{{short description|Genre of anime and manga}} {{for|the Spanish film|Magical Girl (film)}} {{distinguish|Magical girlfriend}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2023}} [[File:Wikipe-tan sorceress color.svg|right|thumb| Illustration of Wikipe-tan as a {{transl|ja|majokko}}, the original magical girl archetype]] {{Nihongo|'''Magical girl'''|魔法少女|mahō shōjo|lead=yes}} is a subgenre of Japanese fantasy media (including anime, manga, light novels, and live-action media) centered on young girls who possess magical abilities, which they typically use through an ideal alter ego into which they can transform.<ref name="Sugawa">{{cite web|last=Sugawa|first=Akiko|url=https://www.nippon.com/en/in-depth/a03904/|title=Children of Sailor Moon: The Evolution of Magical Girls in Japanese Anime|website=Nippon Communications Foundation|date=February 26, 2015|access-date=May 28, 2016|archive-date=April 1, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160401013143/http://www.nippon.com/en/in-depth/a03904/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="ann 2016-05-27">{{cite news|first=Gabriella|last=Ekens|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2016-05-27/what-makes-magical-girls-so-popular/.102557|title=What Makes Magical Girls So Popular?|work=Anime News Network|date=2016-05-27|access-date=2020-12-07|archive-date=November 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108131710/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2016-05-27/what-makes-magical-girls-so-popular/.102557|url-status=live}}</ref>
The genre emerged in 1962 with the manga ''Himitsu no Akko-chan'', followed by ''Sally the Witch'' in 1966.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Funimation|title=A Guide to Magical Girls, From Cute to Grim|url=https://www.funimation.com/blog/2020/02/04/magical-girl-anime-guide-cute-grim-puella-madoka-asuka-cardcaptor-sakura/|website=Funimation|access-date=September 24, 2020|date=February 4, 2020|archive-date=October 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024063413/https://www.funimation.com/blog/2020/02/04/magical-girl-anime-guide-cute-grim-puella-madoka-asuka-cardcaptor-sakura/|url-status=live}}</ref> A wave of similar anime produced in the 1970s led to {{Nihongo|'''''majokko'''''|魔女っ子||{{literal translation|little witch}}}} being used as a common term for the genre. In the 1980s, the term was largely replaced by "magical girl", reflecting the new popularity of shows produced by other studios, including ''Magical Princess Minky Momo'' and ''Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel''.
In the 1990s, ''Sailor Moon'' redefined the genre by combining "transforming hero" elements from live-action {{lang|ja-Latn|tokusatsu}} hero shows. The growth of late-night anime in the early 2000s led to a demographic shift for the genre, where series with more mature themes such as ''Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha'' (2004) were created and marketed towards an older male audience.
==Genre history== {{Anime and manga}}
===1953–1971: Early magical girl works=== Despite no presence of magic, the manga series ''Princess Knight'' (1953) is seen as a prototype for the magical girl genre,<ref name="Gravett">{{cite book|last1=Gravett|first1=Paul|title=Manga: Sixty Years of Japanese Comics|date=2004|publisher=Laurence King|location=London|isbn=1856693910|edition=2nd|page=77}}</ref> as it set forth the appeal of girls who transform to do things they normally cannot perform.<ref name="ann 2016-05-27"/> ''Himitsu no Akko-chan'' (1962), serialized in the ''shōjo'' manga magazine ''Ribon'', is credited as the earliest magical girl manga series.<ref name="Thompson">{{cite book|last1=Thompson|first1=Jason|title=Manga: The Complete Guide|date=2007|publisher=Del Rey Books|location=New York|isbn=978-0345485908}}</ref>{{rp|8}} ''Sally the Witch'' followed in 1966, with a concept inspired by the American sitcom ''Bewitched''.<ref name="Sugawa"/><ref name="ann 2016-05-27"/> Its 1966 anime television adaptation produced by Toei Animation, is regarded as the first magical girl anime.<ref name="Gravett"/>{{rp|78}}<ref>{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=July 1997 |title=キネマ旬報別冊『動画王 vol.02 スーパー魔女っ子大戦』 |page=25 |url=https://www.kinejun.com/ |language=ja |magazine=Kinema Junpo |location=Japan |publisher=Kinema-Junposha.Co.Ltd |access-date=2020-12-07 |archive-date=December 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201212102352/https://www.kinejun.com/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Boren |first=James |title=The Making of a Magical Girl |journal=Animerica |volume=11 |issue=9 |page=31 |publisher=Viz Media |date=September 2003}}</ref> This anime adaptation introduced the idea of using a compact to transform, a characteristic that is still present in modern series in the genre.<ref name="magmix 2020-10-24">{{cite news|url=https://magmix.jp/post/38350/|title=女の子が憧れた『ひみつのアッコちゃん』 大ヒットの要は「コンパクトと呪文」だった？|language=ja|work=Magmix |date=2020-10-24|access-date=2020-12-07|archive-date=November 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101011011/https://magmix.jp/post/38350|url-status=live}}</ref>
===1972–1979: {{lang|ja-Latn|Majokko}} series=== Toei Animation produced most of the magical girl series of the 1970s,<ref name="Sugawa"/> collectively known as the ''{{ill|Majokko Series|ja|東映魔女っ子シリーズ}}''.<ref name="Sugawa"/> This popularized the term {{nihongo|{{lang|ja-Latn|majokko}}|魔女っ子||{{literal translation|little witch}}}} for the genre, especially with ''Mahōtsukai Chappy'' (1972) and ''Majokko Megu-chan'' (1974). ''Megu-chan'' has been noted in particular for its portrayal of multiple magical girls and the friendship between girls.<ref name="Sugawa"/> Coinciding with the influence of the women's liberation movement in Japan, magical girls began displaying a "certain coquettishness" in the 1970s.<ref name="Sugawa"/>
