Dai
Death Scythe
In the name of love, justice and merchandising, welcome to the magical girl retrospective simulwatch. Rather than watching an entire series, this February's simulwatch will cover the first 1-3 episodes of several landmark magical girl shows, in broadcast order, to track how the genre has evolved over time.
When? Starting 1st February 2025. See below for specific episode viewing dates.
Where? Almost all of the shows are currently streaming in the UK. See below for sources. Note that Tubi is a free, ad-supported platform and doesn't require an account. The video quality is low as a consequence.
Who? All are welcome to join. Feel free to drop in later if you miss the beginning. Watch as few or as many of the below shows as you want. There's no pressure to watch everything. If you fall behind, you can skip episodes or catch up later.
Which? The number of episodes we're watching for each show varies based on an estimation of how many it will take to get a good feel for the nature of the series. Some shows cover their entire formula in one episode, others have an ongoing story or don't reveal their hand until later.
Princess Knight (1967)
Significance: from the pen of legendary "god of manga" Osamu Tezuka, this is often cited as the first magical girl show.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
What to watch:
Ep 1 - 1st Feb
Ep 2 - 2nd Feb
Minky Momo (1982)
Significance: one of the most influential magical girl shows of the 80s, and a classic example of one who uses her powers to help people around town rather than save the world.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
What to watch:
Ep 1 - 3rd Feb
Ep 2 - 4th Feb
Ep 3 - 5th Feb
Sailor Moon (1992)
Significance: revolutionary series that merged magical girls with tropes of sentai battle stories. Its influence is still felt today.
Where to watch: Tubi, but requires a VPN to access the US version of the site.
What to watch:
Ep 1 - 6th Feb
Ep 2 - 7th Feb
Sailor Moon R: The Movie (1993)
Significance: directed by Kunihiko Ikuhara (Utena, Penguindrum), this distills everything that's great about Sailor Moon into a single hour, and is a good primer if you can't access the TV series.
Where to watch: Tubi UK (no VPN required)
What to watch:
The movie - 8th Feb
Cardcaptor Sakura (1998)
Significance: from the legendary CLAMP collective, this was a breakthrough show when it reached western TV.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
What to watch:
Ep 1 - 9th Feb
Fancy Lala (1998)
Significance: a classic example of the idol sub-genre of magical girls.
Where to watch: Tubi UK (no VPN required)
What to watch:
Ep 1 - 10th Feb
Ep 2 - 11th Feb
Ep 3 - 12th Feb
Princess Tutu (2002)
Significance: a unique show that eschews battle in favour of resolving conflict through dance.
Where to watch: HiDive
What to watch:
Ep 1 - 13th Feb
Ep 2 - 14th Feb
Ep 3 - 15th Feb
Pretty Cure (2004)
Significance: the first season of what would become the decades-spanning Precure franchise.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
What to watch:
Ep 1 - 16th Feb
Madoka Magica (2011)
Significance: a subversive genre deconstruction that ushered in the dark magical girl (aka. tragical girl) sub-genre.
Where to watch: Not streaming in the UK, unfortunately. In the US, it's on Crunchyroll and Hulu.
What to watch:
Ep 1 - 17th Feb
Ep 2 - 18th Feb
Ep 3 - 19th Feb
Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya (2013)
Significance: a magical girl parody that spun off from the Fate franchise.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
What to watch:
Ep 1 - 20th Feb
Ep 2 - 21st Feb
Magical Girl Raising Project (2016)
Significance: one of the many tragical girl shows that followed in the wake of Madoka Magica, pushing for ever increasing levels of edginess.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
What to watch:
Ep 1 - 22nd Feb
Ep 2 - 23rd Feb
Ep 3 - 24th Feb
Power of Hope: Precure Full Bloom (2023)
Significance: revisits a team of former magical girls after they have become adults.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
What to watch:
Ep 1 - 25th Feb
Ep 2 - 26th Feb
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. Is it on tubi or maybe with VPN with one of the streamers?