While it might not have had the motion that Frieren and Kusuriya had, Mahoako was a force to be reckoned with in its own right. Delivering banger after banger episode, solid animation and levels of degeneracy that I didn’t even think were possible in a TV anime, this show was simply amazing. I was a fan of the manga coming into it, but they took that and elevated the source material to new heights, adding in anime original scenes and getting a fantastic cast of seiyuus to do this one.
Contrary to popular belief, *cough cough* Anime News Network, this isn’t a “pedobait anime.” For one, they’re not real people. For two, that’s minimising an actually really well written cast. Yes, there’s a lot of erotic content with the girls, but there’s actually a whole lot more to the story than that. Mahoako is as much a story of sexual exploration and liberation and cute girls doing cute things as it is an erotica fan service anime. Utena, the MC starts out as a shy reserved girl with no friends or outlet to express herself emotionally. After becoming Magia Baiser we see her gradually evolve and gain the confidence to be herself around other people. Baiser is very much the personification of Utena’s repressed sexual urges and personality. When transformed, she’s able to be herself and act on her fantasies without fear of being judged. Through the “tortures” that she inflicts on the Tres Magia, we get insight into her deepest desires and fears. The biggest desire of which being control, Utena desires to have some form of control over her life. Up until gaining her powers, she was kind of a passenger in her own life. Now she has the ability to be an active force and take things into her own hands. Without getting into too much detail, we also see the other enormita members who get introduced doing the same things. Their transformed selves represent their deepest desires and their ideal versions of themselves. While we see the erotica content and get excited, and it is good don’t get me wrong, it’s not just about titties and spankings. There is an actual significance to the methods used in the tortures and it usually has the effect of bringing the characters closer. Just like a real BDSM relationship can.
I could really go into way more detail about the psychological aspects of this series and how much deeper it is, but the gist I want to get across is that this is not just a erotica and horny show. There’s actual reasoning for why the characters engage in the behaviour, so don’t just let the tags put you off.
Speaking of characters, the cast in this is amazing. It’s got so many diverse personalities and motivations. What the story really excels at is the normal slice of life moments between them all. Honestly, as the season went on, I was more excited to just see Utena, Kiwi and Korisu hang out and do stupid stuff together. Likewise for the Tres Magia trio. During these moments we get nice glimpses into the insecurities of the characters and learn just what it is they want out of life. The series balances the fanservice with those moments so well, not overwhelming with one or the other.
The animation ranges from solid to really good in the show. Fight scenes are well done and of course the erotica moments are incredible, especially in the uncensored version. I actually like the anime art better than the manga art as the manga is censored, so rare case when an erotica anime is better than the source.
This being one of the best anime ever made isn’t a joke. It genuinely is. It’s equal parts arousing as it is wholesome and calming. It knows what it is, doesn’t shy away from it and fully embraces it. Something that’s become a lost art in these days. One of the best female casts and probably my 2nd fave Mahou Shoujo story.
Mahoako gets a very easy 10, out of 10
