Magical Girl

Magical girl ('mahou shoujo') is a Japanese genre that features the use of magic or magical powers by a character, usually by young girls.https://geekdad.com/2017/04/professional-magical-girl-enthusiast/ Magical girls feature in a variety of media such as: anime, manga, light novels, and video games. Within magical girl media, common tropes include: a transformation ('henshin'), an animal companion or mascot, a magical wand, and a battle against the forces of evil.
The genre itself is constructed of a variety of distinctive subgenres which have developed over time, these include: the 'Majokko' or witch, the 'Magical Idol', the 'Magical Warrior' or Battle Heroine,https://www.animeherald.com/2021/12/18/the-many-faces-of-the-magical-girl-a-breakdown-of-types-and-subgenres/ and the 'Dark Magical Girl'.https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MagicalGirlGenreDeconstruction Each of these subgenres utilise differing tropes, while staying consistent to the core principals of the magical girl genre overall.
==History of the Genre==
Manga and anime historians regard the Princess Knight manga, released in 1953, as the prototype for the magical girl genre. Himitsu no Akko-chan, serialized nine years later (1962) in Ribon, is generally accepted to be the earliest magical girl manga. Sally the Witch, adapted from the manga of the same name, is regarded by historians as the first magical girl anime. Sally the Witch was inspired by the Japanese dub of the television series Bewitched.
Originally, all Magical Girl shows were produced by Toei Animation, so "Magical Girl" wasn't so much a genre as a Series Franchise. This lasted until Ashi Production's Magical Princess Minky Momo hit the airwaves in 1982. The first instance of a magical girl team was a crossover in 1987 between Studio Pierrot's four '80s Magical Girl shows (Magical Angel Creamy Mami, Persia, the Magic Fairy, Magical Star Magical Emi, and Magical Idol Pastel Yumi. 
The Magical Girl Warrior subgenre, despite being the most well-known style of Magical Girl show in the west, didn't hit until Sailor Moon in 1992. This was essentially a combination of the earlier style shows with the superhero genre. Sailor Moon was a huge hit, and, naturally, other shows were made in the same style. Tvtropes: Magical Girl (Accessed March 21, 2020)
The wave of shows inspired by Sailor Moon eventually subsided, but new sub-genres spawned soon in its wake. As of present, most magical girl shows can be loosely organized into three broad categories.
Neo-classical, codified by Cardcaptor Sakura. Essentially, old school magical girl coming of age stories updated with the sensibilities of the modern age and the roles of girls and women in it. Mainly aimed towards young girls but often with a significant peripheral demographic of adult males. Contemporary examples include Ojamajo Doremi, Shugo Chara! and the Pretty Cure franchise (though that also fits in the second set).
Action Hero, created by Pretty Cure, but codified by Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha. Magical Girl Warrior territory, with emphasis on "Warrior" and often enough Hot Blood to put a Shounen fighting series to shame. Largely aimed at the teenage and adult male demographic, and as such placing heavy emphasis on Fanservice. The Improbably Female Cast is frequently used as an excuse for Les Yay. Examples include: Mai Hi ME, Vividred Operation, and Senki Zesshou Symphogear.
Deconstructive, codified by Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Debunking the very concept of a world where young girls are forced to confront evil as a Crapsaccharine World with plenty of dark secrets and delving deep into the psychology of its cast, often with religious or philosophical references. Madoka itself was considered the equivalent of Neon Genesis Evangelion and Berserk for the genre. Other notable examples include Princess Tutu, Il Sole penetra le illusioni, Magical Girl Site, and Yuki Yuna is a Hero.
Of course, there are other examples that feature similar themes but diverge even further from the old-style shows. Many fans felt that shows such as Magic Knight Rayearth were still Magical Girl shows, despite all the dissimilarities from the previous generation (others disagree, and feel that Rayearth is Shoujo RPG World Fantasy instead).
==Meta==
As costumes and special outfits play an important role in most magical girl anime, they are subject to intense appreciation, debate, and criticism from both fans and casual viewers. 
==External Links==
===Meta===
*Magical Girl Fashion- The 3 Basic Rules by shizukateal.
===Resources===
*Magical Girl Anime History on YouTube
* Magical Girl Project
*Frills of Justice
*Magical Girls Unite
==Fandom==
Many of the shows that fall under the Magical Girl genre have an active fan-base, such as Sailor Moon, Pretty Cure, Princess Tutu, Revolutionary Girl Utena, and Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
Besides, Magical Girl tropes can also be seen in fanfics either as Magic (trope) or Magic AU.
Commonly, a variety of magical girl media will be grouped together when creating fanworks. This can be commonly seen in magical girl zines, which will be themed around magical girls and feature a range of characters from different magical girl media. In these themed zines, the characters may either be interacting with characters outside of their own franchise or solely in their own franchise. Examples of magical girl themed zines include:
*Magical Meeting Zine
*Transform! Zine
*LetsMagicalCooking
*pris-M-agic
*Who Runs The World: The Lesser Known Magical Girl Zine
*Incandescent: A Magical-Girls Zine
*Pretty Witty Couture Fanzine
*My Gay Awakening: A Magical Girl Zine
*Pierrot Magical Girls Zine
Other fanworks include the Magical Girl Game Jam, which is an event where participants try to make a video game from scratch.
==References==
Category:Anime & Manga Fandom
Category:Tropes & Genres