This is an interesting approach to the Magical Girl genre of books. Especially in this case where the Magical Girl needs to be hired. It's a refreshing entry to the genre. I will be interested to see where the story goes from here.

Background

Magilumiere Co. Ltd. began it's serialization on Shueisha's Shonen Jump+ Platform on October 20th, 2021. The series was then brought over in English through Shuiesha's Manga Plus platform on February 1st, 2022.


Viz Media announced on June 9th, 2023 that Magilumiere Co. Ltd will publish the series physically and digitally in English with the title Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc.


On November 28th, 2023 it was revealed that Magilumiere Co. Ltd. will be receiving a TV Anime Adaptation produced by Anime Studios: JC Staff x Moe scheduled for a fall 2024 release.

Review

In this world, there exist monsters called Kaii, which are described as a weird spontaneous occurrence that can take shape into a wide variety of different forms, such as ice, fire, etc. To combat these Kaii, magical girls are used to act as an exterminator for these creatures. Over time, these magical girls have expanded into 500+ companies, from big corporations to small independent businesses running on their own funds.

We're first introduced to a small company named Magilumiere.

Magical Girls Inc. and their star player named Hitomi Koshigaya, who has a carefree attitude and doesn't like to be told what to do, take pride in their work by getting the job done safely. We catch her in the middle of a Kaii Extermination call where her broom got eaten by said Kaii, and she commandeers a bystander's motorcycle to exterminate the monster in a series of magical attack barrages.


When she's done, we get a glimpse of the company she works at and meet Kaede Midorikawa, a Magilumiere marketing guy who scolds her for the actions she took to contain the kaii. He then reveals to Koshigaya that their boss was interested in bringing on someone new to help assist her in future assignments. Intrigued by this, Koshigaya agrees and sets off to find someone who would be capable of handling the responsibility of being Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc.'s newest employee. We then transition to our next main character in this story.


Meet Kana Sakuragi, who we see getting rejected from an entertainment company. We learn that Sakuragi is someone who goes above and beyond to research and perfectly execute whatever she wants to achieve. But as we find out, those around here often doubt her ability and brush off her research as being weird. Sakuragi gears up for the next interview when suddenly the company gets ambushed by a frozen kaii that has the potential to decimate the whole building. They quickly call Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc., and Koshigaya responds to the call.


When she gets there, she realizes that the threat is more serious than ever and that she needs a second magical girl to back her up. With the closest one available being thirty minutes away, Koshigaya makes the split decision to ask one of the civilians to help her out. All of them declined the request and even went as far as to ask for a discount in exchange for the service. Seeing the opportunity open up, Sakuragi volunteers herself for Koshigaya, and the two set out to take on the Kaii. At first, things were looking dim, but Sakuragi notices that the tool Koshigaya uses is configured for the wrong magic and explains that she recognizes the device from an upcoming interview she had to memorize. With no other options, Koshigaya agrees and lets Sakuragi do what she needs to do to unload a series of magic attacks.



When the Kai was finally captured and the situation calmed down, Sakuragi was taken aback by the events. But she feels proud of herself that she was able to be helpful to someone once. Koshigaya asks her to come along and work with her at Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. after a brief introduction with Midorikawa. We are finally introduced to the head honcho of the operation and founder, Kouji Shigemoto, who is a middle-aged man in a magical girl outfit, welcoming Sakuragi to the company thus beginning her employment at Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc.


This manga's greatest strength is its story structure. We're introduced to a new type of kaii that takes the form of different natural elements and witness how our two magical girls handle the situation. Here we get a pretty entertaining dynamic where Sakuragi is timid and by the books, while Midorikawa lives in the moment and is spontaneous with her actions. Each other's weakness is covered by the other's strength, and it helps set up pretty solid character growth after each encounter as Sakuragi grows more comfortable being a magical girl and Midorikawa learns to take a more methodic approach. When we're not in a high stakes fight with monsters, we're met with a nice slice of life moment of office hijinx happening inside Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. as we learn more about its employees. For example, our first introduction to Shigemoto computer hacker Kazuo Nikoyama was very sudden and jarring, but as we spend more time in the office we get to see both of these character naturally grow and understand what part they play in the big picture .


The story structure also helps with Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc.'s world as it begins to introduce melodrama into the story with Shigemoto standing up against the minister of health, labor, and welfare, defending Sakuragi's actions. Later on in the story, we learn about other magical girl agencies that aren't as free-flowing but very cutthroat with metrics and performance. So much so that they'd even go as far as to steal others from a competitor. This reminds me a lot of other stories, like the magic knights of Black Clover and the companies in Fire Force, where we get to see different perspectives of each one and how they interact with the world and each other. The ending of this volume made me want to see more of this and what other "darksides" are involved in this manga.


