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Magical girl anime is as iconic as giant robots, ninjas, power systems, and weird weapons. Many viewers, whether growing up or as adults, have at least heard the term "magical girl" tossed about either in fandom or across their anime libraries.
This means plenty of magical girl anime have come and gone, whereas others are still here to stay in the collective consciousness of anime fandom.
From Sailor Moon inspiring Utena and various other series to Madoka ushering in a wave of derivative deconstructions, the magical girl anime genre has plenty of series to choose from for a variety of tastes. In that spirit, this article will go through the 10 most iconic of these magical girl anime and why they've gotten so much attention.
Disclaimer: As a general note, there will be spoilers for most of these magical girl anime. The opinions expressed therein only reflect those of the author.
10 iconic magical girl anime, such as Sailor Moon, ranked by iconography
10) Sally the Witch
One of the oldest and most likely progenitors of the magical girl anime genre may be somewhat forgotten, but they deserve a place on the list for their iconography and for pioneering several staples of the genre. The concept of a magical princess relocating to the human world is one of the more iconic things it did for magical girl anime, with later magical girl anime like Sailor Moon having the same premise.
The fact that the title character, Saily, is a girl from another dimension who befriends and eventually becomes one of the students at Saily's elementary school is also a plus. The original anime began in 1966 and ran for two years. The sequel ran for two years, from 1989 to 1991, and both were considered massive successes in Japan. It's a bit more forgotten these days, hence it's at the bottom of this list.
9) Princess Tutu
Princess Tutu provides several twists and turns but is no less iconic than anything else on this list. This magical girl anime follows a duck who is blessed with the ability to transform into a girl that can become the titular Princess Tutu. While the premise sounds basic—save a prince—everything is far more complicated than initially realized. This is due to the villain of the story pulling the strings in the background and ensuring Princess Tutu knows very little peace in her life.
Princess Tutu has plenty of complex topics involving themes of identity and free will, with people being used as puppets to further the villain's schemes and asking what it means to be human. It's also one of the many examples of a magical girl show being darker after the initial impressions are made, as tragic things like losing friends suddenly happen. Despite this, it's a very genuine story about hope triumphing over darkness.
8) Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha
Elementary schoolgirl Nanoha Takamichi's life changed forever when she rescued a talking, injured ferret. The ferret, named Yuno Scrya, hails from an alternate universe called Midchilda. Yuno turns Nanoha into a magical girl to retrieve 21 Jewel Seeds that can turn their hosts into monsters that have scattered across Earth. But things are always more than they appear.
While Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha shares tropes with the later entry Cardcaptor Sakura, such as a talking mascot character and magical artifacts, Nanoha adds mech enemies and other sci-fi concepts, such as cloning, to the game. This odd magical girl anime has been labeled "If Magical Girls fused with Gundam," and it doesn't disappoint on that front.
7) Tokyo Mew Mew
A rather infamous example of a magical girl anime, mostly for the fact that it didn't take off in the West, Tokyo Mew Mew features an extremely unique take on magical girl anime. Rather than typical transformations, this anime sees heroine Ichigo Momomiya getting her powers from an accident that leaves her with big cat DNA. Ichigo is quickly recruited into the Mew project, going forth to save the planet from alien invaders who are turning its animals into monstrous chimeras.
Another big thing that's notable about this series is the environmental messages that permeate it and the reboot Tokyo Mew Mew New. Because all of the heroines have the powers of various animals (cats, wolves, porpoises, etc.), this is to be expected as several of the species they inherited their powers from are endangered.
6) Little Witch Academia
Studio Trigger's first foray into the magical girl anime genre might not be as well known as Pretty Cure or Madoka, but that by no means makes Little Witch Academia forgettable. In fact, for the post-Harry Potter generation looking for a magical school in anime form, this is the anime for them. When the clumsy Akko is accepted into Luna Nova Magical Academy, her whole life is changed for the better.
