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Removing redundant info and parts that sound too much like a review.
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Despite the quirky setup, ''Oto × Maho'' is a surprisingly sincere spin on the magical girl genre, with Kanata learning to come to terms with his powers, making new friends, and finding his place in the world within his unusual predicament. The manga completed after twenty chapters across four volumes, while the light novel reached sixteen volumes, the last being released in 2015.
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* VerbalTic: Ruma ends almost every other sentence with "desu no" or variants thereof, like "desu no ne" and "naremasu no".[[note]]None of these honorifics have direct English equivalents -- [[{{Keigo}} they're often said at the end of Japanese sentences to indicate politeness]].[[/note]]
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* VerbalTic: Ruma ends almost every other sentence with "desu no" or variants thereof, like "desu no ne" and "naremasu no".[[note]]None of these honorifics have direct English equivalents -- [[{{Keigo}} they're often said at the end of Japanese sentences to indicate politeness]].politeness.[[/note]]
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* AmbiguouslyHuman: [[spoiler:It's unclear what [[TheDragon Effect]] actually is. They're first introduced as merely Noise monster ([[HumanoidAbomination an especially strong and human-behaving one, but still a Noise]]), but following their reformation under President's leash, [[BishounenLine they more or less resemble an ordinary person]] with Noise-like powers, and at no point do they revert back. Adding to the wackiness is the epilogue reveal that [[RetiredMonster they became a high school teacher passing as a normal human]], as well as later light novel volumes showing them fighting alongside the tuners in MagicalGirl fashion, [[GoodCostumeSwitch complete with new outfit]], with the final volume showing them still only just learning the basics of human biology, including childbirth. With all that laid down, it's unknown if Effect [[HumanityEnsues actually became human following their heel-turn]], or if [[TokenHeroicOrc they still are a Noise, just a benign one that the tuners have no problem joining in their ranks]].]]
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* TheMasquerade: The existence of magical girls and Noise is largely suggested to be beyond the knowledge of the public, and while there are periodically rumors of their existence, with a handful of fights happening at school that also include Kanata, the broader existence of a supernatural war is beyond their comprehension. [[spoiler:Following Fearness' "Creation Territory" event, Moeru and several tuners tamper with news broadcasts to downplay [[ForcedSleep the mass blackout]] and preserve the secret... [[ShaggyDogStory until a post-manga volume of the light novel]] has several cunning Noise [[BrokenMasquerade force the tuners out into the limelight]], turning them into minor celebrities (and still with their {{Glamour}}, so they maintain their secret identities).]]
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* AndTheAdventureContinues: Twice over:
** The manga ends with [[spoiler:Kanata and his friends vanquishing Fearness, with Kanata's newly-repaired contract ensuring he still has to stay active in fighting off the remaining Noise. He doesn't mind.]]
** The light novel epilogue ends [[spoiler:with Kanata successfully proving his strength after a year of progress to his mother, though while proud, she still insists he still has much to learn. Konata bestows him with a pink scarf to his uniform, and the series ends with him looking forward to the path ahead, proclaiming "Today, tomorrow and every day, my sky is blue."]]
** The manga ends with [[spoiler:Kanata and his friends vanquishing Fearness, with Kanata's newly-repaired contract ensuring he still has to stay active in fighting off the remaining Noise. He doesn't mind.]]
** The light novel epilogue ends [[spoiler:with Kanata successfully proving his strength after a year of progress to his mother, though while proud, she still insists he still has much to learn. Konata bestows him with a pink scarf to his uniform, and the series ends with him looking forward to the path ahead, proclaiming "Today, tomorrow and every day, my sky is blue."]]
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* BigGood: Konata ends up taking this role, bestowing powers to her son with a bizarre yet completely sincere and ultimately benevolent belief that he'll make a powerful MagicalGirl, and despite having a very callous, trickster-type attitude towards danger, later chapters strongly imply her to be ''the'' most powerful magic user in the setting.
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* TricksterMentor: Konata has shades of this — a lot of her lax and constantly carefree attitude is implied to be justified by her having tremendous power ''and'' tremendous confidence that Kanata and his friends are fully capable of solving their problems, only periodically giving them a small nudge here and there based on her bizarre wisdom. [[spoiler:The final light novel has her explicitly put Kanata to the test by casting a benevolent "Creation Territory" and setting up a zany dream-hopping "game" for Kanata to demonstrate how powerful he's become after a year of the business, implicitly to provoke him into challenging her to a fight.]]
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* MagicIsFeminine: {{Discussed|Trope}} in chapter 12 -- while training Kanata, Ruma discusses with him the idea that women have more magical strength in exchange for men who have physical strength, which would explain why Kanata has [[PowerIncontinence less control over his magic]] than her or Yori. However, Ruma seems to doubt this hypothesis as Kanata ''is'' [[UnskilledButStrong really magically powerful, just untrained and inexperienced]], leading her to wonder just how much more or less powerful he'd be if he ''was'' female.
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* LoveableSexManiac: Moeru has a recurring perverted side, with a RunningGag of him trying to leer on Kanata's fanservice-y transformations, with Kanata doing everything he can to get him out of the way or in some way keep him busy. During volume 16 of the light novel, Kanata ends up stepping into various {{Dream Land}}s of his friends, and Moeru's [[RealDreamsAreWeirder takes place in a realm where everyone is obsessed with spats, with Kanata being forced to partake in a ceremony for the Spats Kingdom]].
* MagicIsFeminine: {{Discussed|Trope}} in chapter 12 -- while training Kanata, Ruma discusses with him the idea that women have more magical strengthin exchange for than men who have physical strength, which would explain why Kanata has [[PowerIncontinence less control over his magic]] than her or Yori. However, Ruma seems to doubt this hypothesis as Kanata ''is'' [[UnskilledButStrong really magically powerful, just untrained and inexperienced]], leading her to wonder just how much more or less powerful he'd be if he ''was'' female. [[spoiler:As demonstrated during the final battle, it turns out the answer is "[[EleventhHourSuperpower way more.]]"]]
* MagicIsFeminine: {{Discussed|Trope}} in chapter 12 -- while training Kanata, Ruma discusses with him the idea that women have more magical strength
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* PaperThinDisguise: In the final volume of the light novel, one new MagicalGirl appears before Kanata and co, wearing a white DominoMask and identifying herself as "Cherry Blossom". Kanata almost immediately sees through it to realize it's his mother, doing something weird as part of her new shenanigans.
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* AmbiguousGender: {{Downplayed|Trope}} with [[spoiler:Moeru. We know for certain that he's presently male, but the light novel confirms that he used to be a magical girl before accidentally turning into a cat. What's specifically left unconfirmed is whether he used to be a female human who became a male cat, or if he was in a similar situation as Kanata of always being biologically male, but just placed in the position and customs of magical girls.]]
* SeriesFauxnale: The central driving plot of the series effectively ends with the manga, but the light novel continues well after [[spoiler:Kanata defeating the BigBad]], largely as lighthearted epilogues to wrap up some loose ends and give characters some last-minute adventures and closure.
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* TalkingAnimal: Moeru, a cat-shaped MentorMascot who's able to communicate perfectly with Kanata while also masquerading as a normal housecat. When Kanata suddenly shoves him in front of the President right after a Noise fight, Moeru lets out a meow that President comments sounds odd, like a person imitating a cat.
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* TalkingAnimal: Moeru, a cat-shaped MentorMascot who's able to communicate perfectly with Kanata while also masquerading as a normal housecat. When Kanata suddenly shoves him in front of the President right after a Noise fight, Moeru lets out a meow that President comments sounds odd, like a person imitating a cat. [[spoiler:The light novel reveals that he used to be a magical girl himself, but became a cat by accident during a failed experiment that fused him with his Origin Key.]]
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* UncertainDoom: In the manga, [[spoiler:Fearness' fate following her defeat is unknown, with her simply shown fading away along with President and her Creation Territory. The light novel resolves this with President revealing that her mother has been hospitalized, but is otherwise still alive, presumably with the Noise knocked out of her.]]
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I think Effect uses they/them pronouns? The fan scanlations are pretty inconsistent on that.
* {{Determinator}}: As annoyed and embarrassed as Kanata is of the whole MagicalGirl job, he's certainly not a quitter, being fully willing to throw down against whatever monster threatens him, his friends, and the town at large. His mother cheerfully comments that his most powerful trait happens to be his ''selfishness'', as he refuses to go down without a fight in order to save those he loves.
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* ModestyShorts: Kanata's magical girl costume fits him with spats, though he doesn't find that it makes the experience of wearing a miniskirt while fighting any less humiliating. [[spoiler:For some reason, [[GenderedOutfit they get replaced with panties]] when he [[GenderBender becomes a girl]], which he naturally reacts to even worse.]]
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* ModestyShorts: Kanata's magical girl costume fits him with spats, though he doesn't find that it makes the experience of wearing a miniskirt while fighting any less humiliating. [[spoiler:For some reason, [[GenderedOutfit they get replaced with panties]] when he [[GenderBender becomes a girl]], which he naturally reacts to triggers an even worse.worse reaction.]]
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* RetiredMonster: PlayedForLaughs, [[spoiler:in the epilogue, Effect -- having completed his original purpose as [[TheDragon a number-two Noise]] -- chose to disappear in peace... before reappearing in their human form as Kanata's new ''English teacher'' at school, much to Kanata's shock (and [[HotTeacher many students' admiration]])]].
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* RetiredMonster: PlayedForLaughs, [[spoiler:in the epilogue, Effect -- having completed his their original purpose as [[TheDragon a number-two Noise]] -- chose to disappear in peace... before reappearing in their human form as Kanata's new ''English teacher'' at school, much to Kanata's shock (and [[HotTeacher many students' admiration]])]].
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* BishounenLine: Discord Effect first appears as [[HumanoidAbomination an intimidating humanoid silhouette with twisted shadow imagery]]. [[spoiler:Following his defeat and forging a partnership with President, he reforms in the shape of a much more normal-looking, dark-skinned androgyne and retains that form for the rest of the series... including in the epilogue, [[RetiredMonster where Kanata realizes he got hired as an English teacher at his school]].]]
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* BishounenLine: Discord Effect first appears as [[HumanoidAbomination an intimidating humanoid silhouette with twisted shadow imagery]]. [[spoiler:Following his their defeat and forging a partnership with President, he reforms they reform in the shape of a much more normal-looking, dark-skinned androgyne and retains that form for the rest of the series... including in the epilogue, [[RetiredMonster where Kanata realizes he they got hired as an English teacher at his school]].]]
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* TheDragon: Starting from chapter 11, [[HumanoidAbomination a humanoid, talkative, and especially powerful Noise]] identified as "Discord Effect" attacks Yori and then later Kanata, later manifesting as the NumberTwo to the BigBad. [[spoiler:{{Subverted|Trope}} in that he ends up specifically serving President, not Fearness, and when given the orders to ''[[VillainousRescue save]]'' the girls, [[MyMasterRightOrWrong he does so without hesitation]].]]