===1980–1989: Transition from {{lang|ja-Latn|majokko}} to magical girl=== In 1980, Toei released ''Lalabel, the Magical Girl'', the first instance of the term "{{lang|ja-Latn|mahō shōjo}} (magical girl)" being used.<ref name="Aihara">{{cite book |last=Aihara |first=Ruriko |date=2020-02-10 |title='80s &'90s 魔女っ子おもちゃブック|trans-title='80s & '90s Majokko Toy Book|language=ja |location=Japan |publisher=Graphicsha |isbn=978-4766133462}}</ref>{{rp|6}} In the following years, other studios besides Toei began producing magical girl anime series, such as ''Magical Princess Minky Momo'' (1982) and ''Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel'' (1983), the latter of which was the first installment of Studio Pierrot's {{ill|''Magic Girl Series''|ja|ぴえろ魔法少女シリーズ}}.<ref name="Aihara"/>{{rp|7}} A characteristic of ''Minky Momo'' and ''Creamy Mami'' showed girls transforming into grown-up images of themselves,<ref name="kettle vol 32">{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=特集 魔法少女が大好き！ |trans-title=Special feature: We love magical girls! |url=http://www.ohtabooks.com/publish/2016/08/12161712.html |magazine=Kettle |language=ja |location=Japan |publisher=Ohta Publishing |volume=32 |isbn=978-4778315429 |date=2016-08-17 |access-date=2021-03-07}}</ref>{{rp|29}} which has been linked to the increasing prominence of women at this time including politician Takako Doi, the all-female band Princess Princess, and pop idol Seiko Matsuda, as well as the passage of the Equal Employment Opportunity Act in 1985.<ref name="Sugawa"/> Yuji Nunokawa, the producer of both ''Minky Momo'' and ''Creamy Mami'', noted that male fans of the magical girl genre increased after ''Creamy Mami'' due to the shows' use of transformations and they enjoyed watching girls using magic to solve their problems in ways men traditionally could not.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Galbraith |first1=Patrick W. |title=Otaku and the Struggle for Imagination in Japan |date=12 June 2019 |publisher=Duke University Press |location=Durham |isbn=9781478006299}}</ref> Due to the popularity of ''Minky Momo'' and Studio Pierrot's shows, the term "{{lang|ja-Latn|majokko}}" had largely fallen out of use in favor of "magical girl".{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}}
===1990–1999: Transforming heroine and diversification=== ''Sailor Moon'' (1991), whose anime adaptation was broadcast from 1992 to 1997, revolutionized the magical girl genre by combining "transforming hero" elements from live-action {{lang|ja-Latn|tokusatsu}} hero shows like ''Super Sentai'' and ''Kamen Rider'' with traditionally feminine interests, such as romance and fashion.<ref name="Sugawa"/><ref name="Aihara"/>{{rp|8}} Up until then, magical girl series were comedic and the characters' use of magic only exacerbated social conflict.<ref name="ann 2016-05-27"/> A key attribute of the transformations in ''Sailor Moon'' is that they focused on exaggerating the characters' beauty through make-up and fashion, negating the link between cuteness and weakness traditionally seen in women.<ref name="Sugawa"/> In addition, unlike previous magical girl series, ''Sailor Moon'' featured a team of magical girls as the main characters, with male characters supporting them in battle.<ref name="kettle vol 32"/>{{rp|28}} The format of using fighting, transforming heroines became popular and were used in other magical girl series following ''Sailor Moon''.<ref name="Thompson"/>{{rp|199}}<ref name="Poitras">{{cite book|last1=Poitras|first1=Gilles|title=Anime Essentials: Every Thing a Fan Needs to Know|date=2004|publisher=Stone Bridge Press|location=Berkeley, California|isbn=1880656531|pages=31–32|edition=4th}}</ref> Series that attempted to capitalize on ''Sailor Moon''{{'s}} success include ''Akazukin Chacha'', whose anime adaptation created an original arc featuring "transforming heroine" characteristics;<ref name="Aihara"/>{{rp|106}} ''Cutie Honey Flash'' (1997), a remake of the original male-oriented science fiction series ''Cutie Honey'' (1973) for a young female demographic;<ref name="yamashita 2002">{{cite journal |last1=Yamashita |first1=Reiko |title==「アニメとジェンダー」～変わる?アニメの世界 |journal=現代社会学研究 [Contemporary Sociology Research] |date=2002 |volume=15 |url=https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/hokkaidoshakai1988/15/0/15_0_107/_pdf |access-date=27 January 2021 |trans-title="Anime and Gender" Changing? The World of Anime |publisher=Hokkaido Sociological Association |location=Japan |language=ja |archive-date=October 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021043629/https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/hokkaidoshakai1988/15/0/15_0_107/_pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> and ''Wedding Peach''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dennison |first1=Kara |title=Three 90s Magical Girl Shows That Wanted to Be the Next Sailor Moon |url=https://blog.vrv.co/kdennison/3910/three-90s-magical-girl-shows-that-wanted-to-be-the-next-sailor-moon/ |website=VRV |publisher=Wayback Machine |access-date=30 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190615091029/https://blog.vrv.co/kdennison/3910/three-90s-magical-girl-shows-that-wanted-to-be-the-next-sailor-moon/ |archive-date=15 June 2019 |date=31 October 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
