A review by onthesamepage
A Magical Girl Retires by Park Seolyeon

adventurous dark fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I managed to miss the Sailor Moon hype completely in my formative years, but even without the nostalgic aspect, I thought this was an interesting little novella, with a fresh, modern take on magical girls. Even though it doesn't dive deep into some of the themes it brings up, the story manages to touch on a lot of topics by virtue of the lore surrounding how magical girls come to be. The challenges facing women in South Korea, depression, suicide attempts, and abuse are among the darker themes the author briefly mentions, and even though the overall feeling is one of hope, once you really consider everything, it doesn't feel nearly as lighthearted as that.

The translation by Anton Hur reads very smoothly, and the illustrations throughout the editions are stunning. Definitely worth reading a physical copy if you can.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings