HomeComics/MangaMANGA REVIEW | "Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc." - Volume Two

MANGA REVIEW | "Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc." - Volume Two

MANGA REVIEW | "Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc." - Volume Two

It’s tough to stand out in a world filled with magical girls. You have your happy-go-lucky ones like Pretty Cure, the dark and depressing kind like Puella Magi Madoka Magica, and even your super horny stories like Gushing Over Magical Girls. Something like Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. sounds really good on paper, with the idea of magical girls as a business sounding refreshing. Alas, even with a couple of cool ideas, this series can’t seem to get out of the rough waters it’s treading.

Picking things up where the first volume ended, Volume Two has Kana still getting used to her new job as a magical girl. With assistance from seasoned veteran Koshigaya and the rest of the team, Kana attempts to earn her place in her new job. But on top of new threats, there’s also some heavy competition from other companies. Thankfully, where Kana showcases her greatest skills isn’t in casting spells; it’s conjuring ideas for new ones!

The big highlight in this volume of Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. arrives when a new threat takes over an old shopping district. Kana fears that the kaii are multiplying too fast, meaning that she and Koshigaya must whip up a major spell to rid them all. But if she does that, the old shopping district could very well be destroyed entirely. That’s when she comes up with an idea on how to tackle the kaii with little building damage. Just one problem: the magic for it doesn’t exist.

Well, it didn’t exist…until it did. It’s via the quick brains of Nikoyama and the fast thinking of CEO Shigemoto where they not only craft the formula for the magic, they send it posthaste to Kana and Koshigaya. What it results in is a beautiful display of teamwork and perseverance, with the company earning themselves a solid victory and a place in the hearts of those working the shopping district. This scenario is where the story not only shows its best strength, but it allows writer Sekka Iwata to let their creative juices flow with ease.

Unfortunately, the rest of this volume doesn’t have the same smarts as this story line. It’s not that it gets bad; it’s just kind of average. A karaoke party has its funny moments, but that’s pretty much a standard in the manga comedy realm. There’s some potential when Kana works alongside a magical girl makeup company, but other than some nice transformation visuals from artist Yu Aoki, it has a hard time making the narrative sound interesting.

Maybe I’m just dealing with mahou shoujo fatigue, but Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. just doesn’t seem to be doing it for me. Volume One had a slow start, only to build up to something with potential. However, Volume Two shows said potential, before retreating back to subpar narratives. It’s a shame, because Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. has a very good premise. But a good premise can only go so far if it lacks the magic to keep its readers interested.

FINAL GRADE:

Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.

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The J-POP king of America, Evan has been bringing the hottest sounds of the Land of the Rising Sun to the English-speaking public since his college radio days. He's also an expert in the gaming, anime, & manga realms, never afraid to get critical when the times call for it. Born & bred in Boston, he achieved his biggest dream yet by making the big move to Tokyo, Japan in Summer 2023! For personal inquiries, contact Evan at evan@b3crew.com. For press/band inquiries, write to us at thebastards@bostonbastardbrigade.com. (Drawing by AFLM of Wicked Anime)