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Magical Karina 1
Not yet published
Expected 19 May 26A funny and heartfelt action manga that puts a poignant new spin on the magical girl formula, perfect for fans of Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura.
Karina never asked to be a magical girl! In fact, not even a few hours have passed since her dear grandmother's sudden death when a boy meets her in the street and calls on her to transform. But how can a sarcastic teenager from a working-class family juggle her grief, her schoolwork, her waitressing job, and fighting death itself?
Just this morning, Karina was sitting at the breakfast table, cleaning up the miso soup her grandmother dropped on the floor. Now, she's being called out to class to go to the hospital and see her grandma's body...with a piece of seaweed still stuck to her uniform. She still finds time to make it to her hourly job at a family restaurant, but on the way home, she sees a glittering, elephant-like creature floating the sky... And a teenage boy appears to push her out of the way of its attack! Death is stalking Karina's town in a form that only she can see, and this boy gives her two choices: Die or transform and fight! She can scarcely follow what he's saying, but her clothes do change, and the staff she finds herself holding has enough heft to do some serious damage... But is there space in Karina's life for getting revenge for her grandma and fighting magical monsters when she's already stretched to her limit?
Karina never asked to be a magical girl! In fact, not even a few hours have passed since her dear grandmother's sudden death when a boy meets her in the street and calls on her to transform. But how can a sarcastic teenager from a working-class family juggle her grief, her schoolwork, her waitressing job, and fighting death itself?
Just this morning, Karina was sitting at the breakfast table, cleaning up the miso soup her grandmother dropped on the floor. Now, she's being called out to class to go to the hospital and see her grandma's body...with a piece of seaweed still stuck to her uniform. She still finds time to make it to her hourly job at a family restaurant, but on the way home, she sees a glittering, elephant-like creature floating the sky... And a teenage boy appears to push her out of the way of its attack! Death is stalking Karina's town in a form that only she can see, and this boy gives her two choices: Die or transform and fight! She can scarcely follow what he's saying, but her clothes do change, and the staff she finds herself holding has enough heft to do some serious damage... But is there space in Karina's life for getting revenge for her grandma and fighting magical monsters when she's already stretched to her limit?
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Expected publication May 19, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
April 11, 2026
[Thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha for an ARC of this manga in exchange for an unbiased review.]
This has more potential than it actually lives up to, sadly, with a bunch of disparate elements and choppy storytelling that doesn’t quite all come together with the cohesion you’d want.
The notion here is good: Karina is experiencing one of the worst days on record, the latest in a succession of difficult days, as she deals with the sudden loss of a family member on top of everything else.
Magical girl-life balance is always a great subject and Karina’s family member is older with dementia and has a negative impact on Karina’s life. She’s also forced to reckon with how different this version of her grandmother is versus before the dementia.
The integration of the magical girl elements is awkward. For a story that has the above frisson of darkness and some fairly gnarly moments of body horror, it pivots to goofy comedy too hard at times. That sort of thing is tricky to pull off and so it goes here.
My feeling is that the magical girl aspect could be more freeing for Karina, there are aspects of that, to contrast with her regular life. Then again, that life bleeds into her work as a magical girl, hamstringing her with guilt. It just lacks for elegance.
The person (?) who grants her her powers, Zen, is basically weird with a side of suspicious. There’s this whole odd thing about him dying and shrinking and body theft and it doesn’t really work for me.
As the story goes, it gets better. And I would have to put that largely down to Yuni, a schoolmate of Karina’s who becomes embroiled in the action. Yuni steals the whole volume, honestly (although she’s called a nerd by other people and there’s literally no explanation as to why, which is annoying).
Yuni is delightfully pragmatic and courageous, helpfully pointing out the litany of red flags that Karina is ignoring. That doesn’t stop her from doing the right thing when somebody’s in danger, however, and her big moment is fantastic.
There’s a lot of good stuff here. Tone aside, some of the jokes are really solid. The art is nice and has some flourishes; I really appreciate how some character introductions are seeded in the background of earlier panels.
But it’s not quite there for me, honestly, much as I wanted it to be. The good art does character design better than action, for one thing, and I wanted it to juggle its two sides a bit better.
Tackling an aging person who is losing themselves is a great topic - the first volume of Snow Angel examines that dynamic and its effects so much better than this does.
Similarly, the recent Magical Girl Dandelion felt like it had a better grasp on the magical girl side of things. There’s certainly promise here too, it just has to realize it.
3 stars - points for effort and a lot of points for how great Yuni is. Karina’s more complicated, yes, but if you want to tell that sort of story you need to do it a little better than this does. Still, it gets better towards the end, so it’s definitely worth the two volume test.
This has more potential than it actually lives up to, sadly, with a bunch of disparate elements and choppy storytelling that doesn’t quite all come together with the cohesion you’d want.
The notion here is good: Karina is experiencing one of the worst days on record, the latest in a succession of difficult days, as she deals with the sudden loss of a family member on top of everything else.
Magical girl-life balance is always a great subject and Karina’s family member is older with dementia and has a negative impact on Karina’s life. She’s also forced to reckon with how different this version of her grandmother is versus before the dementia.
The integration of the magical girl elements is awkward. For a story that has the above frisson of darkness and some fairly gnarly moments of body horror, it pivots to goofy comedy too hard at times. That sort of thing is tricky to pull off and so it goes here.
My feeling is that the magical girl aspect could be more freeing for Karina, there are aspects of that, to contrast with her regular life. Then again, that life bleeds into her work as a magical girl, hamstringing her with guilt. It just lacks for elegance.
The person (?) who grants her her powers, Zen, is basically weird with a side of suspicious. There’s this whole odd thing about him dying and shrinking and body theft and it doesn’t really work for me.
As the story goes, it gets better. And I would have to put that largely down to Yuni, a schoolmate of Karina’s who becomes embroiled in the action. Yuni steals the whole volume, honestly (although she’s called a nerd by other people and there’s literally no explanation as to why, which is annoying).
Yuni is delightfully pragmatic and courageous, helpfully pointing out the litany of red flags that Karina is ignoring. That doesn’t stop her from doing the right thing when somebody’s in danger, however, and her big moment is fantastic.
There’s a lot of good stuff here. Tone aside, some of the jokes are really solid. The art is nice and has some flourishes; I really appreciate how some character introductions are seeded in the background of earlier panels.
But it’s not quite there for me, honestly, much as I wanted it to be. The good art does character design better than action, for one thing, and I wanted it to juggle its two sides a bit better.
Tackling an aging person who is losing themselves is a great topic - the first volume of Snow Angel examines that dynamic and its effects so much better than this does.
Similarly, the recent Magical Girl Dandelion felt like it had a better grasp on the magical girl side of things. There’s certainly promise here too, it just has to realize it.
3 stars - points for effort and a lot of points for how great Yuni is. Karina’s more complicated, yes, but if you want to tell that sort of story you need to do it a little better than this does. Still, it gets better towards the end, so it’s definitely worth the two volume test.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received this book from the publisher on Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
Will I be reading more of this one? On the one hand my interest is piqued. On the other hand... not sure. I mean it was just a bit too much fast-paced for me + some things still don't make sense + the alzheimer/dementia parts were just not good for me. We will see.
Review to come in May.
Will I be reading more of this one? On the one hand my interest is piqued. On the other hand... not sure. I mean it was just a bit too much fast-paced for me + some things still don't make sense + the alzheimer/dementia parts were just not good for me. We will see.
