Magical Girl Special Ops Asuka: A deep look into the fascinating story and characters

Magical Girl Special Ops Asuka - A Story of Profound Battle

The 2019 TV anime series Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka was based on the manga by Fukami Makoto and Tokiya Seigo, and aired for 12 episodes every Saturday at 2:25am on TBS and BS-TBS. The anime is set in a world where science and magic intersect, and depicts magical girls throwing themselves into a battle for the survival of humanity.

story

The story of "Magical Girl Special Ops Asuka" begins with the reunion of humanity with the world of magic, forgotten due to the development of science. However, this reunion was by no means peaceful. Monsters invading from the underworld neutralized many of the current weapons, and the fate of humanity was hanging by a thread. Meanwhile, with the help of the Spirit Environment Treaty Organization, which was also suffering from the underworld, humanity gets a desperate shot at recovery in the form of magical girls. With their powerful magical powers in hand, the girls lead humanity to victory, despite suffering many wounds both physically and mentally, and finally end the war. However, even that was just the beginning of a new battle. International crime, indiscriminate terrorism, civil war, conflict... The battle of magical girls is not over.

Commentary

"Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka" began airing in January 2019 on the Animeism block on MBS, TBS, CBC, and BS-TBS. The director was Hideyo Yamamoto, the series was written by Makoto Fukami and Norimitsu Kaihou, the character design was by Yoko Suzuki, and the animation was produced by LIDEN FILMS. This work is characterized by its profound themes and realistic battle depictions that transcend the magical girl genre.

cast

The voice actors for the main characters are as follows:

• Asuka Otorii - Aya Suzaki
• Dream Source Walnut - Akira Sekine
• Mia Cyrus - Eriko Matsui
• Tamara Volkova - M.A.O.
• Lau Pei-Pei - Yoko Hikasa
• Yonamine Chisato - Taketatsu Ayana
• Nozomi Makino - Rie Takahashi
• Sayako Haneda - Chinami Hashimoto
• Yoshiaki Iizuka - Kenji Mura
• Satchu - Kikuchi Kokoro

Main Staff

The following staff members were involved in the production of "Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka".

• Director: Hideyo Yamamoto
• Series Composition - Makoto Fukami, Norimitsu Kaihou
• Character design - Yoko Suzuki
• Sub-character design: Cindy H. Yamauchi, Kazuko Hayakawa
• Firearms Design - Yoshihiro Ujiie
• Prop design - Haruo Miyagawa
• Art Director: Takahiro Takahashi (Atelier Rook 07)
• Art setting - Masaaki Kawaguchi (Atelier Roku 07)
• Color design - Ryoko Oka
• Director of photography - Junpei Takatsu
• Assistant Director of Photography: Teppei Sato (Asahi Productions)
• Edited by Mai Hasegawa (Edits)
• Sound Director - Miwa Iwanami
• Music - R.O.N
• Animation production: LIDEN FILMS

Main Characters

The main characters of "Magical Girl Special Ops Asuka" are as follows:

• Otorii Asuka - Magical Girl Rapture☆Asuka. One of the "Legendary Five" who survived the Dystonia War three years ago. She is unrivaled in close-quarters magical combat. She was traumatized during the war and is trying to distance herself from rough situations.
• Mugen Kurumi - Magical Girl War Nurse Kurumi. She is one of the "Legendary Five" who survived and won the Dystonia War three years ago. She is Asuka's best friend and admires her. She is in charge of medical care, interrogation, and torture for the magical girls.
• Mia Cyrus - Magical Girl Just Cause☆Mia. One of the "Legendary Five" who survived and won the Dystonia War three years ago. She is skilled in gunfights. She is a member of the US Army's Joint Special Operations Command. She has a strong and unhesitant personality.
• Tamara Volkova - Magical Girl Phoenix☆Tamara. She is one of the "Legendary Five" who survived the Dystonia War three years ago. She is currently a member of the Russian army. She acts cool, but sometimes her face relaxes in front of cute people. She is good at fire magic in battle.
• Lau Pei-Pei - Magical Girl Two-Headed Dragon ☆ Pei-Pei. One of the "Legendary Five" who survived and won the Dystonia War three years ago. She is skilled in hand-to-hand combat using magical nunchucks, but her whereabouts became unknown after the war.
• Yonamine Chisato - A girl from Okinawa with dark, hollow eyes. She lost her mother and her right leg in a traffic accident. She had been learning karate, but her dream was shattered and she now lives in a wheelchair. She is abused by her father on a daily basis.
• Makino Nozomi - Asuka's classmate. A lively girl on the track and field team. She often spends time with fellow classmate Sayako. She was the first to speak to Asuka, who was isolated in class. Her father works in the Foreign Affairs Intelligence Division of the Public Security Bureau.
• Sayako Haneda - Asuka's classmate. She is timid and withdrawn, but admires the magical girls who fight for the people. She is a bookworm who belongs to the literature club. She is good friends with her classmate Nozomi.

