Sailor Nebula let out a long sigh as she looked at the remnants of her team. It had been a bad night. A very, very bad night. Andromeda was dead, cut down by a bladed, metallic youma, who was at best being only slowed down by their attacks. Then a trio of magical girl hunters had come out of nowhere. They'd been forced to leave Quasar behind -- she couldn't have survived that severe a case of lead poisoning anyway -- and Gemini and Nebula herself had both taken a few rounds. They were healed as much as possible and bandaged.

A grim silence hung over the group as they sat in their headquarters. The Galactic Sailors were not the most popular of magical girls. In fact, owing to who had been their leader, they were about as unpopular as mahou shoujo could get. There had been a dozen of them. Now, between youma, Dark Ones, and these damned magical girl hunters that had continued to increase in numbers, there was only the five of them left. It had been such a simple dream at first -- to protect the world from evil. Now where were they?

Nowhere, and rapidly running out of lives. Oh, a lot of the dead ones would probably return, reincarnated, but it'd be a decade at least before any of them could be much help. Assuming their souls made it back in this era at all. No, the Galactic Sailors were being eradicated, in ones and twos, until they were all dead little girls.

Something stirred outside the door. All five Sailors jumped to their feet -- Gemini was a bit slower because of the condition of her leg. Silence reigned for a moment, then the door burst open, the magically reinforced locks torn asunder. The figure that was framed by the doorway was tiny. As she stepped into the light, they could see a little girl, maybe five years old. But those eyes... No girl of any age should have eyes like that, seeking, piercing eyes that seemed to say "you can't scare me because I've seen things you can't imagine."

"Is this all that's left of my army?" There was something familiar about the voice, the accent, the shape of it.

"Who are you?" demanded Sailor Gemini.

The tiny girl grinned and pulled out a wand. It had a blue-black sphere on the end, filled with endless motes of shimmering light. Beautiful, mesmerizing. Unmistakable. "COSMIC STAR POWER!" For a moment the world was full of twinkling stars, soaring comets, suns, asteroids... And then it all faded, and the girl stood before them, transformed.

A chill went down Nebula's spine. In the body of a five-year-old, but it was unmistakably her. The most hated and feared of all magical girls, one of the two instigators of the Magical War that had ended with the advent of the first magical girl hunter, and the leader of the Galactic Sailors.

"Sailor Cosmos." breathed Sailor Comet.

Sailor Cosmos continued to smile. "I was in a bad place, a very bad place, but I learned things there. I remember now. It took time to remember. I missed you all so much."

Sailor Nebula felt the tears welling up. No matter what, this was her friend, their leader. She stumbled forwards and wrapped her arms around Cosmos, who returned the hug.

"We've been lost without you." she sobbed. "We need you." She wanted to stop crying but couldn't.

"It's alright; I'm here." Nebula had heard those words once before. Whatever else was different, it really was Cosmos.

Sailor Comet rubbed her arms as though cold. "So... what will we do now?"

The reply was one word, and a word that the world would know and fear.

"Revenge."

A Report On Post-Resurgence Earth

Your Majesty,

As you requested, I have compiled information on the state of the Earth-realm. I will warn you, it is very different from the place we knew. The past few decades have seen considerable upheaval and change taking place, and as your trusted servant, I swear to you on my honor that every word I have written is true.

The Resurgence

The Resurgence marked the return of magic to the Earth-realm. It is said that the stagnant societies of mankind came to reacquire their spirit of wonder and hope, allowing this event to occur. This was swiftly followed by the return of the forces of the Outer Kingdoms to the Earth-realm. The Dark Ones and their youma were able to thrive, but the Dreaming Ones of the Magical Kingdoms found the low levels of magical energies would slowly kill them if they remained in the Earth-realm for any length of time. To fight the Dark Ones they were forced to rely on mortal champions.

Magical Girls

I know we ourselves have made use of magical girls from time to time, but to turn them into warriors in this manner is unthinkable. But it has happened, and I do not speak of isolated cases. In the years following the Resurgence literally thousands of magical girls were recruited and empowered by the Magical Kingdoms. When I spoke to one of the more authoritative Companions, I was informed that the Dreaming Ones believed they had no other choice.

Magical War

Japan (also called Nihon) is home to the city of Tokyo (formerly Edo), which was and still is an epicenter of magical activity. It was here that the greatest of tragedies occurred. Two very powerful magical girls -- Magical Knight Mariko of Thera and Sailor Cosmos of the Star Kingdom -- came into a rivalry so great that each raised armies of magical girls to fight the other.

The magical girls I spoke to during my visit were often too young to know much about what became known as the "Magical War," and a number of those who remembered began weeping at its very mention, so terrible was the battle. From what I could gather, the War was long and terrible, and ended only when Mariko and Cosmos were assassinated by an unknown mortal.