Review to come in May.
Read
May 3, 2026I am unsure on this. I think that the first volume was a little stuffed with plot points. We have the introduction of the monsters, the magical girl aspect, different evils to fight, and personal stuff. The dementia and grief aspect is the most interesting to me. The guilt she felt for feeling sad for her grief of missing the grandma she remembers, was really touching. I kind of wished we had explored that for most of this first volume and got the introduction to the magical girl aspect more towards the end of the volume. I would read more if my library gets it.
4/6 stars
4/6 stars
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Content/trigger warning: family death anecdote
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to Edelweiss and Kodansha for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 🙇
So, maybe this hit a little close to home.
My grandmother lived in my home for 8 years, my family caring for her and watching as her dementia slowly worsened and worsened. She passed away two weeks and three days ago at time of writing. In fact, two days ago I went with my mom to the funeral home to pick up her urn. To be honest, I'm still in shock about the whole thing, but in these past days, we've all just been keeping our heads down, going to work, cleaning the house, continuing to live, because we have to. I can't even put to words how strange it's been.
This is a book about Karina, a girl whose grandmother lives in the home with her. The grandmother's dementia is so bad that it can lead her to being violent or irrational, and she doesn't recognize Karina anymore. Very early in the book, Karina's grandmother suddenly passes. Despite this trauma, Karina still has to go to school and work, these major life feelings growing on the sidelines while her everyday life inches on. During the funeral, Karina looks at her grandmother's urn and can't quite believe that the same person she loved is in there.
I cannot stress enough how hard it hit me the way that this book perfectly reflected my feelings about exactly what I'm going through. Karina feels selfish because she's more upset about the loss of the relationship because of the dementia and the way she feels than the actual death itself. She feels like a horrible coward when in reality, those feelings are perfectly normal. She's being so strong and good for herself and her mom, trying to continue on with normalcy despite this massive change that's just happened. She's grappling with feelings that her grandmother really wasn't the person that she knew and loved in her early life because of the way the sickness changed her, distorting someone she found comforting and familiar. She hates herself for feeling a little relieved that she passed. She hates herself for wanting to be free of it. She misses her. She misses the person she used to be. She wants everything to stay the same forever, safe and recognizable.
And then, all of a sudden, she becomes a magical girl.
It may sound strange, but I just... got this. On a deep, personal, emotional level. Now that my grandma has passed, the whole world seems strange, scary, and unfamiliar to me. It's almost like someone has thrust a weapon into my hands and said "Fight." But I don't know how to fight these feelings. I don't know how to face this reality -- this reality without her in it. Karina's confusion about her new circumstances, her reluctant willingness to face the dire situation right in front of her... I found it extremely subtextually powerful. Grief is horrifying. It's different every time. You can't prepare for it. You never see it coming. It's confusing and jarring and it changes literally everything.
What I took from this is that when life comes at you, all you can do is pick up the mace and fight. You have to. And that was exactly what I needed to hear right now. Thank you for reading.
"I didn't ask for these powers. I got enough on my hands as it is. That said... the aggravation and fear makes my blood race. My body feels light on oxygen. And for just this one moment, I feel... just a little free."
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to Edelweiss and Kodansha for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 🙇
So, maybe this hit a little close to home.
My grandmother lived in my home for 8 years, my family caring for her and watching as her dementia slowly worsened and worsened. She passed away two weeks and three days ago at time of writing. In fact, two days ago I went with my mom to the funeral home to pick up her urn. To be honest, I'm still in shock about the whole thing, but in these past days, we've all just been keeping our heads down, going to work, cleaning the house, continuing to live, because we have to. I can't even put to words how strange it's been.
This is a book about Karina, a girl whose grandmother lives in the home with her. The grandmother's dementia is so bad that it can lead her to being violent or irrational, and she doesn't recognize Karina anymore. Very early in the book, Karina's grandmother suddenly passes. Despite this trauma, Karina still has to go to school and work, these major life feelings growing on the sidelines while her everyday life inches on. During the funeral, Karina looks at her grandmother's urn and can't quite believe that the same person she loved is in there.
I cannot stress enough how hard it hit me the way that this book perfectly reflected my feelings about exactly what I'm going through. Karina feels selfish because she's more upset about the loss of the relationship because of the dementia and the way she feels than the actual death itself. She feels like a horrible coward when in reality, those feelings are perfectly normal. She's being so strong and good for herself and her mom, trying to continue on with normalcy despite this massive change that's just happened. She's grappling with feelings that her grandmother really wasn't the person that she knew and loved in her early life because of the way the sickness changed her, distorting someone she found comforting and familiar. She hates herself for feeling a little relieved that she passed. She hates herself for wanting to be free of it. She misses her. She misses the person she used to be. She wants everything to stay the same forever, safe and recognizable.
And then, all of a sudden, she becomes a magical girl.
It may sound strange, but I just... got this. On a deep, personal, emotional level. Now that my grandma has passed, the whole world seems strange, scary, and unfamiliar to me. It's almost like someone has thrust a weapon into my hands and said "Fight." But I don't know how to fight these feelings. I don't know how to face this reality -- this reality without her in it. Karina's confusion about her new circumstances, her reluctant willingness to face the dire situation right in front of her... I found it extremely subtextually powerful. Grief is horrifying. It's different every time. You can't prepare for it. You never see it coming. It's confusing and jarring and it changes literally everything.
What I took from this is that when life comes at you, all you can do is pick up the mace and fight. You have to. And that was exactly what I needed to hear right now. Thank you for reading.
Read
April 21, 2026As a long time fan of magical girls, I had to check out the first volume of Magical Karina and see this take on magical girls. I will say it’s unique with it’s premise, theme, and interesting character dynamics and it starts to build up the main conflict from by the end of the volume and had me interested to read more.
The story begins with Karina, a high school student, dealing with clashing feelings as her grandmother has passed away after a long battle with dementia, so it’s like she’s lost her grandmother twice. Just as she’s dealing with her grief, she’s suddenly thrust into becoming a magical girl, otherwise, she will be the next to die.
Karina was an interesting character, not wanting to have things change and live a normal, loving, and unassuming life, and now juggling these new changes makes for additional struggle, but she has determination to survive and not to lose any more people around her, and most of all, survive to the next day. Her mentor, Zen, reminded me of pilot Rukia from Bleach with something that happens in chapter 2, but he’s Her friend was interesting as well, and I liked how her personality showed up by the end of the volume.
The story does start on the slower side to introduce us to Karina and her feelings, but by the time she becomes a magical girl, things start to pick up in the pacing. I like the plot that’s building with the type of soul sucking monsters Karina has to fight and that she’s armed with a mace of all things. There’s also a hinting of the greater threat coming. The world building and magic were integrated in a fun way, even if some of it is nonsensical. I do like the themes of grief and not wanting change. I do like the tone, with a mix of serious and silly, which might not work with everyone, but I was fine with it.
The art was on the simpler side compared to a lot of magical girl mangas, but maybe that was part of the point, as it’s subverting expectations. The art was clean and was rather expressive, and I liked the character designs, though I wished some of the art was a bit clearer in some sections, especially in one set of panels involving morning breakfast.
If you’re looking on an interesting take on magical girls, give this a read. I’m looking forward to reading more!
