Streaming exclusively on Amazon and based on the 2021 manga written by Sekka Iwata, Magilumiere is a series where evil spirits known as “Kaii” invade the human world and are exterminated by corporate magical girls. The Magilumiere company is at the bottom of the magical girls hierarchy, with a single operative named Hitomi Koshigawa working all the cases. When she’s called out to a corporate client looking for a discrete extermination, the creature is far more powerful than anticipated and it’s up to college student Kana Sakuragi to jump in and help.
I have to say that this is an incredibly sharp looking show, Studio Moe and J.C. Staff have done an excellent job in bringing the manga into hi-resolution life. Masahiro Hiraoka does a fine job with direction too, the action shots looking absolutely stunning as giant creatures collide with magical spells that look more like computer programs than ancient magic. The mechanical design of the brooms is also fantastic, looking like rocket boosters rather than hi-tech cleaning equipment.
Who ya gonna call?
The underdog vibe of the show put me very much in mind of the original Ghostbusters (if they had competitors!) with just a bunch of low-paid wannabes picking up extermination jobs at budget prices. In the first episode the focus is on the two female leads, Hitomi’s rough’n’ready brawling style of magic completely at odds with Kana’s more demure (but still brave) approach to danger. It’s a familiar pairing of polar opposites, but it’s a trope that works so I’m happy for the show to lean into it on this occasion.
I happened upon the show during a rare hour out of the office, and must say it was a happy coincidence. It’s not often I find something without a recommendation or familiarity with the source material, so this is a show I’m happy to discover and latch onto.
The opening credits suggest that Magilumiere has some oddballs yet to offer up, so we’ll see if the comedy hits the target in future episodes, but I’ll be sticking around to see how this develops, making the new anime series a busy one already, what with Dan Da Dan and Ranma already on my weekly watch list. Hopefully I’ll still find time for Mospeada, as I’m keen to keep to my schedule of watching older anime too.
Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. is streaming weekly on Amazon Prime.
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