Magical Boys: Do They Exist?

Decade should have had a Precure crossover OVA.

Thread Hop: isn't that just a Henshin Hero?

Magical Girl is a rather specific genre, so, Gender Flip magical girl would need to be something almost just as specific.

Magical Girls are related to the Henshin Hero concept, yes.

Wow, this thread grew while I was away. The only other Anime thread that I started that is bigger is the Endless Eight one.

Is this still worthy of being discussed, or had we drained the topic already?

That depends, doesn't it?

I'm mostly reactive in this discussion, I don't have much to add proactively, other than what I've already said about why this subgenre is almost non-existant.

Actually, it's not really that specific. It just means a story about a girl with magical powers. There are certain tropes like Transformation Sequence that it's popular to use in the genre, but they don't actually define the genre.

Well, consider that the protagonist of Sailor Moon is fourteen years old. A teen girl and a teen boy would have two difference ideas of a fantasy. While a girl is more likely to think about...magical girl things...a boy would be off thinking of less fantasy-like stuff.

A boy would react worst than a girl upon being entrusted with the power to save the world from the forces of evil...using the power of believing in yourself.

EDIT: Oh, and the Henshin Hero page says that the Magical Girl is a sub-trope of it. However, a Magical Girl has different norms than just being a female Henshin Hero. First of all, most Magical Girls stories are shojos, while some other Henshin Heros stories are more shonen.

edited 29th Apr '11 6:13:05 PM by chihuahua0

Why is that?

It's actually pretty common in any kind of Humongous Mecha anime where there is a very young male lead that has any level of mysticism in it. especially if you look at "magic knight" examples like Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru, Granzort and Ryu Knight, but not allways. Mamoru and Kaidou from Gao Gai Gar could be argued as ones due to the nature of their powers. (even though that's more like alien magic.)

When you think about it, it actually makes sense boys would use their magic to summon robots, rather than fight with more traditional magic. allthough in some of those shows, it certainly doesn't stop them from trying, from actually weaponising their space-magic despite having mostly utilitarian use up to that point (Gao Gai Gar) or simply pulling out that magic sword that was normally used to control the magic robot, to actually use in non-robot combat, after a cry of This Is Unforgivable! (I recall this happening throughout some of the Wataru installments.)

edited 29th Apr '11 6:25:36 PM by Clawshrimpy

Also, to sort of bouce off what others have said. "Magical Boy" doesn't really exist because every one of them either overlaps with mysticism-bent Super Robot (Wataru, Ryu Knight, Granzort, arguably Gao Gai Gar.) or are simply Henshin Hero shows. (Ronin Warriors, Saint Seiya, etc.)

edited 29th Apr '11 6:44:13 PM by Clawshrimpy

So the only way a "Magical Boy" show can exist if it's a deconstruction, a homage, a parody, or a general examination of the Magical Girl genre?

No, it just has more to do with other established Genres, usually Super Robot. because Shonen tropes differ a lot from Shojo tropes.

a lot of the shows I pointed out are very different than many Magical Girl shows:

1. the lead being somewhat of a degree of being Hot-Blooded is required. even if they start off unsure, they will usually get a Took a Level in Badass moment. where Magical Girl shows seems to play up the conflict a lot more and don't....glorify it. (However, there are definite exeptions. Mamoru from Gao Gai Gar definitely shows a young boy character with mysterious powers having inner conflict.)

2. They usually replace In the Name of the Moon with the more extreme This Is Unforgivable!, Giving Someone the Pointer Finger, or "The Reason You Suck" Speech.

3. many of them happen to use most of their magic in the form of a magic-oriented Humongous Mecha through the use of Summon Magic. however standard fights aren't out of the question.

4. some seem more techological than magical, i.e. Tekkaman Blade.

edited 29th Apr '11 7:56:56 PM by Clawshrimpy

Well, no. A few "straight" examples exist (DN Angel being the most well known), but they're rare because, well, there isn't much demand for them.

What about Magical Boyfriends? Do they exist?

Good point.

Okay, here what I think of when I hear Magical Girl:

• A normal teenage girl who is given magical powers to fight the forces of evil.
• In order to access those powers, the magical girl has to transform into a more powerful form that can change their appearence and/or personality.
• Fairy tale and other fantasy elements are usually used.
• Shojo (aimed for young girls), most of the time.

Replace the word girl with boy, how many works have this definition?

Oh yes, most definitely.

Yu Gi Oh comes to mind.

O__O

Hmm...Transformation Sequence (4Kids), Calling Your Attacks, Loves My Alter Ego, Older Alter Ego, Sealed Evil in a Can...

HOLY-

Of course, Yu-Gi-Oh is Shonen, but...

edited 1st May '11 8:00:35 PM by chihuahua0

Anyone?

Someone!

Having now watched the first few episodes of Star Driver, I can say it certainly has some of the vibes of a magical girl anime (mainly that transformation scene Takuto does). That said, I can't think of a series that has a perfect genderflip of a MG series. But that just means you can be the first to do it, right?

Loveless?

Let's see:

• homoerotic subtext between mentor and the hero.
• hero is a schoolboy. Most other characters are going to school too.
• transformation sequence - not really, but they have to 'open' the combat system.
• spells.
• pairs each have their own theme and name.
• absolute monster Big Bad.
• Bishonen instead of the Magical Girl Bishoujo.
• Costume porn in at least various illustrations.

What about Bleach? Main character gets superpowers and cool clothes, fights monsters, makes friends.