I couldn't find any thing I didn't like, as someone who isn't "really" into magical girls, I really liked this one and it made me want to go look at other stories to see what else this genre had to offer.


Final Thoughts

This manga's interpretation of magical girls was really unique to read through. I liked the premise of magical girls being tied to different corporations, which helped set up other aspects like characters, world-building, and pacing to create entertaining moments. Such as watching how Sakuragi and Koshigaya handle each other differently according to the office humor and melodrama to separate the action. This is a solid pickup that I believe would be worth your time to get invested in, even if you're not into magical girls.


Final Verdict: Buy It

A modern twist on the world of magical girls, this isn't your typical Sailor Moon story. New college graduate Kana Sakuragi is struggling with her job hunt. While waiting for her turn to interview with a company, Kana finds herself in the middle of a monster brawl. Without thinking, she leaps in and assists magical girl Hitomi Koshigaya. Thanks to her quick thinking, the monster is defeated and Kana finds herself being hired as the second magical girl at Magilumiere, a small magical girl startup company. Even though she's new to the world of magic and monsters, Kana is being thrown in headfirst whether she likes it or not.

This first volume kept me fully invested. It's action-packed with a dash of humor and some gorgeous artwork. I am absolutely excited for the second volume. It may be a little niche, but I am hoping this series takes off. It brings a sense of realism to the mahou shojo genre, with company politics, advanced tech, and characters showing real emotion. This series feels like a breath of fresh air with an interesting premise. I have high hopes for Magilumiere Magical Girls.

Full review in School Library Journal magazine.

I found this to be a surprisingly engaging story with a lot of heart. This is a different take on the magical girl genre and was more about finding your place and a sense of belonging in a capitalistic society. Sound familiar?

I loved this.

In some ways, this seems to be more about Japanese Start-Up culture than it is about Magical Girls fighting Monsters. Kana Sakuragi has applied for fifteen different corporate jobs, and despite her obvious dedication and research she hasn't been hired for any of them. Until her job interview gets hijacked by a monster attack, and she shows initiative in being the only person who understands the tablet app that powers up magical girl powers!

A new magical girl is born, and she's hired at a magical girl start-up, which feels more to her like a school club than a job. The writing is fun and fairly breezy, and the art is clean and easy to read with dynamic action.

Opinions are my own and do not reflect my institution.

"Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc., Vol. 1" by Sekka Iwata offers a refreshing take on the magical girl genre, blending action, humor, and workplace dynamics into an engaging narrative.

From the get-go, readers are immersed in a world where being a magical girl isn't just about fighting monsters but also about navigating the corporate landscape. The premise of magical girls being part of a structured industry adds depth to the story, offering a unique perspective on the typically whimsical trope.

Protagonist Kana Sakuragi is a relatable character with her struggles to find employment despite her qualifications. Her journey from job seeker to magical girl employee is both entertaining and endearing, making her a protagonist worth rooting for.

The artwork complements the story well, with dynamic action sequences and expressive character designs. The monster designs are imaginative, adding excitement to the battle scenes.

Overall, "Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc., Vol. 1" is a delightful start to what promises to be an enjoyable series. With its well-developed world, likable characters, and clever premise, it's sure to appeal to fans of the genre and newcomers alike.

This book had a really interesting take on the magical girl concept. I liked the integration of the technology and monsters into businesses. I'm still a bit confused why the main character was seen as so unhireable. Perhaps there is some cultural difference that I am not understanting. Still, this was quite a fun tale.

I didn't know this book had everything I wanted. A workplace comedy with magical girls? An unexpectedly heartfelt story about finding a place and people that appreciate you and your unique talents? Not a single upskirt shot in sight? I couldn't believe it! Great art, great story, and wonderful characters and humor. My only critique is the monsters are boring right now, but I expect that will change as the story progresses. I will definitely be reading the later volumes.

Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. establishes the main characters in this series as it seems to be trying to subvert some of the tropes associated with the magical girl genre.

Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. Volume One
Written by: Sekka Iwata
Publisher: Shueisha Inc.
English Publisher: VIZ Media
Release Date: March 19, 2024

Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. is set in a world where magical girls are responsible for containing monsters known as kaii. Magical girl companies exist to neutralize the kaii and rescue people, and with kaii incidents being on the rise, there are more than 500 magical girl companies in existence (from big corporations to small, independent businesses). At the beginning of the volume, the reader is introduced to Koshigaya, a magical girl who works for an independent magical girl company named Magilumiere Magical Girls. Koshigaya is currently the only magical girl working for the company, and she’s being run ragged. The president has decided they need to hire a second magical girl to help lessen Koshigaya’s workload.