The problem is that Akko doesn't have an inkling of magic within her and is stuck with a bookworm and a creepy girl as roommates. This doesn't stop the determined heroine, however, and the plot only thickens as she gets closer to discovering the secret behind her idol, Shiny Chariot. This magical girl anime befits Studio Trigger's body of work: it's over the top, funny, and sincerely hopeful at the same time.
5) Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Madoka was going to be on this list sooner or later. Whether or not magical girl anime fans accept this deconstructive anime, it has certainly carved a niche for itself.One of the reasons Madoka makes the list is the number of anime that try to follow in its footsteps and end up tripping over themselves into pure darkness while missing the point.
The other reason is the content of the anime itself. While Madoka is by no means the only magical girl anime to go dark or have plenty of twists and turns, it is one of the more popular examples of this type of anime. The series focuses on trauma, the dangers of pushing yourself too far in your work, and ultimately the unforeseen consequences of even the most altrustic-seeming attitude when pushed to extremes.
4) Pretty Cure in general
Pretty Cure is a behemoth of a magical girl anime franchise and is extremely popular in Japan. The terms "magical girl" and "Pretty Cure" are practically synonymous in Japan, about as much as "team-based action shows" and "Power Rangers" are in the West. While it is aimed mostly at children, it has 20 installments that have been ongoing since 2004.
Each series has its own focus: some focus on the magical girls dealing with animals, some with food, but they all share several defining characteristics: a focus on physical fighting, friendship, and plenty of changing themes along the way. The franchise is not afraid to tackle darker subjects like desolated planets, eldritch abominations, and human and demon-based chaos.
3) Revolutionary Girl Utena
Revolutionary Girl Utena is an absolute cult classic among anime fans, queer/LGBTQ+ fans, and fans of deconstructed fairy tales. This magical girl anime chronicles the adventures of Utena Tenjou, a teenage orphan whose only desire since childhood has been to become a prince. Utena would have to hone her sword skills and sharpen her strong will to a razor's edge to survive a world filled with vindictive rivals and fierce sword duels. All to win the hand of Lady Anthy Himemiya, aka "The Rose Bride."
As if princesses sword fighting wasn't enough to make this magical girl anime iconic, it likewise features a lot of bigots getting their just desserts. They're usually taken down, rendered powerless, or otherwise dealt with in a way that leaves them on the losing end. It also has themes dealing with abuse and the idea that strictly defined gender roles are not applicable.
2) Cardcaptor Sakura
Cardcaptor Sakura is this high up on the list because it's one of the more touted and iconic of the magical girl anime genre. If Sailor Moon isn't the first thing to be brought up in magical girl anime discussions, then Cardcaptor Sakura is. Cardcaptor Sakura not only rarely reuses its animation, but likewise has probably some of the best interpersonal relationship dynamics ever shown off in a magical girl anime.
Cardcaptor Sakura kicks off when elementary schoolgirl Sakura Kinomoto accidentally unleashes powerful magical cards into the world after disturbing a book. She gets recruited to be a magical girl with the help of her best friend Tomoyo Daidouji and rival Syaoran Li, with the guidance of the card guardian Keros. Their relationships evolve, they argue, and the show gets the audience invested in these relationships.
1) Sailor Moon
For those who grew up in the 1990s, Sailor Moon is arguably the most famous magical girl anime. While much of it may seem dated today, the original anime was revolutionary at the time due to the positive portrayal of LGBTQ+ people, women and girls as leaders, and the power of love and hope triumphing over destructive powers. It's also still going on, like Pretty Cure, albeit in reboot form with Sailor Moon Crystal.
Sailor Moon is considered iconic for a variety of reasons. The transformation sequences alone have been referenced, parodied, and played straight across many anime. While the plot involving Usagi and the other Senshi fighting monsters is standard across the genre, it's also genuinely refreshing in an era of Madoka clones and helped inspire other works like the aforementioned Utena.
Thus concludes this look at 10 iconic magical girl anime that have left an impression on many viewers and fans. All of these are recommended watching, even the controversial Madoka, for one reason or another, as detailed in the list.
If there are any magical girl anime that are missing, readers are encouraged to add them to the list in the comments.
