On the first evening of her year abroad in the human world, Nina Sakura barrels out of the sky in a magical scooter (the preferred transportation for all young witches) and almost flattens Ayu Tateishi, a junior high school student being accosted by bullies. While apologizing, Nina breaks the Magic Kingdom's most important rule: she reveals her true identity to the human girl (she used magic to save Ayu from bullies, so it would have been difficult to keep her magical girl status secret anyway). Although Ayu is initially shocked and discombobulated, she's won over by Nina's charm (and who wouldn't want a friend who's a witch?), and as the two attend school together, the pairing of naïve witch and wishful schoolgirl leads--of course--to all kinds of shenanigans. It turns out that Nina isn't a very good magician, and her spells often go awry, creating unlikely collisions between the ordinary and magical worlds, leavened with magical romance and humor. A sweet and gently wacky offering, UltraManiac's animation is vibrant and crisp, and although the repetitive transformation of Nina from average teenager to witch-in-training becomes a bit tiresome after awhile, the presentation is fast-paced, overall. Rated 7-up, this dual-language romantic comedy, presenting the first four episodes, is recommended. [Note: UltraManiac, Vol. 2 is also available, with Vol. 3 slated for release on Aug. 16, and Vol. 4 debuting on Sept. 13.] Aud: P. (R. Brenner)
UltraManiac: Magical Girl, Vol. 1
(2003) 100 min. DVD: $24.98. Geneon (avail. from most distributors). Color cover. Volume 20, Issue 4
UltraManiac: Magical Girl, Vol. 1
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