Magical girl
Magical girls (魔法少女 mahō shōjo, also known as mahou shoujo or majokko) is a sub-genre of Japanese fantasy anime and manga which feature young girls who use magic.
Genre history
The Princess Knight manga, released in 1953, is regarded by manga and anime historians as a prototype for the magical girl genre.[1] Himitsu no Akko-chan, serialized in 1962 in Ribon, is regarded as the earliest magical girl manga.[2]
The Japanese dub of the American TV series Bewitched became popular among young Japanese girls in the 1960s,[3] and inspired Mitsuteru Yokoyama to invent Sally the Witch, which aired on television in 1966[4] and is regarded by historians as the first magical girl anime.[5]
After 2003, magical girl anime marketed to male audiences such as Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha became a prolific trend alongside the traditional female-oriented works.[6]
The magical girl genre earned renewed popularity in the 2010s with the advent of Puella Magi Madoka Magica,[citation needed] whose mature themes and darker atmosphere earned acclaim from viewers and critics outside the genre's target audience.[citation needed]
Common themes and features
Magical girls in non-Japanese media
Magical girls in America
Examples of magical girl series in America include Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld,[7] Lady Lovely Locks,[citation needed] Trollz,[citation needed] Wildfire,[citation needed] Wonder Woman and the Star Riders,[citation needed], Tenko and the Guardians of the Magic,[citation needed] and Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders.[citation needed]
Magical girls in Europe
Examples of magical girl series in Europe include Angel's Friends,[citation needed] Winx Club,[citation needed] and W.I.T.C.H..[citation needed]
See also
- Girl Heroes
- Sailor Senshi
- Super Sentai
- Superheroine
References
- ↑ Gravett, Paul (2004). Manga: 60 Years of Japanese Comics. Harper Design. p. 77. ISBN 1-85669-391-0.
- ↑ Thompson, Jason (2007). Manga: The Complete Guide. Del Rey. p. 8. ISBN 0345485904.
- ↑ Drazen, Patrick (October 2002). Anime Explosion! The What? Why? & Wow! of Japanese Animation. Berkeley, California: Stone Bridge Press. p. 281. ISBN 1-880656-72-8. OCLC 50898281.
- ↑ Gravett, Paul (2004). Manga: 60 Years of Japanese Comics. Harper Design. p. 78. ISBN 1-85669-391-0.
- ↑ Boren, James (September 2003). "The Making of a Magical Girl". Animerica (Viz Media) 11 (9): 31.
- ↑ Oppliger, John (2007-10-22). "Ask John: Is Magical Girl Anime for Male Viewers a New Trend?". AnimeNation. Retrieved 2008-05-30.
- ↑ "New 'Amethyst' And 'Thunder & Lightning' Shorts Debuting On DC Nation This Saturday (Video)". ComicsAlliance. January 3, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2013.
Further reading
- Yoshida, Kaori (2002). Evolution of Female Heroes: Carnival Mode of Gender Representation in Anime. Western Washington University. Retrieved 2007-09-22.
- Napier, Susan J. (1998) [1998]. "Vampires, Psychic Girls, Flying Women and Sailor Scouts". In Martinez, Dolores P. The Worlds of Japanese Popular Culture: Gender, Shifting Boundaries and Global Culture. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-63128-9.
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