In the following years, the magical girl genre became diversified. While ''Sailor Moon'' also drew in male fans, ''Cardcaptor Sakura'' (1998) was extremely popular among men in spite of its target demographic for including themes such as cosplay, boys' love, {{lang|ja-Latn|otokonoko}}, and {{lang|ja-Latn|yuri}}.<ref name="realsound 2016-11-18">{{cite news|url=https://realsound.jp/movie/2016/11/post-3245.html|title=魔法少女アニメなぜ激増？『魔法使いサリー』から『魔法少女育成計画』に至る系譜を読む|language=ja|work=Real Sound|date=2016-11-18|access-date=2020-12-07|archive-date=April 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422103001/https://realsound.jp/movie/2016/11/post-3245.html|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Cardcaptor Sakura'' was also one of the series that influenced the idea of {{lang|ja-Latn|moe}}, which was integrated into later magical girl series aimed at an adult male audience.<ref name="realsound 2016-11-18"/> Likewise, ''Cutie Honey Flash'' also drew in a male audience who were fans of the original ''Cutie Honey'' series.<ref name="yamashita 2002"/>{{rp|111–112}}
===2000–present: Expanding demographic and parody works=== {{redirect|Magical boy||Magic Boy (disambiguation){{!}}Magic Boy}} After the end of ''Ojamajo Doremi'' (1999), Toei Animation's first original magical girl anime series since 1985,<ref name="Aihara"/>{{rp|9}} ''Pretty Cure'' was broadcast in 2004, with new installments broadcast yearly.<ref name="Sugawa"/> Similar to ''Sailor Moon'', ''Pretty Cure'' drew influences from {{lang|ja-Latn|tokusatsu}} hero shows, but unlike the former, it was heavily focused on action and used the same talents who worked on ''Kamen Rider'' and ''Super Sentai''.<ref name="ann 2020-10-30">{{cite news|first=Ivan|last=Ituriel|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2020-10-30/pretty-cure-101-everything-you-need-to-know-and-some-things-you-dont/.164903|title=Pretty Cure 101: Everything You Need to Know And Some Things You Don't|work=Anime News Network|date=2020-10-30|access-date=2020-12-07|archive-date=December 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201022453/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2020-10-30/pretty-cure-101-everything-you-need-to-know-and-some-things-you-dont/.164903|url-status=live}}</ref> This helped the series achieve widespread demographic appeal outside of young girls.<ref name="ann 2020-10-30"/>
At the same time, the target demographic of magical girl shows expanded. With more late-night anime being produced in the early 2000s, magical girl shows aimed at an older male demographic were produced, a notable one being ''Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha'' (2004), a spin-off originating from the adult game series ''Triangle Heart''.<ref name="realsound 2016-11-18"/> As the series were targeted towards older audiences, this allowed for dark and mature themes to be explored, including death and the price of magical power.<ref name="Sugawa"/> The magical girl genre earned renewed popularity in the 2010s with the advent of ''Puella Magi Madoka Magica'' (2011),<ref>{{cite web |title=【魔法少女まどか☆マギカ】魔法少女になるならどの子がいい？【人気アンケート実施中】 |url=https://nlab.itmedia.co.jp/research/articles/102011/ |website=ITmedia |access-date=5 February 2021 |language=ja |date=1 February 2021}}</ref> whose mature themes and darker approach earned acclaim from viewers and critics outside the conventional audience group.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Loveridge |first1=Lynzee |title=The List - 7 Horrifying Magical Girl Anime |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/the-list/2018-07-22/.134507 |website=Anime News Network |access-date=5 February 2021 |language=en |date=22 July 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Paul|last=Jensen|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2016-12-16/rise-of-the-dark-magical-girls/.1100e=2016-12-04|title=Rise of the Dark Magical Girls|work=Anime News Network|date=2016-12-16|access-date=2020-12-07|archive-date=August 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806122535/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2016-12-16/rise-of-the-dark-magical-girls/.110004|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.laweekly.com/publicspectacle/2012/10/22/how-puella-magi-madoka-magica-shatters-anime-stereotypes?showFullText=true|title=How ''Puella Magi Madoka Magica'' Shatters Anime Stereotypes|website=LA Weekly|first=Liz|last=Ohanesian|date=October 22, 2012|access-date=August 18, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140426215415/http://www.laweekly.com/publicspectacle/2012/10/22/how-puella-magi-madoka-magica-shatters-anime-stereotypes?showFullText=true|archive-date=April 26, 2014}}</ref> Other examples of late-night magical girl anime include ''Day Break Illusion'' (2013) and ''Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya'' (2013).<ref name="Sugawa"/> Though transforming heroine shows remain popular, traditional magical girl series featuring witches demonstrating the importance of hopes and dreams, such as ''Tweeny Witches'' (2004) and ''Little Witch Academia'' (2013) were still produced.<ref name="Sugawa"/>