Meanwhile, a recent graduate named Kana Sakuragi is out doing the interview circuit as she tries to get a job. While she’s great at researching the companies and has a good memory, these qualities don’t help her to get a job. She’s already failed at four interviews, and she becomes involved in the story when a kaii appears while she’s attending her fifth job interview. Magilumiere Magical Girls is called to take care of the problem, and Koshigaya discovers that the kaii is much bigger than anticipated. Apparently, the company Kana was interviewing at was cutting corners on their kaii monitoring, and therefore allowed this one to get out of control. Kana becomes involved when Koshigaya needs someone to watch over the tech that allows her to do her job. Kana, who has heard about the tech and has researched it, realizes that it’s set wrong and is able to fix the issue and help Koshigaya defeat the kaii. Koshigaya is impressed with Kana, since the tech she helped with was so new that hardly anyone knows how to operate it.

Koshigaya brings Kana with her to Magilumiere Magical Girls, explaining that Kana is a recent graduate who wants to work there. She’s introduced to the boss, a middle-aged man named Shigemoto who likes to cosplay as a magical girl. Kana is taken aback by this and almost decides to leave and give up on the job. But she decides to stay after she’s shown the broom (the magic device used for transportation and is also the foundation for everything else), she decides to stay and make her mind after trying it out.

A bit of the volume focuses on Kana trying to learn how to use the broom with only Koshigaya teaching her, but she ultimately resorts to reading various books about the tech. And when her first mission with Koshigaya comes around, all the knowledge she acquired from the books comes in handy when the job is bigger than they expected. Because no one else in the company has read the books, Kana is able to teach them some things about the tech they never knew before. Ultimately, what she accomplishes during this mission solidifies her spot at Magilumiere Magical Girls. BY the time i finished the volume, I thought the series is setting up our main characters as a duo of opposites (Koshigaya is overly confident and brash, while Kana is quieter and more reserved).

I thought it was interesting that in this world, a magical girl’s transformation is designed by a programmer and is activated through commanding a piece of technology instead of a magical item like a wand, brooch, etc. This, in addition to the technology of the broom, makes these magical girls more scientific and less magical than other protagonists in the magical girl genre.

Another thing of interest is seeing the outfit that the magical girls transform into. It’s not the overly feminine apparel that one would normally expect from the genre. It basically looks like a police uniform, except it has a skirt instead of pants. You have to admit, though, that this kind of outfit is more practical for fighting monsters and evildoers than the outfits seen in such magical girl stories as Sailor Moon.

I also think it’s interesting to see that the magical girls in Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. are women in their 20’s, rather than teenagers or young girls, because to me this is another subversion of a trope. But with the setup of this story, I have to wonder at what point these girls are considered “too old” to be magical girls? That would be an interesting thing to see addressed in this series, but with the tone of it, I have a feeling it’s a topic that won’t ever be broached.

When it comes to the art in Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc., artist Yu Aoki does a great job of capturing the characters’ facial expressions. And during the encounters with the kaii, Aoki’s depiction of movement and the use of magic also stands out. The art style for the series really works with the story’s tone and is enjoyable to look at.

After reading Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. Volume One, I thought that the series is off to a good start. While a lot of the volume is spent establishing the main characters and their world, it wasn’t a boring read. Readers who like the idea of subverting tropes in the magical girl genre may find an appreciation for this series. However, I think that readers who are fans of magical girl stories might also enjoy this series as well, because the subversion is done in such a way that it can be on the comical side, but it’s not mean-spirited.

Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc., Vol. 1 is a fresh take on the magical girl's genre in which being a magical girl is a profession in a world that destroys monsters like pest control. Kana Sakuragi is struggling to find a job even after studying hard prior to each interview. While sitting in one such interview, a monster attacks and she is able to assist the magical girl that comes to vanquish the creature. Seeing potential, she is hired by the tiny magical girl startup where she will learn the ins and outs of the business.

This was a cute manga that had elements of battles that reminded me of mechs. There isn't a whole lot of spellcasting and magical transformations are minimal. Instead, the magical girls use their mechanical brooms to shoot out beams of magical energy at their enemies. There are also no cute animal sidekicks and the uniforms are a little cute but less so than say Sailor Moon or CardCaptor Sakura.

I loved the LGBTQIA+ rep in this as the boss dresses in a classic full magical girl costume. I don't know what his identity is but he is definitely a non-traditional character that you would not typically see.

