Kara Dennison
May 11, 2025 
What do we think of when we think of magical girls? It depends on the era. Some might imagine magically gifted helpers doing favors, and possibly making (and fixing) comical mistakes. Others might imagine a post-Sailor Moon superhero, balancing monster-fighting with daily obligations. Either way, they probably wouldn’t imagine heroines who steal from their allies and verbally abuse the people who need their help. And yet, both have happened in Maebashi Witches so far.
This cute and colorful new series may not be as grim as Princess Tutu or Madoka Magica, but it does have hidden depths. Its five colorfully-clad heroines make wishes come true with their music, yes. But they also exhibit major character flaws and make huge mistakes. Is that a bad thing? Absolutely not. If anything, it’s stacking up to tell a compelling story about growing up, learning from mistakes, and making our own wishes come true.
Shades of Grey
The five heroines of Maebashi Witches each have their own vibe. Well-meaning Yuina dreams of being trendy and chases down cute vibes. Standoffish Azu is also fashion-forward, but highly judgmental of others. Calm, stable Kyoka is mature and down-to-earth. Choco rivals Yuina in her extroversion, giving everyone cute nicknames. And Mai, though initially also seeming rather judgmental, has a more diplomatic approach to any arguments that break out.
These aren’t the huge swings of characterization that many series take, where each character has a wildly different niche they fill. If anything, the Witches seem to start out in camps: Yuina and Choco vs. Mai and Azu, with Kyoka abstaining courteously. Most shows in this vein would seek to quickly establish fanbases for each girl. But we come in knowing nothing about anyone except Yuina. And those discoveries make up this show.
Making Mistakes
At the start of Maebashi Witches, we have one fact at our disposal: these girls want to be witches. But why? What does each of them hold so dear that magic is essential? That’s what we learn as the series progresses, with stories that roll out across multiple episodes. Azu is the first under the microscope, kicking off one of the group’s first jobs by insulting a plus-size model. The reasons for this become clear very quickly, as do Azu’s reasons for misconstruing the customer’s wish. When the time finally comes to sing her song, Rinko has made new realization about herself—and about her right to respect from the people around her.
Mai comes next, with the story’s customer being someone quite close to her. As with Azu, Mai does some frankly heinous things. But rather than being outright cruel to a stranger, Mai puts the Witches’ shop in danger. As this story comes to a close, things don’t end quite as Mai wanted them to. But, just as Azu learned that everyone has a right to view themselves different, Mai learns that she cannot force her own desires on others.
Ups and Downs
The danger of telling stories about imperfect characters is that it’s easy to get things wrong. Simply by spotlighting an issue, you run the risk of messing up. Maybe you’re trying to speak from a perspective you don’t have. Or perhaps trying to condense such a big issue into a 23-minute episode means you have to skim over a lot of nuance. It’s a risky business to tackle serious problems—but it’s worthwhile.
Is Maebashi Witches perfect in its assessments of the issues it takes on? Of course not. One anime can’t alter society in a handful of episodes. But it can make a start. Whether or not this show will work for you will depend largely on your experiences with the subjects they tackle. Deep down, though, it’s a show that tries, even if it stumbles. And, more than anything, it entertains the idea that well-meaning people can make mistakes, actions can be both understandable and wrong, and what matters is getting up and trying again.
