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A Magical Girl Retires
A millennial turned magical girl must combat climate change and credit card debt in this delightful, witty, and wildly imaginative ode to magical girl manga.
Twenty-nine, depressed, and drowning in credit card debt after losing her job during the pandemic, a millennial woman decides to end her troubles by jumping off Seoul’s Mapo Bridge.
But her suicide attempt is interrupted by a girl dressed all in white—her guardian angel. Ah Roa is a clairvoyant magical girl on a mission to find the greatest magical girl of all time. And our protagonist just may be that special someone.
But the young woman’s initial excitement turns to frustration when she learns being a magical girl in real life is much different than how it’s portrayed in stories. It isn’t just destiny—it’s work. Magical girls go to job fairs, join trade unions, attend classes. And for this magical girl there are no special powers and no great perks, and despite being magical, she still battles with low self-esteem. Her magic wand . . . is a credit card—which she must use to defeat a terrifying threat that isn’t a monster or an intergalactic war. It’s global climate change. Because magical girls need to think about sustainability, too.
Park Seolyeon reimagines classic fantasy tropes in a novel that explores real-world challenges that are both deeply personal and universal: the search for meaning and the desire to do good in a world that feels like it’s ending. A fun, fast-paced, and enchanting narrative that sparkles thanks to award-nominated translator Anton Hur, A Magical Girl Retires reminds us that we are all magical girls—that fighting evil by moonlight and winning love by daylight can be anyone's game.
Translated from the Korean by Anton Hur
Twenty-nine, depressed, and drowning in credit card debt after losing her job during the pandemic, a millennial woman decides to end her troubles by jumping off Seoul’s Mapo Bridge.
But her suicide attempt is interrupted by a girl dressed all in white—her guardian angel. Ah Roa is a clairvoyant magical girl on a mission to find the greatest magical girl of all time. And our protagonist just may be that special someone.
But the young woman’s initial excitement turns to frustration when she learns being a magical girl in real life is much different than how it’s portrayed in stories. It isn’t just destiny—it’s work. Magical girls go to job fairs, join trade unions, attend classes. And for this magical girl there are no special powers and no great perks, and despite being magical, she still battles with low self-esteem. Her magic wand . . . is a credit card—which she must use to defeat a terrifying threat that isn’t a monster or an intergalactic war. It’s global climate change. Because magical girls need to think about sustainability, too.
Park Seolyeon reimagines classic fantasy tropes in a novel that explores real-world challenges that are both deeply personal and universal: the search for meaning and the desire to do good in a world that feels like it’s ending. A fun, fast-paced, and enchanting narrative that sparkles thanks to award-nominated translator Anton Hur, A Magical Girl Retires reminds us that we are all magical girls—that fighting evil by moonlight and winning love by daylight can be anyone's game.
Translated from the Korean by Anton Hur
147 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 10, 2022
472 people are currently reading
24202 people want to read
About the author
Park Seolyeon
8 books109 followersPark Seolyeon (1989-) is a South Korean novelist. She made her literary debut in 2015 when her short story “Mikimauseu keulleob” (미키마우스 클럽 The Mickey Mouse Club) won the Silcheon Munhak New Writer’s Award. In 2018, she won the 23rd Hankyoreh Literature Award with the novel Chegongnyeo gangjuryong (체공녀 강주룡 Kang Juryong, the Woman in the Air). She uses love and the voices of the underprivileged, such as women, the elderly, and sexual minorities, who are excluded and hidden from society, as the subject of her works.
박서련(1989~)은 한국의 소설가다. 2015년 단편으로 신인상을 받으며 작품활동을 시작했다. 2018년 장편으로 제23회 한겨레문학상을 수상했다. 작가는 여성, 노인, 성소수자 등 배제되고 은폐되는 약자의 목소리를 사랑을 매개로 작품의 주제로 삼고 있다.
박서련(1989~)은 한국의 소설가다. 2015년 단편으로 신인상을 받으며 작품활동을 시작했다. 2018년 장편으로 제23회 한겨레문학상을 수상했다. 작가는 여성, 노인, 성소수자 등 배제되고 은폐되는 약자의 목소리를 사랑을 매개로 작품의 주제로 삼고 있다.
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November 18, 2024
<EPIC MOVIE TRAILER VOICE>: “Climate crisis is ravaging the planet as growing class divides plunge countless youths into debt. But a new hero will arise..armed with a magical credit card and the spirit of collective action…”
***SPARKLE FLASH FANFARE SPARKLE***
⭐️⭐️ ITS MAGIC GIRL! ⭐️⭐️
Two years too late to pull off Jane Austen’s “no money no prospects” line, too far in credit card debt to see a way out, and too deeply depressed to hope for a future, a woman is brought back from the brink when she discovers she is Korea’s newest Magical Girl. She might also be the only chance to save the planet but in a world where ‘magical girls exist because justice does not,’ she’ll need the help of all the magical girls who have now unionized and readied themselves for battle. Park Seolyeon’s wild and whimsical A Magical Girl Retires harnesses the spirit of Sailor Moon declaring herself the “Champion of Justice '' for a humorous yet scathing story of wielding great power in the name of social and environmental justice. Expertly translated by the one and only Anton Hur—I strongly advise reading anything they translate—and with gorgeous illustrations by Sanho Kim, this charming novel is also a blistering critique on societal ills, the struggles against predatory men and predatory capitalism, and climate change for a joyous book that is as magical as the girls within it.