In addition to late-night magical girl series, media exploring the idea of male characters as magical girls (colloquially known as "'''magical boys'''<!--boldface per WP:R#PLA-->"<ref>{{cite news|first=Amy|last=McNulty|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/cute-high-earth-defense-club-love/episode-9/.85594|title=Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE! Episode 9|work=Anime News Network|date=2015-03-04|access-date=2020-12-07|archive-date=November 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130030648/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/cute-high-earth-defense-club-love/episode-9/.85594|url-status=live}}</ref>) were introduced, most of them as comedic parodies.<ref name="kettle vol 32"/>{{rp|29}} ''Kimagure Orange Road'' (1985) introduced audiences to the idea of a "magical boy" character.<ref name="Newitz">{{cite journal |last1=Newitz |first1=Annalee |title=Magical Girls and Atomic Bomb Sperm: Japanese Animation in America |journal=Film Quarterly |date=1 October 1995 |volume=49 |issue=1 |pages=2–15 |doi=10.2307/1213488 |publisher=University of California Press|jstor=1213488 |s2cid=56255959}}</ref> ''Cute High Earth Defense Club Love!'' (2015) features a cast of male characters parodying the magical girl concepts combined with growing interest in {{lang|ja-Latn|bishōnen}} shows aimed at a {{lang|ja-Latn|fujoshi}} audience.<ref>{{cite news|first=Rose|last=Bridges|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/cute-high-earth-defense-club-love-episodes-1-12-streaming/.87530|title=Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE! Episodes 1-12 Streaming|work=Anime News Network|date=2015-05-13|access-date=2020-12-07|archive-date=November 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106182443/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/cute-high-earth-defense-club-love-episodes-1-12-streaming/.87530|url-status=live}}</ref> Other magical boy parodies include ''Is This a Zombie?'' (2011)<ref>{{cite news|first=Theron|last=Martin|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/is-this-a-zombie/dvd-the-complete-series-limited-edition|title=Is This A Zombie? DVD - The Complete Series [Limited Edition]|work=Anime News Network|date=2013-01-24|access-date=2020-12-07|archive-date=April 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190426091720/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/is-this-a-zombie/dvd-the-complete-series-limited-edition|url-status=live}}</ref> and ''Magical Girl Ore'' (2018).<ref>{{cite news|first=Lauren|last=Orisin|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/magical-girl-ore/episode-12/.133100|title=Magical Girl Ore: Episode 12|work=Anime News Network|date=2018-06-20|access-date=2020-12-07|archive-date=May 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190509052013/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/magical-girl-ore/episode-12/.133100|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Concepts and themes==
===Femininity and youth=== Magical girl series use elements associated with female interests, such as accessories associated with traditional femininity, child-rearing, and romance.<ref name="Sugawa"/> Magical girl characters are typically 10 to 14 years old, with cute features and an appearance resembling a princess or an idol singer.<ref name="yamashita 2002"/>{{rp|110}} Older women are usually portrayed as villains.<ref name="yamashita 2002"/>{{rp|110}} Professor Bill Ellis noted that in traditional Japanese folklore, powerful women were depicted to be monstrous, similar to Oni.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cleto |first1=Sara |last2=Bahl |first2=Erin Kathleen |title=Becoming the Labyrinth: Negotiating Magical Space and Identity in Puella Magi Madoka Magica |journal=Humanities |date=6 April 2016 |volume=5 |issue=2 |pages=20 |doi=10.3390/h5020020 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
===Transformation=== In magical girl series, the main female characters transform into prettier, more mature-looking versions of themselves who have special powers, an idea originating from ''Princess Knight''. Unlike hero shows, the items used to initiate transformation are often "cute" accessories associated with femininity and beauty.<ref name="Sugawa"/> The first example of an item used to aid the transformation is the anime adaptation of ''Himitsu no Akko-chan'', in which Akko uses a compact to transform; since the broadcast of the series, compacts are commonly used as a transformation item.<ref name="magmix 2020-10-24"/>
===Heroine elements=== The {{nihongo|"transforming heroine"|変身ヒロイン|henshin hiroin}} is a concept adapted from {{transliteration|ja|tokusatsu}} hero media that was first popularized by ''Sailor Moon'' in the early 1990s; it has been a staple of magical girl series since.<ref name="Sugawa"/><ref name="Aihara"/>{{rp|9}} The transforming heroine features an ordinary schoolgirl who changes into an "adorable" costume with "cute" accessories; she then uses a sceptre (or a similar weapon) to channel magical energy in order to fight against the forces of evil.<ref name="Sugawa"/> This format has allowed magical girls to be viewed as superheroines, especially in the West during the girl power movement of the 1990s.<ref name="Sugawa"/> Comparisons have been drawn to Western superheroines like ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and ''Wonder Woman'', but unlike the former, "transforming heroine" series weaponize femininity and also feature young girls instead of women,<ref name="Sugawa"/> while older women are typically portrayed as villains in magical girl series.<ref name="yamashita 2002"/>{{rp|110}}
===Romance and friendship=== A common goal for magical girl characters since the 1960s is romance that eventually results in marriage.<ref name="yamashita 2002"/>{{rp|110}} While heterosexual romance was present and received focus in magical girl series, post–''Sailor Moon'' works saw a diminished presence in male characters in favor of focusing on the friendships between the main female characters.<ref name="ann 2016-05-27"/> Kevin Cooley observes that the magical girl genre “regularly produces characters ranging from the ambiguously but evocatively queer to conformity with LGBTQ+ categories.”<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Cooley |first=Kevin |date=2020 |title=A Cycle, Not a Phase: Love Between Magical Girls Amidst the Trauma of Puella Magi Madoka Magica |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/23/article/772383 |journal=Mechademia |volume=13 |issue=1 |pages=25 |doi=10.5749/mech.13.1.0024 |issn=2152-6648}}</ref> Akiko Sugawa suggests that the future of magical girl shows may include rebellion against sexual norms, using ''Puella Magi Madoka Magica'' as an example of {{lang|ja-Latn|yuri}} relationships favored over heterosexual relationships.<ref name="Sugawa"/>