The art is of great quality, but I did find following the fight scenes to be difficult at times as sometimes I could not tell what was being depicted in some panels. The fights also felt like they lacked originality as they really are only shooting magical beams. There was some problem solving required that held some tension, but seeing how each time the problem is solved by shooting a magical beam, I was finding myself putting the volume down. It usually does not take me several days to finish a manga, but this one did as it did not hold my attention.

The volume ended on a positive note with hope for future progression for the main character, but due to not keeping my interest, I will not be continuing this series.

Thank you to Viz Media and NetGalley for proving me with an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review!

I’ve been hearing about this series for a while so I’m so happy there is an official English version now! The concept is really unique and a lot of fun, I can’t wait to read more!

This digital ARC was obtainable via NetGalley for an honest review!

This was a cute manga! Our main character starts off interviewing at multiple corporations for an entry position. At her last interview she finds herself facing a frosty Kaii. This incident leads her to helping out a Magical Girl contain the dangerous Kaii. Afterwards, she obtains a spot at the Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc.! I really loved the art style; it is bubbly and adorable. If you like cute manga with some action this might be a good pick for you!

This was a fun one! I'm curious to see where else it goes. I especially enjoyed the boss who dresses kawaii.

I liked the nice balance between a loving magical girl parody and a work place comedy. It was also nice to see a mix of older magical girl gimmicks with newer ones. I also liked that the staff was decently split between male and female characters. Sadly, no magical boys as of yet. Though, points for not having the stern-faced male boss in a great 80/ 90s outfit be the butt of an overused joke. Also, seeing the fired magical girl having a little blurb going, "she moved to a different company and is thriving!" was a very nice touch. This series has good heart and I am here for it!

The magical girl trope gets a business makeover. No more Sailor Moon or Puffle Princess, magical girl is a real job with benefits. Magilumiere is a start up company competing in a busy market and trying to push the envelope. They have loyal and talented employees but their small staff can only handle so much. Deciding to look for a new magical girl newly graduated from college. Before they can advertise the new position an emergency call comes in do capture a “Kai”. During the call assistance is provided by one of the interviewees who proves to be a huge asset. I can’t wait to read future volumes of this new series.

I also love the magical girl costumes are cute and practical!

Kana Sakuragi is a recent graduate out job hunting, but without success. Her latest interview was interrupted by an ice kai that threatened to take over the whole building. Koshigaya, a Magilumiere Magical Girl, got called in to take down the kai, but needed back-up. Kana stepped up and provided the necessary aid and was rewarded with a job opportunity with Magilumiere Magical Girls, Inc., a start-up company that need more talent like hers. Learning to ride a broom was hard for Kana until she persuaded Koshigaya that she needed time to read the manual first. Reading that manual proved crucial in their first case when Kana was able to save the day. It will be interesting to see what other kai will pop-up for the Magilumiere Magic Girls to fight in future volumes!

Thanks Netgalley and Viz Media for the chance to enjoy this title!

This is a super cute new opener to a manga I think is going to be great fun! I love the concept of a magical girl industry and in this first adventure, we get to meet a few characters who are easy to love and exciting to read about. I'm really excited for more volumes!

Thank you to NetGalley and Viz Media for my arc in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Sekka Iwata's Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc., Vol. 1 is such a fun and fresh take on the magical girl genre! Instead of being chosen to be a magical girl, you can apply for it! In this mangaverse, being a magical girl is a lucrative job that anybody can apply and interview for. We follow Kana Sakuragi, a recent college grad (I think!), with no job prospects...until she spontaneously helps a magical girl contractor. Now, she's got prospects!

Having grown up with Sailor Moon, CardCaptor Sakura, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Shugo Chara, Tokyo Mew Mew, and other magical girl stories, I knew I needed to read this. It's such a hopeful and fun reimagining of the genre and it's something we sorely need after the likes of Madoka Magica, which I do like, but I mean, come on. At some point it's not deep if we're just continuously watching young girls suffer before viciously being killed. I have a lot more to say about it, but that's not the point here. The point is that Magilumiere is uplifting, funny, serious, and wonderfully illustrated. If you need a positive boost to survive in our capitalist society, this is the one for you!

THIS IS SO GOOD it's going to be the next big hit!! I cannot wait to read more and watch this as an anime!!

A very interesting take on the magical girl genre! It reminds me a lot of the book I recently read by Park Seolyeon. The book being A Magical Girl Retires.
Like in the book, the manga follows our main character who is broke and looking for a job but just can't seem to catch a break. Until, she has a random encounter with a magical girl who is looking to hire her.
This was pretty good! I'll probably read the next volume when it is released