After losing her job and going into some extreme credit card debt, an unnamed woman decides to end her own life. Before she can do it, a woman jumps out of a taxi telling her that she's a magical girl--not just any magical girl, but one who is crucial to stopping global warming from ruining the earth. What starts as a 'sad millennial finding out that she's important' story soon turns into something stranger, sadder, but no less life affirming.

I can't say too much about 'A Magical Girl Retires' without spoiling it, since it's less than ninety pages long. I was surprised to learn that millennial ennui isn't just an American thing, which is... weirdly assuring? I also lost my job during the pandemic and spiraled into a pretty deep depression, and I think this book would have helped me during my lowest point. Ah Roa, the magical girl that our nameless protagonist is recruited by, is a delightful character who gives her motivation just by being a good friend. Sometimes that's all you need!

Anton Hur deserves credit for a great translation! Sometimes I feel that novels translated from Japanese, Korean, or Chinese are a bit 'lifeless' in their translations, but nothing feels off or lost here.

Overall, I think 'A Magical Girl Retires' is a great, short read that I'll definitely recommend to people.

A Magical Girl Retires is a cute, quirky read about a young woman in Korea who discovers she is a Magical Girl - though she doesn’t know what her powers are yet - while the magical girl society is racing to stop the end of the world due to climate change. This is a fantastical, sort of millennial fairy tale, though the light tone belies darker elements. While I enjoyed this, I think it would have benefitted from expanding into a longer format with more room to develop the plot and characters, or even as a graphic novel. I loved the illustrations at the beginning of each chapter, and the art combined with the writing style made me picture it as a graphic novel throughout. Regardless, I enjoyed this urban fantasy and its world building and appreciate how it brought in climate change and life as a woman in Korea.

I got an eARC which didn’t affect my review! This was really cute and satisfying! I also liked the art at the beginning of each chapter a lot! So happy I got to read this early.

I think this book was good. The cast of characters was interesting and all so different from one another. I love the setting and environment this book created it really helped to create well rounded and dynamic characters.

This was cute and quick but I think would have worked better in graphic novel form. i feel as though there’s not enough substance for a novella.


thanks to netgalley and harpervia for the arc!!

I loved this novella! Being someone who grew up with magical girls this book called to me. We all wanted to be one and the FMC gets to do so at a similar age to me now.

The start was heavy but as the story unfolded she’s find her place and is able to overcome obstacles. The illustrations were amazing too!

Highly recommend if you’re wanting a quick read and still want to be a magical girl at any age.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harpervia for the e-arc copy of this book!

This little book is for everyone who was obsessed with Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura as a kid (me) and I feel like I can also see an influence from Madoka. (I want to rewatch all 3 now.) I don’t want to say too much, but I think you do need to be at least a little familiar with Magical Girl as a genre and some of the tropes associated with it in order to fully fall in love with this story! It’s just so short that there’s not time to fully explain/develop those themes in the story itself.

Despite that, there is actually quite a lot packed into this book as far as character work for the MC and development of the world and exploration of themes of environmentalism and feminism. I think the translator did an excellent job not just translating the words but also the emotions. His translator note at the end was lovely. I’m happy the author had someone translate her work who truly gets her story. Can’t wait to read what she does next!

A delightful little story that manages to build a wide world. I loved the approach to magical girls and found the creation of them to say a lot about being a woman in society. I do wish we got more but it did it's job well for a novella.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

"It was embarrassing, to say the least, that my heart’s truest form was… a credit card. Way to tell the whole world that a corner of my mind is forever colonized by the thought of my credit card debt."

What an fast paced, odd. funny and charming little book!
I read this in one sitting and really enjoyed the 'darker' side of being a Magical Girl. It dealt with darker and more realistic themes that face women currently- and let's not forget climate change!
I also really adored the illustrations at the beginning of each chapter, so beautiful and really brought the reader along.

Since it is a shorter read, I would have loved to see the story expanded on a bit more, I was left with some confusion and loose ends that felt kind of lazy to not tie up. Maybe it was the translation but the dialogue felt clunky at times.

Wow- almost all I can say. Deeply emotional and hopeful, from the first few pages the story will hook your heart strings and leave you rooting for our main character. For a short novella, the author does a good job of creating a story and giving at least a little depth for our protagonist.

Our main character is a lost 29 year old, feeling bleak, lost, and buried in debt with no promises of the future. Many trigger warnings for the introduction. But when she is at her lowest, she gets an introduced to Roa who lets her know she is a magical girl. Roa and even overall the story represents to me, even when you’re at your lowest, you never know what tomorrow will bring. I would have enjoyed a little more story at the ending, as it felt rushed but a good novella still.

This book was so relatable and so comforting to me. There is a sense of dry wit and as a millennial, it felt like I was going through the series as the main character. It was a really unique and interesting read.

This was a fun read. The premise -- a 29-year-old woman becoming a magical girl -- is whimsical, but the story and characters within are earnest and sensible.

In this world, magical girls exist to balance power. Girls (a term very loosely defined for the purposes of the story) tend to be the most vulnerable people, so the universe gives some of them a little magic. Many discover or awaken their magic in dire circumstances when they are at their most powerless.

