Magic has played a role in much of the myths and lore around the world. Everyone has an understanding of it, but nobody knows just what it is, or if it even exists. Maybe this simple idea of "unknown wonder" is why so many anime series glamorize the mysterious force, and its effects. However, one has to wonder: what if magic was finally harnassed among the masses? What if these mysterious powers were made available to everybody? Apparently, one person had an idea of such a possibility, as well as the consequences of it. The result is Maburaho.

Since the days of Urusei Yatsura, the harem genre has always been a mainstay of anime. Usually, the central character is a male that is fairly average, with no special talents. By some work of fate, this character tends to acquire several attractive suitors. Romantic hijinks ensue. In this regard, Maburaho takes few risks. Instead, Maburaho finds its hook in its setting. In this tale, everybody can use magic. However, the number of times an individual can use his or her power is predetermined, and varies from person to person. Therefore, a person's worth is tied heavily to how many times a person can use magic. Enter Kazuki Shikimori: an average Joe with less-than average magical abilities. By "less-than-average," I mean that he can only use magic eight times at best (for comparison, a "normal" person can use magic some 100 times) before he turns to ash and dies. However, it's not Kazuki's charming personality that attracted three gorgeous girls. It is his personal "magic wand" that is loaded with the genes of many famous magicians that somehow had a place in his family line.

The inclusion of magical elements really adds a new punch to what would be an otherwise typical harem adventure. Arguments and spats between the three girls are punctuated with explosions. Mayhem on a grand scale is never out of the ordinary. Kazuki's "eight-spell limit" borrows a few elements from the popular Mahoromatic, in the sense that viewers can visibly see how long Kazuki has before he withers away. With Kazuki running about and casting at least one spell every episode or two, that limit becomes more of a counter that ticks down to the inevitable.

Man, I'm such a loser. Good thing this is a harem show!	Why go to the rave, when the rave can come to you?

Apparently, it is a prerequisite that Aoi Campus students must be either a beautiful girl or an average-looking man, since most of the cast seems to follow this rule faithfully. Kazuki is a generic male that, much like 90 percent of other harem show stars, blends into the background at a moment's notice. The female members of the show, on the other hand, are brimming with personality, and avoid several of the popular archetypes found in comparable series.

On the musical end of things, it seems that Maburaho was given the short end of the stick. Most of the background themes, while appropriate, are fairly forgettable. The two vocal themes, "Magic of Love" and "We'd Get There Someday" fare much better, with solid performances by ICHIKO and catchy melodies that viewers will likely be humming the next day. The Japanese performance benefits from the experience of veterans, such as Daisuke Sakaguchi (Paranoia Agent, The World of Narue) and Yuki Matsuoka (Appleseed, Azumanga Daioh), as well as newcomers to the field. The English track uses several seasoned actors such as Tiffany Grant (Evangelion, Sorcerer Hunters) and Jason Douglas (Sorcerer Hunters, Wandaba Style), while also bringing new talent into the fold. Both casts put forth a great performance, with spirited delivery and wonderful chemistry between characters.

ADV has put together another solid release, with a few goodies to please both the dub and subtitle fans. Aside from the textless opening and closing, ADV included a concept art gallery, a pair of commercials for the show, and an interview with the translator. The translator interview proves to be particularly intriguing, as it answers several nagging questions about the translation process in general, as well as the show's finer aspects. The show's packaging uses a gorgeous manga-style shot of Kuriko and Elizabeth, with other characters making appearances in the background. While I normally don't talk about this sort of thing, the insert is particularly amusing, as it is set up like the Aoi Campus's school newspaper, complete with articles and a gossip column. A pair of comics drawn by voice actors Yuki Matsuoka and Yuka Iguchi are included amongst the "articles," and really add character to the piece as a whole.

With four episodes down, Maburaho has a long way to go before the final credits roll. Twenty episodes remain, and one can only wonder whether the show will pull off a spectacular finish, or fail miserably trying.

Distributor: ADV Films
Creator: Toshihiko Tsukiji
Released: 2005