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* DisneyDeath: [[spoiler:Kanata defeats Fearness and ends the Creation Territory event, but in doing so, President -- [[AlasPoorVillain choosing to stay with her mother as she fades away]] -- leaves Kanata with the words "I'm sorry... and thank you..." before vanishing. In the week afterwards, only a few people at school are aware that she's missing due to [[{{Glamour}} her "recognition inhibition"]], leaving Kanata to wonder if she's gone forever. Guess who he ends up coming across after returning to school that day?]]
* TheDragon: Starting from chapter 11, [[HumanoidAbomination a humanoid, talkative, and especially powerful Noise]] identified as "Discord Effect" attacks Yori and then later Kanata, later manifesting as the NumberTwo to the BigBad. [[spoiler:{{Subverted|Trope}} in thathe ends they end up specifically serving President, not Fearness, and when given the orders to ''[[VillainousRescue save]]'' the girls, [[MyMasterRightOrWrong he does they do so without hesitation]].]]
* TheDragon: Starting from chapter 11, [[HumanoidAbomination a humanoid, talkative, and especially powerful Noise]] identified as "Discord Effect" attacks Yori and then later Kanata, later manifesting as the NumberTwo to the BigBad. [[spoiler:{{Subverted|Trope}} in that
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* DudeLooksLikeALady: Kanata, much to his annoyance, not only looks very slender and androgynous, but isn't permitted to trim his hair aside from his bangs, and as such is [[LongHairIsFeminine long enough to reach down to his waist]]. [[MumLooksLikeASister He barely looks distinguishable from his own mother!]] Unsurprisingly, he's been mistaken for a girl by many people meeting him for the first time, from his childhood friend Jou to Ruma.
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* DudeLooksLikeALady: Kanata, much to his annoyance, not only looks very slender and androgynous, but isn't permitted to trim his hair aside from his bangs, and as such is [[LongHairIsFeminine long enough to reach down to his waist]]. [[MumLooksLikeASister He barely looks distinguishable from his own mother!]] Unsurprisingly, he's been mistaken for a girl by many people meeting him for the first time, from his childhood friend Jou to Ruma. [[spoiler:When [[GenderBender he temporarily does become biologically female]] in the FinalBattle, he looks almost entirely identical to before.]]
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* HumanoidAbomination: Several Noise manifest as this to some degree, but we're introduced to an especially big one called the "Discord Effect" in chapter 11 that resembles a blackened human silhouette, has a much more chaotic and violent form of magic that nearly trounces Yori, and uniquely ''can talk''. [[spoiler:He's later revealed to be some kind of older, dark-skinned magical entity allied with President -- simply identifying as "Effect" -- and [[HeelFaceTurn he willfully stands down]] when given the order to [[VillainousRescue save the Tuners]] during the Birth of Night event.]]
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* HumanoidAbomination: Several Noise manifest as this to some degree, but we're introduced to an especially big one called the "Discord Effect" in chapter 11 that resembles a blackened human silhouette, has a much more chaotic and violent form of magic that nearly trounces Yori, and uniquely ''can talk''. [[spoiler:He's [[spoiler:They're later revealed to be some kind of older, dark-skinned magical entity allied with President -- simply identifying as "Effect" -- and [[HeelFaceTurn he they willfully stands stand down]] when given the order to [[VillainousRescue save the Tuners]] during the Birth of Night event.]]
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* MagicallyBindingContract: Kanata ends up roped into the MagicalGirl business through a contract, and to his chagrin, he accidentally "signed" it by placing his thumbprint on it. If a magical girl unilaterally breaks contract, she'll end up receiving "divine punishment" -- for Kanata, his would be [[GenderBender getting turned into an actual girl]].
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* MagicallyBindingContract: Kanata ends up roped into the MagicalGirl business through a contract, and to his chagrin, he accidentally "signed" it by placing his thumbprint on it. If a magical girl unilaterally breaks contract, she'll end up receiving "divine punishment" -- for Kanata, his would be [[GenderBender getting turned into an actual girl]]. [[spoiler:He ends up tearing it during the FinalBattle as part of a gambit [[EleventhHourSuperpower to boost his power to defeat the Fearness]], though afterwards, [[StatusQuoIsGod Moeru manages to patch it back together]] with a warning to never try a risky stunt like that again.]]
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* NotQuiteDead: [[spoiler:Discord Effect gets seemingly vaporized by Kanata's "Blue Spiral" spell, but barely ekes his way out in the form of a small cloud of black mist. He's still in mortal danger, and it's only when President finds him and convinces him to form an alliance that he's able to return during The Night.]]
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* NotQuiteDead: [[spoiler:Discord Effect gets seemingly vaporized by Kanata's "Blue Spiral" spell, but barely ekes his their way out in the form of a small cloud of black mist. He's They're still in mortal danger, and it's only when President finds him them and convinces him them to form an alliance that he's they're able to return during The Night.]]
* RetiredMonster: PlayedForLaughs, [[spoiler:in the epilogue, Effect -- having completed his original purpose as [[TheDragon a number-two Noise]] -- chose to disappear in peace... before reappearing in their human form as Kanata's new ''English teacher'' at school, much to Kanata's shock (and [[HotTeacher many students' admiration]])]].
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** [[spoiler:[[DoubleSubversion Double-subverted]] during the FinalBattle, when [[LoopholeAbuse he willfully tears his contract just enough to induce his "punishment" and become a "full" magical girl]], [[EleventhHourSuperpower giving him the full control of his magic to defeat Fearness once and for all]]. [[DownplayedTrope Even then]], because Kanata didn't destroy the whole contract (a piece of the parchment was still left dangling after tearing it), he still retains an... [[UnusualEuphemism "oasis"]], according to Moeru.]]
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** [[spoiler:[[DoubleSubversion Double-subverted]] during the FinalBattle, when [[LoopholeAbuse he willfully tears his contract just enough to induce his "punishment" and become a "full" magical girl]], [[EleventhHourSuperpower giving him the full control of his magic to defeat Fearness once and for all]]. [[DownplayedTrope Even then]], because Kanata didn't destroy the whole contract (a piece of the parchment was still left dangling after tearing it), he still retains an... [[UnusualEuphemism "oasis"]], according to Moeru. Following the battle, [[StatusQuoIsGod this ends up getting undone]] as Moeru manages to repair the contract and negotiate with the powers that be.]]
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* EleventhHourSuperpower: [[spoiler:In the FinalBattle, Kanata decides to intentionally tear his contract, fully aware that the "punishment" of [[GenderBender becoming a girl for real]] will give him full control of his magic ability, making him powerful enough to defeat Fearness for good. This surge ends up directly upgrading his MagicStaff to the "Cross [=OverThere=]".]]
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: [[spoiler:As abusive and manipulative as she is, Fearness still flinches in shock when President [[CallingTheOldManOut finally stands up to her]], particularly when she retaliates and hears her daughter scream out in pain.]]
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* EvilMatriarch: [[spoiler:[[BigBad Fearness]] happens to be President's mother. Her fall and descent into villainy happened a few years ''after'' President was born, and President was raised to not only hone her own magical power, but to eventually participate in her long-term plan to cast the "Creation Territory" spell and consume the world. [[ForcedIntoEvil President didn't want to do this]] -- [[IJustWantToBeNormal she just wanted to live a normal life and not have to hurt anyone]] -- but was simultaneously too afraid to defy her while also being too afraid of [[EvenEvilCanBeLoved abandoning her mother]].]]
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* EvilMatriarch: [[spoiler:[[BigBad Fearness]] happens to be President's mother. Her fall and descent into villainy happened a few years ''after'' President was born, and President was raised to not only hone her own magical power, but to eventually participate in her long-term plan to cast the "Creation Territory" spell and consume the world. [[ForcedIntoEvil President didn't want to do this]] -- [[IJustWantToBeNormal she just wanted to live a normal life and not have to hurt anyone]] -- but was simultaneously too afraid to defy her while also being too afraid of to [[EvenEvilCanBeLoved abandoning abandon her, leaving her mother]].alone]].]]
* FinalBossNewDimension: [[spoiler:The final battle against Fearness takes place in a dark PocketDimension in the sky -- the center of the Creation Territory, unsurprisingly swarming with Noise. Only the main Tuner trio are able to reach it to rescue President and stop Fearness' plans once and for all.]]
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* ModestyShorts: Kanata's magical girl costume fits him with spats, though he doesn't find that it makes the experience of wearing a miniskirt while fighting any less humiliating.
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* ModestyShorts: Kanata's magical girl costume fits him with spats, though he doesn't find that it makes the experience of wearing a miniskirt while fighting any less humiliating. [[spoiler:For some reason, [[GenderedOutfit they get replaced with panties]] when he [[GenderBender becomes a girl]], which he naturally reacts to even worse.]]
* OneWingedAngel: [[spoiler:[[BigBad Fearness']] initial appearance is imposing, ominous, yet otherwise human-looking, but during the final battle against her in her realm, [[DevourTheDragon she begins assimilating several Noise into her body]], morphing her into an increasingly powerful and increasingly monstrous form. Even before that point, once she's encountered in the realm, she's become so consumed by the Noise's power that she doesn't even speak, only roaring and screaming in pure rage.]]
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* StrongFamilyResemblance: Kanata has an astonishingly close resemblance to his mother, no doubt accentuated by his long hair and Konata's flat chest. When put side-by-side, [[MumLooksLikeASister Konata only appears at best to be a couple inches taller than her son]].
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* SuperGenderBender: {{Subverted|Trope}}; Kanata stays male even while in "MagicalGirl mode", though considering [[DudeLooksLikeALady his girlish looks]], one could hardly tell a difference. The only predicament where he'd end up getting [[GenderBender genderbent]] is if he ''stops'' being a MagicalGirl.
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* SuperGenderBender: StrongFamilyResemblance: Kanata has an astonishingly close resemblance to his mother, no doubt accentuated by his long hair and Konata's flat chest. When put side-by-side, [[MumLooksLikeASister Konata only appears at best to be a couple inches taller than her son]].
* SuperGenderBender:
** {{Subverted|Trope}}; Kanata stays male even while in "MagicalGirl mode", though considering [[DudeLooksLikeALady his girlish looks]], one could hardly tell a difference. The only predicament where he'd end up getting [[GenderBender genderbent]] is if he ''stops'' being aMagicalGirl.MagicalGirl.
** [[spoiler:[[DoubleSubversion Double-subverted]] during the FinalBattle, when [[LoopholeAbuse he willfully tears his contract just enough to induce his "punishment" and become a "full" magical girl]], [[EleventhHourSuperpower giving him the full control of his magic to defeat Fearness once and for all]]. [[DownplayedTrope Even then]], because Kanata didn't destroy the whole contract (a piece of the parchment was still left dangling after tearing it), he still retains an... [[UnusualEuphemism "oasis"]], according to Moeru.]]
