The appeal and evaluation of Magical Girl Corps ARS: An invitation to a new magical world

Magical Girl Troop Ars - A unique worldview and a challenging production style

"Magical Girl Corps ARS", which aired from 2004 to 2005, was the first full-scale TV series produced by STUDIO4℃, and its unique worldview and challenging production style made it a hot topic. The original work was created by science fiction artist Keita Amemiya, and his sophisticated designs and surreal worldview give it a charm that sets it apart from conventional magical girl anime. In this article, we will take a detailed look at the story, characters, production background, and appeal of "Magical Girl Corps ARS". We will also introduce related works and recommended points, so please read to the end.

story

The story of Magical Girls Troop Ars begins when an 11-year-old girl named Ars suddenly appears one day in a forest she has never seen before. There, she finds herself in a mysterious situation where she is gazed upon by a fairy-like creature and attacked from the sky by a witch on a broom. In fact, until that morning, Ars was just an ordinary girl attending boring classes in a classroom at school. She loved to open the "Book to Become a Wizard" (True Grimoire) that her father gave her and let her imagination run wild, and she longed for magic. However, due to a sudden event, Ars and the fairy are captured by the witch and locked in a fairy capture facility.

Apprentice witches Sheila and Eva appear there. They are surprised that humans exist in the magical world, but Ars gradually begins to realize that he is also in the real magical world. Ars sympathizes with the captured fairies and releases them from their cages without knowing the circumstances. This brings the magical world to its greatest crisis, and Sheila and Eva, who have been cursed by the Grand Master of the Witch World to never grow up as punishment, set out with Ars into the magical world on a mission to capture every last fairy.

Commentary

"Magical Girl Corps ARS" is STUDIO4℃'s first full-scale TV series, and the background to its production was full of many challenges. Keita Amemiya, who was in charge of the original work, is an artist who has worked on sci-fi works such as "Tekkouki Mikazuki" and "Zeiram", and his unique designs and surreal worldview are the major attractions of this work. In particular, the detailed construction of the magical world and witty plot distinguish it from conventional magical girl anime, and perfectly demonstrate STUDIO4℃'s challenging attitude.

This work also uses a production style called "actor recording" (Actor Recording). This is a method in which the voice actors' performances are recorded first and then the screen is created to match, making the most of the voice actors' free acting. This method successfully brought out the unique characteristics of the characters and created a new impact on the screen. According to the official website of STUDIO4℃, this production style is a major feature of this work, and it is said to have provided viewers with a fresh surprise.

cast

The main cast of "Magical Girl Corps Ars" is as follows:

• Ars: Sachiko Kojima
• Sheila: Houko Kuwashima
• Eva: Ryo Hirohashi
• Atelier: Atsuko Tanaka
• Grandmaster: Ryoko Kurumiya

These voice actors bring excitement to the story with their performances that make the most of the individuality of each character. In particular, Sachiko Kojima, who plays Ars, captured the hearts of viewers with her skillful portrayal of the purity and strong will of an 11-year-old girl. Additionally, Houko Kuwashima, who plays Sheila, and Ryo Hirohashi, who plays Eva, realistically portrayed the growth and conflicts of apprentice witches, adding depth to the story.

Main Staff

Many staff members were involved in the production of "Magical Girl Corps Ars." Below are the main staff members:

• Planning: Tohokushinsha
• Planning, original story: Keita Amemiya
• Director: Yoshiharu Ashino
• Series composition and script: Shinji Ohara
• Character design, world design: Daisuke Nakayama
• Color design: Tomoko Washida
• CGI Supervision: Akiko Saito
• CGI Director: Mayu Ito, Takuma Sakamoto
• Director of photography: Goseki Hisashi
• Sound Director: Keiichiro Miyoshi
• Sound Production: Tohokushinsha
• Music: Tamiya Terashima
• Music producer: Teruhisa Tanaka
• Music Production: Rentrak Japan, Dentsu Music & Entertainment, Inspire Holdings
• Line Producer: Hiroto Yonemori
• Animation producers: Eiko Tanaka, Hiroshi Kasagi
• Producers: Wataru Tanaka, Rika Tsurusaki, Shinjiro Yokoyama, Hiroyuki Hattori, Shinsaku Tanaka
• Executive Producers: Kiyotaka Ninomiya, Yuji Shimamoto, Eiko Tanaka
• Animation production: STUDIO 4℃
• Produced by: Sogo Vision
• Produced by: Magical Girl Team Project (Tohokushinsha, Dentsu, Beyond C.)

Thanks to the cooperation of these staff members, Magical Girl Corps ARS has achieved a unique worldview and a challenging production style. In particular, the collaboration between Keita Amemiya's original work and Yoshiharu Ashino's direction has maximized the appeal of the work. In addition, the sophisticated visuals of Daisuke Nakayama, who was in charge of character design and world view design, are also a major feature of this work.