*I received an ARC from Netgalley and Kodansha USA. All opinions are my own.*
The story begins with Karina, a high school student, dealing with clashing feelings as her grandmother has passed away after a long battle with dementia, so it’s like she’s lost her grandmother twice. Just as she’s dealing with her grief, she’s suddenly thrust into becoming a magical girl, otherwise, she will be the next to die.
Karina was an interesting character, not wanting to have things change and live a normal, loving, and unassuming life, and now juggling these new changes makes for additional struggle, but she has determination to survive and not to lose any more people around her, and most of all, survive to the next day. Her mentor, Zen, reminded me of pilot Rukia from Bleach with something that happens in chapter 2, but he’s Her friend was interesting as well, and I liked how her personality showed up by the end of the volume.
The story does start on the slower side to introduce us to Karina and her feelings, but by the time she becomes a magical girl, things start to pick up in the pacing. I like the plot that’s building with the type of soul sucking monsters Karina has to fight and that she’s armed with a mace of all things. There’s also a hinting of the greater threat coming. The world building and magic were integrated in a fun way, even if some of it is nonsensical. I do like the themes of grief and not wanting change. I do like the tone, with a mix of serious and silly, which might not work with everyone, but I was fine with it.
The art was on the simpler side compared to a lot of magical girl mangas, but maybe that was part of the point, as it’s subverting expectations. The art was clean and was rather expressive, and I liked the character designs, though I wished some of the art was a bit clearer in some sections, especially in one set of panels involving morning breakfast.
If you’re looking on an interesting take on magical girls, give this a read. I’m looking forward to reading more!
*I received an ARC from Netgalley and Kodansha USA. All opinions are my own.*
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC!
I’ve never actually really tried to review a volume of manga before. Volume one of Magical Karina is 8 chapters long, compared to novellas of similar page counts, this is quite short. Though compared to anime, where, at times, a single chapter can become a whole 20 minute episode, there can absolutely be substance to the story contained within. That said, one season of a television adaption is typically comparable to one 300 page book, but in the case of anime: 5-6 volumes of manga (for a 12 episode season). Basically what I’m trying to say is, it’s kind of too soon to judge because the medium of manga typically does not make each volume a stand alone, fully contained, satisfying story. With this context, Magical Karina is fine.
There are lots of interesting elements here, ones that I could see failing and succeeding in equal measure. Zen instantly stands out to me as a Kyubey-esque character, one that I understand to be quite common in darker magical girl stories. His strangeness is touched on by the narrative, but nothing is done with it yet. He could turn out to be entirely a good guy, but vibe-wise, something is off. The afterward even says to be wary of people like Zen. Yuni became my favorite character mostly because she kept calling him out. Karina has some facets to her character that I would have loved to have been shown, but instead I was just told about them as she makes an effort to overcome these flaws. It makes it harder to root for her growth when you don’t get a great idea of the starting point.
For me, tonal inconsistency is something I kind of come to expect from manga and anime. People joking during a serious fight or not taking bodily harm as seriously as a normal person barely registers after enough shonen. It does end up lowering the stakes over time if tension is constantly deflated with humor. (I will now be pointing back to my preface: I do not know if this will be the case for the entire series.)
The art is beautiful, just gorgeous. I would almost buy the first volume for those scrumptious pastels.
I’ve never actually really tried to review a volume of manga before. Volume one of Magical Karina is 8 chapters long, compared to novellas of similar page counts, this is quite short. Though compared to anime, where, at times, a single chapter can become a whole 20 minute episode, there can absolutely be substance to the story contained within. That said, one season of a television adaption is typically comparable to one 300 page book, but in the case of anime: 5-6 volumes of manga (for a 12 episode season). Basically what I’m trying to say is, it’s kind of too soon to judge because the medium of manga typically does not make each volume a stand alone, fully contained, satisfying story. With this context, Magical Karina is fine.
There are lots of interesting elements here, ones that I could see failing and succeeding in equal measure. Zen instantly stands out to me as a Kyubey-esque character, one that I understand to be quite common in darker magical girl stories. His strangeness is touched on by the narrative, but nothing is done with it yet. He could turn out to be entirely a good guy, but vibe-wise, something is off. The afterward even says to be wary of people like Zen. Yuni became my favorite character mostly because she kept calling him out. Karina has some facets to her character that I would have loved to have been shown, but instead I was just told about them as she makes an effort to overcome these flaws. It makes it harder to root for her growth when you don’t get a great idea of the starting point.
For me, tonal inconsistency is something I kind of come to expect from manga and anime. People joking during a serious fight or not taking bodily harm as seriously as a normal person barely registers after enough shonen. It does end up lowering the stakes over time if tension is constantly deflated with humor. (I will now be pointing back to my preface: I do not know if this will be the case for the entire series.)
The art is beautiful, just gorgeous. I would almost buy the first volume for those scrumptious pastels.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Well, this certainly was an offbeat magical girl story! Honestly, what drew my interest to this manga was its blobby, unusual art style which reminds me more of pop art and illustration. Those sorts of details are refreshing to see in a very saturated manga market. Sadly though, while the art and designs are certainly very charming, the story leaves quite a bit to be desired.
The strongest part of the story covers Karina's guilt over her reaction to her grandmother's Alzheimer's diagnosis. These sections provide a grounded, realistic, and emotional core to Karina's choice to become a magical girl. She feels ashamed and selfish for how she's closed herself off from others, and sees fighting monsters as something that will help her be proud of herself. I felt genuinely emotional seeing her detachment, and loved seeing that shift and change throughout the story.
Then, there's the magical girl sections which... just, frankly don't feel nearly magical, whimsical, or serious enough. When her fellow magical girl, Yuni, enters a fight by yelling, "Say No To Bullying!" to a monster trying to suck out the soul of her classmate... it just feels jarring, like a pastiche of magical girls instead of the genuine article. The mentor figure being a grown man who dies, but is also just a miniature version of himself (!?) hanging out like nothing happened is also beyond bizarre. Yes, that is him on top of her head on the manga cover. There's so many inexplicable things in this story, but not enough for it to lean fully into parody. So, tonally, I think is where the story struggles the most.
Thank you to Kodansha Comics for my ARC provided through Netgalley.
The strongest part of the story covers Karina's guilt over her reaction to her grandmother's Alzheimer's diagnosis. These sections provide a grounded, realistic, and emotional core to Karina's choice to become a magical girl. She feels ashamed and selfish for how she's closed herself off from others, and sees fighting monsters as something that will help her be proud of herself. I felt genuinely emotional seeing her detachment, and loved seeing that shift and change throughout the story.
Then, there's the magical girl sections which... just, frankly don't feel nearly magical, whimsical, or serious enough. When her fellow magical girl, Yuni, enters a fight by yelling, "Say No To Bullying!" to a monster trying to suck out the soul of her classmate... it just feels jarring, like a pastiche of magical girls instead of the genuine article. The mentor figure being a grown man who dies, but is also just a miniature version of himself (!?) hanging out like nothing happened is also beyond bizarre. Yes, that is him on top of her head on the manga cover. There's so many inexplicable things in this story, but not enough for it to lean fully into parody. So, tonally, I think is where the story struggles the most.
Thank you to Kodansha Comics for my ARC provided through Netgalley.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Magical Karina is marketed toward fans of iconic magical girl series like Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura. However, despite these high-profile comparisons, the execution of the story and character development unfortunately falls short of the expectations set by the genre's classics.