==Media== ===Live-action television series=== In 1989, Shotaro Ishinomori produced the first live-action magical girl series, ''{{ill|Mahō Shōjo Chūka na Pai Pai!|ja|魔法少女ちゅうかなぱいぱい!}}'', as part of the ''Toei Fushigi Comedy Series''.<ref name="Aihara"/>{{rp|7}} The popularity of the show led to five more installments produced, including ''La Belle Fille Masquée Poitrine'' and ''{{ill|Yūgen Jikkō Sisters Shushutrian|ja|有言実行三姉妹シュシュトリアン}}'',<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cinematoday.jp/news/N0046417/ |title=イナズマン＆ポワトリン、冬のライダー映画に登場決定！サナギマンも復活し映画初出演！ |language=ja |work=Cinema Today |date=2012-09-29 |access-date=2020-12-06 |archive-date=October 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020221912/https://www.cinematoday.jp/news/N0046417 |url-status=live}}</ref> with all of them categorized as the {{nihongo|''{{lang|ja-Latn|Bishōjo}} Series''|美少女シリーズ}}.<ref name="Aihara"/>{{rp|7}} The shows were viewed as a female counterpart to {{lang|ja-Latn|tokusatsu}} series aimed at young boys, such as ''Super Sentai'', ''Kamen Rider'', and ''Ultraman''; however, interest in the genre declined in the early 1990s due to competing toy sales with ''Sailor Moon'' and other magical girl anime.<ref name="realsound 2018-04-08">{{cite news |title=大人気シリーズ第二弾『魔法×戦士 マジマジョピュアーズ！ |url=https://realsound.jp/tech/2018/04/post-179945.html |access-date=December 6, 2018 |work=Real Sound |date=April 8, 2018 |language=ja |archive-date=December 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181207045748/https://realsound.jp/tech/2018/04/post-179945.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Live-action magical girl series were revived with the ''Girls × Heroine'' series, beginning with ''Idol × Warrior Miracle Tunes!'' in 2017.<ref name="realsound 2018-04-08"/><ref>{{cite news |first=Keisuke |last=Yamamoto |url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/special/52567/ |title=プリキュア一強に終止符？ 話題の「女児向け特撮ドラマ」担当者に聞く、子ども番組が"守るべきもの" |language=ja |work=Oricon |date=2019-02-27 |access-date=2019-06-12 |archive-date=April 28, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190428152326/https://www.oricon.co.jp/special/52567/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
===Merchandise=== Magical girl series aimed at young girls were often marketed with a merchandise line, with Kumiko Saito saying that magical girl anime is best understood as "twenty-five-minute advertisements for toy merchandise", highlighting the high production costs and the involvement of Bandai in ''Sailor Moon'' and ''Pretty Cure''.<ref name="Saito">{{cite journal |last1=Saito |first1=Kumiko |date=2 January 2014 |title=Magic, Shōjo, and Metamorphosis: Magical Girl Anime and the Challenges of Changing Gender Identities in Japanese Society |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-asian-studies/article/abs/magic-shojo-and-metamorphosis-magical-girl-anime-and-the-challenges-of-changing-gender-identities-in-japanese-society/AAA8B9C5895D35A48C9EFC28495D4F9B |access-date=17 February 2021 |journal=The Journal of Asian Studies |language=en |publisher=Cambridge University Press |publication-date=February 2014 |volume=73 |issue=1 |pages=143–164 |doi=10.1017/S0021911813001708 |issn=0021-9118 |jstor=43553398|s2cid=162306735 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> Reiko Yamashita also mentioned ''Ojamajo Doremi'' as an example of a series with mass toy production.<ref name="yamashita 2002"/>{{rp|114}} ''Pretty Cure'' has become Japan's fifth highest grossing franchise as of 2010 in part due to its high merchandise sales.<ref>{{cite book |title=コンテンツ2次利用市場（ライセンス市場）に係る 競争環境及び海外市場動向実態調査 |date=2011 |publisher=Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry |pages=22–23 |url=http://www.kanto.meti.go.jp/kankobutu/data/contents_kaigaishijyo_chousa.pdf#page=24 |access-date=December 7, 2020 |archive-date=April 13, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413021105/http://www.kanto.meti.go.jp/kankobutu/data/contents_kaigaishijyo_chousa.pdf#page=24 |url-status=live}}</ref> For the ''Girls × Heroine'' series, Shogakukan project manager Reiko Sasaki stated that she had to create scenarios on how to integrate the toys into the show.<ref name="oricon 2019-02-27">{{cite news|first=Keisuke|last=Yamamoto|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/special/52567/|title=プリキュア一強に終止符？ 話題の「女児向け特撮ドラマ」担当者に聞く、子ども番組が"守るべきもの"|language=ja|work=Oricon|date=2019-02-27|access-date=2019-06-12|archive-date=April 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190428152326/https://www.oricon.co.jp/special/52567/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Himitsu no Akko-chan'' was the earliest example of having a merchandise line and was a "huge hit".<ref name="Aihara"/>{{rp|6}} Toys from the 1980s were commonly in bright colors and were mostly compact cases or sticks, with the character's face sometimes printed on them.<ref name="Aihara"/>{{rp|11}} From 1990 to 1994, toy sets began including pendants as part of transformation items, along with feminine motifs, such as hearts and stars; most of the toys were pink at the time.<ref name="Aihara"/>{{rp|56}} From 1995 to 1999, the toys became more colorful.<ref name="Aihara"/>{{rp|120}}
