Sunday, September 23, 2018

What is the definition of a Magical Girl Series

Just a short blog giving a definition of what qualifies as a Magical Girl Series. For a genre that's lasted many decades now, you would think there would be a clear definition however there isn't so much a strict definition as a less set of tropes people use to define it. Here I attempt to define it along the two axis that make up the title. The "Magical" Axis and the "Girl" Axis.

Magical Axis:
Magical-Purist: The protagonist uses what is explicitly magic
Magical-Moderate: The protagonist uses non-magic that happens to be magic-like.
Magical-Radical: The protagonist can use any kind of power, even if it's not magical at all (or not even a power)

Girl Axis:
Girl-Purist: The cast should be made up of entirely or mostly females, and the girl protagonist should use magic that is clearly feminine incorporating feminine iconography within things like outfits, transformation scenes, spells and so forth
Girl-Moderate: The chat should contain a large amount of females, there must be a female protagonist (including a male who transforms into a female), and the protagonist's abilities should have some connection with female if only that the magic users are all women.
Girl-Radical: The protagonist does not even have to be female, just some vague connection to feminine somewhere. 

This gives up the 9 combinations of  "alignments" if you will that show the various definitions people have for what a magical girl series is.

Magical Purist, Girl Purist:
A Magical Girl series has to involve mostly females using magic that is explicitly girly in nature.
Example: "Sailor Moon is a Magical Girl Series."

Magical Purist, Girl Moderate:
A Magical Girl Series should involve a team of girls as the center who use what is explicitly magic
Example: "Magic Knight Rayearth is a Magical Girl Series." 

Magical Purist, Girl Radical:
Series does not have to involve girls, but the users have to use magic. 
Example: "Cute High Earth Defense Club Love! is a Magical Girl Series."

Magical Moderate, Girl Purist:
Series has to involve girls who use something similar to magic that is highly feminine.
Example: "Tokyo Mew Mew is a Magical Girl Series."

Magical Moderate, Girl Moderate:
Series has to center on a female protagonist (or a male who transforms into a female) with a team significantly made of females who use magic that has a connection to the feminine
Example: "Kampfer is a Magical Girl Series."

Magical Moderate, Girl Radical:
Protagonist can be either gender but most use something magic-like.
Example: "Devilman Crybaby is a Magical Girl Series."

Magical Radical, Girl Purist:
Must center around a team of all or almost all females who can use any kind of abilities.
Example: "Powerpuff Girls is a Magical Girl Series."

Magical Radical, Girl Moderate:
Protagonist has to be female who uses some kind of powers.
Example: "The CW Supergirl show is a Magical Girl show."

Magical Radical, Girl Radical:
Protagonist has some abilities and has some connection to the feminine or a feminine spirit.
Example: "Captain Planet is a Magical Girl Show"
Note, that is the only series on here I haven't seen people claim is a Magical Girl show yet.

Personally my definition is Magical Moderate, Girl Moderate though I suppose some might say I deliberately made that middle to show my position as reasonable. But that's how I see it. 

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