株式会社マジルミエ 第2期

So much fun having this back, great OP and ED too. I love how much this is also a show about software development as much as it's about magical girls. That dude who asked Koshigaya to throw the fight to save her father isn't considering that asking that of a daughter who's been disowned might backfire. Since she immediately discussed it with Kana I assume that's not about to happen. I really should have done a rewatch of S1 for this too but I ran out of time.

Well after watching the new first episode, I preferred Koshigaya's original VA's "gruffier" sound, but I still think this new VA did a decent job filling the role. She's doing a decent job of sounding like Koshigaya even if it sounds like a Yumiri Hanamori impression (which it basically is). I'm sensing Director Koshigaya was so adamantly against Hitomi becoming a magical girl, because he probably saw first hand all the danger they faced. But, his rigid attitude or maybe 'tough love' wasn't able to come through. I'm guessing he experienced the "war" they keep alluding to.

Nice to see the corporate Magical Girls back! With Kana narration about Magical Girls, you know we are BACK with Magilumiere! And back to that Shigemoto meeting that season 1 ended on! The OP is just as cute and fun as season 1’s, as Kana, Koshigaya (now voiced by Mariko Hashiguchi), and their fellow Magical Girls fly together, fight Kaii together, and appear in casual clothes together! There’s even a Shrine Maiden Magical Girl! Short-haired Koshigaya (?)! And Kana trying to reach out to Tsuchiba! Shigemoto is using this meeting regarding how to handle the Kaii Mutations to try to sell people on the Alice Systems and how it will benefit the industry AND the battle against Kaii overall. But the costs and time it takes to implement it just make it impractical for anyone to really invest in, especially when AST’s effectiveness is easier to accept. The Magic Power Chief being vehemently opposed to the Alice System doesn’t help matters. But as it turns out RIMT has a mutated Kaii in hibernation and they’ve been looking for a Magical Girl company to help them research taking it out…so why not give Magilumiere give it a shot? Koga thinks it’s a waste of money so they don’t have to worry about AST, and it’s a sink or swim moment for the Alice System. The Magic Power head is Koshigaya’s dad!? And he’s all but disowned her!? My condolences to the mom who genuinely seems like she misses her daughter when her husband barely acknowledges she even exists and won’t even tell her that she’s currently thriving as a Magical Girl. Burn the sight of Shigemoto in a suit into your retina Kana, you may never see it again if he can help it. Obviously Koshigaya isn’t too bothered by her dad’s behavior towards her, she’s just happy doing her own thing, even if she still cares about him and her family. Luckily she’s got (not) drunk Kannachi to whine about how unfair it is for her! This shady guy trying to get Koshigaya to fail the research experiment is SUPER shady, especially when he insinuates that if the Alice System prevents the easing of magic regulation that her father and AST are spearheading, he’ll be out of a job. Will Koshigaya do her duty as a Magical Girl even if it means screwing over her father? Everyone all hyped/worked up about this research experiment, and getting to work with RIMT’s personal Magical Girl, but Kana can tell when something is up with Koshigaya. Just like she can also see the potential industry benefits of getting Papa Koshigaya out of the way. But that’s why she and Koshigaya are so tight! Koshigaya Papa is so determined to help Magical Girls but he refuses to have his daughter become one of them? I wonder how that logic tracks. Although smol Koshigaya with her natural hair color is utterly adorable. Don’t let the lack of directions, trekking through the mountains, and ramshackle shack fool you, the RIMT research lab is legit! The ED is cute with all the Magical Girls flying together and thinking about eating ramen! Good thing too when the Ramen place is being attacked by Kaii and they all show up in time to deal with it!

I've never really been "into" the Magical Girls genre. Doesn't matter if that's Sailor Moon or Cardcaptor Sakura or any of them. Upon saying that, I do know and understand the basic premise of the style. Magilumiere though, does a really good job of making the style 'realistic" - the difference between a small start up company versus a large corporation, the need to develop operating systems, even on a personal level of trying to find work after leaving college (1st season) I have enjoyed the ride so far. This is the type of show I look for, a "grown up" show that doesn't centre around sex/nudity and gore.

The bureaucratic meeting at the beginning was a little long but the storyline they're setting up is interesting with Hitomi feeling conflicted but I do ultimately think she will want the Alice system test to succeed. I also wonder if Mr. Koshigaya genuinely believes that magic should be less regulated or if he's in the pocket of some powerful people looking to make money. The real world business similarities to this don't seem to be accidental. Kana seemed really suspicious of him and his possible ulterior motives.