Title: Magical User’s Club (OVA & TV Series)

Director: Michiru Oshima

Studio: Triangle Staff (OVA & TV Series), Madhouse (TV Series)

U. S. Distributor: Nozomi, Lucky Penny

U. S. Release Date: April 4th, 2016

Format: DVD / OVA – 6 Episodes, TV Series – 13 Episodes / OVA – 150 Minutes, TV Series – 325 Minutes

Genre: Sci Fi, Supernatural, Comedy, Drama

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating B+

Synopsis:

OVA – This Magic Club can do a lot more than card tricks!

Exactly one year ago, aliens invaded Earth. But it wasn’t the kind of invasion you’d expect. After descending from space and destroying any opposition, the giant spaceship known as The Bell just… sat there. For a year it’s been floating silently over the ocean, quietly observing how Earthlings live. Everyone’s pretty much used to it by now.

Everyone, that is, except the Magic User’s Club. They’re a small band of misfits who can do actual, honest-to-goodness magic! Their leader, Takeo, doesn’t trust the aliens to stay peaceful. He wants to fight the alien menace, but it’ll be a tough task when his club consists of a perverted president, a flamboyant VP, a flaky princess, a bumbling new recruit, and her temperamental best friend! Can this motley crew pull it together and save the world?

TV Series – More Misadventures with the Magic User’s Club!

The Magic User’s Club is a group of five well-meaning misfits who do more than card tricks – they can use actual magic. And with that magic, they managed to defeat a giant ship from outer space! But their close encounter left an enormous cherry blossom tree right in the middle of the city. It’s so big that it blocks out the sun!

Takeo Takakura, the club’s noble (but perverted) president, calls a special Sunday meeting to take care of the tree. It seems simple enough, but when magic is involved, nothing ever goes according to plan… What’s more, there’s a ghostly figure hidden among the branches, watching their every move. Who is this silent specter, and what does he want?

Commentary:

The list of re-release of late 90’s anime keeps on coming and Magical User’s Club is one of the most recent made available. This some what silly and a little sexy series gives us a glimpse into the fun that was happening almost 20 years ago. The story line is nothing special, but the development and offerings is different. For Magical User’s Club the release of the OVAs came first and because of the story it is important to watch them first and the TV series followed. To me it is obvious why this series was a hit in the 90’s and why it might come across as timely, but also dates now. The characters give us everything from a naive young girl to a oversexed gay student in love with the club leader. It is wonderful how the world is blended into this comedy.

Overall Grade: B+

Both Magical User’s Club sets are more than worth being checked out. The animation might be somewhat aged, but the story and the character development are superior and make all the difference for this series. I loved the way the club was made up of such wonderful individuals and of course they keep you smiling all the way through.

I know that many people are a little hesitant to pick up an anime that is almost 20 years old unless they experienced it as a child, but I can’t stress how good this series is and how fun it is. Check it out you won’t be disappointed.