‘Way to tell the whole world that a corner of my mind is forever colonized by my credit card debt.’
Drawing on the long, beloved history of the Magical Girl genre, Park Seolyeon works some magic of her own here that fans of shows like Madoka Magica or Sailor Moon are sure to love. It is a short book being just under 150pgs, but the limited length makes the story really move in quick burst like an episode of an anime as each plot point snaps along in rapid succession, quickly wrapping up the context and first act before giving a few quick scenes that bring in some action and a villain and it all wraps up before bedtime. It’s so fun.
‘A desperate hope would present a magic girl with a path toward awakening her powers. In an act of balance the universe conferred power on those who had the least, and that was why magical girls existed.’
Restoring balance is often a theme in epic adventure fantasies and here we find that to be directly pointing towards social justice issues. A Magical Girl Retires is a zany good time yet has quite the grit and social consciousness to it, honing in on issues of misogyny in South Korea such as violence against women, gender inequality problems like having the worst gender pay gap amongst OECD countries, or a troubling wave of anti-feminist political sentiment. It’s the sort of issues addressed in novels such as Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo but housed in a story both upbeat and offbeat that makes it impossible to put down. Still we are shown how magical girls tend to discover their powers due to tragedy and in response to danger, and that weighs heavy over the wonderment of these character’s gifts. If these gifts were granted due to the dangers from humanity, would it be understandable if a girl would not want use them to save humanity?
'The first battle a magical girl must fight is a fight to save herself.'
The story kicks off when the clairvoyant magical girl (and possible love interest) Ah Roa predicts our narrator is a key to solving the climate crisis issue. Here, however, becoming a magical girl isn’t just a fun transformation and fighting crime to save the community but--okay well yea it is that but here it is also about community and collective action because they have a full fledged Union. To our narrators surprised she is whisked away to a world of classes and conferences on social justice and fighting climate change and still doesn’t know what her special ability is. It’s a fun romp but also confronts a lot of issues of insecurity, wondering if maybe all she wants is to ‘pay off my credit card bills and go back to college’, and worrying maybe all she has done by entering this world is she ‘dared try on shoes too big for my feet.’
‘A magical Girl Who pays the price.’
The story takes dead aim at the ways society is structured and how that is failing us through the rather ingenious set-up of the girl who becomes, essentially, the antagonist (though the narrator still can’t harbor too much ill will for her because ‘sure she was a little extreme but she was living by her own convictions.’) It is a comical criticism on the belief in capitalism coupled with a resistance of government funding, regulation, aid, or equitable economic planning (topics brought up quite regularly when discussing combatting climate change) essentially puts society at the mercy of those wealthy enough to be in power. ‘All we can do is hope for the goodwill of the one blessed with such power,’ they say and it is a bleak outlook here. It also mocks the ways people who criticize those fighting for social justice or against predatory capitalism tend to use insult like “greedy” or “freeloader” with the villain making statements such as ‘How much nicer do you want me to be? Aren’t you being a little greedy asking for more?’ for not simply murdering everyone. Yet those with wealth have only taken it from the labor of others but hold power against them.
I love the way that, contextually, this book is dealing with magic powers and saving the world but is also just a well orchestrated metaphor for capitalism, labor struggles and the plight of the poor. It’s pretty on the nose in a great satirical way and had me laughing along the whole way, especially the very "capitalist" type solutions that present where 'I can only do what I do if I can afford to do it,' and even then the solution is aimed more at affordability over efficiency where the solution comes ' in the most reasonable and cheapest way possible.'
‘The past, the present, the future. Magical girl of time, transform!’
A Magical Girl Retires is such a little gem of a novella. The story plays with ideas of balance in really interesting and productive ways. It also makes for a well crafted critique on capitalism. The concepts on climate crisis are particularly well done as it centers how the burden will be greater on the youth who will inherit the mess. A Magical Girl Retires is a riotous novel of social justice and, well, magic that takes on a lot of important themes and addresses them in whimsical ways. It certainly worked its magic on me and I hope it does for you as well.
4/5
‘A tale as old as time. The hero who saves the world is always the one who loses their job in the end.’
***SPARKLE FLASH FANFARE SPARKLE***
⭐️⭐️ ITS MAGIC GIRL! ⭐️⭐️
Two years too late to pull off Jane Austen’s “no money no prospects” line, too far in credit card debt to see a way out, and too deeply depressed to hope for a future, a woman is brought back from the brink when she discovers she is Korea’s newest Magical Girl. She might also be the only chance to save the planet but in a world where ‘magical girls exist because justice does not,’ she’ll need the help of all the magical girls who have now unionized and readied themselves for battle. Park Seolyeon’s wild and whimsical A Magical Girl Retires harnesses the spirit of Sailor Moon declaring herself the “Champion of Justice '' for a humorous yet scathing story of wielding great power in the name of social and environmental justice. Expertly translated by the one and only Anton Hur—I strongly advise reading anything they translate—and with gorgeous illustrations by Sanho Kim, this charming novel is also a blistering critique on societal ills, the struggles against predatory men and predatory capitalism, and climate change for a joyous book that is as magical as the girls within it.
‘Way to tell the whole world that a corner of my mind is forever colonized by my credit card debt.’