The Visuals
• Simplistic Style: The art is very simplistic. While a minimalist style can often work well in manga, here it doesn't quite compensate for the gaps in the narrative.
The Disappointments
• Choppy Storytelling: The narrative feels disjointed, with a noticeable lack of world-building. The setting and the "rules" of the magical world aren't established well enough to draw the reader in.
• Weak Mentorship: A staple of the magical girl genre is the mentor who guides the heroine. In this case, the male lead fails to fill that role effectively. He provides the transformation bracelet but offers no actual instruction on how to transform or fight, leaving the protagonist—and the reader—feeling adrift.
• Low Engagement: Because the plot remains very surface-level, it's difficult to feel emotionally invested. The lack of depth in the characters makes it hard to care about their journey or the stakes of the conflict.
Final Verdict
Despite its promising premise, Magical Karina lacks the substance and "heart" that make magical girl stories so beloved. Between the choppy pacing and the underdeveloped characters, it's a difficult book to get excited about. If you’re looking for the charm and growth found in Sailor Moon, you may find this one a bit of a letdown.
*ARC provided by Netgalley. Opinions are my own.
The Visuals
• Simplistic Style: The art is very simplistic. While a minimalist style can often work well in manga, here it doesn't quite compensate for the gaps in the narrative.
The Disappointments
• Choppy Storytelling: The narrative feels disjointed, with a noticeable lack of world-building. The setting and the "rules" of the magical world aren't established well enough to draw the reader in.
• Weak Mentorship: A staple of the magical girl genre is the mentor who guides the heroine. In this case, the male lead fails to fill that role effectively. He provides the transformation bracelet but offers no actual instruction on how to transform or fight, leaving the protagonist—and the reader—feeling adrift.
• Low Engagement: Because the plot remains very surface-level, it's difficult to feel emotionally invested. The lack of depth in the characters makes it hard to care about their journey or the stakes of the conflict.
Final Verdict
Despite its promising premise, Magical Karina lacks the substance and "heart" that make magical girl stories so beloved. Between the choppy pacing and the underdeveloped characters, it's a difficult book to get excited about. If you’re looking for the charm and growth found in Sailor Moon, you may find this one a bit of a letdown.
*ARC provided by Netgalley. Opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book was definitely interesting but also kind of messy at times. I did feel like some of that messiness might come from the translation, because a few moments didn’t flow as smoothly as they could have. It didn’t ruin the experience, but it was noticeable.
Karina herself also isn’t the most likeable character (at least in my opinion). She’s sarcastic, overwhelmed, and honestly kind of a mess. But at the same time, I really appreciate what her character represents. Even though she feels like someone barely holding it together, trying to survive both emotionally and physically, she still chooses to become a hero and fight these soul-sucking monsters. And that does make her compelling.
This book also deals with some pretty heavy topics, like dementia, grief, and narcolepsy, so that’s definitely something to keep in mind before picking it up.
The artwork was a big highlight for me. It’s cute and eerie at the same time, which fits the story really well. I do wish we got more pages dedicated to the transformation scenes (give me full Winx / W.I.T.C.H. / Sailor Moon energy, please). Some heavy moments are treated in a more comedic way, which might not work for everyone, but I didn’t mind it too much.
My absolute favorite part, though, was the creepy little kid/monster that fights Karina and completely beats her arse. He was genuinely unsettling, and I love creepy kids in books, so that worked perfectly for me.
Overall, I liked it, and I’m definitely interested in continuing the series.
Karina herself also isn’t the most likeable character (at least in my opinion). She’s sarcastic, overwhelmed, and honestly kind of a mess. But at the same time, I really appreciate what her character represents. Even though she feels like someone barely holding it together, trying to survive both emotionally and physically, she still chooses to become a hero and fight these soul-sucking monsters. And that does make her compelling.
This book also deals with some pretty heavy topics, like dementia, grief, and narcolepsy, so that’s definitely something to keep in mind before picking it up.
The artwork was a big highlight for me. It’s cute and eerie at the same time, which fits the story really well. I do wish we got more pages dedicated to the transformation scenes (give me full Winx / W.I.T.C.H. / Sailor Moon energy, please). Some heavy moments are treated in a more comedic way, which might not work for everyone, but I didn’t mind it too much.
My absolute favorite part, though, was the creepy little kid/monster that fights Karina and completely beats her arse. He was genuinely unsettling, and I love creepy kids in books, so that worked perfectly for me.
Overall, I liked it, and I’m definitely interested in continuing the series.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you Kodansha USA and NetGalley for the ARC!!
Not only is my name Karina, but I am also a Cardcaptor Sakura and a lifelong Sailor Moon fan, so I screamed when I saw this and screamed even louder when my arc request was approved.
The manga follows a school girl name Karina Nogata, who wakes up to the worst day ever! She wakes up late to school (AGAIN!), finds out her grandmother died, and still has a shift to work. On her way home after her waitressing shift, she comes under attack by a weird creature when a stranger pushes her out of the way with perfect timing. His name is Zen, who then convinces her to team up with him to defeat these soul-sucking monsters and with a bracelet over her wrist, she is able to transform!
This was honestly really cute and I adored the art. I loved Karina and could relate to some of her traits 🤣 I will say though, I do feel like it could overall be more cohesive. There is some choppy transitioning when scenes change and a couple translation/wording errors. For example, one the last panel on page 111, Nogata says "I'm guess I'm being kinda.." instead of "I guess I'm being..". Easy fix though! :)
I do wish there was more information on Zen. Him being alive and then not and then being a pixie sized floating spirit where only certain people can see him and his dead, physical body never rots?! Hope there's more info in issue 2!!
Overall, I feel there is a little more work that could be done before publication. I enjoyed it nonetheless and will be looking forward to the finished product and the following issues in the series! ❤️
Not only is my name Karina, but I am also a Cardcaptor Sakura and a lifelong Sailor Moon fan, so I screamed when I saw this and screamed even louder when my arc request was approved.
The manga follows a school girl name Karina Nogata, who wakes up to the worst day ever! She wakes up late to school (AGAIN!), finds out her grandmother died, and still has a shift to work. On her way home after her waitressing shift, she comes under attack by a weird creature when a stranger pushes her out of the way with perfect timing. His name is Zen, who then convinces her to team up with him to defeat these soul-sucking monsters and with a bracelet over her wrist, she is able to transform!
This was honestly really cute and I adored the art. I loved Karina and could relate to some of her traits 🤣 I will say though, I do feel like it could overall be more cohesive. There is some choppy transitioning when scenes change and a couple translation/wording errors. For example, one the last panel on page 111, Nogata says "I'm guess I'm being kinda.." instead of "I guess I'm being..". Easy fix though! :)
I do wish there was more information on Zen. Him being alive and then not and then being a pixie sized floating spirit where only certain people can see him and his dead, physical body never rots?! Hope there's more info in issue 2!!
Overall, I feel there is a little more work that could be done before publication. I enjoyed it nonetheless and will be looking forward to the finished product and the following issues in the series! ❤️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Manga | Magical Girls | Quirky
Thank you to Kodansha for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
• Plot:
Magical Karina 1 is 8 chapters. As the cover and title suggest it’s a magical girl story. The MC Karina is reluctant to become a magical girl when the opportunity arises and she’s a bit selfish than the typical sacrificial for the greater good type of magical girls. The characters are mostly pre-teens or younger.