* SuperGenderBender:
** {{Subverted|Trope}}; Kanata stays male even while in "MagicalGirl mode", though considering [[DudeLooksLikeALady his girlish looks]], one could hardly tell a difference. The only predicament where he'd end up getting [[GenderBender genderbent]] is if he ''stops'' being a
** [[spoiler:[[DoubleSubversion Double-subverted]] during the FinalBattle, when [[LoopholeAbuse he willfully tears his contract just enough to induce his "punishment" and become a "full" magical girl]], [[EleventhHourSuperpower giving him the full control of his magic to defeat Fearness once and for all]]. [[DownplayedTrope Even then]], because Kanata didn't destroy the whole contract (a piece of the parchment was still left dangling after tearing it), he still retains an... [[UnusualEuphemism "oasis"]], according to Moeru.]]
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* WackyParentSeriousChild: One has to wonder how Kanata turned out to be a fairly serious and responsible kid considering his mother, Konata, seems to be [[CloudCuckoolander a total space cadet]] who think it's a perfectly normal idea to appoint her son to be a MagicalGirl as she goes on vacation for herself.
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* WackyParentSeriousChild: One has to wonder how Kanata turned out to be a fairly serious and responsible kid considering his mother, Konata, seems to be [[CloudCuckoolander a total space cadet]] who think thinks it's a perfectly normal and reasonable idea to appoint her son to be a MagicalGirl as she goes on vacation for herself.
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* WackyParentSeriousChild: One has to wonder how Kanata turned out to be a fairly serious and responsible kid considering his mother, Konata, seems to be [[CloudCuckoolandera total space cadet]], who think it's a perfectly normal idea to appoint her son to be a MagicalGirl as she goes on vacation for herself.
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* WackyParentSeriousChild: One has to wonder how Kanata turned out to be a fairly serious and responsible kid considering his mother, Konata, seems to be [[CloudCuckoolandera [[CloudCuckoolander a total space cadet]], cadet]] who think it's a perfectly normal idea to appoint her son to be a MagicalGirl as she goes on vacation for herself.
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* ThePollyanna: Konata has an astonishingly upbeat and optimistic disposition no matter what supernatural and/or insane challenge lies before her, something that repeatedly weirds out her son. [[spoiler:Upon [[BigDamnHeroes saving Kanata from Fearness]], [[PerpetualSmiler she doesn't break her smile]] or airy attitude at any point while confronting the BigBad, and no one's quite sure what to make out of her complete unbridled, yet dubiously-warranted confidence.]]
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* ThisIsSomethingHesGotToDoHimself: {{Downplayed|Trope}}: [[spoiler:Konata, Ruma, and Yori are the only forces that can reach the Fearness' PocketDimension realm for the final battle, with Konata only having enough power to send the three there, with she and Effect only able to stand by and wait for them to win. Effect suggests that Konata was probably more powerful and could defeat Fearness herself, but while she agrees, she then admits that only Kanata has the potential to defeat her ''and'' rescue his best friend.]]
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* WackyParentSeriousChild: One has to wonder how Kanata turned out to be a fairly serious and responsible kid considering his mother, Konata, seems to be [[CloudCuckoolandera total space cadet]], who think it's a perfectly normal idea to appoint her son to be a MagicalGirl as she goes on vacation for herself.
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''Oto × Maho (おと×まほ)'' is a MagicalGirl ([[FormulaWithATwist kind of]]) comedy {{Light Novel|s}} series written by Shirase Shuu and illustrated by Yasu, which was published from 2007 to 2015 by Softbank Creative for 16 volumes. It also has a manga adaptation that was serialized from 2008 to 2011 in ''[=FlexComix=] Next''.
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''Oto × Maho (おと×まほ)'' is a MagicalGirl ([[FormulaWithATwist kind of]]) comedy {{Light Novel|s}} series written by Shirase Shuu and illustrated by Yasu, Yasu (also the illustrator of ''Literature/{{Toradora}}'' and ''Manga/{{Joshiraku}}''), which was published from 2007 to 2015 by Softbank Creative for 16 volumes. It also has a manga adaptation that was serialized from 2008 to 2011 in ''[=FlexComix=] Next''.
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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/otoxmaho.png]]
->''"Starting from today, you are going to become a magical girl, Kana-chan."''
-->--'''Konata'''
''Oto × Maho (おと×まほ)'' is a MagicalGirl ([[FormulaWithATwist kind of]]) comedy {{Light Novel|s}} series written by Shirase Shuu and illustrated by Yasu, which was published from 2007 to 2015 by Softbank Creative for 16 volumes. It also has a manga adaptation that was serialized from 2008 to 2011 in ''[=FlexComix=] Next''.
Shirahime Kanata is an ordinary middle-schooler whose mother one night makes two big announcements: she's going to be heading out of town on vacation, and starting immediately, Kanata will begin working in her place to carry out her secret, but important job: being a MagicalGirl! Kanata is not pleased by this for a variety of reasons, with the most pertinent being that -- despite having a cute face and waist-length hair -- [[DudeLooksLikeALady he's a guy]].
Unfortunately for him, the town can't wait, with a legion of monsters known as the "Noise" always ready to disturb the peace. In light of his mother's absence, Kanata ends up forced to sign a contract to take on the position of a magical girl, with the superpowers and cute skirt that it entails, as well as a clause that should he abandon his new responsibilities, he'll be permanently transformed into an ''actual'' girl. With the aid of his pet-turned-mentor, Moeru, and several other unexpected allies, thus begins Kanata's new adventures of fighting the forces of evil in possibly the most embarrassing way possible.
Despite the quirky setup, ''Oto × Maho'' is a surprisingly sincere spin on the magical girl genre, with Kanata learning to come to terms with his powers, making new friends, and finding his place in the world within his unusual predicament. The manga completed after twenty chapters across four volumes, while the light novel reached sixteen volumes, the last being released in 2015.
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!!This series provides examples of:
* BigBadFriend: [[spoiler:After several [[{{Foreshadowing}} early hints]], chapter 14 reveals that President is allied with the Noise, revealing her involvement in initiating [[TheNightThatNeverEnds "The Night"]] and destroying the Tuners. However, they quickly piece together that she's not the actual BigBad nor is that mission ''her'' goal -- that would belong to President's mother, [[GreaterScopeVillain Fearness]].]]
* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:As Ruma, Yori, and Effect discover the severity of [[TheNightThatNeverEnds the "Creation Territory"]], they realize that they don't have a way to stop it with ordinary tuner magic. Cue the arrival of Konata -- having just returned to town from her vacation -- casually strutting through the spell's barrier, helping rescue her son from the newly-arrived Fearness, and giving him, Ruma, and Yori the power to fly to her location and stop her once and for all.]]
* BigEater: [[ZigZaggingTrope Zig-zagged]] with Ruma -- whenever she's shown eating, she eats ''a lot'' and very messily, but that's because she rarely gets a chance to do so. She's generally so preoccupied and focused on doing her MagicalGirl job that she ForgetsToEat, at one point realizing she's been only subsisting on water for the last three days.
* BishounenLine: Discord Effect first appears as [[HumanoidAbomination an intimidating humanoid silhouette with twisted shadow imagery]]. [[spoiler:Following his defeat and forging a partnership with President, he reforms in the shape of a much more normal-looking, dark-skinned androgyne and retains that form for the rest of the series... including in the epilogue, [[RetiredMonster where Kanata realizes he got hired as an English teacher at his school]].]]
* ByThePowerOfGrayskull: "Spread widely, to the end of the sky!" are Konata's "meaningful words" to activate his transformation. He doesn't actually need to be told what the words are -- he's simply instructed [[DieOrFly while getting thrown into his first Noise battle]] to [[{{Invocation}} invoke his way to power]], and intuits exactly what he needs to say.
* ChainPain: Yori's signature weapon are chains, which she either uses to whip around and lash her enemies or [[PowerFist form around her fists for punching]].
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Konata, Kanata's mother, is quite airy and strange, having [[HilariouslyAbusiveChildhood a long history of repeatedly pranking her son over bizarre matters]] and treating the whole "getting Kanata to become a MagicalGirl to keep the peace while going on a globetrotting vacation" deal with a blasé, devil-may-care level of ease.
* CombatPragmatist: Kanata has trouble honing his magic potential properly at the start of the series, but he makes up for it with his scrappy intuition, from [[AHandfulForAnEye chucking dust into his opponent's eyes]] to just clobbering his foes with his staff when he can't get the magic to work. During his battle against his EvilDoppelganger, Kanata chucks his staff at it like a javelin, [[GrievousHarmWithABody followed up by Moeru]].
* CoolBigSis: Yori functions as this to Kanata and Ruma, being the most experienced (and, to her chagrin, oldest) active MagicalGirl. She has a particular experience trying to be a reliable guardian to Ruma (by the time both of them got their powers, Yori was already 19 while Ruma only 8), but Ruma [[IWorkAlone continually brushes off her help in order to prove her own strength]].
* CuteClumsyGirl: Ruma, despite introducing herself as a haughty, experienced quasi-DarkMagicalGirl, also has a repeated habit of tripping on [[CombatStilettos the high heels of her magical girl costume]] at inopportune times, with Moeru snarking that she's a {{dojikko}}.
* DarkMagicalGirl: Ruma is a {{downplayed|Trope}} example: she gets along decently with Kanata, but she takes her MagicalGirl job ''much'' more seriously and initially looks down at Kanata for his inexperience and naïveté. Yori confirms that she's also had a habit of rejecting help and [[IWorkAlone insisting she can take care of things alone]], an attitude that the two spend their time helping her shed as the series progresses. [[spoiler:Chapter 13 also directly alludes to Ruma also having a DarkAndTroubledPast, [[ParentalAbandonment having been abandoned by her parents at a young age]], no doubt inspiring her aloof, solitary attitude.]]
* DisappearedDad: The story never touches where Kanata's father is, only his mother.
* TheDragon: Starting from chapter 11, [[HumanoidAbomination a humanoid, talkative, and especially powerful Noise]] identified as "Discord Effect" attacks Yori and then later Kanata, later manifesting as the NumberTwo to the BigBad. [[spoiler:{{Subverted|Trope}} in that he ends up specifically serving President, not Fearness, and when given the orders to ''[[VillainousRescue save]]'' the girls, [[MyMasterRightOrWrong he does so without hesitation]].]]
* DraggedIntoDrag:
** Poor Kanata ends up [[EmbarrassingButEmpoweringOutfit in a full magical girl costume]] -- complete with short skirt and spats -- whenever he activates his powers, magically replacing whatever he was wearing at the time (though at least they return when he deactivates his powers). This also occurs non-magically as well: in chapter 11, President [[GotVolunteered volunteers him]] into a cosplay contest, and he gets strong-armed to appear on stage in an outfit not dissimilar to his magical girl costume (and no, [[WholesomeCrossdresser no one realizes he's male the entire time]]):
--->'''Ruma''': To think Kana-tan's gonna appear onstage... it seems like he kinda disliked the idea, but while chatting with that girl, he suddenly hung his head...\\
'''Moeru''': ''(realizes what's happening)'' Haha... Kana-tan's been "dragged in" [[OhNoNotAgain again.]]