Today

Although the number of magical girls does not appear to be waning at this point, popular opinion is often turned against them, to such an extent that there are a growing number of "hunters" -- mortals who murder troublesome magical girls.

Introduction

Magical World is a campaign setting quite unlike any other. There were a lot of sources of inspiration that ultimately led to its creation, but it began with watching Sailor Moon and wishing for Usagi's bumbling to have real consequences now and then, for an end to the Monster-of-the-Week syndrome, for enemies who were smart and vicious enough to attack before the magical girls could finish posing and shouting, and for magical attacks that actually hurt and have consequences in the real world. There are plenty of other magical girl shows out there; Pretty Sammy, especially the TV series, is a favorite for its character development, sweeping plot, and, just as importantly, the fact that it mercilessly pokes fun at the genre.

But I still watched Sailor Moon regularly, until it went into reruns. Why? The Sailor Senshi are a bunch of girls who fight an endless array of monsters. They stand up to and overcome every challenge that comes their way, not because they're super-perfect comic book heroes (though it seems that way sometimes), but because they're brave and willing to risk everything for what they believe in. If those aren't admirable traits, I don't know what would be.

Magical World is what came out of this paradoxical perspective on magical girls. It puts them into a world of high stakes and dire consequences where, as in the real world, power can be used selfishly as surely as it can be used to help others. Some hate them, some worship them, some ignore them, and a few hunt them down. It is a place where magical girls and their youma foes are ubiquitous, and a world that truly both loves and hates them. Whatever you feel about magical girls, it can happen here.

Magical girls come in countless varieties; saccharine heroines, servants of darkness, hired killers, idol singers, vigilantes and more. They can save the world or bring it damnation. The choice is yours. Strap in, have your henshin wand handy, and get ready for a bumpy ride.

Revision History

· 1.0 Original release. Imagine that! I actually finished a book completely before putting it out. What’s come over me?

· 1.1 Some miscellaneous additional stuff, mostly things inspired by the Sailor Moon RPG & Resource Guide, directly or indirectly, along with crossover stuff for such.

· 1.2 Naturally, immediately after finishing 1.1 I came up with many, many ideas for more stuff. First and foremost, Magical World is now a generic game setting; there are a number of "Rules Modules" that can be downloaded separately; there is, of course, Thrash, as well as Tri-Stat, and more on the way. Setting information has also been expanded greatly.

Force of Magic

For an inside look at the Magical World setting, be sure to check out Force of Magic. This story (available at http://www.blackbird.nu/fanfics/) follows the trials and tribulations of Haruko, a.k.a. Magical Girl Candy Rose, as she tries to cope with her new role, as well as her teammates, uncaring superiors, deadly foes, and her own doubts.

Available Rules Modules

· Thrash: The system for which Magical World was originally created, Thrash is a anime/fighting game martial arts RPG by yours truly, available on the web at http://thrash.blackbird.nu/. Thrash is a fairly simple system with many, many options.

· Tri-Stat: The system used for Big Eyes, Small Mouth and the Sailor Moon RPG & Resource Book from Guardians of Order. Tri-Stat is extremely simple and fast-playing.

· Others?: Other possible rules modules to be released in the future include Feng Shui, GURPS, Fuzion, and Storyteller.

Inspirational Stuff

Ideas for this sourcebook came from a lot of different places, most of them relating to magical girls in some way or another, and entirely too many of them being intended as satires of the genre.

Anime

· Akazukin Chacha

· The Girl From Phantasia

· Magical Girl Pretty Sammy: The cast of Tenchi Muyo star in a spin-off which, although basically a parody of the magical girl genre, is nonetheless very good on its own. This encompasses an OAV series (3 parts so far) as well as a TV series (available in the U.S. as "Magical Project S"; highly recommended).

· Magic Knight Rayearth

· Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon: In many ways the quintessential magical girl anime (in terms of popularity if nothing else), Sailor Moon was naturally a big influence on this book, in more ways than one.

Comics

· Card Captor Sakura: This cute series from CLAMP is about a 10-year-old girl named Sakura who has taken up the job of collecting the "Clow Cards." To that end, she is given magical powers, and a seemingly unending series of cute (if odd) outfits, as well as the help of Kero-chan, a weird liony thing with fairy wings. Especially interesting is the fact that her costumes are not magical, but rather are provided by her rich friend Tomoyo, who also insists on videotaping her exploits.

· Gen13 Bootleg: Magical Drama Queen Roxy: This comic, by none other than Adam Warren, takes the characters of Gen13 and, in an extended dream sequence, tells a scathingly satirical magical girl story.