• What I Liked:
Transformations scenes in magical girl series are always cool, it be nicer if they lasted more pages tho we do get one scene that's a few pages.
• What Didn’t Work for Me:
The person that hands her the powers goes kaput shortly afterwards and returns back in a comedic chibi like version. With so many young preteens and children adults isn’t really around or not dependable. Death is scene comedic like and happens often to random people due to the monsters.
• Themes / Ideas:
Family loss, monsters, Alzheimer’s/Dementia,” Narcolepsy” & teamwork.
• Who I’d Recommend It To:
If you’re interested in magical girls that is dark geared towards being comedic.
• Overall Thoughts:
There’s a lot of unresolved questions in this story. It ends on a cliffhanger as the following volumes will probably address all the mysteries. Questions like what’s really behind what gives the girls powers, why is it only girls if there’s a guy who’s involved in recruiting the girls, etc.
Thank you to Kodansha for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
• Plot:
Magical Karina 1 is 8 chapters. As the cover and title suggest it’s a magical girl story. The MC Karina is reluctant to become a magical girl when the opportunity arises and she’s a bit selfish than the typical sacrificial for the greater good type of magical girls. The characters are mostly pre-teens or younger.
• What I Liked:
Transformations scenes in magical girl series are always cool, it be nicer if they lasted more pages tho we do get one scene that's a few pages.
• What Didn’t Work for Me:
The person that hands her the powers goes kaput shortly afterwards and returns back in a comedic chibi like version. With so many young preteens and children adults isn’t really around or not dependable. Death is scene comedic like and happens often to random people due to the monsters.
• Themes / Ideas:
Family loss, monsters, Alzheimer’s/Dementia,” Narcolepsy” & teamwork.
• Who I’d Recommend It To:
If you’re interested in magical girls that is dark geared towards being comedic.
• Overall Thoughts:
There’s a lot of unresolved questions in this story. It ends on a cliffhanger as the following volumes will probably address all the mysteries. Questions like what’s really behind what gives the girls powers, why is it only girls if there’s a guy who’s involved in recruiting the girls, etc.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The guilt and grief of living with a relative with dementia; to lose the person you knew and having to deal with someone who can’t control themselves, who requires not only help but minding … and with Karina being still in school, it’s natural that she was dealing with these mixed emotions, and then her grandmother dies. Her life will now have less stress, her grandmother is no longer suffering, so feeling relief is human. But that doesn’t stop the self recrimination and, of course, the guilt.
When faced with the monster that killed her grandmother, Karina’s first reaction is to walk away, and only when forced to to fight it on her own behalf, leaving to more guilt because she didn’t want to avenge her grandmother. She remains trapped in this cycle of guilt and shame through the book, and while she has her moments as a magical girl, she is still held back by her emotions.
The world around that, with the mysterious soul eating children and her new magical girl colleague are interesting, but the book ends around that point leaving the answers, character growth, and probably more questions for future installments. I think I’m curious enough to see where this goes that I’ll pick up the next collection when it becomes available.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.
When faced with the monster that killed her grandmother, Karina’s first reaction is to walk away, and only when forced to to fight it on her own behalf, leaving to more guilt because she didn’t want to avenge her grandmother. She remains trapped in this cycle of guilt and shame through the book, and while she has her moments as a magical girl, she is still held back by her emotions.
The world around that, with the mysterious soul eating children and her new magical girl colleague are interesting, but the book ends around that point leaving the answers, character growth, and probably more questions for future installments. I think I’m curious enough to see where this goes that I’ll pick up the next collection when it becomes available.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley for early access to this!
Rounding this up to 3 stars but felt like a 2.5 for me.
Definitely felt conflicted reading this as I really wanted to like it - Sailor Moon is my all time favourite anime/ manga and Cardcaptor Sakure is a classic magical girl anime/manga.
This volume is a little bit too busy plot wise to really understand what's happening and where it's going. The story revolves around Karina, our reluctant magical girl as she runs into Zen and gets roped into fighting to save the world from monsters that only a select few people can see. The volume explores some of Karina's home life, how she navigates loss and handles unlikely friends.
The plot itself is also quite quick and hazy with some flashbacks, characters and reasons behind certian events not reallyh being explain which I understand drives the story forward but as a reader it feels like you've missed something butt he information isn't there. Making it feel disjointed and unclear.
The art style is very reminiscent of Cardcaptor Sakura but is a little off with eyes a little farther apart and the lines less sharp which makes things blend in together, especially as it's in black and white.
Overall it's not a bad story and I know that other people will enjoy this, it just wasn't for me sadly.
Rounding this up to 3 stars but felt like a 2.5 for me.
Definitely felt conflicted reading this as I really wanted to like it - Sailor Moon is my all time favourite anime/ manga and Cardcaptor Sakure is a classic magical girl anime/manga.
This volume is a little bit too busy plot wise to really understand what's happening and where it's going. The story revolves around Karina, our reluctant magical girl as she runs into Zen and gets roped into fighting to save the world from monsters that only a select few people can see. The volume explores some of Karina's home life, how she navigates loss and handles unlikely friends.
The plot itself is also quite quick and hazy with some flashbacks, characters and reasons behind certian events not reallyh being explain which I understand drives the story forward but as a reader it feels like you've missed something butt he information isn't there. Making it feel disjointed and unclear.
The art style is very reminiscent of Cardcaptor Sakura but is a little off with eyes a little farther apart and the lines less sharp which makes things blend in together, especially as it's in black and white.
Overall it's not a bad story and I know that other people will enjoy this, it just wasn't for me sadly.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha for providing me with this advanced copy to read and review.
As a lover of Magical Girl nonsense and all its history, I'm always going to pick anything in that realm up.
Magical Karina started differently for me, I felt on a more realistic page than others in the genre would. This teenage girl was not magical and having to deal with the unfortunate monotony and bad luck that life throws at you. My teen years were nothing glamorous; they were the hardest time of my life. It was nice to have a manga about a teenage girl start from a place of realism. And when she becomes Magical? She doesn't really feel it at all. I think we are going to go on a journey with Karina as she finds out just how magical she is going to become and discovers she's stronger than she thinks.
The art is really fun and modern, and I'm looking forward to seeing more designs come along for the girls and their "opponents", whom we meet more of towards the end of the volume. The setup for the next volume was done really well and has left me feeling like "well, now I have to pick up the next one."
There are a few details that stop me from rating it higher. For one, I believe a younger audience would enjoy this more than I, and the story pacing was a little wobbly for my liking.
As a lover of Magical Girl nonsense and all its history, I'm always going to pick anything in that realm up.
Magical Karina started differently for me, I felt on a more realistic page than others in the genre would. This teenage girl was not magical and having to deal with the unfortunate monotony and bad luck that life throws at you. My teen years were nothing glamorous; they were the hardest time of my life. It was nice to have a manga about a teenage girl start from a place of realism. And when she becomes Magical? She doesn't really feel it at all. I think we are going to go on a journey with Karina as she finds out just how magical she is going to become and discovers she's stronger than she thinks.
The art is really fun and modern, and I'm looking forward to seeing more designs come along for the girls and their "opponents", whom we meet more of towards the end of the volume. The setup for the next volume was done really well and has left me feeling like "well, now I have to pick up the next one."