** Another non-magical instance occurs in chapter 15, where during a SchoolFestival, Kanata gets peer-pressured by Ruma, Yori, and Jou into multiple {{Instant Cosplay Surprise}}s, resulting in him dressed as [[{{Meido}} a maid]], a waitress, a {{miko}}, and whatever FanserviceCostumes Yori [[CrazyPrepared just happened to have on standby]].
* DudeLooksLikeALady: Kanata, much to his annoyance, not only looks very slender and androgynous, but isn't permitted to trim his hair aside from his bangs, and as such is [[LongHairIsFeminine long enough to reach down to his waist]]. [[MumLooksLikeASister He barely looks distinguishable from his own mother!]] Unsurprisingly, he's been mistaken for a girl by many people meeting him for the first time, from his childhood friend Jou to Ruma.
* EmotionBomb: [[spoiler:When [[BigBad Fearness]] makes her first appearance in the flesh in chapter 18, her sheer presence invokes a horrifying level of fear and despair in Kanata and President, with Kanata almost fully succumbing to the darkness before [[BigDamnHeroes he's freed and rescued by Konata, Ruma, and Yori.]]]]
* EmotionEater: The Noise are specified to be based on the "discord" of the world around them, and in chapters 5-6, one particularly insidious Noise finds its way around by introducing chaos in Kanata's mind, amplifying his insecurity and self-doubt before [[EvilDoppelganger taking on his form]]. [[spoiler:In chapter 13, another Noise does the same thing to Ruma, putting her in a depressive trance until she gets rescued by Yori. In both cases, it becomes later revealed that they were planted by [[BigBad Fearness]] herself]].
* EmbarrassingButEmpoweringOutfit: Kanata's initial reaction to his MagicalGirl costume, which is why he's so reluctant to take up the position's responsibility for a while. It takes him a while of realizing the responsibility of fighting off the Noise and protecting his friends and loved ones that he decides to brave through it.
* EmbarrassingNickname: [[MentorMascot Moeru]] habitually calls Kanata the rather infantilizing "Kana-[[UsefulNotes/JapaneseHonorifics tan]]", which annoys Kanata to no end. Sadly for him, it catches on with Ruma and Yori.
* EvenTheGuysWantHim: Kanata [[HeadTurningBeauty seems to turn everyone's heads at school]], but appears to have an especially large number of male admirers considering [[DudeLooksLikeALady his specific looks]]. Even Jou seems to have trouble reminding himself that his best friend is male.
-->'''Jou:''' Honestly, you're rather antisocial lately... don't tell me you have another boyfriend besides me!\\
'''Kanata:''' What do you mean "besides ''you?!''"
* EvilDoppelganger: The main threat of "My Wish" is a Noise that [[EnemyWithout gained power through Kanata's anxiety and insecurity]], taking on his appearance (sans very conspicuous BlackEyesOfEvil) and magical ability.
* EvilMatriarch: [[spoiler:[[BigBad Fearness]] happens to be President's mother. Her fall and descent into villainy happened a few years ''after'' President was born, and President was raised to not only hone her own magical power, but to eventually participate in her long-term plan to cast the "Creation Territory" spell and consume the world. [[ForcedIntoEvil President didn't want to do this]] -- [[IJustWantToBeNormal she just wanted to live a normal life and not have to hurt anyone]] -- but was simultaneously too afraid to defy her while also being too afraid of [[EvenEvilCanBeLoved abandoning her mother]].]]
* FallenHero: [[spoiler:The BigBad of the story, Fearness, used to be a powerful tuner and brilliant researcher of the Noise, but as she obsessed with using her magic to manipulate the human soul, she was stripped of her Origin Key and magic powers, leaving her furious for revenge and [[BecameTheirOwnAntithesis causing her to become completely corrupted by the Noise, ironically making her even more powerful]].]]
* {{Fanservice}}: Typical to many MagicalGirl works, {{Transformation Sequence}}s result in nudity obscured by glitter and other effects as their new clothes form onto them, and there's the occasional upskirt shot, often where [[ReluctantFanserviceGirl Kanata]] is concerned.
* ForcedIntoEvil: [[spoiler:President became obligated to serve Fearness -- her mother -- and the Noise, and despite trying to bury her friendship with Kanata and oust herself as an irredeemable enemy once they make their move, it becomes clear through [[WillfullyWeak her carefully calculated moments of weakness and suspicious generosity]] that [[RegretfulTraitor she feels terrible about it]], and is doing everything she can do give Kanata and the rest of the girls a fighting chance while saving face.]]
* ForcedSleep: [[spoiler:When the [[TheNightThatNeverEnds Birth of Night]] event hits, every non-magical person in its massive, city-wide radius, is forced into a deep slumber, which also includes Ruma when she gets knocked out of her magical girl form. When she comes to, she relays that she was stuck experiencing a terrible, unending dream where she was constantly reliving her negative emotions, leading the girls to realize why this aspect of the "Creation Territory" is so important -- it will generate ridiculous amounts of [[EmotionEater Noise]] with nothing to oppose them.]]
* FullContactMagic: Casting magical blasts is an option for Kanata, but he much prefers to simply use his MagicStaff as a melee weapon, swinging it like a baseball bat to bash the Noise apart with blunt force. Notably, [[EnemyWithout his evil clone]] in "My Wish" doesn't use this method and instead relies back on the magic blasts.
* {{Glamour}}:
** As Moeru explains in chapter 5, magical girls naturally come with a "recognition inhibition" charm that conceals their identity to normal outsiders -- not so much that they can't literally see them, but they become unable to directly attach identities, meaning that even though they can see the cute white-haired magical girl and "her" face, they're unable to recognize that it's Kanata.
** [[spoiler:Chapter 16 reveals that [[BigBadFriend President]] is running under a much more powerful "recognition inhibition", allowing her to be close to Kanata without him realizing anything about her -- not her interests, her hobbies, her ''[[OnlyKnownByTheirNickname name]]'', and ''especially'' not her secrets.]]
* GoodPowersBadPeople: [[spoiler:This is what led to the creation of Fearness. She was originally a powerful and well-respected tuner, but in her quest to research and understand the Noise, she crossed a line by trying to use her magic to [[TheEvilsOfFreeWill manipulate the hearts and minds of people around her to stop the discord]], a breach that resulted in her Origin Key and magical girl status being revoked. Her fury and desire for revenge is what led to her trying to foster [[BadPowersBadPeople the power of the Noise for herself]]]].
* HeadTurningBeauty: ''Everyone'' at school wants Kanata, [[EvenTheGuysWantHim even other male students]]. [[SoBeautifulItsACurse Kanata really doesn't like this kind of attention]] as not only does it make him unsure on whether or not they actually like him for who he is, it tends to just be awkward. His first encounter with Jou was a LoveConfession after Jou [[DudeLooksLikeALady mistook Kanata for a girl]], and even after they ended up becoming genuine friends, Jou repeatedly tries to capitalize off Kanata's popularity, such as in chapter 8 where he presents Kanata figurines to an enraptured audience (up until Kanata realizes what he's doing and smashes them with a briefcase).
* HeroicRROD: Ruma spends so much time on the clock fighting Noise that by the time she gets to fighting an especially big one in chapter 8, she can barely stand, only able to defeat it with Kanata's help before passing out.
* HiddenEyes: Kanata's eyes vanish when you hit one of his {{Berserk Button}}s. It generally leads to a laughably one-sided beatdown.
* HomelessHero: Chapter 12 reveals that unlike Kanata and Yori, Ruma doesn't live in a fixed abode, but rather a tent in the park.
* HumanoidAbomination: Several Noise manifest as this to some degree, but we're introduced to an especially big one called the "Discord Effect" in chapter 11 that resembles a blackened human silhouette, has a much more chaotic and violent form of magic that nearly trounces Yori, and uniquely ''can talk''. [[spoiler:He's later revealed to be some kind of older, dark-skinned magical entity allied with President -- simply identifying as "Effect" -- and [[HeelFaceTurn he willfully stands down]] when given the order to [[VillainousRescue save the Tuners]] during the Birth of Night event.]]
* IAmNotLeftHanded: During Kanata and Ruma's fight upon their first introduction, Kanata notices that Ruma launches [[MoneyMauling her magic coins]] from her right hand, giving him the idea to target it as she fires another coin barrage. It works, briefly disarming Ruma and throwing her off her game... [[SchmuckBait until Kanata gets too close]] and Ruma pings a coin into him using her ''left'' hand.
* IJustWantToBeNormal:
** In addition to finding the whole MagicalGirl thing embarrassing, Kanata is generally insecure about himself, finding [[SoBeautifulItsACurse his unusually good looks attracting unwanted admiration and expectations]], resulting in him wanting to reject the attention of others (worrying that his friends only like him for superficial reasons) while also anxious to look inward and define what he truly wants for himself. The "My Wish" arc hinges around Kanata being forced to confront this mentality and [[CharacterDevelopment grow out of it]], accepting that [[IAmWhatIAm he is who he is]], and he's going to take on his responsibilities because ''he'' wants to.
** Reflected in a dark way with [[spoiler:President, who was raised by [[EvilMatriarch her mother]] since childhood to help bring about the end of days. President didn't want to, instead just wanting the two to grow up as a normal parent and child, [[ForcedIntoEvil but was forced to go along with it]] due to just Fearness already having made up her mind towards apocalyptic levels of revenge, making facing her impossibly dangerous]].
* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: [[spoiler:The penultimate battle between Kanata and President seems like President committing to [[BigBadFriend betray her best friend to enable the Birth of Night and potential destruction of the world]], but Kanata ends up realizing by her particular actions that it's a put-on -- President doesn't appear to ''actually'' want to do anything evil, [[ForcedIntoEvil and is merely trying to convince herself to align with the outside pressure]] of [[EvilMatriarch her mother]]. As such, Kanata's course of action in stopping her is reaffirming to her that despite [[FriendshipDenial her current protests]], President was, and always will be, his best friend. Eventually, [[ThePowerOfFriendship it works]].]]
* IdentityBreakdown: Kanata experiences this in the "My Wish" two-parter, with a Noise amplifying his insecurity and leaving him in a state of questioning his place in the world, being reluctant to accept the love and kindness of his friends while also not knowing what he actually expects or wants from himself, [[PsychosomaticSuperpowerOutage which briefly costs him his powers]] and results in said Noise [[EnemyWithout taking on his appearance]]. It takes some necessary introspection and CharacterDevelopment for him to regain his confidence and blow his opponent to smithereens.