Drawing on the long, beloved history of the Magical Girl genre, Park Seolyeon works some magic of her own here that fans of shows like Madoka Magica or Sailor Moon are sure to love. It is a short book being just under 150pgs, but the limited length makes the story really move in quick burst like an episode of an anime as each plot point snaps along in rapid succession, quickly wrapping up the context and first act before giving a few quick scenes that bring in some action and a villain and it all wraps up before bedtime. It’s so fun.
‘A desperate hope would present a magic girl with a path toward awakening her powers. In an act of balance the universe conferred power on those who had the least, and that was why magical girls existed.’
Restoring balance is often a theme in epic adventure fantasies and here we find that to be directly pointing towards social justice issues. A Magical Girl Retires is a zany good time yet has quite the grit and social consciousness to it, honing in on issues of misogyny in South Korea such as violence against women, gender inequality problems like having the worst gender pay gap amongst OECD countries, or a troubling wave of anti-feminist political sentiment. It’s the sort of issues addressed in novels such as Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo but housed in a story both upbeat and offbeat that makes it impossible to put down. Still we are shown how magical girls tend to discover their powers due to tragedy and in response to danger, and that weighs heavy over the wonderment of these character’s gifts. If these gifts were granted due to the dangers from humanity, would it be understandable if a girl would not want use them to save humanity?
'The first battle a magical girl must fight is a fight to save herself.'
The story kicks off when the clairvoyant magical girl (and possible love interest) Ah Roa predicts our narrator is a key to solving the climate crisis issue. Here, however, becoming a magical girl isn’t just a fun transformation and fighting crime to save the community but--okay well yea it is that but here it is also about community and collective action because they have a full fledged Union. To our narrators surprised she is whisked away to a world of classes and conferences on social justice and fighting climate change and still doesn’t know what her special ability is. It’s a fun romp but also confronts a lot of issues of insecurity, wondering if maybe all she wants is to ‘pay off my credit card bills and go back to college’, and worrying maybe all she has done by entering this world is she ‘dared try on shoes too big for my feet.’
‘A magical Girl Who pays the price.’
The story takes dead aim at the ways society is structured and how that is failing us through the rather ingenious set-up of the girl who becomes, essentially, the antagonist (though the narrator still can’t harbor too much ill will for her because ‘sure she was a little extreme but she was living by her own convictions.’) It is a comical criticism on the belief in capitalism coupled with a resistance of government funding, regulation, aid, or equitable economic planning (topics brought up quite regularly when discussing combatting climate change) essentially puts society at the mercy of those wealthy enough to be in power. ‘All we can do is hope for the goodwill of the one blessed with such power,’ they say and it is a bleak outlook here. It also mocks the ways people who criticize those fighting for social justice or against predatory capitalism tend to use insult like “greedy” or “freeloader” with the villain making statements such as ‘How much nicer do you want me to be? Aren’t you being a little greedy asking for more?’ for not simply murdering everyone. Yet those with wealth have only taken it from the labor of others but hold power against them.
'I could have been you...If that had happened I wouldn’t have kicked you the way you are mocking me now. And you wouldn’t have been able to save yourself. Perhaps it’s because I’m so stupid so useless that you could even become you. So if you’ll allow me to make a bit of a leap here you’re this powerful because of me. And you don’t even know that. But here you are, treating me like dirt.'
I love the way that, contextually, this book is dealing with magic powers and saving the world but is also just a well orchestrated metaphor for capitalism, labor struggles and the plight of the poor. It’s pretty on the nose in a great satirical way and had me laughing along the whole way, especially the very "capitalist" type solutions that present where 'I can only do what I do if I can afford to do it,' and even then the solution is aimed more at affordability over efficiency where the solution comes ' in the most reasonable and cheapest way possible.'
‘The past, the present, the future. Magical girl of time, transform!’
A Magical Girl Retires is such a little gem of a novella. The story plays with ideas of balance in really interesting and productive ways. It also makes for a well crafted critique on capitalism. The concepts on climate crisis are particularly well done as it centers how the burden will be greater on the youth who will inherit the mess. A Magical Girl Retires is a riotous novel of social justice and, well, magic that takes on a lot of important themes and addresses them in whimsical ways. It certainly worked its magic on me and I hope it does for you as well.
4/5
‘A tale as old as time. The hero who saves the world is always the one who loses their job in the end.’
Read
December 24, 2024a cute quick read. it doesnt stand out to me as a book (maybe bc it was too short?) but i think it would make a charming animated adaptation
December 29, 2024
4.25⭐️
This is why people posting their yearly wrap ups in the middle of December stress me out because WHAT IF YOU FIND A GEM LIKE THIS AT THE LAST MOMENT???
This is why people posting their yearly wrap ups in the middle of December stress me out because WHAT IF YOU FIND A GEM LIKE THIS AT THE LAST MOMENT???
September 12, 2025
I wish for a longer version of this novella because it was so captivating yet ended abruptly, just when the narrative became more interesting. Despite its shortness, the author skillfully crafted a rich tapestry of character development, explained the magic system, and wove a genuine romance rather than a forced one.
At its heart, the plot tackles the pressing issue of climate change and underscores the significant repercussions stemming from our collective actions. The narrative also shines a spotlight on the abuse that women endure, laying bare the disheartening reality of society’s indifference towards their suffering.
The protagonist's journey is particularly poignant, grappling with depression and low self-esteem (how did I end up reading three books in a row about depression ?). She begins the story in a dark place, actively contemplating ending her life. The author’s ability to convey her internal turmoil and her evolution within the constraints of a short novella is a remarkable testament to their writing skill. By the story's conclusion, although she hasn't found a full resolution to her struggles, she discovers a glimmer of hope—a reason to continue fighting for her existence.
