(Hi) Gushing over Magical Girls (Mahou Shoujo ni Akogarete)

[The Green One]

It'll be sad when next Wednesday rolls around and I won't have this to look forward to. This was a really fun series and it's very rare to see an Anime expand the adaptation as much as this one did. Didn't hurt that it was often the lewd stuff too. Really hope we get a second season, this story has a lot left to tell. Well there's always the manga to enjoy.

Sayonara you wonderfully lewd series you. Thank you for having us question every week how this managed to air on TV.

[Master_Yoma]

Well ending with a beach episode and everyone is at the beach but got to hand it to Kiwi knowing how to pick out a good swimsuit for Utena but just so stupid transforms leading to such a nice fight with the octopus

8/10 Need more

[FlareKnight]

A feel good last episode for sure. Honestly I'm glad they could end it on a note like this. It had been 95% things looking absolutely hopeless for the magical girls. And when faced with a group that actually doesn't have any major plans it'd almost be better for them to step back. But thankfully Azure finally found a sense of balance. It was mostly a balance in absolutely embracing her lewd side. She just had to do so in a way that didn't damage her sense of public pride. No less absolutely lewd and submissive as she was when she broke down, but she's working with it and channeling it into her offense.

Of course there's always going to be shifts as time goes on. But the important thing was at least a sense that balance was possible. Still a bit dicey since Utena's side has swelled up in pure numbers, but that's fine.

Just a good feeling of things looking positive for the various characters. I'm curious to see what revelations/self-acceptance is required for Magenta and Sulfur to hit their own powered up modes? I guess that's something for the eventual season 2 to answer.

I liked this one. Good episode with a feeling of positive momentum. Even if Vena has plans that aren't likely to be good ones. But I suppose if he screws up he could have both Baiser and the magical girls in opposition to him. His endgame is one I hope is revealed in another season since it's an interesting danger under the surface.

This show was fun. Sometimes it was a lot, but it had great moments. Really nicely developed the characters and had fun along the way.

I'd say a really strong 7.5/10. Almost 8, but not quite for me.

[BWTraveller]

Everything you could hope for to end S1 of a series like this. Hope S2 comes soon.

I feel bad for Sulfur, she seemed to get the worst of the octopus. I knew at least one person was going to get a tentacle down her throat, it's practically a given, but for it to happen to the girl that loathes octopus, while Baiser stands there drinking up every fragment of her torture... can't help but pity her.

I'd have to go back over the manga again, but I wonder if they sort of exaggerated Magenta's sensitivity/pleasure here. Specifically because...

Spoiler for manga:

in the manga there's at least a part or two (I think later on) in which attempts are specifically made to torture the girls with pleasure, and all Magenta does is laugh from being "tickled", implying that despite growing in other ways she remains somewhat immature and "innocent" in that sense. It could be that this was a later thing added in, but it does imply that she shouldn't seem to be "enjoying" herself when things happen, instead only feeling embarrassment, pain, and maybe at most ticklish.

[serenade_beta]

Spoiler for final thoughts:

10/10

As expected of a director that also did anime like Kanokon and Lady Butler
Does that silly fanservice anime well, truly
All around just a really fun anime to watch. We got fanservice, the characters stood out, and the story that existed... well, I guess you should say character interactions in this case were entertaining to watch. It wasn't just the fanservice, the characters were fun to watch.

Sure, the animation quality is pretty unstable, especially the faces, but there is more than enough of good stuff to cover it. And to be honest, having too high quality doesn't fit these types of anime anyways.

