17th G-View: Magic Knight Rayearth

Have you ever watched a show that when you first heard the theme song, you immediately became entranced by it? How about watching a show that feels like an epic and unforgettable RPG experience? A show that has cliched characters, yet delivers enough depth that cliche matters not in the least? A show that is both epic and glorious at the same time?  A show that left you wanting more and….sort of delivered? Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Magic Knight Rayearth G-View.

Related anime:
Magic Knight Rayearth 2 (TV 2) (1995-04-10 to 1995-11-27, sequel)
Rayearth (OAV) (1997-07-25, alternate retelling)

Alternative title:
Guerreiras Mágicas de Rayearth (Portuguese)
Las Guerreras Mágicas (Spanish)
Magic Knight Rayearth – La saga di Sephiro (Italian)
Rayearth
Rayearth’s magiska riddare (Swedish)
Taikasoturit
Una porta socchiusa ai confini del sole (Italian)
Wojowniczki z Krainy Marzeń (Polish)
Genres: adventure, fantasy
Themes: magic, magical girl
Objectionable content: Significant (bloody violence and/or swearing and/or nudity)
Number of Episodes: 20
G-Rating: 10/10

Hikaru Shidou (獅堂 光, Shidō Hikaru)  is an eighth-grade girl, small for her age and often teased for her “boyishness.” She is headstrong, determined and loyal.

Umi Ryuuzaki (龍咲 海, Ryūzaki Umi)  is the only child of a rich family. She is quick-tempered and at first uncaring, though perhaps the best-suited for the task at hand, but is also the most reluctant.

Fuu Hououji (鳳凰寺 風, Hōōji Fū)  is the voice of reason. She is also highly intelligent, though tends to state the obvious. She often has moments where she doubts herself, but ends up coming out strong in the end.

As mentioned above, this show feels like you’re watching a classic RPG game. Every element of this show screams RPG. Heck, during one of the early episodes, Fuu comments on how their adventure is like being inside a RPG game. The main heroines are your classic bunch. You’ve got the trustworthy, brave, yet rather naive Hikaru. The Tsundere, turn super badass Umi and the lovable, brainy and polite Fuu. Each of the 3 heroines is awesome in their own ways and are for the most part, unforgettable.
The plot is your classic, save the world from total destruction by traveling to temples and awakening ancient superpower to help our heroines combat a great evil. However, this show does have a surprise twist as well, so don’t expect a typical star to finish journey. There is one huge surprise that even if you figure out the truth before it’s revealed, you’ll still be shocked by the revelation.
The animation is old school as you can see from the poster. Still, Umi is cute enough to get my attention and be my favorite not just because of her looks. As mentioned earlier, the music fits the show perfectly and the Opening Song is just plain epic. It pumps me up and gives me the urge to cheer for the lovely trio of teenagers out to save the world.
The action sequences rarely disappoint. Some fights are slow, but they have a good reason for being slow, so be patient during some fights and you’ll be rewarded for your patience. Don’t worry though, not all battles are slow. I’d say about 10% of them.

All in all, you can tell from my review that I highly recommend this anime to fans of the action-adventure genre. For its time, it is truly a glorious spectacle of majestic proportions and one of my all time favorite anime.
You’ll laugh, you’ll feel sad and sometimes perplexed, but most of all, a desire for more.

P.S. : There is of course a 2nd season. for those of you who wish to hear my thoughts on that season, stay tuned to find out…eventually. I still have to finish watching it.