The depiction of depression resonates deeply and is handled with care. Roa, the love interest, is the first to show genuine concern for the protagonist, initiating a moment that carries both heartbreak and the promise of hope. It’s a bittersweet experience to receive a simple inquiry about one’s well-being at such a low point; it can often serve as a lifeline.
As for the romantic aspect, I found it endearing. While their feelings were not developed through an extended slow burn, they also avoided the trope of instantaneous love. By the end of the novella, both characters have clearly formed a bond, yet they remain aware of the need for further communication and understanding as they continue their journey together.
In summary, I thoroughly enjoyed this novella and appreciated its impactful storytelling, but I genuinely want a longer version.
At its heart, the plot tackles the pressing issue of climate change and underscores the significant repercussions stemming from our collective actions. The narrative also shines a spotlight on the abuse that women endure, laying bare the disheartening reality of society’s indifference towards their suffering.
The protagonist's journey is particularly poignant, grappling with depression and low self-esteem (how did I end up reading three books in a row about depression ?). She begins the story in a dark place, actively contemplating ending her life. The author’s ability to convey her internal turmoil and her evolution within the constraints of a short novella is a remarkable testament to their writing skill. By the story's conclusion, although she hasn't found a full resolution to her struggles, she discovers a glimmer of hope—a reason to continue fighting for her existence.
The depiction of depression resonates deeply and is handled with care. Roa, the love interest, is the first to show genuine concern for the protagonist, initiating a moment that carries both heartbreak and the promise of hope. It’s a bittersweet experience to receive a simple inquiry about one’s well-being at such a low point; it can often serve as a lifeline.
As for the romantic aspect, I found it endearing. While their feelings were not developed through an extended slow burn, they also avoided the trope of instantaneous love. By the end of the novella, both characters have clearly formed a bond, yet they remain aware of the need for further communication and understanding as they continue their journey together.
In summary, I thoroughly enjoyed this novella and appreciated its impactful storytelling, but I genuinely want a longer version.
May 17, 2024
“… the first battle a magical girl must fight is a fight to save herself.”.ೃ࿔*:･
With the most gorgeous manwah-esque cover, A Magical Girl Retires is the most whimsical, silly, and witty short novel about magical girls and their fight to make the world a better place, one silly little transformation at a time.
Ah Roa is 29 year old drowning in debt who learns she might just be the most magical girl to ever magical girl. Joining the Union for Magical Girls, Roa fights her own crippling self esteem, learns to channel her inner magical girl powers to fight the greatest threat humanity has ever faced: climate change, and maybe finds love along the way. kyaaa ^w^ !!
This reads quick (do not look at how long this took me, i am the magical girl of slow reading) and is paced like magic girl anime, sprinkled with silly social commentary that will appeal to the modern existentialist, climate activist, feminist, and to those who grew up watching every single different variation of sailor moon and magical girls there ever was.
the art was beautiful and added to the whole silly anime aesthetic of the novel. i am so thankful that this was translated :-) !!
happy publishing day !!
[thank you to the publishers for the arc!]
prereview.
loved this with levels of whimsy you would never understand !! kyaaa (magical girl pose) ^w^
August 30, 2025
this is a very short, but powerful, story that starts out on a tuesday at 3 am, with our main character on the railing of a bridge, contemplating ways to get out of an isolated situation that feels rather impossible. but a guardian angel soon comes, and tells her that she is a magical girl, with a magical unique gift, and they have been searching for the greatest magical girl of them all, who will be able to harness the magic of time. but first, she must join a mission to be a bodyguard / bounty hunter.
this book really talks about some very serious things, in a whimsical way that most of us, who grew up with magical girls, can connect with. and i feel it was really impactfully done. like how predatory credit card companies / banks can be, how climate change feels impossible because of the leaders our world has had (and continues to have), turned even to the unfairness with the distribution of resources. how a pandemic has made things feel so much more isolated, and how hard it can be to keep going when everything feels so very heavy to carry on your own. when a two-thousand dollar debt can ruin your entire life, but we live in a world where billionaires spend over seven-thousand a day for their private jets, back and forth to their multiple million dollar homes.
i understood the magical girl of time, what she was feeling, and just the impossibleness of it all. but i am going to continue to try to be hopeful, despite it being so heartbreaking seeing the ones who pay for it all every time.
trigger + content warnings: depression, thoughts of suicide, loss of parents + grandparents, talk of debt / credit card debt, grief, ocd depiction, mention of domestic violence, pandemic mention, terrorist attack, bomb threat at airport
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━━♡ buddy read with evie
this book really talks about some very serious things, in a whimsical way that most of us, who grew up with magical girls, can connect with. and i feel it was really impactfully done. like how predatory credit card companies / banks can be, how climate change feels impossible because of the leaders our world has had (and continues to have), turned even to the unfairness with the distribution of resources. how a pandemic has made things feel so much more isolated, and how hard it can be to keep going when everything feels so very heavy to carry on your own. when a two-thousand dollar debt can ruin your entire life, but we live in a world where billionaires spend over seven-thousand a day for their private jets, back and forth to their multiple million dollar homes.
i understood the magical girl of time, what she was feeling, and just the impossibleness of it all. but i am going to continue to try to be hopeful, despite it being so heartbreaking seeing the ones who pay for it all every time.
trigger + content warnings: depression, thoughts of suicide, loss of parents + grandparents, talk of debt / credit card debt, grief, ocd depiction, mention of domestic violence, pandemic mention, terrorist attack, bomb threat at airport
blog | instagram | youtube | wishlist | spotify | amazon
━━♡ buddy read with evie
January 9, 2024
A story about a 29-year-old woman who lost her job during covid and stops just short of killing herself over credit card debt when she finds out she’s a magical girl? Literally WHO could say no to a book like this. I feel like scientists couldn’t have cooked up a more compelling combination in a lab.
