What would you like to see more of in the Magical Girl genre?

I know that most of you would say more diversity such as POC (people of color), body types, LGBT, magical boys, etc.

I would like to see more:

- equal roles and focus of each member - a magical girl with glasses, braces, birthmark, etc. - one of the family members is a former magical girl

edited 17th May '15 4:32:31 PM by moodychick66

New series that don't make a sudden swerve to darkness.

I only tolerated it for Madoka because I needed to see what all the fuss is about, but otherwise it's instant-drop material for me.

i wouldn't necessarily say madoka's swerve was sudden because the first two episodes had something "off" about them and the entire series was like that until the end, but i understand what you mean.

it does kind of bring to mind how it seems taboo to play magical girls straight anymore. i hear even precure has some sort of meta element in its recent series that makes it stand out.

i know this is about what people WANT rather than what's likely to happen but since this comes up so much i guess i might as well point this out:

most magical girl series take place in Japan with japanese characters. there are no people of color to represent in Japan outside of a very small number of foreigners, so I wouldn't expect that to figure in any time soon.

edited 17th May '15 4:45:19 PM by wehrmacht

If you have boys with powers, then it's technically not in the "Magical Girl" genre any more.

Give the God Eater game thread some love!

It's magical boy instead.

Don't you want to make a contract and become a magical boy? :3

Just give me a second season of Bouei-bu and I'll be happy with whatever. :P (Incidentally, moody, that show would satisfy your "family member is a former magical girl" want, but that's a spoiler.)

I couldn't conceive a dream so wet; your bongos make me congo.

I want a Boeuibu meets Madoka thing to happen.

Well, what if they were girls who became Magical Boys after making a contract?

Why does that only seem to happen in the other direction?

More highschool-aged Magical Girls.

Magical Girls with demonic/infernal in both abilities and origin.

More canon yuri.

More METAL! \m/

More anti-heroes.

More stylish fights.

More Gorn when fighting monsters.

"I'll show you fear, there is no hell, only darkness." My twitter

I understand that by the force of convention, badass girls are going to be the primary focus. And I can accept that.

But damn, it'd be cool to see some badass male characters that frequently get to do stuff.

Lyrical Nanoha is kind of weird in its track record on that. The first two seasons had a few really awesome and badass male characters, who could do their jobs and look cool in the process, without stealing the spotlight from the female leads (Yuuno, Chrono, and Zafira). Yuuno never, EVER shows up again after that outside of a brief cameo in season 3, Chrono also gets massively Demoted to Extra, and so does Zafira (though he at least gets a few moments in the spotlight during season three and Vivid). Season 3 adds new male characters, but the only one that really left an impression IMO was the Big Bad. And the one time the franchise experimented with a male protagonist, the fandom went apeshit, and not in the good way.

Outside of the Nanoha franchise?

The only instance I can think of for a male character of any real significance is Tuxedo Mask. ...make of that what you will.

Yeah, I've always thought having a boy amongst the magical girls would be a refreshing change. Seiji Sagara in HappinessCharge Pretty Cure!! seemed like one, but then he ended up reserved as love interest.

Also, a magical girl series that's a bit more mature, but isn't a dark deconstruction. And preferably without fanservice. Something like Shonen, but starring mostly girls and without trying to pander to Otaku.

And a magical girl with glasses, even when she's transformed. I know there's one in Ojamajo Doremi, but the whole The Glasses Come Off thing rubbed me the wrong way, in all types of media.

edited 17th May '15 11:16:29 PM by LOLypop1224

The *Legendary* Super Saiyan is motivated by a crying infant! He is a literal giant f***ing baby!

Actually, I would marginally like to amend my previous remark - along with Tuxedo Mask, there's also Lee Showron (and yes, I am aware that his original name is Syaoran Li. I just don't care), who for quite some time served as The Rival Anti-Hero before softening up to become a Love Interest (but still quite a badass all the same).

Also also, I also strongly agree with the troper who said they want more high-school aged magical girls.

Eh, I'd say Li in Cardcaptor Sakura was of importance.

