It may seem odd to use Magikano as my first Dub Difference article. After all, I'm not particularly fond of the show. If I recall correctly, I called it "Gonzo's latest attempts to scale the trash heap." That there was absolutely no reason to watch this show, period. So, why would anybody sit down with such a steaming turd of a series? Truthfully, it's the inspiration for the Dub Difference article. After we posted my review, several noted that, somehow, the dub makes this show watchable and even entertaining. I'm not one to back down from a challenge, and I've been looking for a new project, so the timing was perfect. In the inaugural edition of The Dub Difference, the trash heap is dredged, and Magikano is being pulled out of that musty corner in my office for re-watching.

On the English track, things are far better. The script, handled by Josh Grelle, is leagues better than the original. The episodes take on an almost self-deprecating sense of humor, as the characters mock and jab at the abject stupidity of the show itself. In the English version, the cast is delightfully over-the-top and energetic, as opposed to the boring, lifeless shells of archetypes found in the original Japanese. Arguments between the girls are now peppered with hilariously bitchy phrases. It's hard not to laugh when an argument is suddenly punctuated with an angry "Bring it on, bitch," or "hold it, slut!" Even Haruo's character was rewritten from an ineffective wuss to a cynical, somewhat sarcastic geek.

Jessica Boone and Kira Vincent-Davis steal the show as Ayumi and Maika, respectively. Both actresses can lay on the charm and play a perfect "girl next door" act, though they can also stir up a batch of bitch pudding when the situation calls for it. Their heated arguments are among the funniest and most memorable moments in the dub. Monica Rial is a perfect match for Michiru: her peppy, silly nature lifts the character up from a forgettable pest to someone the viewer should actually feel bad for, when they see her fishing for food from the dumpster. Greg Ayres's performance of Hajime Hario is over-the-top, and just grating enough to be funny.

Not all of the characters were so fortunate in translation, though. Student council president Yuri was replaced by Carli Mosier. Her presence really doesn't really seem to fit that of an icy, all-business woman of power. Instead, she comes across as mousy and ineffectual in most of her screen time.

Sometimes, a second look at a title can really change one's perspective. The English dub for Magikano pulls the series out of the trash bin and into the realm of an outstanding fluffy comedy show. The writing and, for the most part, the acting both stand head and shoulders above the original. While nothing can improve the god-awful story, the English dub for the show does a lot to redeem it as a whole.