As most anime fans know, in general anime can be categorized into one of two marketing strategies: shounen (boys') and shoujo (girls'). While such classification does not directly affect the content of the anime, there are of course certain things more prone to be in shounen anime than in shoujo, and vice-versa. However, there are certain anime/manga that attempt to appeal to both genders, with the most notable ones being "Vision of Escaflowne" and also the subject of this review, "Mahou Tsukai Tai!" (Loosely translated as "I Want to Use Magic!"). In "Mahou," we not only have a balloon-breasted ojousama (common shounen stereotype), but also a wispy bishounen (common shoujo stereotype). Such a compromise in the battle of the sexes would break most anime, but I am happy to say that "Mahou" is all the better for it.

Over the course of its six episodes, "Mahou Tsukai Tai!" introduces us to and lets us get to know the members of the Kitanohashi High School Magic Club. From the flaming homosexual Aburatsubo to the slightly absentminded girl-next-door Sae, all the members are at the same time comedic and yet painfully relatable. Their relationships are not of the soap opera-like triangles of stereotypical shoujo romances, but are instead much more down to earth and human, which actually causes pivotal scenes to be more powerful than they would have been otherwise. Here we are presented with two girls, Sae and Nanaka, both of which have a boy they are in love with. However, while Sae is halted by her mistaken sense of inferiority to her crush, Nanaka sees her own situation exactly the way it is, hopelessly doomed. Both situations are presented with realism, and end the exact way they should. The only disappointment I had was that the Nanaka/Aburatsubo relationship got much less screen time than the Sae/Takeo relationship, of which the former is greatly superior to.

The world has been invaded by the mysterious Bell; but, as the Bell seems to only retaliate, its robots have become a part of everyday life.	One of the main story hooks is Sae's lack of confidence, and how this plays out in her magic and relationships.

All these dramatic character relations, which stand firmly in the land of realism, take place in the middle of an outlandish and comic world and plot. It seems the Bell, a UFO named for its curvy cone-like shape, has invaded Japan. The military or any other earthly power cannot fight against this alien ship, for it has a dematerialization beam that can instantly make anything solid disappear. However, the Bell shows no harmful intentions for it does not attack without provocation; it just retaliates. Thus, the robot-like surveyors it sends to the ground have become everyday things, even learning the traffic rules. Even so, Takeo has taken it upon himself to lead the Magic club in a war with the bell (though with motivations no more valiant than impressing the ladies), but when the Bell takes interest in magic, something it cannot understand using science, all hell breaks loose.

If the plot were to be taken seriously, it would be pure MST3K fare. However, the writers have luckily seen the chance to make the war between alien technology and magic a hilarious battle, with scenes such as when the Bell sends its tentacles to investigate a magical flower that a mischievous Magic Club member planted on a girl's head, stealing the show. Granted, much of the humor has a rather ecchi flavor, such as Takeo's constant hentai daydreams, but the show does not allow this to go on long enough to alienate female viewers. I also am extremely happy to say that the humor never feels forced, but instead comes from the characters in a very natural way that never feels out of place.

The first thing people will notice when watching this show is its unique art style. The artists have created an entirely fresh, playful style that is highly unlike any other series I've seen, while still staying near the regular anime style so as not to weird out any viewers. During humorous scenes, the art is down right cartoony, while in heartbreakingly serious scenes the there is true gravity in the character's appearance. Having an OVA series' budget, the animation is consistently wonderful with a high frame rate. On the whole, they've done a brilliant job on the visuals. The music however, is not as memorable as it should have been. The OP is not very catchy, but that could possibly be attributed to the short length of the series. However, the songs are bubbly enough to fit the show, and don't take away from it at all.

"Mahou Tsukai Tai!" does something that most shows rarely succeed at doing: compromising. This show is hilarious at times, and yet excruciatingly sad at other times. They cater to both genders without distancing either of them at any time. The art style is new, but it isn't strange enough to keep you from getting into the story. It's light-hearted, and yet it doesn't ask you to check your brain at the door. It's just these kinds of concessions that truly show the "magic" of the anime. Recommended for everyone!

Distributor: Anime Works
Creator: Triangle Staff / Bandai
Released: 1996

Plot: B
Character Design: A
Animation Quality: A+
Music: B
Overall: A