Without overselling it TOO much, this was a little bit of Kaiji, a little bit of Madoka Magica, and a teeny tiny bit of Tokyo Mew Mew (it counts!). And yes, it IS gay (it counts!!!!!)! Kim Sanho’s chapter insert illustrations are SO subtly gorgeous, too, and really help set the tone of the book.
All in all, a really fun, super quick read (I think it was about two hours when I finally sat down and started). I’d especially recommend this as a literary gateway if you’re a comics/magical girl fan who doesn’t read much fiction :0)
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Without overselling it TOO much, this was a little bit of Kaiji, a little bit of Madoka Magica, and a teeny tiny bit of Tokyo Mew Mew (it counts!). And yes, it IS gay (it counts!!!!!)! Kim Sanho’s chapter insert illustrations are SO subtly gorgeous, too, and really help set the tone of the book.
All in all, a really fun, super quick read (I think it was about two hours when I finally sat down and started). I’d especially recommend this as a literary gateway if you’re a comics/magical girl fan who doesn’t read much fiction :0)
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 11, 2024
"I needed to keep going too. If I wanted to be ordinary, I had to put the effort into being ordinary."
In a shocking turn of events, I really just don't have much to say about this one. It was a cute read that touched a bit on darker topics, such as suicide, alluding to the way women are treated in Korea, and climate change, but I just found myself wanting more from it.
" 'Because these powers are granted to the weakest people, it just looks like girls are the ones who get to be magical.' "
In a shocking turn of events, I really just don't have much to say about this one. It was a cute read that touched a bit on darker topics, such as suicide, alluding to the way women are treated in Korea, and climate change, but I just found myself wanting more from it.
" 'Because these powers are granted to the weakest people, it just looks like girls are the ones who get to be magical.' "
September 7, 2025
“The reason magical girls exist is because they needed their power the most. In other words, before a magical girl awakens her powers, she’s the weakest person in the world.”
A Magical Girl Retires explores a lot of interesting concepts with the premise of girls and women with different magical powers coming together to fight and solve world issues. The novella touches on mental health, climate change, domestic abuse, credit card debt and loneliness, and I liked reading a South Korean novelist between many Western authors.
I did think the follow - through was light on world-building however, I would have enjoyed reading more about the various powers and exploring how different women react to them. Instead, the book immediately attaches near-mythic status to them. The story and character arcs also felt like a short story and I expected more from a novella of this length.
“Sure, sparrows can teach pigeons and eagles how to fly if they really have no idea how... But the Pegasus and dragons have nothing to learn from sparrows.”
🌟🌟1/4
[Half a star for the premise and the whole novella; Half a star for the characters; Half a star for the story; Half a star for the writing; 1/4 star for the world-building - 2 1/4 stars in total, rounded down to 2 stars.]
A Magical Girl Retires explores a lot of interesting concepts with the premise of girls and women with different magical powers coming together to fight and solve world issues. The novella touches on mental health, climate change, domestic abuse, credit card debt and loneliness, and I liked reading a South Korean novelist between many Western authors.
I did think the follow - through was light on world-building however, I would have enjoyed reading more about the various powers and exploring how different women react to them. Instead, the book immediately attaches near-mythic status to them. The story and character arcs also felt like a short story and I expected more from a novella of this length.
“Sure, sparrows can teach pigeons and eagles how to fly if they really have no idea how... But the Pegasus and dragons have nothing to learn from sparrows.”
🌟🌟1/4
[Half a star for the premise and the whole novella; Half a star for the characters; Half a star for the story; Half a star for the writing; 1/4 star for the world-building - 2 1/4 stars in total, rounded down to 2 stars.]
July 18, 2024
This innovative novel puts a fresh spin on the “magical girl” genre. If you’re not familiar with magical girls, picture Sailor Moon. Except the magical girl at the heart of this book is 29 years old, depressed and unemployed. She’s as surprised as anyone to find out that she might just be the key to saving the world.
Honestly, this book was so cute and fun. It’s a quick read, with manga style illustrations at the beginning of each chapter. I love how the author created a world where magical girls are a known entity…and even unionized. It features a very sweet sapphic relationship and a loveable, messy main character. I’m a huge fan of this book.
Honestly, this book was so cute and fun. It’s a quick read, with manga style illustrations at the beginning of each chapter. I love how the author created a world where magical girls are a known entity…and even unionized. It features a very sweet sapphic relationship and a loveable, messy main character. I’m a huge fan of this book.
July 26, 2024
Very cute and sweet !!
February 17, 2025
silly sapphical magical girls ????? my my i’m rather overwhelmed i must dab my forehead with my kerchief
read with iso <3
read with iso <3
May 4, 2024
꒰ 𖦹 ⊹˚. pre-read.