subtitle

The subtitles for each episode are as follows:

• Episode 1 - The Return of the Magical Girl
• Episode 2 - Everyday life and comrades
• Episode 3 - A Worse War
• Episode 4 - Babel Brigade - Combat Begins
• Episode 5 - A very practical solution
• Episode 6 - When You Wish Upon a Star
• Episode 7 - Magical Girl Special Warfare Development Unit
• Episode 8 - She'll Surely Become a Wonderful Magical Girl
• Episode 9 - The Lid of Hell
• Episode 10 - Deadly Battles
• Episode 11 - Magical Girls and the Beautiful World
• Episode 12 - If this battle ends

Theme songs and music

The opening and ending themes are as follows:

• OP - KODO
• Lyricist: Mami Kawada
• Composer: Tomoyuki Nakazawa
• Arranged by: Tomoyuki Nakazawa and Takeshi Ozaki
• Song - nonoc
• ED - REBEL FLAG
• Lyricist: MARIA
• Composed by: toku
• Arrangement - GARNiDELiA
• Song - GARNiDELiA

Evaluation and Impressions

"Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka" is a work that features profound themes and realistic battle depictions that transcend the magical girl genre. The world view where science and magic intersect will give viewers a fresh surprise. It also depicts profound themes such as the cruelty of war, post-war trauma, and the challenge of new battles. In particular, the growth and conflicts of the characters of the "Legendary Five," including the main character Asuka, deeply move viewers' hearts.

The quality of the animation produced by LIDEN FILMS is also high, and the intensity of the battle scenes and the beauty of the character designs are stunning. In particular, the emphasis on gun and prop design sets it apart from other magical girl anime. In addition, the use of sound effects and background music by sound director Yoshikazu Iwanami is exquisite, playing a role in enhancing the emotions of the viewer.

The theme songs are also important elements that enhance the worldview of the work. nonoc's "KODO" is impressive with its powerful singing voice and rhythm, and symbolizes the battles of the magical girls. Meanwhile, GARNiDELiA's "REBEL FLAG" features a beautiful melody that evokes the silence and hope after the battle. These songs help viewers to become more immersed in the story.

Recommended points

"Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka" is a breath of fresh air into the magical girl genre, featuring profound themes and realistic battle depictions. It has been particularly praised for its portrayal of profound themes such as the cruelty of war, post-war trauma, and the challenge of new battles. Other highlights include high-quality animation by LIDEN FILMS, sound effects by Miwa Iwanami, and theme songs by nonoc and GARNiDELiA.

This work is recommended not only for those who like magical girl anime, but also for those who want to enjoy deep themes and are interested in realistic battle depictions. In particular, please pay attention to the growth and conflicts of the characters of the "Legendary Five," including the main character Asuka. I'm sure it will deeply move you.

Related information

The original work of "Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka" is a manga by Fukami Makoto and Tokiya Seigo, published by SQUARE ENIX. Even after the anime ended, a sequel to the original manga was announced, which became a hot topic among fans. In addition, official merchandise and character song CDs have also been released, which is good news for fans.

Furthermore, in 2020, a spin-off of "Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka" called "Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka -Another Story-" was announced. This work depicts the story from a different perspective than the original, bringing out new charms. If you're interested, be sure to check it out.

"Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka" is characterized by its profound themes and realistic battle depictions that transcend the magical girl genre. It depicts profound themes such as a world view where science and magic intersect, the cruelty of war, post-war trauma, and the challenge of new battles. In particular, the growth and conflicts of the characters of the "Legendary Five," including the protagonist Asuka, strongly move the hearts of viewers. The quality of the animation produced by LIDEN FILMS is also high, and the power of the battle scenes and the beauty of the character designs are stunning. In addition, the use of sound effects and background music by sound director Miwa Iwanami is exquisite, playing a role in enhancing the emotions of the viewer. The theme songs are also important elements that enhance the world view of the work, and nonoc's "KODO" and GARNiDELiA's "REBEL FLAG" help viewers to immerse themselves deeply in the story. This work is recommended not only for those who like magical girl anime, but also for those who want to enjoy deep themes and are interested in realistic battle depictions. Pay particular attention to the growth and struggles of the characters, including the main character Asuka, and the "Legendary Five." It will surely deeply move you. Related information includes sequels and spin-offs of the original manga, as well as official merchandise and character song CDs, which is great news for fans. If you're interested, be sure to check them out.