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Manga Review: Magical Girl Incident Vol. 1 (2023) by Zero Akabane

What man, deep down, does not want to have that magical girl experience!?

“As a little boy, Sakura Hiromi once dreamed he could be a hero. Now…he's simply your everyday office worker, toiling away for the sake of his company. Though he longs for his childhood dream, it seems so far out of reach—until he decides to step up and save a child one fateful day. Suddenly, fantasies become reality as Hiromi finds himself transformed into…a magical girl?! ” (Yen Press)

's “” mixes the magical girl genre with gender-bender comedy to capture the best elements of both. On the ‘magical front,' Akabane delivers exciting action sequences and those fashionable transformations the genre is known for. On the variant comedy, the mangaka leans heavily into the awkwardness of the situation, playing off the mix of excitement and dread of the young salaryman realizing his childhood fantasy of becoming a hero comes with long flowing hair and a pretty dress.

More importantly, to speak to the success of the series, Akabane crafts a likable persona in protagonist Sakura. Always putting others first, he is admirable in how much punishment he takes at work but ensures that others remain protected from an abusive boss. Furthermore, Sakura has a sharp wit combined with a humble disposition that makes him just as humorous as the bizarre situation he finds himself in. The series is, undeniably, absurd in its delivery yet grounded by Sakura who remains endearing even outside of the magical girl mix-up.

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The art of Akabane is perfectly suited to both genres with action sequences looking sharp and exciting, while comedic beats are perfectly landed off of over-the-top expressions. Furthermore, the evil creatures that constantly confront protagonist Sakura have a unique design that teases a greater story behind the bizarre blackened figures. Aware of the prowess of the art, has printed the manga in a slightly larger format– which has become an indicator of the book having a strong visual presence.

Encapsulating a few different genres with skill and a sharp visual direction does not mean that the release is perfect. Notably, volume 1 has pacing issues, with the life of Sakura as an office worker not nearly as engaging as his heroine persona or his friendships outside of work. Starting off strong, the book hits a lull about halfway through, wherein the details of Sakura's abuse suffered at work are tediously expounded on. Arguably, the focus on office life would be tiresome if the other elements were not executed wonderfully. Still, this is reason to give pause and as long as Akabane steers clear of the doldrums of the day-to-day, the series will only shine brighter in subsequent volumes.

Pacing issues aside, “Magical Girl Incident” is an uproarious comedy with a sharp visual direction that is certain to appease fans who enjoy humor with absurdist beats. And really, what man, deep down, does not want to have that magical girl experience!? Well not me, but I am not here to judge and many will find the series to be an enjoyably indulgent play on a few different genres that depicts a salaryman experiencing a kawaii fantasy.

About the author

Adam Symchuk

Adam Symchuk is a Canadian born freelance writer and editor who has been writing for Asian Movie Pulse since 2018. He is currently focused on covering manga, manhwa and light novels having reviewed hundreds of titles in the past two years.

His love of film came from horror and exploitation films from Japan that he devoured in his teens. His love of comics came from falling in love with the works of Shuzo Oshimi, Junji Ito, Hideshi Hino, and Inio Asano but has expanded to a general love of the medium and all its genres.

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