So yeah, cool. As for a 2nd season, no one knows. It definitely sold the most of its season, creaming stuff like the heavily advertised and overly budgeted Hunter x Hu... I mean, Sousou no Freelane, but as an anime that can't be advertised to the normies, I'm not sure how willing the anime industry is to a 2nd season. Yeah, I know, it doesn't make sense. But that's in-character
Sure, we got trash this season getting a 2nd season plenty, but those were clearly planned split 2-cours, a different beast

[magnuskn]

Oh the noez, the "normies". Didn't know that we, as anime watchers, who are already pretty specialized in our choice of media, get labelled as "normies" for thinking that a superb show like Sousou no Frieren is great for its story, characters, storytelling and presentation. I've been something like 42 years now in the business of watching and playing media, I hope I never fall down the hole so far that I look down on other people enjoying my own already damned special media for liking a damn good show more than my own preferences. ^^

[stray]

Originally Posted by magnuskn

Didn't know that we, as anime watchers, who are already pretty specialized in our choice of media, get labelled as "normies" for thinking that a superb show like Sousou no Frieren is great for its story, characters, storytelling and presentation.

I enjoyed Frieren well enough myself but it also got a 90 minute (4 episode) first episode, an OP by Yoasobi, and a budget that most series just don't get. Meanwhile committees are churning out more and more anime every year (in large part to dilute foreign investment) and tend to be stingy on budgets and resources for series that aren't deemed "winners" going in. Though I guess that helps a BDSM magical girl series get adapted in the first place.

Mahoako obviously didn't get much budget but it did get 13 episodes at least. Still hoping for S2...

[magnuskn]

Originally Posted by stray

I enjoyed Frieren well enough myself but it also got a 90 minute (4 episode) first episode, an OP by Yoasobi, and a budget that most series just don't get. Meanwhile committees are churning out more and more anime every year (in large part to dilute foreign investment) and tend to be stingy on budgets and resources for series that aren't deemed "winners" going in. Though I guess that helps a BDSM magical girl series get adapted in the first place.

Mahoako obviously didn't get much budget but it did get 13 episodes at least. Still hoping for S2...

I mean, yeah? Frieren got the budget because the people in charge recognized how good of a story it is. This here got popular because of dem anime tiddies. ^^

[stray]

Frieren fans really are going to be worse than FMAB fans in the end...

Anyway I wonder if the response to Mahoako would have been different if they kept the anime nipple-less.

[Twi]

Originally Posted by stray

Frieren fans really are going to be worse than FMAB fans in the end...

Hey, don't drag us into this.

This series is lucky to get what it did considering the subject topic and the ages of the characters involved.

[GDB]

Originally Posted by stray

Frieren fans really are going to be worse than FMAB fans in the end...

Bruh he literally just said it had a good story. How is that obnoxious?

Anyway I wonder if the response to Mahoako would have been different if they kept the anime nipple-less.

It'd have been less, but overall I think the character reactions ultimately matter more than nipples. Though that may be biased from reading the manga and still thinking it's great fun.

[ryllharu]

Can we at least all agree that Izumi Fuuka (Utena's VA) deserves a seiyuu award next year?

[Dextro]

Originally Posted by ryllharu

Can we at least all agree that Izumi Fuuka (Utena's VA) deserves a seiyuu award next year?

Hear Hear! Utena's VA did an outstanding job. Not that the rest of the cast didn't, but Izumi-san nailed it here.

[serenade_beta]

Originally Posted by stray

Frieren fans really are going to be worse than FMAB fans in the end...

It's funny since Frieren characters have as much personality as a chalkboard, but the fans, the fans. They fear the titties

Originally Posted by stray

Anyway I wonder if the response to Mahoako would have been different if they kept the anime nipple-less.

The nipples definitely helped word of mouth since it seems important (one way or the other) to some people, especially loli nipples, but I've never personally been the "OMG nipples!" type, so it wouldn't have made a difference to me. Boobs are boobs to me

Originally Posted by ryllharu

Can we at least all agree that Izumi Fuuka (Utena's VA) deserves a seiyuu award next year?

