So tired of being the monster of the week instead of the magical girl.
May 13, 2020 2:59 PM Subscribe
In Sleepless Domain, a webcomic about brave magical girls confronting demons (outer and inner), a transgender magical girl is eventually mentioned, and a few months later is established as an existing character who gets her own adventure and has flower-themed magic powers. She discusses transitioning, having wanted to become a magical girl, her excitement over having a girl's name, and the time before she was "out as a girl," but none of these moments define her.
Magical girl stories rarely allow boys to have superpowers, instead deciding (however implicitly) that you must be a girl to be magic. Yet few stories take the time to interrogate what it means to be a girl, and despite the parallels between transitioning and magical girl transformations, true transgender magical girl presentations remain rare.
Sleepless Domain is a standout in this respect, though other examples are gradually emerging, such as Mahou Shoujo Site or this youtube video. Others must rely on statements by the creators outside the text of the stories themselves, such asMofurun, who was a teddy bear(!) supposedly perceived as male before becoming a magical girl.
Sleepless Domain's author writes that she "will not be fielding any specific questions about the physicality of it," though other series feel the need to confront the subject head-on, such as Majitora ("Magical Trans"), which mixes genuine gender experimentation with titillation, at one point boldly proclaiming "You must become a girl in order to truly be a magical girl!" Another complicated example is La Pucelle from Magical Girl Raising Project, who seems to care more about having powers than being one gender or another, but whose weapon is a sword that can grow longer.
Magical girl stories rarely allow boys to have superpowers, instead deciding (however implicitly) that you must be a girl to be magic. Yet few stories take the time to interrogate what it means to be a girl, and despite the parallels between transitioning and magical girl transformations, true transgender magical girl presentations remain rare.
Sleepless Domain is a standout in this respect, though other examples are gradually emerging, such as Mahou Shoujo Site or this youtube video. Others must rely on statements by the creators outside the text of the stories themselves, such as
Sleepless Domain's author writes that she "will not be fielding any specific questions about the physicality of it," though other series feel the need to confront the subject head-on, such as Majitora ("Magical Trans"), which mixes genuine gender experimentation with titillation, at one point boldly proclaiming "You must become a girl in order to truly be a magical girl!" Another complicated example is La Pucelle from Magical Girl Raising Project, who seems to care more about having powers than being one gender or another, but whose weapon is a sword that can grow longer.
Something about this weird dark time has me wanting to read magical girl stories, so I rewatched Madoka Magica and got back into SD in a big way. Mary Cagle is amazing, and Zoe's story is handled perfectly and sweetly.
If you were a Steven Universe fan, this is an excellent follow-up.
posted by emjaybee at 6:41 PM on May 13, 2020
If you were a Steven Universe fan, this is an excellent follow-up.
posted by emjaybee at 6:41 PM on May 13, 2020
Wow, I started last night and I'm caught up now. Thank you for introducing it to me!
posted by Braeburn at 5:03 AM on May 14, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Braeburn at 5:03 AM on May 14, 2020 [1 favorite]
I didn't know about this comic - thanks for posting the link! I just plowed through the entire thing. SO GOOD.
posted by cadge at 11:41 AM on May 14, 2020
posted by cadge at 11:41 AM on May 14, 2020
I get the impression "Magical Girl" is an entire genre here, but this is super accessible to someone who doesn't know the first thing about it, and the art and writing are top freakin' notch.
This goes on the rotation. Thanks!
posted by ChrisR at 5:15 PM on May 14, 2020
This goes on the rotation. Thanks!
posted by ChrisR at 5:15 PM on May 14, 2020
I never got into the magical girl thing when I was a kid, despite the pins-and-needles fascination I felt toward the genre. I think the transformation bit hit a little too close to home pre-transition. It’s so wonderful to see Zoe’s arc play out in such a natural and realistic way, and in such a great comic, too! I definitely get some Gunnerkrigg vibes from this, which reminds me, I’ve fallen quite behind…
posted by WCWedin at 7:22 AM on May 15, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by WCWedin at 7:22 AM on May 15, 2020 [1 favorite]
This is a lot of fun — sweet and cruel by turns, with the characters struggling through impossible situations with (mostly) good intentions. As usual, the children are written older than they are, but that’s such a trope, I’m not sure it’s a negative. Zoe is indeed a great character, and I like how she’s interacting with Rue, finding bravery by being kind.
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:41 PM on May 16, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:41 PM on May 16, 2020 [1 favorite]
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Zoe is a great character. She's sweet and shy, but also finding her identity, both as a girl AND a magical girl, and her arc is always a treat to come back to. Anyway, read these comics, I love them
posted by gc at 6:05 PM on May 13, 2020 [3 favorites]