For ''Sailor Moon''{{'s}} 20th anniversary, in 2013, Bandai, the producer of their toy line, released a cosmetics line based on transformation items seen in the series, aimed at adult women who grew up with the show.<ref>{{cite news|first=Egan|last=Loo|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2013-06-04/sailor-moon-crystal-star-inspires-real-cosmetic-for-adults|title=Sailor Moon's Crystal Star Inspires Real Cosmetic for Adults|work=Anime News Network|date=2013-06-04|access-date=2021-02-02}}</ref> This was followed by a life-sized replica of Sailor Moon's Moon Stick, which Bandai produced as part of their {{ill|Proplica|ja|PROPLICA}} merchandise line aimed at adult collectors,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2013-10-17/bandai-revamps-sailor-moon-moon-stick-toy-for-grown-ups | title=Bandai Revamps Sailor Moon's Moon Stick Toy for Grown-ups|work=Anime News Network|date=2013-10-17|access-date=2021-02-02}}</ref> as well as a jewelry line.<ref>{{cite news|first=Chris|last=Nishijima|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2014-11-29/bandai-releases-new-line-of-sailor-moon-earrings/.81291|title=Bandai Releases New Line of Sailor Moon Earrings|work=Anime News Network|date=2014-11-29|access-date=2021-02-02}}</ref> In the years that followed, other magical girl franchises released merchandise lines aimed towards adult women, through collaborations with fashion brands such as {{ill|Earth Music & Ecology|ja|アースミュージックアンドエコロジー}}'s Japan Label,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://emae-jp.tumblr.com/post/18944032329/about|title=about Japan Label|work={{ill|Earth Music & Ecology|ja|アースミュージックアンドエコロジー}}|via=Tumblr|date=2012-03-08|access-date=2021-02-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://natalie.mu/comic/news/131285|title=キュゥべえ柄プルオーバーなど、女性向け「まどか☆マギカ」コラボアパレル|language=ja|work=Natalie|date=2014-11-14|access-date=2021-02-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://natalie.mu/comic/news/174181|title=「CCさくら」×earth music＆ecology、桜ワンピや魔法陣スカートが登場|language=ja|work=Natalie|date=2016-01-29|access-date=2021-02-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://natalie.mu/comic/news/300211|title=「CCさくら」×earth、制服風のニットやケロちゃんが覗くトートなど6アイテム|language=ja|work=Natalie|date=2018-09-19|access-date=2021-02-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://natalie.mu/comic/news/393864|title=「おジャ魔女どれみ」×earthがコラボ、どれみたちをイメージした洋服やアクセサリー|language=ja|work=Natalie|date=2020-08-27|access-date=2020-10-09}}</ref> {{ill|Liz Lisa|ja|LIZ LISA}},<ref>{{cite news|url=https://mantan-web.jp/article/20180502dog00m200020000c.html|title=おジャ魔女どれみ：LIZ LISAコラボのワンピース登場 どれみのパティシエ服をイメージ|trans-title=Ojamajo Doremi: Liz Lisa collaboration one-piece revealed! Based on Doremi's patissier uniform|language=ja|work=Mantan Web|date=2018-05-03|access-date=2020-08-17}}</ref> {{ill|Thank You Mart|ja|サンキューマート}},<ref>{{cite news|first=Misato|last=Nagoya|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/jp/misatonagoya/majyo-goods|title=サンキューマートにおジャ魔女どれみのグッズが売ってたんだが|work=BuzzFeed Japan|date=2018-03-25|access-date=2021-02-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Kara|last=Dennison|url=https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2019/07/11/creamy-mami-character-goods-prove-showa-idols-are-forever | title=Creamy Mami Character Goods Prove Showa Idols Are Forever|work=Crunchyroll|date=2019-07-11|access-date=2021-02-02}}</ref> SuperGroupies,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.animatetimes.com/news/details.php?id=1496206951|title=TVアニメ『カードキャプターさくら』の桜のバトル衣装をイメージのコラボエプロン3種＆ケロちゃんとスッピーのミトンセット発売|language=ja|work=Animate|date=2017-05-31|access-date=2021-02-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.animatetimes.com/news/details.php?id=1508817618|title=『おジャ魔女どれみ』より腕時計＆バッグと春風どれみ＆藤原はづき＆妹尾あいこ＆瀬川おんぷの4人をイメージしたランジェリーセットが登場！|trans-title=Wristwatch, bag, and Doremi Harukaze/ Hazuki Fujiwara / Aiko Senoo / Onpu Segawa inspired lingerie set from Ojamajo Doremi revealed!|language=ja|work=Animate|date=2017-10-24|access-date=2020-08-17}}</ref> and Favorite.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://natalie.mu/comic/news/318816|title=「神風怪盗ジャンヌ」×Favoriteコラボ、桃栗学園制服やアクセスイメージしたワンピも|language=ja|work=Natalie|date=2019-02-05|access-date=2021-02-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://natalie.mu/comic/news/320421|title=「ぴちぴちピッチ」るちあ、波音、リナをイメージしたコラボワンピース3種|language=ja|work=Natalie|date=2019-02-18|access-date=2021-02-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://natalie.mu/comic/news/320554|title=「おジャ魔女どれみ」×Favoriteコラボ、どれみたちの見習い服がワンピースに|language=ja|work=Natalie|date=2019-02-19|access-date=2021-02-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://natalie.mu/comic/news/335297|title=「東京ミュウミュウ」コラボワンピース、ミュウイチゴやカフェ制服モチーフの5種|language=ja|work=Natalie|date=2019-06-12|access-date=2021-02-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://natalie.mu/comic/news/346352|title=「まどか☆マギカ」コラボワンピ、まどかたちの魔法少女衣装や見滝原中学校の制服も|language=ja|work=Natalie|date=2019-09-05|access-date=2021-02-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://natalie.mu/comic/news/357750|title=「CCさくら」Favoriteとのコラボ第2弾、魔法陣あしらったパーカーワンピなど|language=ja|work=Natalie|date=2019-12-02|access-date=2021-02-02}}</ref>
===Non-Japanese works=== ====Asia==== In China, ''Balala the Fairies'' is an ongoing franchise originating as a live-action series before transferring to animation, though it was accused of plagiarizing ''Pretty Cure''.<ref>{{cite news|first=Yūsuke|last=Yamada|url=https://news.ameba.jp/entry/20150204-633|script-title=ja:中国産魔法少女アニメ『バララシャオモーシェン』がプリキュアっぽいような|trans-title=Chinese magical girl series ''Balala the Fairies'' seems to resemble ''Pretty Cure''|language=ja|website=Ameba|via=Kotaku Japan|date=2015-02-04|access-date=2020-12-07|archive-date=January 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127224955/https://news.ameba.jp/entry/20150204-633|url-status=live}}</ref>
