In anime what is "the magical girl" fomula?

[furryman]

If I were to watch a typical “magical girl” anime what would I most likely see?

[elfkin477]

Oh! A friend of mine explained this during one of her fics. It was a crossover with the magical girl genre and some of us didn’t know what that meant. Her explaination would make more sense than mine which would basically be " it’s about a young girl who learns she has magical powers."

Look at these posts in her thread

http://forums.prospero.com/foxxfiles/messages?msg=98035.35
http://forums.prospero.com/foxxfiles/messages?msg=98035.46
http://forums.prospero.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=foxxfiles&msg=98035.261

[Mearl_Dox]

Typically, a young girl (middle school or at most freshman in high school,) who has gone through life being clumsy or at least normal, discovers or is given or is told she has magical powers. Usually these magic powers can only be accessed by changing into a special magical form with a cutesy wootsy costume in a transformation sequence, which will be recycled animation throughout the series. Usually she’ll have a cute talking pet or mascot (the one who tells her about the magic powers) and sometimes she’ll have teammates with similar costumes and powers. And usually there’s also a guy who may or may not have powers that the girl angsts about when she isn’t saving the world. Lots of pink in these shows. Lots of floating bubbles.

That’s how I’d describe it, anyway.

[Mr.Blue_Sky]

@Mearl Dox

<whopping great snip>

That’s how I’d describe it, anyway.

As long as it doesn’t involve tentacles in their nether regions!

[Flutterby]

@Mearl Dox

<snip>

That’s how I’d describe it, anyway.

You mean like Sailor Moon? I love Sailor Moon

[sub]Yeah, I admit it. I own some of the videos. Not subtitled Japanese ones though :([/sub]

[Jurph]

@Mearl Dox

Typically, a young girl (middle school or at most freshman in high school,) who has gone through life being clumsy or at least normal, discovers or is given or is told she has magical powers.

Check.

Usually these magic powers can only be accessed by changing into a special magical form with a cutesy wootsy costume in a transformation sequence, which will be recycled animation throughout the series.

Swing and a miss.

Usually she’ll have a cute talking pet or mascot (the one who tells her about the magic powers)

Check: he’s a British librarian (and he plays guitar!)

and sometimes she’ll have teammates with similar costumes and powers.

Again, no costumes. But one of them is a witch, and one of them is a werewolf, and one of them used to be a demon…

And usually there’s also a guy who may or may not have powers that the girl angsts about when she isn’t saving the world.

See, he used to be a vampire. But now… well, he’s still a vampire. But he’s got a soul!

Lots of pink in these shows. Lots of floating bubbles. That’s how I’d describe it, anyway.

It’s getting eerie – what’s this cheery singing all about?

[Lord_Ashtar]

@Jurph

<snip>

Check: he’s a British librarian (and he plays guitar!)

Again, no costumes. But one of them is a witch, and one of them is a werewolf, and one of them used to be a demon…

See, he used to be a vampire. But now… well, he’s still a vampire. But he’s got a soul!

It’s getting eerie – what’s this cheery singing all about?

Oh, I get it. You’re talking about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, aren’t you?

[Mearl_Dox]

Thank god somebody knows what (s)he is talking about, 'cause I have no idea.

I’ve sometimes heard any series that features a magically-powered heroine called “Magical Girl” even if it lacks the mascot and costumes and cute recycled animation sequences and similar trappings. But I think the average anime fan, when they say “magical girl,” thinks of what I said.