· Kaitou St. Tail:

· Shadow Lady: This manga by Katsura (creator of Video Girl Ai, amongst others) tells the story of Aimi, a shy young lady who uses magical makeup to become the sexy and somewhat naughty master thief known as Shadow Lady.

Fanfics

· Magical Demon Hunter: This rather quirky fic is the story of Dailey Preston, who is recruited by a drunkard who stumbled upon a magical book to become a magical demon hunter, and all the madness she is made to face, from evil demons to a vengeful animated teddy bear.

· Magical Girl Hunter: This, ahem, unique round robin tells the story of two men who gear up with heavy firepower and hunt down and kill magical girls for a living. In their efforts, they are force to deal with an evil corporation creating magical girl dupes, the amorous Sailor H, and countless other threats.

· Magical Princess Sharra of the Winds: By yours truly, MPSotW is the story of Natsuko, a cynical girl who wanted nothing to do with being a magical girl, but was forced into it by circumstances, and ultimately fights a battle that will decide the fate of the universe.

· Missy Foxglove: The yakuza aren't happy with the latest situation; magical girls have been turning their cocaine shipments into cotton candy, and it's caused trouble with their business partners. To deal with the problem, they've recruited Missy Foxglove, a magical girl who will serve as an assassin, to take out problem magical girls.

· Sailor Nothing: Mr. Twoflower brings us a new and highly angsty magical girl series, the story of the abandoned magical girl formerly known as Sailor Salvation who has now become Sailor Nothing.

Roleplaying Games

· Changeling: The Dreaming: Not a major source, but Changeling did provide some inspiration for the early history of Magical World. For the uninitiated, Changeling is a game about modern day fairies, trying to survive in a world that doesn’t believe in them.

· Sailor Moon RPG & Resource Guide: Let me put it like this. If you’re a gamer and a Sailor Moon fan, BUY THIS NOW. This adaptation of the anime series is exceptional, both in terms of working the game mechanics and presenting the setting. And even if you don't roleplay (which raises the question of why you're reading this), the sheer amount of info makes it well worth the price.

Web Pages

Emily's Magical Girl Page!

http://yaoi.anime-manga.net/Magic/mg.html

An excellent source of general information on magical girls, as well as info on several of the various series out there.

Mahou Shoujo Anime Resources

http://whistler.cs.ucla.edu/~yasuyuki/www/mahou/

An extensive guide to magical girl series pages.

Lexicon

The following are terms commonly used in the Magical World setting.

Age of Chaos: The time when the Magical Kingdoms and the Dark Kingdoms waged open war on each other.

Age of Darkness: The time following the Age of Chaos, when the Magical Kingdoms were all but destroyed and the Dark Kingdoms reigned.

Ancient One: The most ancient, evil, and powerful of the creatures of the Dark Kingdoms. Most have been destroyed or put into an eternal sleep, though some Dark Ones seek to awaken them.

cutekiller: Someone obsessed with the destruction of everything that is cute, especially magical girls. The most dangerous of these are former magical girls.

Dark Kingdoms: Realms of evil located outside of our world. The denizens of these places are powerful, but have poor judgment and are unimaginative.

Dark Ones: The most humanlike of the denizens of the Dark Kingdoms, who presently serve as the leaders.

Dreaming Ones: The Magical Kingdoms' counterpart to the Dark Ones.

henshin stick: See Transformation Key, below.

idol: Refers to pop idol singers, and especially magical girls who become singers or other types of entertainers.

I.M.G.U.: The International Magical Girls Union, an organization of magical girls dedicated to mutual support and peace among the mahou shoujo.

Love and Justice: The goal for which most magical girls strive; to create a world of happiness and peace.

Love Fighter: A magical girl whose main goal is to spread love.

magical companion: Small creatures, usually cute and fuzzy, who accompany and serve as mentors to magical girls.

magical girl: Girls between the ages of nine and sixteen, recruited to wield magical powers.

Magical Kingdoms: Realms of magic and wonder located outside our world. The Magical forces have long opposed the schemes of the Dark.

Magical Task Force X: A government organization dedicated to containing all forms of magical threats – or perhaps just a rumor?

magical toddler: Derogatory term for magical girls, especially younger ones.

magical war: The conflict that rocked the world a decade ago, when two armies of magical girls clashed in a titanic battle over a personal sleight between their leaders.

mahou shoujo: See magical girl.

mystic knight: A male gifted with magical abilities, usually with powers similar to those of magical girls, but more "gentlemanly" in appearance.

The Outer Kingdoms: A general term for the Dark Kingdoms and the Magical Kingdoms (q.v.).