In South Korea, the magical girl concept is often adapted to appeal for younger audiences. Two of the examples include ''Catch! Teenieping''<ref>{{Cite web|first=Se-rin|last=Kim|title='Gen Z loves flashy': How Korea's 'Teenieping' has found so much success overseas|url=https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-06-10/business/industry/Gen-Z-loves-flashy-How-Koreas-Teenieping-has-found-so-much-success-overseas/2325146|website=Korea JoongAng Daily|date=June 10, 2025|access-date=March 11, 2026}}</ref> and Tencent Video's ''Rainbow Bubblegem''.<ref>{{Cite magazine|first=Mercedes|last=Milligan|title=Cake Picks Up Magical Korean Animation Hit 'Bubblegem' for Global Distribution|url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/2025/05/cake-picks-up-magical-korean-animation-hit-bubblegem-for-global-distribution/|magazine=Animation Magazine|date=May 29, 2025|access-date=March 11, 2026}}</ref>
====Europe and the United States==== [[File:Winx Club main characters cast.png|thumb|right|The main characters of the animated series ''Winx Club'' (2004–2019)]]
Similar to Japan, the transforming heroine concept coined by ''Sailor Moon'' saw popularity when the show was broadcast overseas in the 1990s due to the girl power movement taking place in Europe and the United States at the time.<ref name="Sugawa"/> The influence of ''Sailor Moon'' has led magical girls to be associated with superheroines in the West.<ref name="Sugawa"/> Notable examples include ''W.I.T.C.H.'' (2001) and ''Winx Club'' (2004) in Italy;<ref>{{cite book|last1=Altehenger|first1=Jennifer E.|editor1-last=Yung|editor1-first=Anthony Y.H.|title=Asian Popular Culture: The Global (Dis)continuity.|date=2013|publisher=Taylor and Francis|location=Hoboken, New Jersey|isbn=9781134089956|pages=66–70|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Htqw-BHJlnwC&pg=PA66|access-date=October 18, 2017|chapter=Chapter 4: Comic Travels: Disney Publishing in the People's Republic of China|archive-date=August 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805175609/https://books.google.com/books?id=Htqw-BHJlnwC&pg=PA66|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="avclub 2020-09-18">{{cite news|first=Priyanka|last=Bose|url=https://www.avclub.com/sailor-moon-s-impact-on-modern-american-animation-remai-1844994160|title=Sailor Moon's impact on modern American animation remains undeniable|work=The A.V. Club|date=2020-09-18|access-date=2020-12-07|archive-date=December 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201221235842/https://tv.avclub.com/sailor-moon-s-impact-on-modern-american-animation-remai-1844994160|url-status=live}}</ref> and ''Totally Spies!'' (2001),<ref name="Saito"/> ''LoliRock'' (2014),<ref>{{cite web|last1=Anders|first1=Ella|title=Lolirock Arrives At Long Last to US|url=http://www.bsckids.com/2016/04/lolirock-arrives-long-last-us/|website=BSC Kids|access-date=April 20, 2017|date=April 27, 2016|archive-date=August 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807112150/http://www.bsckids.com/2016/04/lolirock-arrives-long-last-us/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Rebecca|last=Silverman|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2020-07-01/our-most-anticipated-anime-of-summer-2020/.161217|title=Our Most Anticipated Anime Of Summer 2020|work=Anime News Network|date=2020-07-01|access-date=2020-12-07|quote=There's also something vaguely reminiscent of the French 2014 – 2017 magical girl cartoon LoliRock, and since that streamed on Netflix, the visual similarities may prove helpful as well.|archive-date=November 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106012059/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2020-07-01/our-most-anticipated-anime-of-summer-2020/.161217|url-status=live}}</ref> and ''Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir'' (2015) in France.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Anders|first1=Ella|title=Part Magical Girl, Part Superhero; Ladybug Arrives State-Side in Fall|url=http://www.bsckids.com/2015/07/part-magical-girl-part-superhero-ladybug-arrives-state-side-fall/|website=BSC Kids|access-date=January 9, 2016|date=July 2, 2015|archive-date=January 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127225001/http://www.bsckids.com/2015/07/part-magical-girl-part-superhero-ladybug-arrives-state-side-fall/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Collins|first1=Elle|title=Teen French Heroes Ladybug & Cat Noir Arrive On Nickelodeon|url=http://comicsalliance.com/nickelodeon-ladybug-cat-noir/|website=ComicsAlliance|access-date=February 27, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160216171301/http://comicsalliance.com/nickelodeon-ladybug-cat-noir/|archive-date=February 16, 2016|date=December 3, 2015}}</ref>