* ItOnlyWorksOnce: Kanata's "Blue Trail" spell is his only major magic attack, and due to [[PowerIncontinence his lack of control over his magic ability]], he tends to release ''everything'' all at once and immediately runs dry, leading him to rely on his physical prowess to fight instead. In chapter 14, [[spoiler:he realizes while fighting Discord Effect that he's getting outmatched in that regard, and thus has only one chance to fire his spell. Fortunately, he makes it count, and [[WaveMotionGun it's really freakin' big.]]]]
* LecherousLicking: President demonstrates her... ''intimate'' affection for Kanata by sneaking up behind him in the school hallway and licking his ear ''really intensely'', even commenting that [[YouTasteDelicious he tastes like milk]]. According to later comments, this isn't even a new thing.
* MagicIsFeminine: {{Discussed|Trope}} in chapter 12 -- while training Kanata, Ruma discusses with him the idea that women have more magical strength in exchange for men who have physical strength, which would explain why Kanata has [[PowerIncontinence less control over his magic]] than her or Yori. However, Ruma seems to doubt this hypothesis as Kanata ''is'' [[UnskilledButStrong really magically powerful, just untrained and inexperienced]], leading her to wonder just how much more or less powerful he'd be if he ''was'' female.
* MagicalGirl: In the fiction of the series, magical girls are "tuners" who work to preserve the harmony of the universe, and are the sole defenses against the monsters that seek to disturb that harmony, dubbed "noise". Kanata ends up appointed in the position of one by his mom, with Ruma and Yori ending up becoming partners throughout the story. Yori implies in chapter 12 that there's some kind of unseen organization choosing tuners and backing them up, with some unknown sponsor providing them amenities like hospital care, and someone is apparently paying Ruma based on the Noise she takes down.
* MagicallyBindingContract: Kanata ends up roped into the MagicalGirl business through a contract, and to his chagrin, he accidentally "signed" it by placing his thumbprint on it. If a magical girl unilaterally breaks contract, she'll end up receiving "divine punishment" -- for Kanata, his would be [[GenderBender getting turned into an actual girl]].
* MentorMascot: Moeru is a seemingly unassuming housecat who spent seven years in Kanata/Konata's house as their pet, but he turns out to be fully intelligent, able to talk, stand on two legs, and has been positioned to act as Kanata's "supervisor" while on the magical girl job. While [[LovableSexManiac he's a little too engrossed in the fanservice-y side of Kanata's transformations]], he's still able to act as a sincere mentor who gives helpful advice and insight, [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass and he's occasionally shown putting up a surprisingly decent fight when Kanata is out of commission]] (despite, again, being a housecat).
* MirrorCharacter: Kanata ends up developing this dynamic -- bordering on having an EvilCounterpart -- with [[spoiler:[[BigBadFriend President]], who only avoids being a strict EvilCounterpart due to not being [[ForcedIntoEvil willfully so]]. Both of them were raised to be {{Magical Girl}}s by their respective mothers, but while Konata did so lovingly with a belief that her son would do great things for the world and is the closest thing the series has to a BigGood, Fearness is a cruel, wrathful, revenge-filled FallenHero who raised her daughter for the explicit purpose of helping end the world, being very much ''the'' BigBad. Both of them also ended up dealing with the baggage of [[IJustWantToBeNormal fundamentally craving normalcy]] and facing similar identity crises of who they "are" and what they want deep down -- Konata eventually learns to accept his responsibility, and he additionally ends up helping President rightfully rejecting hers.]]
* MirrorMatch: During the "My Wish" two-parter, Kanata faces off against an EvilDoppelganger [[EnemyWithout born from his sense of self-doubt]] and unwillingness to accept his magical girl duties. In a neat bit of asymmetry, the doppelgänger uses ranged magical attacks, but Kanata wields his usual fighting style of physical attacks with his magic staff.
* ModestyShorts: Kanata's magical girl costume fits him with spats, though he doesn't find that it makes the experience of wearing a miniskirt while fighting any less humiliating.
* MoneyMauling: Ruma's signature weapons are coins, and ''lots'' of them. Tagging a target with one coin gives her free reign to [[MoreDakka pelt seemingly infinite amounts of them]] from out of the aether.
-->'''Ruma:''' Once your body comes in contact with [my coin], [[DeadlyEuphemism you shall become a millionaire]], [[VerbalTic naremasu no~]]
* MonsterMisogyny: {{Downplayed|Trope}} in chapter 5 as nobody gets seriously hurt, but [[LampshadeHanging Kanata notes]] the blade-adorned MonsterOfTheWeek seems to only [[ClothingDamage shred the clothes]] of female students, with male pupils just so happening to get out unscathed. Then again, it ends up shredding [[WholesomeCrossdresser Kanata's]] clothes as well...
* MysticalWhiteHair: Both Kanata and his mother both have naturally white hair, which carries especially supernatural connotations given they're part of the profession of MagicalGirl. Kanata is revealed [[TallPoppySyndrome to actually be pretty sensitive about looking and being treated as "unique"]] even without his new supernatural responsibilities.
* NamedWeapon: Kanata's magic staff is christened the "[=OverThere=]", [[PunnyName which would be a pun off of Kanata's name]] (the katakana used, かなた, translates to "over there/far away"). [[spoiler:When Kanata ends up actually turned into a girl in the final chapter, [[EleventhHourSuperpower the upgraded staff]] becomes the "Cross [=OverThere=]".]]
* TheNightThatNeverEnds: [[spoiler:In chapter 16, President instigates "The Night", shrouding the city in pitch-black darkness ([[TheStarsAreGoingOut not even with any stars]]) and putting every non-magical person within [[ForcedSleep into a deep sleep]] that will create even more Noise. It's revealed that the spell is of [[RealityWarper a powerful world-creating magic called "Creation Territory"]], reshaping reality to the desires of a newfound lord -- that lord being Fearness, President's mother.]]
* NightmareFuelStationAttendant: President has a gentle, affectionate demeanor, but some of that affection manifests in occasionally really creepy or suggestive ways that quietly terrifies Kanata. She also seems to [[NightmareFetishist generally have morbid tastes]], with her very first instinct upon getting invited to an amusement park being to hit the HauntedHouse. [[spoiler:This ends up taking a much darker turn [[BigBadFriend when it's later revealed she's in cahoots with the Noise]].]]
-->'''President:''' This is a truly colorful amusement park...\\
'''Kanata:''' It is a little too dazzling...\\
'''President:''' ''(with an evil smile)'' [[MoodWhiplash I wish everything were pitch black, so badly.]]\\
'''Kanata:''' ''(shocked)'' Why are you saying something so horrible?!
* NoSenseOfPersonalSpace: President shows on multiple occasions to have a very touchy-feely way of showing her affection to Kanata, much to his discomfort. [[spoiler:Even when they end up in a magical duel where she intends to ''kill'' Kanata, she can't resist the urge to get handsy when he's vulnerable.]]
* TheNotLoveInterest: The President is the closest thing Kanata has to a love interest, with the two being close ChildhoodFriends that deeply care for one another, and they even go on what is effectively a date to an amusement park together. However, nothing about their relationship is directly stated to be romantic in nature, and aside from the playful tease here and there on President's end, it appears the two are content just being "best friends".
* NotQuiteDead: [[spoiler:Discord Effect gets seemingly vaporized by Kanata's "Blue Spiral" spell, but barely ekes his way out in the form of a small cloud of black mist. He's still in mortal danger, and it's only when President finds him and convinces him to form an alliance that he's able to return during The Night.]]
* OlderThanTheyLook: She doesn't immediately look the part, but Yori is 24 years old (having been working as a MagicalGirl since she was 19), a fact that she's pretty sensitive about.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Even though the two are close friends, Kanata's class president is simply referred to as "President" rather than her given name.
* ParasolOfPain: [[spoiler:President's]] MagicalGirl weapon is a parasol with an incredibly sharp tip, which she uses to both [[ParasolOfPrettiness look pretty]] and cause maximum pain.
* PowerIncontinence: Kanata's magic potential is remarkably high, but early on, he has a habit of expending all of his power at once before running dry, manifesting as a ''massive'' single magic blast followed by an inability to fire anything else for a while.
* PsychosomaticSuperpowerOutage: In the "My Wish" two-parter, Kanata finds himself unable to activate his powers in the face of a Noise attack due to [[IdentityBreakdown his heightened self-doubt]]. Moeru points out that the powers only answer to those who truly believe in themselves, and despite Kanata becoming more eager to fight as a MagicalGirl, it becomes clear that it's only because of obligation imposed on him externally, and that he really doesn't know what he actually wants for himself. It takes a pep talk from his friends and [[IAmWhatIAm acceptance of himself and his duty]] that he gets his groove back.
* RaceAgainstTheClock: Kanata imposes a race against the clock on ''himself'' in chapter 2, transforming to start fighting, then telling President on the other side of the door to the roof to count to 10, then open the door. If he doesn't kill the enemy in 10 seconds, then transform back to his normal form, his job as a MagicalGirl will be exposed.
* ReluctantFanserviceGirl: Invoked with Kanata on account of [[DudeLooksLikeALady not actually being a girl]], but the poor guy is more prone to girly outfits and embarrassing shenanigans than other characters in the series, including other {{Magical Girl}}s.
* RevealingHug: A long-distance example in chapter 10: after spending the day together, President gives Kanata a warm hug while on the Ferris wheel. Ruma and Moeru -- [[DatePeepers who have been secretly spying on the two]] from another gondola -- realize that President [[WhamShot was looking directly back at them]].
* StrongFamilyResemblance: Kanata has an astonishingly close resemblance to his mother, no doubt accentuated by his long hair and Konata's flat chest. When put side-by-side, [[MumLooksLikeASister Konata only appears at best to be a couple inches taller than her son]].
* SecretlySelfish: {{Subverted|Trope}} with Ruma -- Moeru discusses Ruma's habit of overworking herself in her MagicalGirl responsibilities, pointing out that part of her particular contract involves a payroll for the amount of Noise that she takes down. Combined with pointing out that a MagicalGirl's weapon [[WeaponBasedCharacterization takes a form reflective of the user's deep desires]], and her is [[MoneyMauling a lone coin]], Ruma "confesses" to Moeru that she ''is'', in fact, OnlyInItForTheMoney. However, [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre Moeru doesn't buy it]] on the basis that if that were the case, not only would she ''not'' be [[HeroicRROD overworking herself to the point of physically breaking down]], but [[IneffectualLoner she wouldn't be rejecting any help in doing so]], and instead interprets her lonely coin as representing her [[IWorkAlone much larger desire to work alone]].
* SmokeOut: [[spoiler:President's]] Origin Key gives her the power to shroud her surroundings in a thick mist, making it impossible for her opponents to detect her (even through magical senses) as she stabs them repeatedly.