There are a few details that stop me from rating it higher. For one, I believe a younger audience would enjoy this more than I, and the story pacing was a little wobbly for my liking.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Magical Karina is about a schoolgirl that discovers she has magical powers. The cover art initially caught my attention because it was colorful and cute, but the story itself is boring and cliched. After her grandma dies under suspicious circumstances, a strange boy named Zen tells her that it was actually because a monster ate her soul. After reluctantly transforming into her magical alter ego, Karina destroys a monster and teams up with Zen. A mysterious antagonist appears, other magical girls are recruited, and the volume ends on a cliffhanger.
I didn't like this manga for multiple reasons, but mainly because the magical girl trope is super overused. In order for it to be a worthwhile read, a manga about a magical girl needs to be much more creative than this. The art is very basic, the dialogue is cheesy, and the pace was much too slow for my taste. When there were finally action scenes, they were barely a couple of pages in length. However, the one thing that I did like was the fact that Karina deals with the death of her grandma and the grief she experiences afterward. It's one of her motivations for fighting as a magical girl. I also really love the fact that her weapon isn't a staff but a mace. That's badass.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for this e-ARC.
I didn't like this manga for multiple reasons, but mainly because the magical girl trope is super overused. In order for it to be a worthwhile read, a manga about a magical girl needs to be much more creative than this. The art is very basic, the dialogue is cheesy, and the pace was much too slow for my taste. When there were finally action scenes, they were barely a couple of pages in length. However, the one thing that I did like was the fact that Karina deals with the death of her grandma and the grief she experiences afterward. It's one of her motivations for fighting as a magical girl. I also really love the fact that her weapon isn't a staff but a mace. That's badass.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for this e-ARC.
April 30, 2026
La premisa es muy interesante, nos plantea a la protagonista que después de perder a su abuela se ve metida de la nada a tener que convertirse en una magical girl para salvar a la gente de unos monstruos que les están robando las almas.
Ella solo quería tener una vida tranquila y ser una magical girl no estaba en sus planes porque ella no piensa en los demás, no se preocupa por ellos, pero ahora tiene que hacerlo.
Es una historia interesante pero si siento que está avanzando muuuy rápido y hay cosas que no se nos terminan de explicar, el cómo están seleccionando a estas magical girls. De donde proviene esa magia, quién es Zen (porque tengo más dudas que respuestas con este personaje) y se que estos monstruos se nos pueden ir revelando sus propósitos más adelante.
Hay algo que se ve al principio que me hizo ruido y es la amnesia que presenta la prota, me recordó a Madoka Mágica y pues no se si irá pro ese rumbo🙃
Me entretuvo, si tiene un estilo sencillo de dibujo y combina mucho las preocupaciones de una chica con el deseo de ser una magical girl que cuida a todos.
Esperaré a que evolucione más la historia para ver si me convence continuarla.
Gracias a Netgalley por proporcionarme esta copia digital a cambio de una reseña honesta💖
Ella solo quería tener una vida tranquila y ser una magical girl no estaba en sus planes porque ella no piensa en los demás, no se preocupa por ellos, pero ahora tiene que hacerlo.
Es una historia interesante pero si siento que está avanzando muuuy rápido y hay cosas que no se nos terminan de explicar, el cómo están seleccionando a estas magical girls. De donde proviene esa magia, quién es Zen (porque tengo más dudas que respuestas con este personaje) y se que estos monstruos se nos pueden ir revelando sus propósitos más adelante.
Hay algo que se ve al principio que me hizo ruido y es la amnesia que presenta la prota, me recordó a Madoka Mágica y pues no se si irá pro ese rumbo🙃
Me entretuvo, si tiene un estilo sencillo de dibujo y combina mucho las preocupaciones de una chica con el deseo de ser una magical girl que cuida a todos.
Esperaré a que evolucione más la historia para ver si me convence continuarla.
Gracias a Netgalley por proporcionarme esta copia digital a cambio de una reseña honesta💖
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for the ARC
3.5 stars
Magical Karina Vol. 1 delivers a strong sense of nostalgia of magical girl vibe while adding a darker edge. The story begins with a shocking and emotional moment when Karina’s grandmother suddenly passes away. What follows quickly deepens the mystery: doctors discover strange holes in her chest, and it turns out several others have died recently with the same disturbing marks. From there, the story pulls you into a supernatural world where Karina can see monsters invisible to others. The plot develops as Karina teams up with a mysterious boy to hunt down these soul-sucking creatures and prevent further deaths.
Karina starts off quite selfish by nature, but she begins to think more about others and takes on the responsibility of protecting people. That character development adds depth to all the action happening around her.
By the end, I was left with so many questions about where the story is heading. Overall, this is an engaging and fast-paced first volume with a compelling mix of mystery, action, and character growth.
3.5 stars
Magical Karina Vol. 1 delivers a strong sense of nostalgia of magical girl vibe while adding a darker edge. The story begins with a shocking and emotional moment when Karina’s grandmother suddenly passes away. What follows quickly deepens the mystery: doctors discover strange holes in her chest, and it turns out several others have died recently with the same disturbing marks. From there, the story pulls you into a supernatural world where Karina can see monsters invisible to others. The plot develops as Karina teams up with a mysterious boy to hunt down these soul-sucking creatures and prevent further deaths.
Karina starts off quite selfish by nature, but she begins to think more about others and takes on the responsibility of protecting people. That character development adds depth to all the action happening around her.
By the end, I was left with so many questions about where the story is heading. Overall, this is an engaging and fast-paced first volume with a compelling mix of mystery, action, and character growth.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
ARC Review: ⭐️⭐️
I saw card captors and sailor moon and jumped in. What I found isn't what I expected. I'm not sure how to feel about it. The story felt awkward and so fast paced the information needed to explain the world just wasn't there. I had faith the story would bring me up to speed and explain what was happening... but no. We meet so many odd people so quickly that I am just lost.
The jokes didn't quite hit the mark and we fell into creepy territory instead of cutesy. I was also left confused on a lot of aspects. I'm sure clarification will come in time, but I don't think I was given even to spark my curiosity.
The main male lead? I'm not sure what his role is. It is more violent than I was expecting with card captors and sailor moon in mind. It's not overly done, but odd with the age group involved and again with the comparison to the two well known series mentioned above.
The emotions around the main female leads grandma is the best part of this. That emotional torrent of trauma, loss, anger, and displacement is potent. Great background for a future heroine.
Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for this ARC!
I saw card captors and sailor moon and jumped in. What I found isn't what I expected. I'm not sure how to feel about it. The story felt awkward and so fast paced the information needed to explain the world just wasn't there. I had faith the story would bring me up to speed and explain what was happening... but no. We meet so many odd people so quickly that I am just lost.
The jokes didn't quite hit the mark and we fell into creepy territory instead of cutesy. I was also left confused on a lot of aspects. I'm sure clarification will come in time, but I don't think I was given even to spark my curiosity.
The main male lead? I'm not sure what his role is. It is more violent than I was expecting with card captors and sailor moon in mind. It's not overly done, but odd with the age group involved and again with the comparison to the two well known series mentioned above.
The emotions around the main female leads grandma is the best part of this. That emotional torrent of trauma, loss, anger, and displacement is potent. Great background for a future heroine.
Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for this ARC!
May 2, 2026
3.5 stars!
Thank you to Kondasha, Coyuri Tono, and Netgalley for the ARC!
Reading manga is such a breath of fresh air between books, and I thought this was really interesting!