⤿ 03 / 05 / 2024.
magical girls! who doesn't like magical girls? i am a magical girl. powerpuff girls, assemble! (totally different things but whatever)
psuedo br (lowkey)(not really)(because mags has too many commitments aka brs at the moment) with silly sharko mag. which is to say, i will probably send 100 texts and finish this before mags completes their brs and gets on the magical girl pipeline (tone: sad face)
⤿ 03 / 05 / 2024.
magical girls! who doesn't like magical girls? i am a magical girl. powerpuff girls, assemble! (totally different things but whatever)
psuedo br (lowkey)(not really)(because mags has too many commitments aka brs at the moment) with silly sharko mag. which is to say, i will probably send 100 texts and finish this before mags completes their brs and gets on the magical girl pipeline (tone: sad face)
May 11, 2024
This would be one star if it weren’t for the gorgeous cover / illustrations throughout.
The idea is amazing, but the execution is ROUGH. Really weird dialogue , terrible pacing , overall a bummer - I was excited for this one
The idea is amazing, but the execution is ROUGH. Really weird dialogue , terrible pacing , overall a bummer - I was excited for this one
October 7, 2024
“The reason magical girls exist is because they needed their power the most. In other words, before a magical girl awakens her powers, she’s the weakest person in the world.”
rating: 3.5
mixed feelings on this.
i really love the themes of climate change, capitalism, debt, etc. alongside the feminist themes of what girlhood means, how girls come into power from desperation, abuse and violence against women, etc. in a sailor moon-esque portrayal in a modern time makes nostalgia juxtaposed against today's harsh reality - a common theme in media of millennial/gen z's bleak reality check from our childhood dreams.
It was embarrassing, to say the least, that my heart’s truest form was . . . a credit card.
Way to tell the whole world that a corner of my mind is forever colonized by the thought of my credit card debt.
there were even a few moments that made me chuckle. plus queer subplot romance!
however, something about the execution was a bit off for me. while the ending was somewhat poetic, it also felt anticlimactic? there was a clunkiness to the plot and writing, which tbh i didn't even hate but i felt like definitely weakened the impact and overall quality. i also would've liked more on the romance.
overall, this is one i'll definitely be mulling over in my head. i could see myself raising my rating and probably rereading in the future. if we have time.
The first battle a magical girl must fight is the fight to save herself.
rating: 3.5
mixed feelings on this.
i really love the themes of climate change, capitalism, debt, etc. alongside the feminist themes of what girlhood means, how girls come into power from desperation, abuse and violence against women, etc. in a sailor moon-esque portrayal in a modern time makes nostalgia juxtaposed against today's harsh reality - a common theme in media of millennial/gen z's bleak reality check from our childhood dreams.
It was embarrassing, to say the least, that my heart’s truest form was . . . a credit card.
Way to tell the whole world that a corner of my mind is forever colonized by the thought of my credit card debt.
there were even a few moments that made me chuckle. plus queer subplot romance!
however, something about the execution was a bit off for me. while the ending was somewhat poetic, it also felt anticlimactic? there was a clunkiness to the plot and writing, which tbh i didn't even hate but i felt like definitely weakened the impact and overall quality. i also would've liked more on the romance.
overall, this is one i'll definitely be mulling over in my head. i could see myself raising my rating and probably rereading in the future. if we have time.
The first battle a magical girl must fight is the fight to save herself.
May 29, 2024
i wanted this to be so much more than what it actually was....review to come
June 1, 2024
Great idea, poor execution.
I felt nothing while reading this.
I felt nothing while reading this.
August 13, 2024
It was a quick and surprisingly charming little read.
3.5 rounded up.
3.5 rounded up.
July 7, 2024
short, sweet, and easy to devour, this novel is an ode to magical girls! we follow a 20-something korean woman, lonely and consumed by credit card debt, hopeless and suicidal. when she finds out she's a magical girl, she embarks on a whirlwind journey to find her power. the stakes are high, as magical girls of the world are banding together to stop the impending climate apocalypse.
seolyeon doesn't shy away from darkness here, yet the story is told with such a fun fantastical tone. i love the worldbuilding, and seeing magical girls integrated with the rest of society. i honestly would have loved a longer book, to spend more time in this imaginative world.
i really love the book's theme of divinely empowered justice. magical girls are the universe's way of balancing power, by giving new abilities to some of the most disenfranchised individuals. the translator's note mentions that sailor moon, the quintessential magical girl, is considered champion of justice. that's what magical girls are all about, and this book is a really lovely, thoughtful addition to the magical girl canon.
seolyeon doesn't shy away from darkness here, yet the story is told with such a fun fantastical tone. i love the worldbuilding, and seeing magical girls integrated with the rest of society. i honestly would have loved a longer book, to spend more time in this imaginative world.
i really love the book's theme of divinely empowered justice. magical girls are the universe's way of balancing power, by giving new abilities to some of the most disenfranchised individuals. the translator's note mentions that sailor moon, the quintessential magical girl, is considered champion of justice. that's what magical girls are all about, and this book is a really lovely, thoughtful addition to the magical girl canon.
