A MAGICAL GIRL RETIRES by 박서련, (translated by Anton Hur) intrigued me with its manga-like cover and premise about a millennial girl dealing with credit card debt. Despite not being my usual type of book, this novella took me by surprise.

It was a fast and engaging read, touching on relevant topics such as the workplace in Korea, domestic violence (and how the society does not stand up for affected women), burnout, debt, and even COVID (though it does feel a bit too soon for books set during the pandemic, as I’m not over it yet), and especially, climate change.

Our main character is depressed and burdened by credit card debt, leading her to contemplate ending her life. However, at 마포대교, she discovers that she’s a 마법소녀 (magical girl). After accepting her new fate and receiving her talisman (which I found so funny, lol), and her newfound calling, she joins the magical girl union, hoping to to help save the world.

The book took a different direction than I anticipated and, being a short novella, lacked some depth. Additionally, elements like time manipulation and other fantastical aspects were a bit too fantasy-y for my taste. However, I appreciated the author’s focus on climate change and the sapphic storyline between our main character and Roa. After reading the translator’s note, I better understood the book and grew to appreciate it even more. While not perfect, I think this book will linger on my mind for some time.

A short adaptation of magical girl manga that's translated from Korean to English, this book tries to imagine a situation where actions have consequences.

A bit too short to explore the potential of what's being proposed here, I liked the ideas it brought to the table, with a magic system that enabled girls and women to tip the scales of power to restore justice. But it falls short of its full potential by cramming it all into about a hundred pages. Maybe I'm not familiar enough with manga adaptations, or the translation is clunky, I cannot tell which.

Oh. My. God. I loved it. Is this about me? Lolol. A hilarious and brutally honest depiction of what it means to be a millennial woman. Addressing topics like debt, love and loss. I highly recommend this to lovers of comedy and anything with a magical spin.

A Magical Girl Retires is a novella that isn't immediately obvious why it's called that, but wraps up pretty neatly throughout the short story. I think even as someone who has a background in Magical Girl Media that you don't have to know too much about the genre to appreciate this book (it's more like an adult urban fantasy sort of thing having much more to do with society and the consequences of, well, being an adult in society, especially a Woman in South Korea) but it does help a little I'm sure! There's a lot here without being too much, and it was a nice succinct little book that I'll probably be thinking about for a while actually.

Also the cover, hello!

Thank you to HarperVia and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for review!

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperVia for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a fun read! I can't say I've ever read anything like this before. I suppose the best description would be a pragmatic new Magical Girl who is thrown into a world of whimsy but struggles to stay afloat with depression and monetary woes. It's not a light-hearted Sailor Moon title, that's for sure.

I did thoroughly enjoy this title, my only complaint was how odd Roa was, I couldn't tell what was going on with her, did she want to date the protagonist or what? It was just confusing me with how they kept going back and forth. Still, it was a fun and ironic read!

This is not what I was expecting when I imaged a book about magical girls. I was envisioning more whimsical outfits, cute magical wands, and a cat sidekick or two. I was not expecting a pragmatic book about the dangers of credit card debts, climate change, and domestic abuse. This books felt like it was trying to touch on many important current events, yet it was so short that every point made felt shallow and surface-level. I wouldn't go into this expecting a fantasy because you will be disappointed, but if you grew up woth Cardcaptor Sakura or Sailor and you want to see what magical girls would be like grown up and in modern-day Korea, maybe you will enjoy this book!

A Magical Girl Retires is a delightful twist on the magical girl genre, offering a unique blend of charm, humor, and heartfelt moments. The story follows navigating a world and tackling mundane yet relatable challenges. The characters are well-developed, with the protagonist's struggle to find her place in a "normal" life resonating deeply. The art is vibrant and whimsical, perfectly complementing the narrative's blend of fantasy and reality. Overall, it's a refreshing and engaging read that explores the transition from extraordinary to ordinary with grace and wit.

Thank you net gallery for a copy of this book.

Thank you net gallery for a copy of this book. This was a short story about a would be magical girl and how not all power is good. I would definitely recommend

Short magical girl story in translation where the wrong girl gets accidentally chosen and there's a little bit of forward looking in the sense of realizing how fucked things are with climate change, but pulls back before it starts to engage too much with it.

thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early Ebook copy.

Park Seolyeon's "A Magical Girl Retires" is a refreshing and modern twist on the magical girl genre, cleverly interweaving fantasy with real-world issues. The novel follows a millennial woman in Seoul who, after a failed suicide attempt, discovers she might be the greatest magical girl of all time. But as she soon finds out, being a magical girl is far from the glamorous fantasy she's imagined.

Seolyeon’s storytelling shines as she brings to life a protagonist who is relatable and compelling. The protagonist's struggle with depression, financial woes, and low self-esteem are portrayed with authenticity, making her journey all the more engaging. The guardian angel, Ah Roa, adds a layer of mysticism and hope, driving the narrative forward with her mission.

The book's greatest strength is its blend of whimsy and realism. The notion that magical girls must navigate job fairs, trade unions, and classes adds a humorous yet sobering touch to the fantasy. The protagonist's magic wand being a credit card is a brilliant metaphor for modern struggles, particularly the battle against global climate change. This inventive approach brings both laughter and reflection, emphasizing that heroism in the modern world is often about sustainability and perseverance rather than superpowers.

The translation by Anton Hur is smooth and engaging, capturing the novel’s enchanting and fast-paced nature. The dialogue is crisp, and the cultural nuances are well preserved, making the story accessible and enjoyable for a wide audience.

While some may find the blend of mundane tasks and magical elements a bit jarring, it ultimately serves to ground the fantastical in a way that feels fresh and relevant. The book's message—that we all have the potential to be magical girls fighting for a better world—is uplifting and timely.