I liked the magical girl designs a lot, and love how the two girls (Karina and Yuni) both have strength and one isn’t resorted to a more passive role
I think it was definitely a little too fast paced, and some of the grandmother/dementia aspects of it definitely had me confused and feeling like it didn’t have the impact it wanted to
I understood the selfishness of Karina, but her life seems a bit complicated to just call her selfish and move on
I think the storyline so far is interesting; We’re not really too sure what’s happening since not everything is explained yet, but it does intrigue me for what the next volume will be like
Sometimes the dialogue felt weirdly clunky and not right, but that might just be translation errors. Some of it was on point with humor though.
I also found it slightly funny how the “magical guide” is some random dude over what is usually a cute animal. It’s a little awkward, but definitely different and silly
Overall, this was a fun read! Definitely want to keep reading!
Thank you to Kondasha, Coyuri Tono, and Netgalley for the ARC!
Reading manga is such a breath of fresh air between books, and I thought this was really interesting!
I liked the magical girl designs a lot, and love how the two girls (Karina and Yuni) both have strength and one isn’t resorted to a more passive role
I think it was definitely a little too fast paced, and some of the grandmother/dementia aspects of it definitely had me confused and feeling like it didn’t have the impact it wanted to
I understood the selfishness of Karina, but her life seems a bit complicated to just call her selfish and move on
I think the storyline so far is interesting; We’re not really too sure what’s happening since not everything is explained yet, but it does intrigue me for what the next volume will be like
Sometimes the dialogue felt weirdly clunky and not right, but that might just be translation errors. Some of it was on point with humor though.
I also found it slightly funny how the “magical guide” is some random dude over what is usually a cute animal. It’s a little awkward, but definitely different and silly
Overall, this was a fun read! Definitely want to keep reading!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Magical Karina is well, magical. It's seinen and oddly distant, which I liked. It looks like a kids' manga, but it isn't - the contradiction is delicious. The main character is Karina Nogata and her grandma dies suddenly due to these weird holes in her chest. Many have died like that. She herself gets these weird powers, which is quite cliched, but still. She also meets this guy that in a way helps her to fight the monsters, but dies himself too. Except he doesn't as he comes this mini dude and now they're trying to get his soul back. The whole thing happens so fast and is all over the place. The mini dude was super weird. Aside the plot, I liked everything in the series. How Karina is lost in her own life and how the grandma had dementia. These little things make the series different and the odd aloofness is interesting surely.
The art looks round and childish, but the content is quite heavy. This contradiction works. I love the 1980's style cover a lot. It's hard to say where this is going though and if it's just a cavalcade for some other random weirdness. We'll see.
The art looks round and childish, but the content is quite heavy. This contradiction works. I love the 1980's style cover a lot. It's hard to say where this is going though and if it's just a cavalcade for some other random weirdness. We'll see.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The pacing does falter past the first chapter for about a quarter of the book, mostly in the "Zen doesn't get to explain much and gets shrunk out of his body for reasons still unexplained." Which is about chapters two and three and some of four.
That said, I will admit Sailor Moon too could feel kind of choppy and rushed in its beginning manga chapters. And I feel Magical Girl Karina manages a decent course correction once the second magical girl shows up, giving us three main characters bouncing off each other.
Karina herself is especially endearing with her complicated feelings on her grandmother with dementia dying, years after she had become unrecognizable to Karina. And with her growing determination to not be a selfish child incapable of handling change, even as that is a very uncharitable she has of herself for her natural feelings.
There are still a lot of things to be explained and while I do wish perhaps more of it got addressed in this first volume rather than dangled as to be answered later, I can't say I'm not intrigued.
That said, I will admit Sailor Moon too could feel kind of choppy and rushed in its beginning manga chapters. And I feel Magical Girl Karina manages a decent course correction once the second magical girl shows up, giving us three main characters bouncing off each other.
Karina herself is especially endearing with her complicated feelings on her grandmother with dementia dying, years after she had become unrecognizable to Karina. And with her growing determination to not be a selfish child incapable of handling change, even as that is a very uncharitable she has of herself for her natural feelings.
There are still a lot of things to be explained and while I do wish perhaps more of it got addressed in this first volume rather than dangled as to be answered later, I can't say I'm not intrigued.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for an arc. All opinions are my own.
★ Rating: 3/5
Genre: Magical Girl Manga
Are There Gay People in this?*: ❌
Love the art, but it didn't quite land for me
I love a good magical girl manga, they're always fun, and this one was no different. However, I do think this book had some pacing issues. The stakes are super high, but no one seams to take anything seriously which was a bit off-putting, and the dialogue felt... odd? Maybe it was translated weird, but something just felt strange. I enjoyed this volume plenty, but I probably won't be continuing the series.
* I count a book as including gay people if any of the main or secondary characters are implicitly or explicitly queer or trans. This does not necessarily mean the protagonist is queer or that there is a queer romance
★ Rating: 3/5
Genre: Magical Girl Manga
Are There Gay People in this?*: ❌
Love the art, but it didn't quite land for me
I love a good magical girl manga, they're always fun, and this one was no different. However, I do think this book had some pacing issues. The stakes are super high, but no one seams to take anything seriously which was a bit off-putting, and the dialogue felt... odd? Maybe it was translated weird, but something just felt strange. I enjoyed this volume plenty, but I probably won't be continuing the series.
* I count a book as including gay people if any of the main or secondary characters are implicitly or explicitly queer or trans. This does not necessarily mean the protagonist is queer or that there is a queer romance
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Magical Karina follows the story of Nogata Karina, a Japanese high-school girl that becomes a magical girl more out of survival than revenge.
This manga was suprisingly dark and tense than I expected it to be. Despite having read Sailor Moon or Sakura Card Captor before, the plot surprised me in a good way. It had me at the edge of my seat hoping that Karina wouldn't get horribly injured, or worse.
Also, Karina's character has a really nice depth to it. We see it in her inner monologue and also in her actions. She's determined when it matters but at the same time she's just a high-schooler, a kid, she's afraid and her morals prevent her from doing what it's expected from a magical girl.
I really look forward to read her development as well as where the plot takes us.
As for the rest of characters, I can't say much about because we have been seen much of them yet. However, they promise to be interesting with a past that I'm eager to know off.
This manga was suprisingly dark and tense than I expected it to be. Despite having read Sailor Moon or Sakura Card Captor before, the plot surprised me in a good way. It had me at the edge of my seat hoping that Karina wouldn't get horribly injured, or worse.
Also, Karina's character has a really nice depth to it. We see it in her inner monologue and also in her actions. She's determined when it matters but at the same time she's just a high-schooler, a kid, she's afraid and her morals prevent her from doing what it's expected from a magical girl.
I really look forward to read her development as well as where the plot takes us.
As for the rest of characters, I can't say much about because we have been seen much of them yet. However, they promise to be interesting with a past that I'm eager to know off.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The premise of this book drew me in, but I couldn't help but feel that this first volume didn't accomplish what it needed to do for setting up the characters and the series as a whole. It stumbles pretty hard in the balancing act of setting up Karina as a magical girl and her complex feelings about the passing of her grandmother whose dementia strained Karina's relationship with her.
There was something between the pacing of panel to panel action and dialogue that really didn't work for me. Conversations and events proceed at a choppy pace where I couldn't help but feel the push to get the reader moving along to the next story beat. It made connecting with the characters challenging for me.
I see glimpses of something promising in the pages dedicated to Karina's grief and guilt. They're given enough room to breathe for the me to be able to sink into Karina's feelings.