* SuperGenderBender: {{Subverted|Trope}}; Kanata stays male even while in "MagicalGirl mode", though considering [[DudeLooksLikeALady his girlish looks]], one could hardly tell a difference. The only predicament where he'd end up getting [[GenderBender genderbent]] is if he ''stops'' being a MagicalGirl.
* TalkingAnimal: Moeru, a cat-shaped MentorMascot who's able to communicate perfectly with Kanata while also masquerading as a normal housecat. When Kanata suddenly shoves him in front of the President right after a Noise fight, Moeru lets out a meow that President comments sounds odd, like a person imitating a cat.
* VerbalTic: Ruma ends almost every other sentence with "desu no" or variants thereof, like "desu no ne" and "naremasu no".[[note]]None of these honorifics have direct English equivalents -- [[{{Keigo}} they're often said at the end of Japanese sentences to indicate politeness]].[[/note]]
* WeaponBasedCharacterization: As discussed by Moeru, each of the girls' "Origin Key" weapons take form based on the user's feelings and self-perception.
** Kanata's general MagicalGirl motif is the sky, which includes his MagicStaff drawing power from the wild blue yonder itself, in turn representing his vast, near-infinite potential and adventurousness. [[spoiler:In conquering [[BigBad Fearness]], he ends up very literally breaking TheNightThatNeverEnds to reveal the beautiful blue sky.]]
** For Ruma, Moeru shares a heart-to-heart about the fact her weapon took the form of [[MoneyMauling a coin]] -- she eventually breaks and "admits" that it represents [[SecretlySelfish her greed]], [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre but Moeru disagrees]], instead suggesting that it reflects [[IneffectualLoner her deeper desire to work and fight alone]].
** Yori's [[ChainPain "Linker" chains]] are very much like her: tough and resilient, but also a tool to link things together, much like how Yori herself is [[CoolBigSis the mature intermediary seeking to bring her fellow tuners together]].
* WholesomeCrossdresser: Despite his reluctance and embarrassment for it, Kanata ends up crossdressing with astonishing regularity even without the magical girl setup, and ''everyone'' ([[EvenTheGuysWantHim including other boys]]) is drawn to him for just how cute he looks pulling it off.
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->''"Starting from today, you are going to become a magical girl, Kana-chan."''
-->--'''Konata'''
''Oto × Maho (おと×まほ)'' is a MagicalGirl ([[FormulaWithATwist kind of]]) comedy {{Light Novel|s}} series written by Shirase Shuu and illustrated by Yasu, which was published from 2007 to 2015 by Softbank Creative for 16 volumes. It also has a manga adaptation that was serialized from 2008 to 2011 in ''[=FlexComix=] Next''.
Shirahime Kanata is an ordinary middle-schooler whose mother one night makes two big announcements: she's going to be heading out of town on vacation, and starting immediately, Kanata will begin working in her place to carry out her secret, but important job: being a MagicalGirl! Kanata is not pleased by this for a variety of reasons, with the most pertinent being that -- despite having a cute face and waist-length hair -- [[DudeLooksLikeALady he's a guy]].
Unfortunately for him, the town can't wait, with a legion of monsters known as the "Noise" always ready to disturb the peace. In light of his mother's absence, Kanata ends up forced to sign a contract to take on the position of a magical girl, with the superpowers and cute skirt that it entails, as well as a clause that should he abandon his new responsibilities, he'll be permanently transformed into an ''actual'' girl. With the aid of his pet-turned-mentor, Moeru, and several other unexpected allies, thus begins Kanata's new adventures of fighting the forces of evil in possibly the most embarrassing way possible.
Despite the quirky setup, ''Oto × Maho'' is a surprisingly sincere spin on the magical girl genre, with Kanata learning to come to terms with his powers, making new friends, and finding his place in the world within his unusual predicament. The manga completed after twenty chapters across four volumes, while the light novel reached sixteen volumes, the last being released in 2015.
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!!This series provides examples of:
* BigBadFriend: [[spoiler:After several [[{{Foreshadowing}} early hints]], chapter 14 reveals that President is allied with the Noise, revealing her involvement in initiating [[TheNightThatNeverEnds "The Night"]] and destroying the Tuners. However, they quickly piece together that she's not the actual BigBad nor is that mission ''her'' goal -- that would belong to President's mother, [[GreaterScopeVillain Fearness]].]]
* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:As Ruma, Yori, and Effect discover the severity of [[TheNightThatNeverEnds the "Creation Territory"]], they realize that they don't have a way to stop it with ordinary tuner magic. Cue the arrival of Konata -- having just returned to town from her vacation -- casually strutting through the spell's barrier, helping rescue her son from the newly-arrived Fearness, and giving him, Ruma, and Yori the power to fly to her location and stop her once and for all.]]
* BigEater: [[ZigZaggingTrope Zig-zagged]] with Ruma -- whenever she's shown eating, she eats ''a lot'' and very messily, but that's because she rarely gets a chance to do so. She's generally so preoccupied and focused on doing her MagicalGirl job that she ForgetsToEat, at one point realizing she's been only subsisting on water for the last three days.
* BishounenLine: Discord Effect first appears as [[HumanoidAbomination an intimidating humanoid silhouette with twisted shadow imagery]]. [[spoiler:Following his defeat and forging a partnership with President, he reforms in the shape of a much more normal-looking, dark-skinned androgyne and retains that form for the rest of the series... including in the epilogue, [[RetiredMonster where Kanata realizes he got hired as an English teacher at his school]].]]
* ByThePowerOfGrayskull: "Spread widely, to the end of the sky!" are Konata's "meaningful words" to activate his transformation. He doesn't actually need to be told what the words are -- he's simply instructed [[DieOrFly while getting thrown into his first Noise battle]] to [[{{Invocation}} invoke his way to power]], and intuits exactly what he needs to say.
* ChainPain: Yori's signature weapon are chains, which she either uses to whip around and lash her enemies or [[PowerFist form around her fists for punching]].
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Konata, Kanata's mother, is quite airy and strange, having [[HilariouslyAbusiveChildhood a long history of repeatedly pranking her son over bizarre matters]] and treating the whole "getting Kanata to become a MagicalGirl to keep the peace while going on a globetrotting vacation" deal with a blasé, devil-may-care level of ease.
* CombatPragmatist: Kanata has trouble honing his magic potential properly at the start of the series, but he makes up for it with his scrappy intuition, from [[AHandfulForAnEye chucking dust into his opponent's eyes]] to just clobbering his foes with his staff when he can't get the magic to work. During his battle against his EvilDoppelganger, Kanata chucks his staff at it like a javelin, [[GrievousHarmWithABody followed up by Moeru]].
* CoolBigSis: Yori functions as this to Kanata and Ruma, being the most experienced (and, to her chagrin, oldest) active MagicalGirl. She has a particular experience trying to be a reliable guardian to Ruma (by the time both of them got their powers, Yori was already 19 while Ruma only 8), but Ruma [[IWorkAlone continually brushes off her help in order to prove her own strength]].
* CuteClumsyGirl: Ruma, despite introducing herself as a haughty, experienced quasi-DarkMagicalGirl, also has a repeated habit of tripping on [[CombatStilettos the high heels of her magical girl costume]] at inopportune times, with Moeru snarking that she's a {{dojikko}}.
* DarkMagicalGirl: Ruma is a {{downplayed|Trope}} example: she gets along decently with Kanata, but she takes her MagicalGirl job ''much'' more seriously and initially looks down at Kanata for his inexperience and naïveté. Yori confirms that she's also had a habit of rejecting help and [[IWorkAlone insisting she can take care of things alone]], an attitude that the two spend their time helping her shed as the series progresses. [[spoiler:Chapter 13 also directly alludes to Ruma also having a DarkAndTroubledPast, [[ParentalAbandonment having been abandoned by her parents at a young age]], no doubt inspiring her aloof, solitary attitude.]]
* DisappearedDad: The story never touches where Kanata's father is, only his mother.
* TheDragon: Starting from chapter 11, [[HumanoidAbomination a humanoid, talkative, and especially powerful Noise]] identified as "Discord Effect" attacks Yori and then later Kanata, later manifesting as the NumberTwo to the BigBad. [[spoiler:{{Subverted|Trope}} in that he ends up specifically serving President, not Fearness, and when given the orders to ''[[VillainousRescue save]]'' the girls, [[MyMasterRightOrWrong he does so without hesitation]].]]
* DraggedIntoDrag:
** Poor Kanata ends up [[EmbarrassingButEmpoweringOutfit in a full magical girl costume]] -- complete with short skirt and spats -- whenever he activates his powers, magically replacing whatever he was wearing at the time (though at least they return when he deactivates his powers). This also occurs non-magically as well: in chapter 11, President [[GotVolunteered volunteers him]] into a cosplay contest, and he gets strong-armed to appear on stage in an outfit not dissimilar to his magical girl costume (and no, [[WholesomeCrossdresser no one realizes he's male the entire time]]):
--->'''Ruma''': To think Kana-tan's gonna appear onstage... it seems like he kinda disliked the idea, but while chatting with that girl, he suddenly hung his head...\\
'''Moeru''': ''(realizes what's happening)'' Haha... Kana-tan's been "dragged in" [[OhNoNotAgain again.]]
** Another non-magical instance occurs in chapter 15, where during a SchoolFestival, Kanata gets peer-pressured by Ruma, Yori, and Jou into multiple {{Instant Cosplay Surprise}}s, resulting in him dressed as [[{{Meido}} a maid]], a waitress, a {{miko}}, and whatever FanserviceCostumes Yori [[CrazyPrepared just happened to have on standby]].
* DudeLooksLikeALady: Kanata, much to his annoyance, not only looks very slender and androgynous, but isn't permitted to trim his hair aside from his bangs, and as such is [[LongHairIsFeminine long enough to reach down to his waist]]. [[MumLooksLikeASister He barely looks distinguishable from his own mother!]] Unsurprisingly, he's been mistaken for a girl by many people meeting him for the first time, from his childhood friend Jou to Ruma.
* EmotionBomb: [[spoiler:When [[BigBad Fearness]] makes her first appearance in the flesh in chapter 18, her sheer presence invokes a horrifying level of fear and despair in Kanata and President, with Kanata almost fully succumbing to the darkness before [[BigDamnHeroes he's freed and rescued by Konata, Ruma, and Yori.]]]]
* EmotionEater: The Noise are specified to be based on the "discord" of the world around them, and in chapters 5-6, one particularly insidious Noise finds its way around by introducing chaos in Kanata's mind, amplifying his insecurity and self-doubt before [[EvilDoppelganger taking on his form]]. [[spoiler:In chapter 13, another Noise does the same thing to Ruma, putting her in a depressive trance until she gets rescued by Yori. In both cases, it becomes later revealed that they were planted by [[BigBad Fearness]] herself]].