EDIT:

edited 17th May '15 11:17:41 PM by burnpsy

are most magical girls actually that young? i thought most of the trope examples are at least 14.

i wonder if perhaps something in the josei demographic already exists, but i think the battle focus would probably mean it's more likely to come from a seinen series instead (although the demographic means fanservice might well be present).

edited 18th May '15 12:51:33 AM by wehrmacht

The majority are elementary-school age, with most of the rest being middle-school, IIRC.

edited 18th May '15 12:53:35 AM by burnpsy

I'd like more good writing

Re: Age: Most of them are middle-schoolers, I think. At least, with one exception, all of the elementary-aged mahou shoujo I can think are that way because the series is a spin-off of something else

Yeah they are almost all middle schoolers, even Sailor Moon was in middle school before graduating to high school.

It's the prime non-romance Shōjo self-insert (Chunni) age range.

edited 18th May '15 3:11:10 AM by Memers

The meta elements of Pretty Cure are the fight scenes and homages to other series, basically. They are more DBZ-ish then the normal Magical Girl Warrior series.

If I recall correctly, the girls of Senki Zesshou Symphogear are High School aged, too.

edited 18th May '15 6:24:52 AM by Demongodofchaos2

Watch Symphogear

It was also Seinen and not very traditional at all. It had more in common with Bubblegum Crisis than traditional Magical Girl.

The only high school attending Magical Girl I can think of off hand, aside from the later seasons of Sailor Moon, is Cure Moonlight from Heartcatch Precure and she was specifically build around being a broken Senpai to the two middle school precure that are just starting out.

And only certain ones end up being DBZ-ish, specifically the original and Heartcatch most of the other ones end up pretty neutered combat wise.

As for meta elements Heartcatch has that in spades no other Magical Girl series has been willing to make a Hot-Blooded Domon clone, a flamboyant Bishōnen and a wannabe Alpha Bitch as the primary bad guys against the Power of Friendship. As well as it has a clean Doujin artist who draws Precure Doujins as a reoccurring character, portrayed in a good light even.

edited 18th May '15 6:50:54 AM by Memers

I'd like some college-age MG action.

To pity someone is to tell them "I feel bad about being better than you."

I don't know. A lot of Washio era fights (the first five season) were pretty Dragon Ball like, and the current series has the best first episode fight in the series so far, in my opinion.

The final gooyahn fight, for instance, which I think makes nearly all the fights from the first continuity look tame in comparison:

Watch Symphogear

I know I can't have it both ways, so either a darker tone or a parody. I liked both Madoka and Earth Defense Club so much, I just can't decide anymore.

But I will say this: make villains that make sense. None of that You Have Failed Me stuff. No being evil just for the heck of it. Tokyo Mew Mew was a good example of what villains could be (Except the ending. Part of a Mew Aqua, THAT was all you guys needed?! You might have well have asked to borrow the freaking... ugh!). If the Big Bad's evil doesn't seem to have an explanation, then don't make him humanoid (go with a cosmic entity or an AI or something), or else we'll just think he has a screw loose.

(And yes, I am saying that the main reason I liked Tokyo Mew Mew was for the villains. These guys were cute, fun, smart, and had enough of a motivation for their actions that not only were they believable, they were pitiable. Although you can tell you're doing something wrong when the fans root for the rapey guy over the canon love interest.)

Finally posted DB Scarlet Mirror: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13689952930A49781400&page=97#2423

Cute lesbians

Meganekko

Cute lesbian meganekko

edited 21st May '15 8:24:28 AM by MoreThanBored

Sex-negative outrage culture and the Illuminati are real

Aren't lesbians pretty common in magical girls already?

Also, removing the glasses for a fight seems to make sense… with shit exploding all around and all…

Flippé de participer à ce grand souper, je veux juste m'occuper de taper mon propre tempo.

Meh most glasses nowadays are pretty much anti shatter plastic.

And yes most Magical Girls are lesbians or high on the Les Yay. Let's see Nanoha, Madoka Magica, and Suite Precure come to mind.