I didn't even know who she was, but upon searching, she's only been really getting main characters starting this year. Can't remember all of the normal voiced new VAs...
It'd definitely be nice if this anime got more recognition from people other than the audience (the irony), but it's gonna be a Frieren character's VA. They got the money to stack. Or maybe not anymore
Or maybe there will be a more stacked anime in the 2nd half of the year

[ryllharu]

Originally Posted by serenade_beta

I didn't even know who she was, but upon searching, she's only been really getting main characters starting this year. Can't remember all of the normal voiced new VAs...
It'd definitely be nice if this anime got more recognition from people other than the audience (the irony), but it's gonna be a Frieren character's VA. They got the money to stack. Or maybe not anymore
Or maybe there will be a more stacked anime in the 2nd half of the year

Thankfully, the Seiyuu Awards have three major categories, Best Leading Role, Best Supporting, and Best New Voice Actor.

I'm hoping Izumi Fuuka wins the third category, because this is her first batch of major roles. For example, the VAs who played Ruby and Kana in Oshi no Ko both won that award this year, and Hina Suguta (Kitagawa Marin) in Dress Up Darling won the year prior. It isn't always awarded to major franchise actors either. It would be nice if the others from this series got recognition too, because the award goes out to like six actors typically.

Atsumi Tanezaki (Frieren among many others that are difficult to tell apart sometimes) did win Best Lead Actor and Best Supporting last year, so probably...but her range is exceptional. Kana Ichinose (Fern) won this year, presumably for Gundam, so she's probably covered.

[stray]

Originally Posted by ryllharu

Can we at least all agree that Izumi Fuuka (Utena's VA) deserves a seiyuu award next year?

I can get on board with this, and honestly they really nailed the voice cast overall. I also really liked Sulfur's seiyuu, she seems to be a rookie as well. And after this and 16 Bit Sensation Aoi Koga has become one of my favorite seiyuu.

Also friendly reminder that Atsumi Tanezaki was a prolific eroge actress before becoming the hottest thing in anime. I'm still torn between best imouto Niimi Sora and best whale Gome as my favorite of her eroge roles.

[TnAdct1]

Originally Posted by AndreSuave

Sad that that there wasn't much nudity from the loli.

Actually, the lack of nudity for NeroAlice is considered a good thing by most fans, as, for a show that is already controversial due to most of the cast being middle-school aged, the creators know better to get into really dark territory by doing the same things to someone who is still in grade school.

[Twi]

Originally Posted by AndreSuave

Sad that that there wasn't much nudity from the loli.

....Hmm, okay so I can see why you'd probably say that considering your signature, but please consider the fact that this show was already stretching tolerance of people as it was with middle-schoolers. There is no justification you can give for the grade-schooler.

[Rasty]

Originally Posted by stray

I can get on board with this, and honestly they really nailed the voice cast overall. I also really liked Sulfur's seiyuu, she seems to be a rookie as well. And after this and 16 Bit Sensation Aoi Koga has become one of my favorite seiyuu.

Heresy! You should have already acknowledged her as one of your favorites after Kaguya.

Originally Posted by TnAdct1

Actually, the lack of nudity for NeroAlice is considered a good thing by most fans, as, for a show that is already controversial due to most of the cast being middle-school aged, the creators know better to get into really dark territory by doing the same things to someone who is still in grade school.

Agreed. NeroAlice is funny as she is, no reason to go to the extreme with a grade-schooler.

Btw, 13 years old seems to usually be the dividing line for JP works between "a bit too young" and "definitely untouchable".

[Strahan]

Originally Posted by TnAdct1

Actually, the lack of nudity for NeroAlice is considered a good thing by most fans, as, for a show that is already controversial due to most of the cast being middle-school aged, the creators know better to get into really dark territory by doing the same things to someone who is still in grade school.

Definitely. Given the edge this is already walking I'd rather forgo them getting her involved to ensure the show can be made / accepted. Seeing more and more uncensored shows is nice, don't need to do anything to jeopardize it. I'm sick and tired of light beams and convenient censoring.

Besides, I'm sure the fan art community will scratch the loli itch, I'd be shocked if there aren't Nero Alice works out there already. Edit: yep, lol. Checked Gelbooru and Rule34, should've known the loli would be lewded already. Though personally, I'm more of a Sulfur fan. I like there to be something to put ones hands on. Same reason Milim is my av; a lithe body is an ideal body