October 20, 2024
reminded me of sailor moon 🌙 🧚♀️
June 11, 2024
lesbians when the most powerful magical girls are a butchfemme couple
“Way to tell the world that a part of my mind is forever colonized by my credit card debt.”
part speculative litfic, part climate change drama, & part millennial doomsday nightmare, park seolyeon’s addition to magical girl canon is a perfect pride month read. ‘a magical girl retires’ follows an unnamed millennial narrator struggling with her mental health and overwhelming credit card debt whose life is starting to look up after she discovers that she is a magical girl.
park seolyeon struck up the perfect balance between cutting social commentary and compulsively readable literary fiction gold.
recommended for people who:
- watched a lot of sailor moon as a kid
- are sailor moon super fans
- shipped the best cousins around sailor uranus & sailor neptune
- are self-proclaimed caroline polachek enjoyers
- like to do gas station hauls
- are chappell roan stans
- are loser lesbians (tm)
- are butch/femme lesbians
“Way to tell the world that a part of my mind is forever colonized by my credit card debt.”
part speculative litfic, part climate change drama, & part millennial doomsday nightmare, park seolyeon’s addition to magical girl canon is a perfect pride month read. ‘a magical girl retires’ follows an unnamed millennial narrator struggling with her mental health and overwhelming credit card debt whose life is starting to look up after she discovers that she is a magical girl.
park seolyeon struck up the perfect balance between cutting social commentary and compulsively readable literary fiction gold.
recommended for people who:
- watched a lot of sailor moon as a kid
- are sailor moon super fans
- shipped the best cousins around sailor uranus & sailor neptune
- are self-proclaimed caroline polachek enjoyers
- like to do gas station hauls
- are chappell roan stans
- are loser lesbians (tm)
- are butch/femme lesbians
February 7, 2025
A literary version of Sailor Moon, quite fun and touching on some serious aspects of Korean society in relation to women. Our main character is with a magical black credit card and trade union as a secret weapon
All I did was live my life and debt accumulated
A Magical Girl Retires starts of with the suicide attempt of 29 year old girl. Credit card debt (same girl, same: Staying alive costs money . . . It took me way too long to realize this simple truth) and lack of a permanent job due to the pandemic, with the earlier death of a dear grandfather who was a watchmaker, drove her to this desperation. She is saved from the brink (or should I say bridge) by the intervention of angel cosplayer who turns out to be a veritable Magic Girl, with the powers of clairvoyance.
I enjoyed the depiction of job fair for Magical Girls (including seminars on Magical Girls and Sustainability), with bounty hunting, being bodyguard and even a cram school. Also how the trade union for Magical Girls was initially set-up to provide insurance to the vigilantes was very funny to me. Soon however events turn into a looming confrontation, with the trade union issuing the following statement: We have come to a consensus that the end of the world is near.
This is not (just) due to climate change but also involves a prophecy. How things progress you can imagine, the plot near the end feels quite similar to Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, if harder to imagine without CGI.
Translator Anton Hur renders Park Seolyeon's prose in a natural, well flowing manner. Also the commentary how every Magic Girl, and there are many, felt terrible and disempowered before balance was restored by them gaining power, is quite a scathing reckoning with patriarchy: The reason magical girls exist is because they needed their power the most. In other words, before a magical girl awakens her powers, she’s the weakest person in the world.
The main character even notices how her part-time, minimum wage job assumes her to be pliable, and comments on what that means according to society: What did it mean to be nice and capable? Did it mean I couldn’t say no to things?
Overall this is a fun novel that reinterprets a genre I just know from anime in a competent and charming manner.
All I did was live my life and debt accumulated
A Magical Girl Retires starts of with the suicide attempt of 29 year old girl. Credit card debt (same girl, same: Staying alive costs money . . . It took me way too long to realize this simple truth) and lack of a permanent job due to the pandemic, with the earlier death of a dear grandfather who was a watchmaker, drove her to this desperation. She is saved from the brink (or should I say bridge) by the intervention of angel cosplayer who turns out to be a veritable Magic Girl, with the powers of clairvoyance.
I enjoyed the depiction of job fair for Magical Girls (including seminars on Magical Girls and Sustainability), with bounty hunting, being bodyguard and even a cram school. Also how the trade union for Magical Girls was initially set-up to provide insurance to the vigilantes was very funny to me. Soon however events turn into a looming confrontation, with the trade union issuing the following statement: We have come to a consensus that the end of the world is near.
This is not (just) due to climate change but also involves a prophecy. How things progress you can imagine, the plot near the end feels quite similar to Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, if harder to imagine without CGI.
Translator Anton Hur renders Park Seolyeon's prose in a natural, well flowing manner. Also the commentary how every Magic Girl, and there are many, felt terrible and disempowered before balance was restored by them gaining power, is quite a scathing reckoning with patriarchy: The reason magical girls exist is because they needed their power the most. In other words, before a magical girl awakens her powers, she’s the weakest person in the world.
The main character even notices how her part-time, minimum wage job assumes her to be pliable, and comments on what that means according to society: What did it mean to be nice and capable? Did it mean I couldn’t say no to things?
Overall this is a fun novel that reinterprets a genre I just know from anime in a competent and charming manner.
September 9, 2025
Started off kinda dark, then progressively got lighter as it went on. I loved it, my only complaint is that it could've been longer and had more magical girl shenanigans.
Because it felt like the main character finally got her powers, and then retired like a chapter or two later. I get why and all, I just wish we had more time to explore what she (and the other magical girls) could do, after so much build up.
But it's okay, the gorgeous cover and inside art made up for it.
Because it felt like the main character finally got her powers, and then retired like a chapter or two later. I get why and all, I just wish we had more time to explore what she (and the other magical girls) could do, after so much build up.
But it's okay, the gorgeous cover and inside art made up for it.
