn't like it that much why did you watch all of it?"

Excellent question.
I have no idea.

It's a series with a lot of potential, a great soundtrack (same composers as the NieR game series), and subjecting its characters to very interesting dilemmas... but it still fell short of my expectations. Maybe it's the CGI, maybe it's the mecha layer, maybe it's how everything feels a little too videogame-y, or how all the sacrifices the characters made in the first season were nullified in the finale. Either way it left me hungry for more depth, so I ended up binge eating the rest of the series but without much satisfaction.

Mahou Shoujo Ikusei Keikaku

Progress: watched the first season

It had a lot of potential until it turned into a gratuitous gore fest with not much else. I really liked the app's visual design, the social aspect of it and how an ephemeral online existence can be brutally cut off by just "logging out" the character... Some of the character designs are nice too, others are definitely terrible lol

Mahou Shoujo Site

Progress: watched the anime

Damn that was even worse than Ikusei Keikaku.
Cute gun, though.

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt

Progress: watched the first season, anxious about season 2...

Stupid but still fun. The transformation sequences are a treat, the whole series is cleverly animated and edited, the soundtrack is just banger after banger. A lot of the humor would not fly today, though, so I wonder how the new season will go... I'm both excited and worried lol

Kill la Kill

Progress: watched the full series

DON'T LOSE YOUR WAYYY

Banger series, always fun to rewatch. It's difficult to recommend it to people because there's a lot of nudity and fan service, but trust me, after the first few episodes you'll realize it's a lot more progressive than it looks (and by that I mean it just doesn't give a shit about what anyone thinks). Harime Nui is one of my favorite characters ever.

Mahou Shoujo ni Akogarete

Progress: watched the first season

Probably the only ecchi series I'll put on this page. I started watching it because I had nothing else to watch, and I was incredibly surprised by how funny this anime is, and how it cleverly twists the tropes of the magical girl genre by discussing the strange love-hate relationship between good guys and bad guys. Definitely looking forward to season 2!

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha

Progress: watched the first season

Not my vibe at all. To me it's like a magical girl series specifically not made for girls, despite not having that much fan service.

The weapons shouting in German were fun, though.

Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou

Progress: watched the whole series

I genuinely do not remember much about this anime, just that it wasn't extraordinary, but I still like the character design.

Uta~Kata

Progress: watched the whole series

It's so forgettable that all I remember is that I hated it. The only reason I'm putting it here is to say I watched it, and to spare people from having any expectations about it.

Winx Club

Progress: watched a few episodes on TV back in the day lol

Winx aired at the time I was slowly transitioning from princesses and fairies to witches and dragons. So when we roleplayed Winx at school during recess I was mainly taking inspiration from the Trix, particularly Darcy teehee

While I think they went a little overboard with the art style and the glitter at times (what the hell is PopPixie... what the hell is World of Winx...) there's no denying that there is some charm to be found... Not sure I'll go for a full binge yet but who knows!

W.I.T.C.H.

Progress: read a few magazines lol

I mostly read the comic in my W.I.T.C.H. mags... the animated series started airing not long after but I was just really put off by how different the art style was (it was the whole selling point of the magazine!!).

I vaguely remember things being quite grim in the chapters I had, and it's always left me a little curious about how the story develops... But I'm not really interested in the boyfriend drama with weird ass names like Caleb.

I'm still salty that according to a personality quiz I'm closer to Irma when I wanted to be Cornelia lol

The Powerpuff Girls

Progress: watched a few episodes on TV back in the day lol

A classic. Never felt like a "girly" show and it wasn't even on my mind when I started putting this page together, probably due to the fact that Dexter's Laboratory was airing at the same time and the art styles are very similar.

Not much else to say, maybe I'll watch it in full one day!

Steven Universe

Progress: watched all 5 seasons, the movie and the sequel

It's very much on the fringe of the magical girl genre but it's still worth mentioning. I think this series had some really good highs and some moments that were also really... not that good. But the art direction is super solid, and it definitely blasted open a lot of doors for future generations of kids media, at least.

I still think Rose Quartz got away with too much. I also didn't like the movie, mainly because its constant "hey remember cartoons from the 50s? hey we heard you like Cuphead" flex was super distracting.

Garnet best gem ♥ (followed by Lapis, Peridot, White Diamond and Blue Diamond)

Bee and Puppycat

Progress: watched the original web series, haven't watched the rest

I should rewatch it... The art style is cute but I think it rode a little too much on the Adventure Time wave, and I'm not sure it still holds up.
Very much a Tumblr kid kind of magical girl, I guess.

Starla & the Jewel Riders

Progress: watched a few episodes on TV back in the day lol

Unicorns: check.
Cute armor: check.
Shiny magical jewel: check.

I don't remember much about it except the French opening, and how I couldn't be the pink one because my cousin had claimed her first.
But then was I the green one or the purple one...

If I had to pick a western 80s-90s girly animated series to watch, it would probably be that one.