* EmbarrassingButEmpoweringOutfit: Kanata's initial reaction to his MagicalGirl costume, which is why he's so reluctant to take up the position's responsibility for a while. It takes him a while of realizing the responsibility of fighting off the Noise and protecting his friends and loved ones that he decides to brave through it.
* EmbarrassingNickname: [[MentorMascot Moeru]] habitually calls Kanata the rather infantilizing "Kana-[[UsefulNotes/JapaneseHonorifics tan]]", which annoys Kanata to no end. Sadly for him, it catches on with Ruma and Yori.
* EvenTheGuysWantHim: Kanata [[HeadTurningBeauty seems to turn everyone's heads at school]], but appears to have an especially large number of male admirers considering [[DudeLooksLikeALady his specific looks]]. Even Jou seems to have trouble reminding himself that his best friend is male.
-->'''Jou:''' Honestly, you're rather antisocial lately... don't tell me you have another boyfriend besides me!\\
'''Kanata:''' What do you mean "besides ''you?!''"
* EvilDoppelganger: The main threat of "My Wish" is a Noise that [[EnemyWithout gained power through Kanata's anxiety and insecurity]], taking on his appearance (sans very conspicuous BlackEyesOfEvil) and magical ability.
* EvilMatriarch: [[spoiler:[[BigBad Fearness]] happens to be President's mother. Her fall and descent into villainy happened a few years ''after'' President was born, and President was raised to not only hone her own magical power, but to eventually participate in her long-term plan to cast the "Creation Territory" spell and consume the world. [[ForcedIntoEvil President didn't want to do this]] -- [[IJustWantToBeNormal she just wanted to live a normal life and not have to hurt anyone]] -- but was simultaneously too afraid to defy her while also being too afraid of [[EvenEvilCanBeLoved abandoning her mother]].]]
* FallenHero: [[spoiler:The BigBad of the story, Fearness, used to be a powerful tuner and brilliant researcher of the Noise, but as she obsessed with using her magic to manipulate the human soul, she was stripped of her Origin Key and magic powers, leaving her furious for revenge and [[BecameTheirOwnAntithesis causing her to become completely corrupted by the Noise, ironically making her even more powerful]].]]
* {{Fanservice}}: Typical to many MagicalGirl works, {{Transformation Sequence}}s result in nudity obscured by glitter and other effects as their new clothes form onto them, and there's the occasional upskirt shot, often where [[ReluctantFanserviceGirl Kanata]] is concerned.
* ForcedIntoEvil: [[spoiler:President became obligated to serve Fearness -- her mother -- and the Noise, and despite trying to bury her friendship with Kanata and oust herself as an irredeemable enemy once they make their move, it becomes clear through [[WillfullyWeak her carefully calculated moments of weakness and suspicious generosity]] that [[RegretfulTraitor she feels terrible about it]], and is doing everything she can do give Kanata and the rest of the girls a fighting chance while saving face.]]
* ForcedSleep: [[spoiler:When the [[TheNightThatNeverEnds Birth of Night]] event hits, every non-magical person in its massive, city-wide radius, is forced into a deep slumber, which also includes Ruma when she gets knocked out of her magical girl form. When she comes to, she relays that she was stuck experiencing a terrible, unending dream where she was constantly reliving her negative emotions, leading the girls to realize why this aspect of the "Creation Territory" is so important -- it will generate ridiculous amounts of [[EmotionEater Noise]] with nothing to oppose them.]]
* FullContactMagic: Casting magical blasts is an option for Kanata, but he much prefers to simply use his MagicStaff as a melee weapon, swinging it like a baseball bat to bash the Noise apart with blunt force. Notably, [[EnemyWithout his evil clone]] in "My Wish" doesn't use this method and instead relies back on the magic blasts.
* {{Glamour}}:
** As Moeru explains in chapter 5, magical girls naturally come with a "recognition inhibition" charm that conceals their identity to normal outsiders -- not so much that they can't literally see them, but they become unable to directly attach identities, meaning that even though they can see the cute white-haired magical girl and "her" face, they're unable to recognize that it's Kanata.
** [[spoiler:Chapter 16 reveals that [[BigBadFriend President]] is running under a much more powerful "recognition inhibition", allowing her to be close to Kanata without him realizing anything about her -- not her interests, her hobbies, her ''[[OnlyKnownByTheirNickname name]]'', and ''especially'' not her secrets.]]
* GoodPowersBadPeople: [[spoiler:This is what led to the creation of Fearness. She was originally a powerful and well-respected tuner, but in her quest to research and understand the Noise, she crossed a line by trying to use her magic to [[TheEvilsOfFreeWill manipulate the hearts and minds of people around her to stop the discord]], a breach that resulted in her Origin Key and magical girl status being revoked. Her fury and desire for revenge is what led to her trying to foster [[BadPowersBadPeople the power of the Noise for herself]]]].
* HeadTurningBeauty: ''Everyone'' at school wants Kanata, [[EvenTheGuysWantHim even other male students]]. [[SoBeautifulItsACurse Kanata really doesn't like this kind of attention]] as not only does it make him unsure on whether or not they actually like him for who he is, it tends to just be awkward. His first encounter with Jou was a LoveConfession after Jou [[DudeLooksLikeALady mistook Kanata for a girl]], and even after they ended up becoming genuine friends, Jou repeatedly tries to capitalize off Kanata's popularity, such as in chapter 8 where he presents Kanata figurines to an enraptured audience (up until Kanata realizes what he's doing and smashes them with a briefcase).
* HeroicRROD: Ruma spends so much time on the clock fighting Noise that by the time she gets to fighting an especially big one in chapter 8, she can barely stand, only able to defeat it with Kanata's help before passing out.
* HiddenEyes: Kanata's eyes vanish when you hit one of his {{Berserk Button}}s. It generally leads to a laughably one-sided beatdown.
* HomelessHero: Chapter 12 reveals that unlike Kanata and Yori, Ruma doesn't live in a fixed abode, but rather a tent in the park.
* HumanoidAbomination: Several Noise manifest as this to some degree, but we're introduced to an especially big one called the "Discord Effect" in chapter 11 that resembles a blackened human silhouette, has a much more chaotic and violent form of magic that nearly trounces Yori, and uniquely ''can talk''. [[spoiler:He's later revealed to be some kind of older, dark-skinned magical entity allied with President -- simply identifying as "Effect" -- and [[HeelFaceTurn he willfully stands down]] when given the order to [[VillainousRescue save the Tuners]] during the Birth of Night event.]]
* IAmNotLeftHanded: During Kanata and Ruma's fight upon their first introduction, Kanata notices that Ruma launches [[MoneyMauling her magic coins]] from her right hand, giving him the idea to target it as she fires another coin barrage. It works, briefly disarming Ruma and throwing her off her game... [[SchmuckBait until Kanata gets too close]] and Ruma pings a coin into him using her ''left'' hand.
* IJustWantToBeNormal:
** In addition to finding the whole MagicalGirl thing embarrassing, Kanata is generally insecure about himself, finding [[SoBeautifulItsACurse his unusually good looks attracting unwanted admiration and expectations]], resulting in him wanting to reject the attention of others (worrying that his friends only like him for superficial reasons) while also anxious to look inward and define what he truly wants for himself. The "My Wish" arc hinges around Kanata being forced to confront this mentality and [[CharacterDevelopment grow out of it]], accepting that [[IAmWhatIAm he is who he is]], and he's going to take on his responsibilities because ''he'' wants to.
** Reflected in a dark way with [[spoiler:President, who was raised by [[EvilMatriarch her mother]] since childhood to help bring about the end of days. President didn't want to, instead just wanting the two to grow up as a normal parent and child, [[ForcedIntoEvil but was forced to go along with it]] due to just Fearness already having made up her mind towards apocalyptic levels of revenge, making facing her impossibly dangerous]].
* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: [[spoiler:The penultimate battle between Kanata and President seems like President committing to [[BigBadFriend betray her best friend to enable the Birth of Night and potential destruction of the world]], but Kanata ends up realizing by her particular actions that it's a put-on -- President doesn't appear to ''actually'' want to do anything evil, [[ForcedIntoEvil and is merely trying to convince herself to align with the outside pressure]] of [[EvilMatriarch her mother]]. As such, Kanata's course of action in stopping her is reaffirming to her that despite [[FriendshipDenial her current protests]], President was, and always will be, his best friend. Eventually, [[ThePowerOfFriendship it works]].]]
* IdentityBreakdown: Kanata experiences this in the "My Wish" two-parter, with a Noise amplifying his insecurity and leaving him in a state of questioning his place in the world, being reluctant to accept the love and kindness of his friends while also not knowing what he actually expects or wants from himself, [[PsychosomaticSuperpowerOutage which briefly costs him his powers]] and results in said Noise [[EnemyWithout taking on his appearance]]. It takes some necessary introspection and CharacterDevelopment for him to regain his confidence and blow his opponent to smithereens.
* ItOnlyWorksOnce: Kanata's "Blue Trail" spell is his only major magic attack, and due to [[PowerIncontinence his lack of control over his magic ability]], he tends to release ''everything'' all at once and immediately runs dry, leading him to rely on his physical prowess to fight instead. In chapter 14, [[spoiler:he realizes while fighting Discord Effect that he's getting outmatched in that regard, and thus has only one chance to fire his spell. Fortunately, he makes it count, and [[WaveMotionGun it's really freakin' big.]]]]
* LecherousLicking: President demonstrates her... ''intimate'' affection for Kanata by sneaking up behind him in the school hallway and licking his ear ''really intensely'', even commenting that [[YouTasteDelicious he tastes like milk]]. According to later comments, this isn't even a new thing.
* MagicIsFeminine: {{Discussed|Trope}} in chapter 12 -- while training Kanata, Ruma discusses with him the idea that women have more magical strength in exchange for men who have physical strength, which would explain why Kanata has [[PowerIncontinence less control over his magic]] than her or Yori. However, Ruma seems to doubt this hypothesis as Kanata ''is'' [[UnskilledButStrong really magically powerful, just untrained and inexperienced]], leading her to wonder just how much more or less powerful he'd be if he ''was'' female.
* MagicalGirl: In the fiction of the series, magical girls are "tuners" who work to preserve the harmony of the universe, and are the sole defenses against the monsters that seek to disturb that harmony, dubbed "noise". Kanata ends up appointed in the position of one by his mom, with Ruma and Yori ending up becoming partners throughout the story. Yori implies in chapter 12 that there's some kind of unseen organization choosing tuners and backing them up, with some unknown sponsor providing them amenities like hospital care, and someone is apparently paying Ruma based on the Noise she takes down.
* MagicallyBindingContract: Kanata ends up roped into the MagicalGirl business through a contract, and to his chagrin, he accidentally "signed" it by placing his thumbprint on it. If a magical girl unilaterally breaks contract, she'll end up receiving "divine punishment" -- for Kanata, his would be [[GenderBender getting turned into an actual girl]].