Resurgence: During the early 1980s, the Magical Kingdoms resurfaced, and began a careful, tentative struggle with the Dark Kingdoms to regain their positions of power.

senshi: Japanese for “soldier” – now a common term for magical girls, especially the more combat-oriented ones.

sentai: A team of warriors, especially magical girls, usually numbering three or five.

Sorcerer: A person (sometimes a mortal, but more often a Dark One or Dreaming One) whose magical abilities consist of scholarly knowledge and powerful incantations.

Talking Pet: Derogatory term for magical companions.

transformation key: An item used by magical girls to transform into their mahou shoujo form.

youma: General term for monsters, especially from the Dark Kingdoms.

Chapter 1:

Mahou Shoujo

Into daring dreams

Go the bold

Conquering their fear

A shining ray of light

As darkness all consumes

Only the bold will break free

-- Unyielding Wish (English Version), Magic Knight Rayearth OP

What follows is an introduction to the magical girls and how they cope with the world in which they live.

Origins

Magic

Magic is a very real force, and understanding it is key to understanding those who can use it; each shapes the other. The user is affected by the magic and the magic reflects the user’s intentions and desires.

Fundamentally, magic is the shaping of magical energy. This energy is known by countless names, including but not limited to chi, mana, prana, ki, and quintessence. Magical energy is believed to be inherent in the cosmos, but considerably more common in some places than others. This energy, when in sufficient concentration, can be focused by a being with the necessary ability, used to create a given effect. Although nearly all magic users must make use of some “procedure” to use their magic (such as an incantation), magic’s fundamental nature is such that it is shaped by the user’s will and intent.

Denizens of the Magical Kingdoms require magical energy in order to survive. Earthly scientists who’ve studied the Dreaming Ones have theorized that organisms from the Magical Kingdoms use this magical energy on a cellular level. Dreaming Ones, who tend to be leery of such a banal explanation, say that, as children of their respective Magical Kingdoms, magic runs in their veins, flows through their breath, and pulses in their very souls, and thus to be deprived of it is to wither and die.

Magical girls are aptly named, for they wield a form of magic, allowing them to transform and use the mystic powers. The magic of Mahou Shoujo is usually a bit different from that of Dreaming Ones and human sorcerers. The basic nature of the mahou shoujo enchantments is such that the tie between magic and the heart is even stronger than normal.

Sources of Power

There are a number of ways in which a girl can become a mahou shoujo, though being recruited by one of the Magical Kingdoms is by far the most common. These are strange and wonderful places outside of our own world, which often recruit humans to be their champions – usually girls between the ages of nine and sixteen. Why they do this is unknown, but it is believed that beings from the Other Worlds are incapable of sustaining themselves on Earth for any significant period of time, and thus must use natives to our plane to fight their battles.

Ancient Legacies: In some cases being a magical girl runs in the family. It may indeed be genetic, a spark of magical power manifesting as a result of an ancestor who was a magical being of some kind. Others pass an Artifact (see below) from one generation to the next, and in some cases the magical power itself can be separated and bequeathed to another.

Ancient Powers: While some doubt the truth of it, a small number of magical girls claim to have been granted their powers by some god/goddess or other supernatural force. Ancient spirits (including ancestor and nature spirits), deities from across the world (including, interestingly enough the Christian God), as well as places of power (pyramids, stone circles, dragon nests, and the like) have all reportedly produced magical girls. As one might imagine, the abilities of such mahou shoujo are invariably "themed" to the source of the power.

Artifacts: A few rare items, imbued with mystical power properties, can grant the powers of a mahou shoujo. These can take nearly any form imaginable. Some are keyed to specific kinds of users (young girls and/or those pure of heart, usually) and many become bonded to a specific individual, useless to anyone else so long as they live.

Magical Being/Cross-Breed: Dreaming Ones have difficulty surviving in the magic-bare realm of Earth. To shield themselves from this, some are able to hide their magical natures, becoming mortals most of the time. Likewise, should a Dreaming One and a mortal have offspring, the resulting child would similarly only occasionally be able to fully bring out their magical nature.

Reincarnation: Especially among the more powerful magical girls, repeated reincarnation is not unknown. When killed, such mahou shoujo are reborn with no memories of their past lives and no knowledge of how to use their powers, though both will gradually return over time. Rumors claim that Sailor Cosmos was such a one, and she will be back for vengeance.

Technology: Perhaps rarest of all are those magical girls who've acquired some super-technological device which has magic-like abilities. Such devices are generally rare and costly in the extreme.

Teams

Trust I seek and I find in you

Every day for us something new

Open mind for a different view

And nothing else matters

– Metallica, "Nothing Else Matters"

Although loners (usually equipped with magical companions) are common, magical girls often join together to form teams, also known as sentai. This is most often the result of a common origin, but that is not necessarily the case. Having such friends to rely on provides a source of support, both emotionally and on the battlefield, and in both cases can mean the difference between life and death.