November 29, 2025
Although this is a lighter toned story, it has discussions about financial insecurity, suicide, climate change and domestic violence, while managing to tell it in a thoughtful way. I think my only gripe would be that I would love it to be much longer, so the storyline and characters could be more fleshed out.
January 18, 2025
it was cute, and I liked the ending, but the climate change commentary felt so random to me, and I wish the sapphic relationship developed more. I think this definitely could've benefitted from being a longer book, which is rare for me to say
Read
June 2, 2024I LOVED this. I've always thought about the magical girl genre as a manifestation of powerlessness and despair in young girls, who are then given the power to fight back, stand up, and take power back for themselves. A Magical Girl Retires is absolutely that, and also a bit of a contemporary zeitgeist that captures the quiet horror of capitalism and climate change.
100% recommend picking this up if you want a short read, especially if you love the magical girl genre.
100% recommend picking this up if you want a short read, especially if you love the magical girl genre.
June 14, 2024
[2.5] I think this could’ve been more memorable had it been longer
May 9, 2024
This book had no business being this good. I mean, it’s a novella about magical girls fighting climate change?
I don’t know how to review it. I grew up being obsessed with Sailor Moon and Sakura Cardcaptor and if you leave me alone for 15 minutes, I may start singing the Do-Re-Mi theme song. That’s how lame I am. So when I saw this book I was like, ‘oh, hello.’ And it was so much fun!
The book follows a Korean woman who has been fired from her job and is in debt (big time). She’s pondering *things* when she bumps into Ah Roa, the magical girl of clairvoyance. Ah Roa is looking for the ultimate magical girl, the only magical girl able to stop climate change. Is that our main character? *suspenseful music*
This includes a sapphic relationship and discussion about climate change, gender, and capitalism. It was honestly fun and surprisingly good. 4.5 stars.
I don’t know how to review it. I grew up being obsessed with Sailor Moon and Sakura Cardcaptor and if you leave me alone for 15 minutes, I may start singing the Do-Re-Mi theme song. That’s how lame I am. So when I saw this book I was like, ‘oh, hello.’ And it was so much fun!
The book follows a Korean woman who has been fired from her job and is in debt (big time). She’s pondering *things* when she bumps into Ah Roa, the magical girl of clairvoyance. Ah Roa is looking for the ultimate magical girl, the only magical girl able to stop climate change. Is that our main character? *suspenseful music*
This includes a sapphic relationship and discussion about climate change, gender, and capitalism. It was honestly fun and surprisingly good. 4.5 stars.
September 20, 2025
I learned later from the news that the airport we'd been in was Heathrow, Heejin had helped hundreds of travelers evacuate, and Cha Minhwa had a decisive role in suppressing the terrorists. The large magical girl's name was Ahn Subin, and as the Magical Girl of Growth, she could become a giant at will.
A Magical Girl Retires (2024) is Anton Hur's translation of 마법소녀 은퇴합니다 (2022) by 박서련 (Park Seolyeon).
The novel is a reimagination of the Magical Girl genre for a world of violence against women, economic insecurity and climate change - or rather I take that on trust as I wasn't aware of the genre it is reimagining, reading this more as part of my mission to read all from-Korean translated fiction each year.
The first person narrator, aged 29, with no permanent job and credit card debt, is contemplating suicide on a bridge when a taxi pulls up with what she at first things is a cos-player dressed as an angel, but who identifies herself as a officer of the Trade Union for Magical Girls and tells her that it's not her destiny to die now:
"당신은 마법소녀가 될 운명이에요."
'Your destiny is to become a magical girl'
The story that follows is both as mundane as her magic talisman being a credit card, and as dramatic as her needing to use her powers to stop the extinction of the human race (which her adversary believes is the best solution to climate change - eliminate the key cause).
The English edition of the novel is illustrated by the illustrious Korean comic-book artist 김산호 (Kim Sanho), who also contributes an afterword as does Anton Hur, who explains passionately why he chose to translate the book.
An enjoyable although not terribly profound read - and its hard to appreciate the subversion of a genre of which one wasn't particularly aware. 2.5 stars.
A Magical Girl Retires (2024) is Anton Hur's translation of 마법소녀 은퇴합니다 (2022) by 박서련 (Park Seolyeon).
The novel is a reimagination of the Magical Girl genre for a world of violence against women, economic insecurity and climate change - or rather I take that on trust as I wasn't aware of the genre it is reimagining, reading this more as part of my mission to read all from-Korean translated fiction each year.
The first person narrator, aged 29, with no permanent job and credit card debt, is contemplating suicide on a bridge when a taxi pulls up with what she at first things is a cos-player dressed as an angel, but who identifies herself as a officer of the Trade Union for Magical Girls and tells her that it's not her destiny to die now:
"당신은 마법소녀가 될 운명이에요."
'Your destiny is to become a magical girl'
The story that follows is both as mundane as her magic talisman being a credit card, and as dramatic as her needing to use her powers to stop the extinction of the human race (which her adversary believes is the best solution to climate change - eliminate the key cause).
The English edition of the novel is illustrated by the illustrious Korean comic-book artist 김산호 (Kim Sanho), who also contributes an afterword as does Anton Hur, who explains passionately why he chose to translate the book.
An enjoyable although not terribly profound read - and its hard to appreciate the subversion of a genre of which one wasn't particularly aware. 2.5 stars.
June 17, 2024
i've also nearly killed myself over my crippling debt where is my magical girl awakening
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