Animated series from the United States, including ''The Powerpuff Girls'' (1998),<ref name="Saito" /> ''Bee and PuppyCat'' (2013),<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kahn |first1=Juliet |title=Bee & Puppycat's Natasha Allegri: The ComicsAlliance Interview |url=https://comicsalliance.com/natasha-allegri-interview-bee-puppycat/ |website=ComicsAlliance |access-date=November 25, 2021|date=August 27, 2014}}</ref> ''Steven Universe'' (2013),<ref>{{cite news|first=Susana|last=Polo|url=https://www.polygon.com/tv/2016/5/11/11604098/steven-universe-explained|title=Steven Universe, Explained|website=Polygon|date=2016-05-11|access-date=2020-12-07|archive-date=November 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108120412/http://www.polygon.com/tv/2016/5/11/11604098/steven-universe-explained|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Star vs. the Forces of Evil'' (2015),<ref name="avclub 2020-09-18" /> ''Magical Girl Friendship Squad'' (2020),<ref>{{cite news|first=Jesse|last=Schedeen|url=https://sea.ign.com/review/164273/syfys-tzgz-series-premieres-magical-girl-friendship-squad-wild-life-review|title=Review: Syfy's late-night animation block adds one winner and one misfire.|work=IGN Southeast Asia|date=2020-09-29|access-date=2020-12-07|archive-date=January 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127225031/https://sea.ign.com/review/164273/syfys-tzgz-series-premieres-magical-girl-friendship-squad-wild-life-review|url-status=live}}</ref> and ''Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake'' (2023)<ref>https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/hbo-max/adventure-time-fiona-and-cake-review</ref> have been influenced by magical girl themes and reference them. Characters in ''My Little Pony: Equestria Girls'' are described as "full-time students and part-time magical pony girls".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://press.discovery.com/us/dfc/press-releases/2017/girls-canterlot-high-return-discovery-family--4057/|title=The Girls of Canterlot High Return to Discovery Family in Three New My Little Pony: Equestria Girls Specials to Air Throughout the Network's Annual "Summer Splash" Programming Event|website=Discovery|date=May 26, 2017|access-date=October 28, 2018|archive-date=October 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181029030753/https://press.discovery.com/us/dfc/press-releases/2017/girls-canterlot-high-return-discovery-family--4057/|url-status=live}}</ref>
The influence of the genre has also been seen in Western comics and graphic novels, such as ''Agents of the Realm'' (2014),<ref>{{Cite web|last=Cruz|first=Larry|date=2014-08-18|title='Agents of the Realm': She is the one named Sailor Norah|url=https://www.cbr.com/agents-of-the-realm-she-is-the-one-named-sailor-norah/|access-date=2020-09-21|website=CBR}}</ref> ''Zodiac Starforce'' (2015),<ref>{{cite web |date=2015-08-05 |title=Zodiac Starforce #1 |url=https://www.cbr.com/zodiac-starforce-1/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127225051/https://www.cbr.com/zodiac-starforce-1/ |archive-date=January 27, 2021 |access-date=2020-12-07 |website=Comic Book Resources}}</ref> and ''Sleepless Domain'' (2015).<ref name=":22">{{Cite web |date=2022-10-06 |title=The Price of Magic (Sleepless Domain #1) by Mary Cagle |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781648276507 |access-date=2022-10-06 |website=Publishers Weekly}}</ref>
==Critical analysis== Magical girl series have been linked to female empowerment since the 1970s, from exploring female sexuality to weaponizing femininity.<ref name="Sugawa"/> Aside from feminine gender norms from the genre's defiance against female gender roles, the magical girl genre has also influenced a shift in male gender norms, as the stigma which associated traditional femininity with weakness was removed.<ref name="Saito"/>
Akiko Shimada's 2011 dissertation ''Representations of Girls in Japanese Magical Girl TV Animation Programmes from 1966 to 2003 and Japanese Female Audiences' Understanding of Them'' references Yokokawa (1991) and Murase (2000) who state that in Japanese language, the word "shojo" is always used in third person. Young girls do not refer to themselves as "shojo". This reflects on how narratives about shojo are crafted from a third-party, often male lens.<ref>{{Cite thesis |last=Shimada |first=Akiko Sugawa |date=September 1, 2011 |title=Representations of Girls in Magical Girl TV Animation Programmes from 1966 to 2003 and Japanese Female Audiences' Understanding of Them |url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/9562075.pdf |type=Ph.D. |location=Warwick, UK |publisher=University of Warwick |access-date=February 17, 2021}}</ref>
==See also== * ''Girl Heroes''—2002 book by Susan Hopkins * List of magical girl works
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Further reading== * {{cite journal|last1=Yoshida |first1=Kaori |title=Evolution of Female Heroes: Carnival Mode of Gender Representation in Anime |journal=ASPAC: Asian Studies on the Pacific Coast |date=2002 |url=http://journals2.iranscience.net:800/mcel.pacificu.edu/mcel.pacificu.edu/aspac/home/papers/scholars/yoshida/yoshida.php3 |access-date=10 February 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090903170819/http://journals2.iranscience.net:800/mcel.pacificu.edu/mcel.pacificu.edu/aspac/home/papers/scholars/yoshida/yoshida.php3 |archive-date=2009-09-03}} * {{cite book|last1=Martinez|first1=D.P.|title=The Worlds of Japanese Popular Culture: Gender, Shifting Boundaries and Global Cultures|date=1998|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge|isbn=0521631289|edition=Reprint}}
{{Animation industry in Japan}} {{Film genres}} {{Fantasy fiction}} {{Stock characters}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Magical Girl}} Category:Magical girl Category:1962 establishments in Japan Category:Anime and manga genres Category:Anime and manga terminology Category:Fantasy genres Category:Science fantasy Category:Female stock characters in anime and manga Category:Fiction about magic (supernatural) Category:Girls Category:Japanese magical girl films Category:Magical girl anime and manga Category:Magical girl anime and manga characters Category:Magical girl films Category:Magical girl television series