Teams are usually either of three (for fairy tale cliché purposes) or five (for anime cliché purposes)[*]. Larger teams are possible, but following the Magical War they've become very rare. Especially in the case of those with a common origin, teams are often created around some theme; planets, elements, fruits, animals... you name it, it's probably been done.

Magical Girls Around The World

The conflict between the Magical and Dark Kingdoms is, interestingly enough, primarily in Japan. The reasons for this are uncertain, but it has been theorized that in Japan more than any other country females are bred to be cute, hopeful dreamers – and thus ideal magical girl material, though this doesn't explain why the Dark Kingdoms seem to operate primarily there.

Even so, magical girls are known to varying degrees in every part of the world, with the United States ranking #2 in terms of magical girl population. Magical girls from other countries tend to have only stylistic differences from their Japanese counterparts. Obviously, the uniform isn't likely to feature sailor fuku when these aren't used there.

Africa

Australia

Central and South America

China

Europe

The Former Soviet Union

Mexico

The Middle East

Southeast Asia

Powers

"It's very rude to attack someone while they're posing!"

-- Pretty Sammy

To accomplish their goals, magical girls are given an arsenal of magical powers. These vary quite a bit in disposition, though there are many common themes. Most of these powers take the form of "spells" of some sort, which require an incantation (usually what amounts to a gibberish phrase in English), which has to be not simply uttered but YELLED as loud as possible, slowly and clearly, so that everyone can hear. Fortunately, most youma aren't too smart and will wait and listen to the spell.

The specific types of effects created by these spells vary a great deal, but elemental type effects seem to be the most common. These can be your typical fire, water, electricity, and so forth, but the most common by far are the Love Elementals.

Most people wouldn't think of Love as one of the elements, but magical girls have proven that this is so. It is a very potent power; love elementals can influence hearts as well as bringing destructive power to bear.

Magical Items

Magical girls are known to make use of a variety of magical items. Some of these can be considered Artifacts in game terms. Others, however, are merely icons, representing the powers the characters effectively has, and as such cannot be lost or stolen. Owing to the nature of the mahou shoujo power, these typically take the form of wands, brooches, earrings, makeup kits, and other feminine trinkets. See Chapter 5 for more details.

Transformation Key: Also known as a henshin stick (when it takes the form of a wand), this is the most important item is a mahou shoujo's arsenal. The Transformation Key is the item that allows them to transform into said form. This item must generally be held out and a nonsensical magical phrase shouted out for the transformation to be initiated.

Disguise Key: Similar to the transformation key, a disguise key is an item that enables the character to magically disguise themselves as someone else.

The Transformation

"Sasami! I didn't know you liked to dress like that!"

– Tenchi, Magical Girl Pretty Sammy

Nearly all Mahou Shoujo have their magical abilities only part of the time; to draw upon these, they must undergo a transformation. These vary a great deal, but most will briefly pull the heroine into a pocket dimension where she is subtly transmogrified into her mahou shoujo form. This usually looks just like her normal form except for a new outfit (usually involving a very short skirt) and occasionally changes in the color of one's hair and/or eyes, though many magical girls become older upon transforming (16 seems to be the preferred age). The transformation sequence involves lots of swirling lights and some kind of theme song, which takes a seeming eternity to the viewers, even though only a few seconds pass in real time.

The resultant "uniform", although often in the form of an abbreviated sailor fuku, can occasionally be a bit more exotic. Among the more common variations are large gowns, skimpy tight-fitting outfits, and in the case of the "darker" magical girls, black leather and/or vinyl.

Specialized Magical Girls

Certain magical kingdoms create mahou shoujo with specialized powers. This has been done for a variety of reasons, though typically either because such magical girls are meant for a particular task, or because they are part of a group. A few kingdoms have taken to having their magical girl sentai contain a specific mix of specialists.

Falcon: Known by a variety of names, these are magical girls given the power to fly, either with wings that appear upon transformation, or without wings, by magical means. Falcons are usually trained to be scouts and spies, but some (also known as Eagles) are used for aerial combat.

Magical Idol: Magical Idols are magical girls who double as performers, usually idol singers. While some simply use their powers to have a career in the music industry (such performers are surprisingly popular in Japan and other countries, despite anti-magical girl sentiments running high), many double as youma-fighters. In a few cases the power of song is augmented by magic, making it a weapon unto itself.

Magical Nurse: So named because their outfits tend to resemble nurse uniforms somewhat, Magical Nurses specialize in healing. Nurses tend to be compassionate and caring to a fault; Love makes healing magic stronger, so a loving person is the natural candidate.