Main Characters

The main characters of "Magical Girl Corps Ars" are as follows:

• Ars: An imaginative 11-year-old girl. She believed that magic made people happy, but when she found out that magic was actually made possible by the sacrifice of fairies, she tried to change the magical world.
• Sheila: The leader of the apprentice witches. In order to become a full-fledged witch, she serves as the director of discipline and reluctantly takes care of Ars, who came from the human world. She has a stronger sense of responsibility than most, and is strict with herself and others.
• Eva: A kind-hearted apprentice witch who works with Sheila. She supports the two of them while being caught between the free-spirited Ars and the serious Sheila. She believes that she has no talent as a witch.

Although these characters each have different backgrounds and personalities, they are depicted growing towards a common goal. In particular, Ars' purity and strong will move the audience. In addition, Sheila and Eva's struggles and growth as apprentice witches also add depth to the story.

subtitle

"Magical Girl Corps Ars" consists of 40 episodes, each with a subtitle:

• Destiny 1/Witch's Country
• Destiny 2: One Hundred Fairies
• Destiny3/Magic Broom
• Destiny4/Fairy Eku
• Destiny 5/Spells
• Destiny6/Griffin's Feather
• Destiny7/Pisuki's Fang
• Destiny8/Port of Departure
• Destiny9/Witch Test
• Destiny 10/Hydra Attack
• Destiny 11/Witch Tradition
• Destiny12/Happy Birthday
• Destiny13/Demon Sigma
• Destiny14/Sheila's Lost
• Destiny15/Cursed Magic
• Destiny16/Eva's Courage
• Destiny 17/Infiltration! Demon world
• Destiny18/True Wizard
• Destiny19: Desperate Situation
• Destiny20/Magical Girl Squad
• Destiny21/Otherdimensional Ocean
• Destiny22/Pirate Lennon
• Destiny23/The Traitorous Witch
• Destiny24/Light of Hope
• Destiny25/Suspicion
• Destiny26/Shards of Hearts
• Destiny 27/Omen of Destruction
• Destiny28/All-Out Attack
• Destiny29/True Grimoire
• Destiny30/Lennon's true identity
• Destiny31/Sad Feelings
• Destiny32/What is truly important to protect
• Destiny33/Daddy is alive
• Destiny34/Promise
• Destiny35/Collapse
• Destiny36/Escape
• Destiny37/The End
• Destiny38/Black Magic
• Destiny39/The Magic of Light
• Destiny40/Hope

These subtitles symbolize the development of the story and the growth of the characters, helping to immerse the viewer in the story. In particular, the titles of each episode begin with "Destiny," emphasizing the fateful journey of Ars and his friends.

Related Titles

The following works are related to "Magical Girl Corps Ars":

• Magical Girl Corps Ars THE ADVENTURE

"Magical Girl Corps ARS THE ADVENTURE" delves deeper into the story of the main series, depicting the new adventures of ARS and friends. This work also inherits STUDIO4℃'s unique worldview and challenging production style, making it a must-see for fans.

Theme songs and music

The ending theme for "Magical Girl Corps Ars" is as follows:

• ED1: DuDiDuWa*lalala
• Lyricist: KOTOKO
• Composer: Atsuhiko Nakatsubo, KOTOKO
• Arrangement: Atsuhiko Nakatsubo
• Sung by: KOTOKO

This ending theme features KOTOKO's powerful voice and Atsuhiko Nakatsubo's catchy melody, which enhances the atmosphere of the story. In particular, the lyrics symbolize the adventure and growth of Ars and his friends, deeply moving the audience.

Recommended points

"Magical Girl Troop Ars" is an attractive work with its unique worldview and challenging production style. Below are some points that we would particularly like to recommend it for.

• Unique worldview: Keita Amemiya's sophisticated design and surreal worldview set this series apart from other magical girl anime. The detailed construction of the magical world and witty plot have the power to draw viewers in.
• Challenging production style: The production style of actor recording is used to make the most of the voice actors' free acting, which successfully creates a new impact on the screen.
• Character Growth: The three characters, Ars, Sheila, and Eva, each have different backgrounds and personalities, but they are depicted growing together toward a common goal. In particular, Ars' purity and strong will move the audience.
• Ending Theme: The ending theme, featuring KOTOKO's powerful voice and Atsuhiko Nakatsubo's catchy melody, adds to the atmosphere of the story. The lyrics also symbolize the adventure and growth of Ars and his friends, deeply moving the viewer.

Above, we have explained in detail the story, characters, production background, and appeal of "Magical Girl Corps Ars". This work is attractive for its unique world view and challenging production style, and will provide viewers with fresh surprises. Please give it a watch.