Collectively, the magical girls can make a difference. While many of their powers aren't particularly strong, they find ways of working together to great effect. For example, they form a union because it's tricky to get healthy insurance. Beyond that, they've focused their collective efforts on fixing the climate crisis.

Despite starting out with our protagonist at her bleakest and most vulnerable, I found the story, themes, and commentary of this book hopeful. I'm giving it 4.5 stars (rounded up to 5) because it's a quick, fun, and impactful read.

Anyone who loved Sailor Moon as a kid and is interested in a magical girl narrative that has matured with them will love this book.

Be very careful what you wish for as you might get it and then, boy are you in trouble! A nameless girl is stopped from committing suicide by Ah Roa, the Magical Girl of Clairvoyance, who states that she is a Magical Girl, maybe even the Magical Girl of Time who can solve the climate crisis! But after she joins the Magical Girl Union, the Magical Girl of Time manifests elsewhere. So what is our heroine to do and why does Ah Roa still wants to hang out with her? What part will she play in solving the climate crisis? Park Seolyeon has produced an interesting Magical Girl variant where flashy powers play second fiddle to human interaction. An interesting read.

Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins for the chance to read this title.

This review is based on a digital ARC provided by the publisher.

SUMMARY

Our narrator, an unnamed millennial woman, is contemplating suicide. She lost her job during the pandemic, is deep in credit card debt, and–despite her best efforts–can’t find permanent work. However, when she is approached by magical girl Ah Roa and told she may be the most powerful magical girl of all–the Magical Girl of Time–her life seems to change.

Though it comes with magic and sparkles, being a magical girl is a job like any other. There are unions, job fairs, and even schools for prospective magical girls. And their greatest enemy isn’t a giant monster or evil queen: it’s climate change.

The magical girls hope to use the Magical Girl of Time to help stop climate change–before it’s too late for the human race.

REVIEW

I really loved A Magical Girl Retires! It’s a short, fast read that packs a heavy punch, especially when considering the abysmal state of women’s rights in Korea.

Before I talk more about the novella itself, I want to make a disclaimer of sorts. This story does touch on dark, serious topics (the first chapter opens with the main character about to attempt suicide), but A Magical Girl Retires is not all one of those “dark” magical girl stories that wants to tear down the genre. At its core, A Magical Girl Retires is very much true to the magical girl genre. It’s about hope, justice, and solidarity between women. To quote the translator, “magical girls exist because justice does not.”

A Magical Girl Retires’ themes are all about hope and justice. It’s about facing down a hopeless situation and deciding to keep going anyway. It’s about trying to make things a little better for the people around you, and for the future. I can’t talk too in-depth about the execution (the novella is quite short, and I don’t want to spoil anything) but I just loved the story.

The thing I love the most about A Magical Girl Retires (beyond the themes, of course) is the main character. Though she’s unnamed, she has a huge personality and a strong voice–she’s got more character to her than some protagonists from 300+ page novels. She’s so relatable and yet completely her own person, with her own wants and dreams (she wants to become a watchmaker!).

Her relationship with Ah Roa is so sweet (I definitely read a little queer subtext in there, but I’m not sure if that’s just because of my violet-colored glasses).

Each chapter begins with a single-page manhwa-style illustration. I loved the thin, clean lineart, and the attention to clothing (because what is a magical girl without fashion)? I would love to see this novella adapted fully to a manwha or even animated, because while as a novella it rules, the magical girl genre really shines in a visual medium.

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you love the magical girl genre and want a short, hopeful novella to read, I suggest picking up A Magical Girl Retires!

If you’re interested, the book will be released on April 30th, 2024. For more information, see the publisher’s page here (https://www.harpercollins.com/products/a-magical-girl-retires-seolyeon-park?variant=41099497078818)! If possible, I always suggest you support indie bookshops by purchasing the novel from your local brick and mortar or from Bookshop.org!

Thank you again to HarperVia for providing a digital ARC via Netgalley!

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What every late 20’s girl who is still obsessed with Sailor Moon needs. Also it’s queer?! Perfect. This book kept me interested and guessing what the ending would be until I closed the book. Perfect for girls who used to play sailor scouts with their best friends in the backyard and now have intense anxiety when looking at there bank account.

this book was really fast paced and at times i felt like it completely skipped over parts. i don’t know i just didn’t like it. but i thought the premise was okay.

thank you netgalley for the e arc!

🌸 Thank you NetGalley and HarperVia for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review! This was such a whimsical and relatable story! 🙌🏻 It is short and fast paced! And don’t even get me started on the cover, is stunning! Throughout the book I was constantly reminded of Sailor Moon and Princess Lover 🩷 This was my very first book by this author, and I can’t wait for the opportunity to read the next one!

Unfortunately this was not the book for me or I didn't get it. I wasn't drawn in, the topic of suicide sat too heavy in my mind, and I did not find any of it witty. DNF 20%

I am someone who loves magical girls' anime and manga (I have a Sailor Moon tattoo), so I was really excited about the premise of this book. I really loved the cover art and the manga panels at the beginning of the chapters, as it really added to the story. However, that's where the things I liked about this book ended. The bolded letters at the beginning of every chapter were distracting, and every paragraph felt very disjointed. It felt like I was reading it in fast forward, as lots of plot points were just skipped over. I honestly think if the author made it longer and gave themselves more time to flesh everything out, it would be so much better.