Night Stalker: These are magical girls who specialize in stealth and covert operations. They tend to dress in dark colors and move silently.

Sentinel

Swordbearer: Swordbearers specialize in close-range melee combat. All are equipped with a weapon, typically a Spirit Weapon. The preferred weapon is of course the sword, whether a hulking broadsword (which magical girls wield with incongruous ease) or an elegant rapier. Swordbearers are among the most combat-oriented of magical girls, and the most able to hold their own in physical combat.

Tactician: One of the less common -- but more valuable -- specializations, the Tacticians have the ability to analyze their opponents and formulate effective battle plans. This is a role typically filled by the more intellectual magical girls, and they are usually equipped with a magical computer to assist them.

The Magical Girl Lifestyle

Recruitment

The Magical Kingdoms have had to devise a number of methods for recruiting magical girls. The tried and true method of having a companion search for a candidate, whether at random or guided by magic, is still widely used, but not as effective as it once was. Potential candidates tend to be much more wary, due to the dangers involved, coupled with the potential for being pulled into an organization falsely claiming to be a Magical Kingdom, be it a Dark Kingdom or some mortal organization.

Other forms of recruitment have been tried and met with varying degrees of success. These have included such modern contrivances as auditions, classified ads, contests, and talent scouts. Less scrupulous or more desperate kingdoms have been known to resort to outright kidnapping of desirable candidates, using mind-altering magic spells to control them.

Superiors

Most Magical Girls have to contend with superiors of one sort or another, giving them advice, orders, new powers, and so forth. Dreaming Ones (and in some cases Dark Ones) are at least as varied and flawed as humans, often with the added touch of being very literally out of touch with reality. The means by which a mahou shoujo will keep in touch with her superiors varies; some Kingdoms use magical means, some communicate through an intermediary Companion, and a few take the trouble to have a native commander appear in person.

Other superiors can take the form of a higher-ranking magical girl or mystic knight, which can be good or bad. Some, having been in the same spot themselves once, show compassion to their charges. Others can be terribly callous.

Love and Justice

You can't be a hero hiding underneath your bed

Got to live the life you create inside your head

So I opened the window caught the wind one night

Now I sail with the birds in their flight

– Chisa Yokohama, "I'm A Pioneer"

Magical girls throw the term "Love and Justice" around a lot these days. It means different things to different people, to be sure. It is a battle cry, and a way of life. It means one will fight with the heart, for the heart. It means doing what's right, whatever the cost.

As high as these ideals might be, the reality is all too often a bit different. Too many mahou shoujo consider it little more than a phrase to call out in order to be like everyone else. Others disregard it completely.

Companions

"Look out, Sailor Moon!"

– Luna, Sailor Moon

Many mahou shoujo have a magical companion, a creature of some sort, often from one of the Magical Kingdoms, who serves as a mentor and companion. They give advice, do reconnaissance, and give protection; each is friend, confidant, and conscience to the one they watch over.

While they usually possess human intelligence (or at the very least, a high animal intelligence), they generally take the form of some kind of animal – and a cute one at that. The preferred forms include cats, dogs, bunny rabbits, birds, and occasionally a fictitious but very adorable animal of some sort, though nearly any type of animal is possible. Although they are the ones who deliver the magical powers to the mahou shoujo, they rarely have any significant abilities themselves.

Training

Despite the benefits, relatively few Magical Kingdoms actually take the time to provide real training to their magical girls. A mahou shoujo who understands her own powers and her enemies will be a far more effective fighter, and yet most Kingdoms simply give a new recruit a wand and send her off to battle.

Training can take on any number of forms. Smaller Kingdoms tend towards providing one-on-one “tutoring” from a more experienced magical girl or even a Dreaming One, while large ones typically have large training facilities patterned after private schools or even military boot camps. Most Magical Kingdoms tend to take a fairly gentle, lenient approach to training, but a few, inspired by military organizations of the human world, have taken to more brutal, direct forms of training.

Secrecy

Now more than every, a magical girl must keep her true identity a secret. Fortunately, even though it should be blatantly obvious who they are in most cases, the magic protects them from this. Even so, being discovered is possible, and given the sorts of people around, potentially dangerous.

Friends and Family

Nearly all magical girls retain relations with the friends and family members they had before obtaining their powers. Besides the fact that most of them rely on their parents for food, shelter, and so forth, most mahou shoujo are far too caring to simply abandon the people they love. Such people help the magical girl stay in touch with the real world, and provide a place to retreat to when the ongoing task of saving the world becomes a bit too much to bear.