They being said, I don't think I'll continue with further volumes of this series.
There was something between the pacing of panel to panel action and dialogue that really didn't work for me. Conversations and events proceed at a choppy pace where I couldn't help but feel the push to get the reader moving along to the next story beat. It made connecting with the characters challenging for me.
I see glimpses of something promising in the pages dedicated to Karina's grief and guilt. They're given enough room to breathe for the me to be able to sink into Karina's feelings.
They being said, I don't think I'll continue with further volumes of this series.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
When I was a little girl I truly adore magical girl in anime, the likes of cardcaptor sakura, Tokyo Mew Mew, Magical Doremi etc so I was so excited for this one!
Magical Karina is a Magical girl manga but in more darker side, it's a bit gore and sometimes it feels like a Shonen manga which I don't mind actually.
What i don't like is the art, it's not giving this cute and pretty aesthetic of the usual Magical girl, maybe due to the fact that it's for darker tone. Other than that i don't vibe with the jokes, I didn't find them funny and the banter between the characters are not fun either. Rather than Magical creatures, the FL were accompanied with Magical tiny boy..... Boring and a bit uncomfortable.
I'm not really into the story and won't likely to continue the series but thanks Kodansha and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC with an exchange of an honest review
Magical Karina is a Magical girl manga but in more darker side, it's a bit gore and sometimes it feels like a Shonen manga which I don't mind actually.
What i don't like is the art, it's not giving this cute and pretty aesthetic of the usual Magical girl, maybe due to the fact that it's for darker tone. Other than that i don't vibe with the jokes, I didn't find them funny and the banter between the characters are not fun either. Rather than Magical creatures, the FL were accompanied with Magical tiny boy..... Boring and a bit uncomfortable.
I'm not really into the story and won't likely to continue the series but thanks Kodansha and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC with an exchange of an honest review
April 7, 2026
There were some awesome themes here (basically everything surrounding Karina’s grandmother - the dementia and the drastic personality changes, Karina’s frustration with and dislike of her “new” grandmother, and the guilt she feels after being relieved that grandma died) but the magical girl aspects were really weak. Mostly because her mentor figure was hokey - and not in like a genre-typical way. He was a grown ass adult (which was not clear from his character design, so not obvious until much later when a different character calls it into question). Karina’s attitude about Magical Girl ness wasn’t very well defined because she immediately has to jump into action for a plot that… doesn’t make much sense.
Things just went too fast and we didn’t get to lay much of that necessary groundwork.
{Thanks Kodansha for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own}
Things just went too fast and we didn’t get to lay much of that necessary groundwork.
{Thanks Kodansha for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own}
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was initially drawn to Magical Karina due to its art style. It stands out, and I really like the blobby feel it has at times. This first volume is very fast paced, with the best parts by far being Karina dealing with the grief and guilt around her grandmother's passing. That was really well done, and immediately made Karina quite endearing.
Tonally, I think this volume was a bit scattered. Sometimes the jokes landed at odd places. It's got a darker vibe than your typical magical girl story, but I don't think it's overly dark yet. The first volume also moves really fast. I like both magical girls, and I'm curious to see where the story goes. It's the first volume, so I'm hopeful that as we spend more time in the world the tone will become more clear.
Thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for this advanced copy!
Tonally, I think this volume was a bit scattered. Sometimes the jokes landed at odd places. It's got a darker vibe than your typical magical girl story, but I don't think it's overly dark yet. The first volume also moves really fast. I like both magical girls, and I'm curious to see where the story goes. It's the first volume, so I'm hopeful that as we spend more time in the world the tone will become more clear.
Thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for this advanced copy!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
ARC Provided by NetGalley
This was weird. I will say that this story has some really beautiful art and good magical girl designs but the story is lacking. It's got good bones but in execution it is just missing something. Reading this felt very dreamlike, like we were going from scenario to scenario without any real sense of how things connected and I don't think that was the vibe it was going for. We don't get any explanations for anything and it just left me confused in a way that was not fun. I also can't tell if this is magical girls in the stylings of Carcaptor Sakura or Madoka Magica, and those are two very different tones for magical girls. I'm leaning towards the second but its very unclear at this point. I don't know about this one, maybe a second volume would clarify some things but as a first volume trying to get me invested I am definitely more confused than anything.
This was weird. I will say that this story has some really beautiful art and good magical girl designs but the story is lacking. It's got good bones but in execution it is just missing something. Reading this felt very dreamlike, like we were going from scenario to scenario without any real sense of how things connected and I don't think that was the vibe it was going for. We don't get any explanations for anything and it just left me confused in a way that was not fun. I also can't tell if this is magical girls in the stylings of Carcaptor Sakura or Madoka Magica, and those are two very different tones for magical girls. I'm leaning towards the second but its very unclear at this point. I don't know about this one, maybe a second volume would clarify some things but as a first volume trying to get me invested I am definitely more confused than anything.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley and Kodansa Comic's for giving me an opportunity to be an ARC reader for this work of art.
First, the cover is giving me Sailor Moon vibes because of the magical thoughts and that the girl sitting on the edge is holding a wand plus the way the letter's were outlined. But the story dive down to a more serious note and topic.
Karina's grandmother was suffering from dementia, something a bit new for me being included and discussed in a graphic novel. In the beginning of the book, Karina's grandmother suddenly passes. Despite this trauma, Karina still has to go to her normal life, and that these major life feelings growing on the sidelines while her everyday life inches on. And then one day, she suddenly had magical powers.
It was ok but for me, it was a bit emotional and a bit heavy.
First, the cover is giving me Sailor Moon vibes because of the magical thoughts and that the girl sitting on the edge is holding a wand plus the way the letter's were outlined. But the story dive down to a more serious note and topic.
Karina's grandmother was suffering from dementia, something a bit new for me being included and discussed in a graphic novel. In the beginning of the book, Karina's grandmother suddenly passes. Despite this trauma, Karina still has to go to her normal life, and that these major life feelings growing on the sidelines while her everyday life inches on. And then one day, she suddenly had magical powers.
It was ok but for me, it was a bit emotional and a bit heavy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Kodansha Comics and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Magical Karina 1 by Coyuri Tono is a brand new magical girl manga! The story is about Karina, who can now transform into a magical girl to defeat alien-like creatures. The publisher is comparing this to Sailor Moon or Cardcaptor Sakura, but I would say that this manga is more similar to darker magical girl titles like Magicka Madoka. First of all, I love magical girl manga, and I am so happy that I was able to read and review this book. I did take off 1 star, because this book was darker and creepier than I expected. This definitely isn't a light-hearted manga for kids. I would rate this as PG-13 instead. If you're intrigued by the synopsis, or if you're a fan of darker magical girl manga, I recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in May!
Magical Karina 1 by Coyuri Tono is a brand new magical girl manga! The story is about Karina, who can now transform into a magical girl to defeat alien-like creatures. The publisher is comparing this to Sailor Moon or Cardcaptor Sakura, but I would say that this manga is more similar to darker magical girl titles like Magicka Madoka. First of all, I love magical girl manga, and I am so happy that I was able to read and review this book. I did take off 1 star, because this book was darker and creepier than I expected. This definitely isn't a light-hearted manga for kids. I would rate this as PG-13 instead. If you're intrigued by the synopsis, or if you're a fan of darker magical girl manga, I recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in May!
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