This was an amazing book. I am obsessed with magical girls, and this was a very wholesome one. It has such a “Madoka magica” vibe.
I love the illustrations in the beginning of each chapter, they gave so much life to the story.
This is for everyone who loves “magic with a consequence” and “the chosen one”.
My only complain is the length of the book!! I wanted more! I want to get to know each character!!!
5/5 and such an easy read!!

Thanks netgalley for the review copy.

This needed to be longer! It takes so many interesting turns - climate change being the big bad! Roa confessing to the narrator! the concept of how magical girls get their powers! - but none of these things really get a chance to percolate or expand into all that they could be. It's also tonally kind of weird in the beginning, going a little too fast between bleak and slightly comic, but from the mid-point on that does kind of get smoothed out.

It is an entertaining read overall, but yeah. There needed to be a bit more there for me.

I love stories/comics/etc. where the magical girl is placed in a contemporary setting, so this book was pretty much tailor-made for me. I loved how *real* the book felt, and how the story used the common magical girl tropes to make societal observations and political critiques. It was a fast and very entertaining read, and throughout it all the love of the genre was palpable. I'm eager to read more of Park's future works!

First, i love the cover.
Second, I will religiously rewatch card captor sakura once a year.

A magical girl retires was a quick and very enjoyable read but also had depth that you normally don't find in the genre. I would totally recommend it to anyone.

"A Magical Girl Retires" is an enchanting and witty novella that reimagines the classic magical girl trope through a contemporary, millennial lens. Park Seolyeon's storytelling, brought to life by Anton Hur’s brilliant translation, is a delightful blend of humor, fantasy, and real-world challenges.

Our protagonist is a 29-year-old millennial who, after losing her job during the pandemic and drowning in credit card debt, decides to end it all by jumping off Seoul’s Mapo Bridge. Her suicide attempt is thwarted by Ah Roa, a clairvoyant magical girl on a mission to find the greatest magical girl of all time. To her surprise, our protagonist might just be that someone.

The initial excitement of becoming a magical girl quickly turns into frustration as she realizes that the magical world isn’t quite as glamorous as it seems. It's not just about destiny; it's hard work. She has to attend job fairs, join trade unions, and go to classes. Her magic wand? A credit card, which she must use to battle the colossal threat of climate change.

Seolyeon’s clever narrative offers a biting critique of societal issues, from predatory capitalism to environmental degradation. The book’s whimsical tone and fantastical elements provide a refreshing contrast to its serious themes, making it a unique and engaging read. The character's journey is both deeply personal and universally relatable, as she grapples with self-esteem, financial struggles, and the pressure to save the world.

The novella’s short length makes it a quick read, but it’s packed with thoughtful insights and laugh-out-loud moments. The illustrations by Sanho Kim add a charming touch, enhancing the magical girl aesthetic. The interplay between humor and serious social commentary is masterfully handled, keeping readers engaged from start to finish.

"A Magical Girl Retires" is a delightful and thought-provoking story that will appeal to fans of magical girl manga, fantasy, and contemporary fiction. It reminds us all that we have the power to make a difference, even in the most unexpected ways. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a magical, uplifting, and meaningful read.

Many thanks to HarperVia and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A very fun, bite-sized novel that is essentially an episode of Sailor Moon if she were 29, depressed, and in debt. Everything remains fairly surface level, but it's really just a light, fun, charming story, perfect to read on the porch on a sunny day.

I am so thankful to Libro.fm for the gifted credits that allowed me to access this audiobook. I love a magical novella, and this one was giving girl power, and I absolutely loved it.

When a young millennial was at her wit's end with all the credit card debt stacked up and no reachable prospects, she decided to end it all and leap from a bridge, falling to her death. BUT she was stopped by a magical girl with a premonition that she was destined for far greater things. What transpires is a series of trainings and activities that point to her true intent and purpose.

I loved how fantastical this entire premise was and I couldn't get enough and I really wanted to implant myself into this world of superpowers and kick-ass vibes.

I love the cover art on this book!

As a millennial who grew up watching Sailor Moon, Cardcaptors Sakura, Powerpuff Girls, and any other magical girl media I could find I was drawn to this book. Unfortunately, I didn't love it. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I have a physical book because there was beautiful artwork that I just didn't enjoy the same on my phone. The story was cute, but I wish there was more of it.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review

As someone who loves anime and manga, especially in the magical girl subgenre, this book was SO written for me! Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura are two of my all time favorites, but the one thing I always wondered was “where are the older magical girls??” A Magical Girl Retires answered that question in such an interesting and engaging way!

In this book, a magical girl is created after a moment of trauma in her life. When you think about it, who best to help others than someone who has come out the other side of trauma with a new outlook on life? We meet the main character at the moment she has decided to commit suicide. At the last second, a woman called Ah Roa intervenes and informs the main character that she is a magical girl with powers. Magical girls are a part of normal life in the world of A Magical Girl Retires, so the main character is skeptical but not unbelieving. But what ensues after she accepts her role as a magical girl is a little more than she bargained for, and she inherits a whole host of responsibilities that weigh a lot more on her than the credit card debt and malaise that led her to almost jumping off a bridge.

I loved how this book inserted the figure of the magical girl in today’s world, a world struggling with climate change and violence that is way more real than fantastical. The trials that a modern magical girl would have to face aren’t the monsters and supervillains of Sailor Moon—it’s other people…and possibly other magical girls.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who grew up watching magical girl anime and wanted to be one. It’ll cause you to think hard about what role you really want to play in the world—it’s not all just cute costumes and power stances.

A charming bite of a novel that has fun but also has depths worth talking about. Satire and social commentary walk hand in hand. Relatable main character, and a witty tone. I only wish there was more book to read. I read an advanced readers copy from Netgalley.