Even so, the policy of secrecy must be applied even to the most trusted companions. Not only could they be made to leak information about the magical girl, but also they become potential targets for her enemies. Worse still, in this day and age, a magical girl may find that she cares very deeply for someone who despises her alter ego.

School Daze

By and large, nearly all mahou shoujo are at an age where they're expected to go to school, and the vast majority do; they need a mortal occupation to keep their sanity, and being a student is usually more than sufficient.

Attending school can mean a lot of things, however. For one, despite the pressing matters of the fate of the world and so forth, our heroines have to contend with homework, teachers, and the other students, who can be friends as surely as they can be antagonists (or anything in-between), albeit usually of a non-magical sort.

If you're following the usual genre conventions, the GM should build many of the plots around events at school. For some reason, youma are drawn to trying to carry out their plots at schools (some have theorized that it is simply because, at least in the case of energy collectors, there is much more power to be gained), and a few have even been known to pose as students.

Employment

And I can’t stop working long enough

To wonder what life’s for

What is it for?

Am I just a whore?

Who am I working for?

-- Ten Foot Pole, Pride and Shame

There are times when magical girls, like everyone else, have to worry about money. Most Magical Kingdoms don’t have the ability to offer any monetary compensation to their magical girls, so when mahou shoujo need cash, they have to seek out their own means of obtaining it, and more often than not, that means a part-time job.

The availability of a part-time job for a girl aged 10 to 16 largely depends on the country. In more civilized countries child labor laws and the like prevent any but the oldest magical girls from holding a job. Of course, many in this sort of situation take advantage of a transformation that makes them look older to get a job they couldn’t otherwise. In other countries it doesn’t matter, though getting a job that pays more than slave wages may be another matter.

This brings up another, darker side of magical girl existence; those who are employed specifically because of their magical girl status. This can include anything from simple bodyguard duty to involvement in organized crime, up to and including unusual forms of prostitution. Most Magical Kingdoms despise such practices and will do whatever it takes to remove their agents from such a state. Unfortunately, a few are callous enough to turn a blind eye to such abuses so long as the job gets done.

The Way of the Idol

Out there in the spotlight

You’re a million miles away

Every ounce of energy

You try and give away

– Bob Seger, “Turn the Page”

A few magical girls use their powers to entertain others rather than to fight evil. Some have turned their back on the fighting, while others are doing what their magical allies want them to – fighting the more subtle battle to keep Love alive on earth. A few try to do both fighting and singing (usually not simultaneously, though it’s been known to happen).

In the case of Japanese mahou shoujo, the preferred medium is that if pop idol singing, as it is the style of music in which they can most easily be accepted. The major requirements for being an idol are to be young, cute, and able to sing. Unfortunately, many such performers are simply shoved into the same old mold (“Wear this dress, sing these songs, dance like this.”), and they aren’t paid too well either. This environment has made many idols frustrated, despite the adoration of fans and the thrill of being on the stage.

Especially in the U.S., but in Japan and other parts of the world as well, this mold is being broken. There are magical girl representatives of nearly every musical style imaginable. A surprising number of them have turned to heavy metal and hard rock (including the well-known Japanese performer, Magical Girl Hyperia), though in some cases this has made enemies of the more militant pop idol types.

Magic Media

Magical Girls have become a part of nearly every form of media and entertainment possible. Radio, television, music, movies... the list goes on and on. The popularity of mahou shoujo based entertainment regularly fluxes, but has never gone away completely. Of course, the primary target demographic is female and under the age of 12, but hardcore fans, however young, are numerous and surprisingly devoted.

For a magical girl, being a celebrity is a double-edged sword, to be sure. The exhilaration of fame, the many uses of money, and the potential for friends to be made are all-powerful lures. But a celebrity makes herself a target, for not only magical girl hunters and cutekillers, but the "paparazzi" media, tabloids, exploitation, and so on. Not only that, but to be a publicly known magical girl is to have one's actions reflect on all mahou shoujo, good or bad.

The Way of the Love Fighter

Love Fighters are one of the more curious breeds of magical girls, as they are much subtler in how they operate. Their number one goal is to spread love wherever possible, and this can take countless forms, many of which don’t require any sort of special powers. The successful Love Fighter is typically an expert matchmaker, and generally skilled at finding ways, big or small, to make people’s lives better.

In most cases, the magical powers of a Love Fighter are relatively limited in some way or another (most often because the transformation is difficult to maintain). The most common abilities they possess are the more subtle Love Elemental powers (see below), which are to be used as a last resort, although anyone who assumes they are incapable of acting in combat may be in for a rather painful (pink) surprise.

