Magic User's Club OVA
How would you define home? Is it the place where your loved ones are, the place you always return to, the place that gives you true peace, or something else entirely? We may all have different answers, but I think we can agree that our home has various components and factors that help it remain what it is. Change is inevitable, and nothing stays the same, but so long as those key matters remain largely unchanged, you will still be able to call it home and feel whatever emotions come with it. So what are the things that constitute home for you? The sad reality is that most of us don’t even realize what they are until they’re gone.
“Magic User's Club OVA," also known as “Mahoutsukai Tai!," is a 6-episode OVA series that aired from the 25th of May, 1996, till the 25th of October, 1997. It was produced by Bandai Visual and Youmex; licensed by Nozomi Entertainment, Media Blasters, and NYAV Post; and brought to life by Studio Triangle Staff. The main staff behind it includes Abe Shoujirou, Inoue Hiroaki, and Ikeguchi Kazuhiko as producers, and Satou Junichi as the original creator, director, episode director, and executive producer, who also worked on the script, storyboard, key animation, and publicity. Featuring the genres of comedy, fantasy, romance, and sci-fi, each episode runs 27 minutes and has earned a PG-13 rating for teenagers 13 years or older.
The anime is an original series, spawning a manga titled “Mahou Tsukai Tai!” which ran for 3 volumes from the date of publication on the 1st of June 1999. Featuring the genres of comedy, drama, fantasy, and supernatural alongside the school theme, it is the work of author Satou Junichi and artist hamneko that got serialized in Dragon Junior. A sequel anime titled “Mahoutsukai Tai! (TV)” or “Magic User's Club” was released with 13 episodes from the 7th of July until the 6th of October in Summer 1999. Created by Madhouse Studios and Triangle Staff, the follow-up was also an original work featuring similar genres and themes. Another Sequel OVA titled “Mahoutsukai Tai! vs. Shamanic Princess” was released as a single episode in 1998 by Studio Triangle Staff. It was only 5 minutes in length and featured the genres of comedy and fantasy.
The story is set in a fantasy world where alien invaders from space descended upon the land, and one sunny day, they took matters into their own hands. But unlike the typical images of aliens in humanity’s eyes, like green humanoid figures or even Magic Girls wearing frilly uniforms, these were ugly robots that took down the UN forces within mere seconds. These invaders were dubbed the "eyeballs" and began roaming the planet, observing human society. What’s more, they remained peaceful unless attacked first and were polite enough even to follow traffic laws! Regardless of their demeanor, they were still aliens, and people still wanted them to go back to where they came from. This is where the Kitanohashi High School Magic Club enters the picture, taking upon itself the duty of defeating these foul robots and freeing Earth from these alien clutches!
There isn’t much in the story department, as this short OVA series is primarily a character-driven narrative that devotes most of its time to slapstick comedy. There is a mysterious giant bell that somehow fell from space one day, which humanity was no match for, and now lives with said massive object looming overhead. About half of the runtime is spent on Action scenes where we see the mage girls battling the monsters emerging from the bell, while the other half focuses on school life or what they get up to at their homes. This is also why some of these episodes feel like fillers, because everything that transpires is basically pointless to the overall story. Amidst these shenanigans, however, they subtly develop the mini-stories and concepts and even wrap things up neatly by the finale. But it progresses with good character dynamics, interactions, and development.
The character stories are enhanced by their magic, wands, robes, and witch hats, creating a unique and enjoyable experience that left me genuinely caring for this cast and even wondering what awaits them in the sequels. This emotional tie was probably what they were going for in the writing room. You’re also treated to multiple genres like Magical Girls, Slice of Life, Comedy, and Romance. Still, sadly, none of the character relationships get properly resolved, and that was my biggest disappointment.
For a series with only 6 episodes, the character department is so whackily good that all the cast members are properly fleshed out. In base form, they’re nothing special; Sawanoguchi Sae is the typical anime girl lacking self-confidence, Aikawa Akane ruins every opportunity she gets, and Nakatomi Nanaka is the spunky girl of the group. Surprisingly, there is no cutesy moe-character in the mix, and all the girls have fairly likable personalities that didn’t annoy me at all. I occasionally found Takakura Takeo mildly irritable, refusing to be serious even when the situation demands it, opting to maintain the goofy persona throughout the show.
Then comes Aburatsubo Ayanojou, a guy who constantly uses hilarious pick-up lines on Takeo, effectively creating an uncanny sexual tension between them. It happens so often that it becomes a running gag throughout the series, especially considering Takeo is straight! Poster girl Sae is the most endearing character, though, the kind that you cannot stop rooting for despite her self-consciousness. She is such a ditz and not in the annoying way either, she is very petite and lovable, and I wish all klutzy characters were written like this, where her “Love Conquers All” motto is executed beautifully and genuinely as a magical girl.
The Art and Animation department clearly reflects the 1996 anime style. It definitely looks old, but it can still stand up to most Magic series in its own right, thanks to just how unique and vibrant everything looks. The character design really stands out, and everyone has a good sense of style, color choice, and overall appeal. The backgrounds and scenery look decent, too, but there are some points where it falters, and you can clearly tell that some are more detailed than others. Usually, Magical Girl anime utilize stylized magical attacks, but there is a blatant lack of those here. There are a handful of instances where it’s there, but none of them are flashy enough or intriguing enough to look at. The animation is decent as well, but the age is clear here too, and it left a lot to be desired.
The Sounds and Music department is very charming, if nothing else. The Opening theme, "Senobi wo Shite Follow You (Follow You)" by Mahou Tsukai Tai, is quite catchy and has a complete “Magical Girl” vibe. I found myself vibing with it for half the series. The Ending theme is "Mata Ashita" by Masami, which is catchy too, but much easier to skip. The OSTs are predominantly the main theme that does the series justice, while the remainder are easily forgotten. The Voice Acting is great in both the Subbed and dubbed versions, which is rare, and it matches the characters seamlessly. I expected more from Koyasu Takehito as Ayanojou and Iizuka Mayumi as Nanaka, though, but their performances were pretty standard despite the vibrant material they had to work with. As for the Comedy, I can’t say all of land, but they make up for it with a hell of a lot of exaggeration that somehow works.
Overall, “Magic User's Club OVA” is a fun little watch to kill time, regardless of whether you plan on watching the main series or not. It can stand on its own and is really carried by the characters,s just doing what comes naturally to them. If anything, it would be preferable if they dialed back the amount of fan service involving the girls, but that depends entirely on your preferences. I also feel more jokes would've landed with a better setup, because moments like the girl who decides to be less clumsy, immediately falling over, just made me roll my eyes.
Considering the number of episodes, I understand they didn’t have enough time to expand on the magic, which would’ve been really nice, especially for enriching the comedy. For example, there’s a scene where Takeo accidentally shrinks himself, but nobody really does anything with him during the time, and I cannot help but feel this could’ve been made into comedic gold. Either way, I recommend this show to anyone looking for a short, wacky comedy that says “Fudge all!” and does the most random things with an endearing cast of characters.
