492nd G-View: Gushing Over Magical Girls

Let us get right to the point. This anime fulfilled a long dormant desire that was not fulfilled since the likes of Valkyrie Drive Mermaid, sin – Nanatsu no Taizai or even Kandagawa Jet Girls became less common over time. An eagerness to see animated stories about girls craving each other sexually with fewer restraints than usual. This scratched that itch but was it more than long overdue naughty Yuri goodness? Let us find out as we take a look at Gushing Over Magical Girls.

WARNING! This show features content not suitable for viewers under the age of 18 or, to put it bluntly, strong morals or dislike of ecchi media. Viewer discretion is advised.

Alternate Titles:

• Mahou Shoujo ni Akogarate (JP)
• I Admire Magical Girls and… (EN title 2)
• Looking Up to Magical Girls! (EN title 3)

Genres: Action, Drama (sort of), Comedy, Ecchi, Magical Girl, Yuri

Themes: BDSM

Number of Episodes: 13

G-Rating: 9/10

Plot Summary: Utena Hiiragi is a very shy girl but also hardcore fangirl of the magical girl group Tres Magia. One day a mysterious creature notices this strong admiration and offers her the chance to become just like her heroines…The catch is she had become a supervillain against her will. Not only that but her new form and powers slowly awaken something inside Utena she did not know she had…or perhaps did all along.

Gushing is simply put a story about a “Bocchi” who gets superpowers and through them awakens a naughty side that was subconsciously there but nurtured through the power of “eeeeeeviiiiillll”, aka perversion. As her powers grow and becomes naughtier, so too do her “misdeeds” against the heroines but the fascinating thing is despite most of her actions being morally questionable…there is almost never any malicious intent in what our dear anti-heroine does. It is a combination of the reason why she loves magical girls so much and the opportunity to enact her fetishes.

Most of them revolving around bondage. This too has its origin believe it or not. I remember a webcomic called Sunstone that also revolved around BDSM. The thing is, I personally do not get “it” myself and while the comic was good I lost interest over time for several reasons. Not so with Gushing. I still do not understand the appeal of “it” personally but I could at least see why some characters on the show found an inexplicable pleasure at the hands of The Bocchinatrix‘ “torture”. That, and MOST of the scenes were very sexy and exhilarating. I will give credit to Sunstone for helping me understand the more dramatic scenes related to BDSM along with the methods, rules and most importantly difference in intensity. There is a method to Utena’s madness and its reception. It is important to remember them as the story progresses.

Another important thing worth remembering while watching is that behind the naughtiness, behind the epic battles between good and “evil”, behind the backstage scheming and shonen anime/mahou shoujo tropes are young ladies who want to enjoy their lives with people they care about. The chill scenes of the girls hanging out and doing chill stuff are very sweet and a very nice reminder of what I just mentioned. Cute and sexy weirdos on both sides having fun and either helping others or wreaking havoc (intentional or otherwise). Gotta give props to the classic secret identity trope in superhero media. I know how it works by now but I cannot help but chuckle at the fact Tres Magia and Enormita are bitter rival groups yet slowly become homies just because an invisible magic conceal their true identities post-transformation despite them not looking all that different transformed. Thank you Superman. This is also another good use of the “protagonist makes allies better by association” trope.

Back to the mahou shoujo stuff. The battles range from fun to legit badass. Sometimes we forget this is a comedy and get a quick reminder during the fight. While the main draw is what happens after most battles they too are worth watching.

The presentation excels where viewers expect it to. High quality sexiness aplenty. Naturally the show is best enjoyed uncensored (specifically as uncensored as the show could get without getting an NC-17 rating. That will be saved for the Blu-Ray. The soundtrack is a pretty good mix of cool, cute and sensual. Nice OP and ED too. Be sure to pay close attention to the ED in the latter parts of the show.

Time to discuss the main sextet of lovable naughty weirdos starting with the main mahou shoujo team of Tres Magia.

Magia Magenta is the lovable yet naive leader of the team. She enjoys being a role model, especially to children and will do her best to fight the good fight no matter how demeaning the cricumstances.

Magia Sulfur is essentially the “Buttercup” (Powerpuff Girls) of the group. She has a Southern Japanese accent though the HiDive subs went overboard with her trash talk. Despite her no-nonsense attitude she is nowhere near as crass as the subs make her out to be.

Magia Azure is the elegant beauty of the team. Mature, elegant, graceful and an honorable miko. She is also the best character on the show with the best body, best moments, has arguably best arc of the season and was so powerful that only one single solitary thing could outshine her. Readers know it had to be something extremely strong to break her best girl streak.

Admittedly Pink and Yellow do not get as much development as their perfect comrade but they for sure have their moments.

Next up are our anti-heroines who have less reason to hold back their naughtiness, Enormita.

I already talked a lot about Utena and what made her such an awesome and compelling protagonist. Simply put she speaks for the cultured people out there who understand and embrace the truth of anime naughtiness. It is a truth few understand. It is a truth even people in their 50s and beyond have yet to comprehend. There already exists a Utena out there who changed the game forever. This Utena did that for me in 2024.

Korisu is both the “daughter” of the group and the wild card. She is a precious cinnamon muffin who can speak but only when necessary choosing instead to show how she feels. The more she trusts someone the easier she is to understand. That being said there is a reason Utena described her as the most dangerous in her debut performance.

Kiwi is arguably THE star of the show. Although Utena is the game changer Kiwi is an inspiration to us all. Someone who motivates all to follow their dreams and reach for greater heights. When you truly want something and are capable of achieving your goals, be like Kiwi and go for gold. That is all I will say about that. Apart from that she is a gyaru with a sharp tongue but if she likes you is the sweetest peach on the planet.

There are other important characters introduced in the latter half of the show but it is best for viewers to see for themselves. Totally worth it.

All I will say about the Yuri is it must be seen to be believed. Even mentioning anything would lessen its power. It exceeded my expectations. Let me put it that way.

Overall Gushing Over Magical Girls exceeded my expectations. I heard the rumblings of how naughty the series was but like my spiritual sister said week after week “I thought I was ready…I was not ready”. That best describes my reactions to most episodes. This show changed me basically. The presentation is at its best where expected. The action scenes are both cool and naughty. The cast of characters are delightful, especially as viewers come to learn more about them, even two particular meanies. I have my own Utena to admire, Kiwi is an inspiration and Blue is perfection. The BDSM and other naughty scenes were quite the spectacle. The Yuri exceeded expectations. Yes, some fetishes were not to my tastes but even the episodes featuring them had their highlights so they were not busts, far from it. As mentioned in the above warning this show is mainly recommended to viewers who embrace quality ecchi Yuri goodness. Not for everyone but if you can take it, I say go for it.

Add this to the ever growing pile of “Needs Season 2” Yuri anime.