Romance

When the cherry blossoms start to bloom

Meet me here in my lonely room

We’ll find a passion-filled fantasy

And I know this time you’ll stay with me

– Ai Orisaka, “Dimension of Love”

Most magical girls are interested in romance to some degree. Some are a bit too young for that sort of thing, while the older ones spend entirely too much time worrying about their current boyfriend, or obtaining one. Ultimately, though, most magical girls are in search of a "True Love" – whatever that might mean, and this will generally take the form of a romance that slowly develops over the course of the entire series.

Needless to say, romantic stuff is difficult to role-play, and quite often downright awkward for all concerned. It's a topic that is very personal, and for which different people can have very different views.

Celebrity Status

Being a magical girl does not in any way ensure fame. To become a mahou shoujo is to be one of thousands, and to take on a role that, while often heroic, has a dubious reputation at best. A few do reach a level of fame that turns them into celebrities.

Some achieve fame by rising above the other magical girls and showing great valor and heroism. This means that they will be held up as an example of what a magical girl should be, which in turn means they will be a target for extremist anti-magical girl groups. For this reason, wise magical girls often try to stay out of the limelight; fame is of little comfort to the dead.

Far more of those magical girls who become famous do so by doubling as celebrities of another sort – usually as singers.

Aging

To the wounded, the fallen, the heat, the suspense,

The perfume strong, the smoke, the deafening noise;

Away with your life of peace!–your joys of peace!

Give me my old wild battle-life again!

– Walt Whitman, "The Dying Veteran"

Aging is something that all people face, though its significance for mahou shoujo is a bit more prominent. A magical girl is typically from nine to sixteen years old when she begins her career. Their feelings towards growing older tend to be somewhat paradoxical. Like most children, they look forward to all the things that being a teenager, and then an adult brings, but as they grow older, the whole magical girl shtick seems more and more childish. By the age of 20, nearly all magical girls will have either retired (sometimes to residence in one of the Magical Kingdoms) or found a way to adapt their powers into something more mature. Unfortunately, the majority of those who don't are casualties.

Pregnancy

Pregnancy can be a tricky issue for Magical Girls, and even a dangerous one. The circumstances leading to a mahou shoujo becoming pregnant are often bad enough, but the physical effects of it are an even greater problem. A girl who has entered puberty but not made it into her mid to late teens will in nearly always die in labor along with the child, making abortion the only real option.

Magic further complicates things. Many Magical Girls are significantly older upon transforming -- bringing them up to a childbearing age with a wave of the wand. Undoing the transformation while pregnant may have any number of effects, depending on the nature of the enchantments involved. A developing fetus may be miscarried or simply cease to be in order to protect the magical girl, or undoing the transformation may become impossible until the pregnancy ends, one way or another. If the baby is ultimately brought to term, the exposure to magic usually has some effects, and those may be good or bad, but are always wildly unpredictable.

Death

Death is something many mahou shoujo must face though few are prepared to. As is inevitable in a war, people are hurt, and sometimes they die. Any magical girl will inevitably face the reality that they and their comrades could be hurt, possibly even killed in their line of work. While any soldier learns to accept this in a hurry, for a ten-year-old, who hasn't yet experienced life in its fullness, it can be a terrifying prospect.

Side Note: Magical "Boys"

There is a person living in my head

She comes to visit every night in bed

I fight the demon but it just won't fall

The voices in my dungeon starting to call

– Ozzy Osbourne, "Ghost Behind My Eyes"

The magic used to create magical girls is as fickle as it is annoying. One of the more curious aspects of it is the fact that it demands to be wielded by young females. For males who try to use it, whether intentionally or by accident, the end result is amusing at best, insanity-breeding at worst – it tends to transform them into little girls. Either that or (ugh) it puts them in the same outfit anyway. It is possible for males to be come Mystic Knights (see Chapter 2), though the process involved is somewhat different.

This phenomenon, although undoubtedly in bad taste, can make for some very... ahem... interesting roleplaying experiences.

Side Note: Sexuality

As any dedicated fan of Sailor Moon knows, not everyone is heterosexual. It’s relatively recently that this has applied to anime characters, but with anime’s propensity for gender bending, it’s not exactly surprising. Shoujo manga does this sort of thing more than most, and while American audiences aren’t exactly comfortable with the concept, the idea of Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune – not to mention Zoicite and Kunzite/Malachite (who are both male in the original version) – being lovers is pretty much accepted as a matter of course by most in Japan. This is especially true of the readers of shoujo manga.

With that said, the question still remains as to what this will mean to your campaign. Some players are more than willing to jump right into this sort of thing, creating gay, lesbian, or bisexual characters with abandon, while others want nothing to do with it. In a gaming group, however, cohesion is essential, and tension over this sort of thing can easily tear the group apart. If everyone is comfortable with the idea, then go ahead, but if not, try to be sensitive about it.