* MentorMascot: Moeru is a seemingly unassuming housecat who spent seven years in Kanata/Konata's house as their pet, but he turns out to be fully intelligent, able to talk, stand on two legs, and has been positioned to act as Kanata's "supervisor" while on the magical girl job. While [[LovableSexManiac he's a little too engrossed in the fanservice-y side of Kanata's transformations]], he's still able to act as a sincere mentor who gives helpful advice and insight, [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass and he's occasionally shown putting up a surprisingly decent fight when Kanata is out of commission]] (despite, again, being a housecat).
* MirrorCharacter: Kanata ends up developing this dynamic -- bordering on having an EvilCounterpart -- with [[spoiler:[[BigBadFriend President]], who only avoids being a strict EvilCounterpart due to not being [[ForcedIntoEvil willfully so]]. Both of them were raised to be {{Magical Girl}}s by their respective mothers, but while Konata did so lovingly with a belief that her son would do great things for the world and is the closest thing the series has to a BigGood, Fearness is a cruel, wrathful, revenge-filled FallenHero who raised her daughter for the explicit purpose of helping end the world, being very much ''the'' BigBad. Both of them also ended up dealing with the baggage of [[IJustWantToBeNormal fundamentally craving normalcy]] and facing similar identity crises of who they "are" and what they want deep down -- Konata eventually learns to accept his responsibility, and he additionally ends up helping President rightfully rejecting hers.]]
* MirrorMatch: During the "My Wish" two-parter, Kanata faces off against an EvilDoppelganger [[EnemyWithout born from his sense of self-doubt]] and unwillingness to accept his magical girl duties. In a neat bit of asymmetry, the doppelgänger uses ranged magical attacks, but Kanata wields his usual fighting style of physical attacks with his magic staff.
* ModestyShorts: Kanata's magical girl costume fits him with spats, though he doesn't find that it makes the experience of wearing a miniskirt while fighting any less humiliating.
* MoneyMauling: Ruma's signature weapons are coins, and ''lots'' of them. Tagging a target with one coin gives her free reign to [[MoreDakka pelt seemingly infinite amounts of them]] from out of the aether.
-->'''Ruma:''' Once your body comes in contact with [my coin], [[DeadlyEuphemism you shall become a millionaire]], [[VerbalTic naremasu no~]]
* MonsterMisogyny: {{Downplayed|Trope}} in chapter 5 as nobody gets seriously hurt, but [[LampshadeHanging Kanata notes]] the blade-adorned MonsterOfTheWeek seems to only [[ClothingDamage shred the clothes]] of female students, with male pupils just so happening to get out unscathed. Then again, it ends up shredding [[WholesomeCrossdresser Kanata's]] clothes as well...
* MysticalWhiteHair: Both Kanata and his mother both have naturally white hair, which carries especially supernatural connotations given they're part of the profession of MagicalGirl. Kanata is revealed [[TallPoppySyndrome to actually be pretty sensitive about looking and being treated as "unique"]] even without his new supernatural responsibilities.
* NamedWeapon: Kanata's magic staff is christened the "[=OverThere=]", [[PunnyName which would be a pun off of Kanata's name]] (the katakana used, かなた, translates to "over there/far away"). [[spoiler:When Kanata ends up actually turned into a girl in the final chapter, [[EleventhHourSuperpower the upgraded staff]] becomes the "Cross [=OverThere=]".]]
* TheNightThatNeverEnds: [[spoiler:In chapter 16, President instigates "The Night", shrouding the city in pitch-black darkness ([[TheStarsAreGoingOut not even with any stars]]) and putting every non-magical person within [[ForcedSleep into a deep sleep]] that will create even more Noise. It's revealed that the spell is of [[RealityWarper a powerful world-creating magic called "Creation Territory"]], reshaping reality to the desires of a newfound lord -- that lord being Fearness, President's mother.]]
* NightmareFuelStationAttendant: President has a gentle, affectionate demeanor, but some of that affection manifests in occasionally really creepy or suggestive ways that quietly terrifies Kanata. She also seems to [[NightmareFetishist generally have morbid tastes]], with her very first instinct upon getting invited to an amusement park being to hit the HauntedHouse. [[spoiler:This ends up taking a much darker turn [[BigBadFriend when it's later revealed she's in cahoots with the Noise]].]]
-->'''President:''' This is a truly colorful amusement park...\\
'''Kanata:''' It is a little too dazzling...\\
'''President:''' ''(with an evil smile)'' [[MoodWhiplash I wish everything were pitch black, so badly.]]\\
'''Kanata:''' ''(shocked)'' Why are you saying something so horrible?!
* NoSenseOfPersonalSpace: President shows on multiple occasions to have a very touchy-feely way of showing her affection to Kanata, much to his discomfort. [[spoiler:Even when they end up in a magical duel where she intends to ''kill'' Kanata, she can't resist the urge to get handsy when he's vulnerable.]]
* TheNotLoveInterest: The President is the closest thing Kanata has to a love interest, with the two being close ChildhoodFriends that deeply care for one another, and they even go on what is effectively a date to an amusement park together. However, nothing about their relationship is directly stated to be romantic in nature, and aside from the playful tease here and there on President's end, it appears the two are content just being "best friends".
* NotQuiteDead: [[spoiler:Discord Effect gets seemingly vaporized by Kanata's "Blue Spiral" spell, but barely ekes his way out in the form of a small cloud of black mist. He's still in mortal danger, and it's only when President finds him and convinces him to form an alliance that he's able to return during The Night.]]
* OlderThanTheyLook: She doesn't immediately look the part, but Yori is 24 years old (having been working as a MagicalGirl since she was 19), a fact that she's pretty sensitive about.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Even though the two are close friends, Kanata's class president is simply referred to as "President" rather than her given name.
* ParasolOfPain: [[spoiler:President's]] MagicalGirl weapon is a parasol with an incredibly sharp tip, which she uses to both [[ParasolOfPrettiness look pretty]] and cause maximum pain.
* PowerIncontinence: Kanata's magic potential is remarkably high, but early on, he has a habit of expending all of his power at once before running dry, manifesting as a ''massive'' single magic blast followed by an inability to fire anything else for a while.
* PsychosomaticSuperpowerOutage: In the "My Wish" two-parter, Kanata finds himself unable to activate his powers in the face of a Noise attack due to [[IdentityBreakdown his heightened self-doubt]]. Moeru points out that the powers only answer to those who truly believe in themselves, and despite Kanata becoming more eager to fight as a MagicalGirl, it becomes clear that it's only because of obligation imposed on him externally, and that he really doesn't know what he actually wants for himself. It takes a pep talk from his friends and [[IAmWhatIAm acceptance of himself and his duty]] that he gets his groove back.
* RaceAgainstTheClock: Kanata imposes a race against the clock on ''himself'' in chapter 2, transforming to start fighting, then telling President on the other side of the door to the roof to count to 10, then open the door. If he doesn't kill the enemy in 10 seconds, then transform back to his normal form, his job as a MagicalGirl will be exposed.
* ReluctantFanserviceGirl: Invoked with Kanata on account of [[DudeLooksLikeALady not actually being a girl]], but the poor guy is more prone to girly outfits and embarrassing shenanigans than other characters in the series, including other {{Magical Girl}}s.
* RevealingHug: A long-distance example in chapter 10: after spending the day together, President gives Kanata a warm hug while on the Ferris wheel. Ruma and Moeru -- [[DatePeepers who have been secretly spying on the two]] from another gondola -- realize that President [[WhamShot was looking directly back at them]].
* StrongFamilyResemblance: Kanata has an astonishingly close resemblance to his mother, no doubt accentuated by his long hair and Konata's flat chest. When put side-by-side, [[MumLooksLikeASister Konata only appears at best to be a couple inches taller than her son]].
* SecretlySelfish: {{Subverted|Trope}} with Ruma -- Moeru discusses Ruma's habit of overworking herself in her MagicalGirl responsibilities, pointing out that part of her particular contract involves a payroll for the amount of Noise that she takes down. Combined with pointing out that a MagicalGirl's weapon [[WeaponBasedCharacterization takes a form reflective of the user's deep desires]], and her is [[MoneyMauling a lone coin]], Ruma "confesses" to Moeru that she ''is'', in fact, OnlyInItForTheMoney. However, [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre Moeru doesn't buy it]] on the basis that if that were the case, not only would she ''not'' be [[HeroicRROD overworking herself to the point of physically breaking down]], but [[IneffectualLoner she wouldn't be rejecting any help in doing so]], and instead interprets her lonely coin as representing her [[IWorkAlone much larger desire to work alone]].
* SmokeOut: [[spoiler:President's]] Origin Key gives her the power to shroud her surroundings in a thick mist, making it impossible for her opponents to detect her (even through magical senses) as she stabs them repeatedly.
* SuperGenderBender: {{Subverted|Trope}}; Kanata stays male even while in "MagicalGirl mode", though considering [[DudeLooksLikeALady his girlish looks]], one could hardly tell a difference. The only predicament where he'd end up getting [[GenderBender genderbent]] is if he ''stops'' being a MagicalGirl.
* TalkingAnimal: Moeru, a cat-shaped MentorMascot who's able to communicate perfectly with Kanata while also masquerading as a normal housecat. When Kanata suddenly shoves him in front of the President right after a Noise fight, Moeru lets out a meow that President comments sounds odd, like a person imitating a cat.
* VerbalTic: Ruma ends almost every other sentence with "desu no" or variants thereof, like "desu no ne" and "naremasu no".[[note]]None of these honorifics have direct English equivalents -- [[{{Keigo}} they're often said at the end of Japanese sentences to indicate politeness]].[[/note]]
* WeaponBasedCharacterization: As discussed by Moeru, each of the girls' "Origin Key" weapons take form based on the user's feelings and self-perception.
** Kanata's general MagicalGirl motif is the sky, which includes his MagicStaff drawing power from the wild blue yonder itself, in turn representing his vast, near-infinite potential and adventurousness. [[spoiler:In conquering [[BigBad Fearness]], he ends up very literally breaking TheNightThatNeverEnds to reveal the beautiful blue sky.]]
** For Ruma, Moeru shares a heart-to-heart about the fact her weapon took the form of [[MoneyMauling a coin]] -- she eventually breaks and "admits" that it represents [[SecretlySelfish her greed]], [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre but Moeru disagrees]], instead suggesting that it reflects [[IneffectualLoner her deeper desire to work and fight alone]].
** Yori's [[ChainPain "Linker" chains]] are very much like her: tough and resilient, but also a tool to link things together, much like how Yori herself is [[CoolBigSis the mature intermediary seeking to bring her fellow tuners together]].
* WholesomeCrossdresser: Despite his reluctance and embarrassment for it, Kanata ends up crossdressing with astonishing regularity even without the magical girl setup, and ''everyone'' ([[EvenTheGuysWantHim including other boys]]) is drawn to him for just how cute he looks pulling it off.
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