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Puella Magi Tart Magica #1
Puella Magi Tart Magica, Vol. 1: The Legend of Jeanne d'Arc
Joan of Arc is revered as a hero of the Hundred Years' War and a saint of the Catholic church. But her leadership and strength of character in her time did not escape the notice of Kyubey, who, even in the fifteenth century, sought magical girl candidates for their valuable energies. With her friends and fellow magical girls fighting at her side, Joan fights the English occupiers of France--but will she soon find herself fighting something much more sinister?!
160 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 21, 2015
14 people are currently reading
268 people want to read
About the author
Magica Quartet
168 books199 followersA group collaboration consisting of director Akiyuki Shinbou, writer Gen Urobuchi, the original character designer Ume Aoki, and the producer Atsuhiro Iwakami.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 31 reviews
May 22, 2015
I was really excited when I found out that this manga was coming out. Jeanne d'Arc is one of my favorite historical woman figures, and her story is a really fascinating one. I've seen magical girl retellings of it before (I'm looking at you, Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne), so I looked forward to the spin Madoka would give it.
Sadly, my enthusiasm began waning from the very first pages. I know it's a really ridiculous nitpick, but the "Tart" thing... that's really grating on my nerves and fast. Mostly because that's actually one of the least likely spellings for her father's name (most likely being Darc), and the fact that even Jeanne herself is recorded as stating that her hometown usually passed down the mother's name, not the father's. So... if she were to go with any name, it would have been her mother's and that one is no where near "Tart." This whole line of reasoning leaves me going not only "What the heck?" but also annoyed. It doesn't feel like Jeanne d'Arc now. It feels like some cutesy Japanese girl who got stuck in France for some weird reason because of the name change. It doesn't feel like an effort to get a historically accurate story. It feels like a name change because the writers thought it was cuter than Jeanne.
Also to help with the waning enthusiasm was the presence of three other magical girls on the battlefield with Jeanne. There's no reasoning given for this decision and frankly I think it's a disservice to the original woman. Jeanne is compelling because she was a female in a non-traditional role at the time, doing what she did because she believed in her cause. Her bravery and courage are more remarkable in light of the inevitable isolation her feminine nature would naturally cause in an army of males. By adding more girls to the fight, it makes her seem less compelling. The lack of character development for her doesn't help either. As near as I can tell, she's a blindly trusting ditzy type. (She accepts Kyubey as an angel even though as a religious girl, she should be aware that angels have a human like appearance. The Bible makes that much clear about them. The fact that she accepts a cat-bunny hybrid as an angel is laughable at best.) She doesn't strike me as that charismatic in this so far. Granted it could improve, but so far this series is not off to a great start in my opinion.
The other problem the extra girls bring up is the anachronism of them. The way everyone in the army (and in the flashback to her humble beginnings, the village as well) just blindly accept these women as warriors is strange to say the least. No one seems to question their capabilities at all, even just relying on hearsay as proof. Hearsay from a woman no less. Given the time period, I find this entirely laughable. In a period when women were generally not granted much say in politics and were definitely not supposed to fight wars, this is just pushing the suspension of disbelief a bit far for me.
Weapons became another issue for me. Why does an Italian girl have kunai for her weapons?! They're Japanese. There are throwing daggers in Europe too. Also, a machine/gatling gun for one of the other girls? How does she know how to operate it when the only "guns" at this time were an arquebus which was more like a very awkward mini smokescreen cannon that you mounted on a tripod and had little aim with?! Historically, she wouldn't conjure this up as a weapon because it wouldn't be something people would have the technology to create for nearly half a millennium. (Note: the gatling gun was invented in the 1860s and was a predecessor to the modern machine gun.) I was really disappointed with the weapons for the magical girls because they weren't really grounded in what these characters would be familiar with in the setting, rather on what looked cool. Not to mention how overpowered some of those weapons would make them on a late Middle Ages battlefield. Warfare back then was brutal due to the hand to hand nature of it. You bludgeoned, cut, and pierced to inflict damage. A gatling gun being present makes me wonder why France hasn't conquered the entire world yet. Heck, with that kind of firepower, they shouldn't even be struggling to stave off the English anymore. It also was the lazy route to take in my opinion, creatively. It would've been more believable and impressive to see the creators base their weapons on the technology of the time and work within those bounds. It would have forced them to be more creative with the girls' powers and fighting styles, resulting in what would probably have been a more impressive product. Also, the girls' powers need more development and explanation in this book, especially Jeanne, as the profile layouts do not give you a much better idea of their specialties. I honestly can't wrap my head around what Jeanne's powers are supposed to be beyond just a big blast of kaboom. I know she's only just learning her powers in the end, but I liked how lots of the magical girls in these series have their powers tie into their wishes. (Homura's time abilities because of her wish to redo meeting Madoka being the most obvious one, but almost all of them tie in to their wish.) Jeanne's are just a big quagmire of "Huh?" for me that don't seem to tie into her desire to be the light that guides France.
The final thing that bothered me were the info dumps throughout the book. While some were necessary, even the necessary ones could have used a trim. Not only did they include too much material in too little space, making it difficult to read at times due to font size; but they also could have been done better that way. The amount of information they cram into some of them is just overwhelming and doesn't sink in because they are simply throwing too much at you too fast. Some of the politics could have been incorporated into conversations to make the info dump slightly more palatable. A lot of them could have been saved for a more in depth essay style explanation in the end of the book or even at the front.
My end conclusion? Their efforts to be historically accurate are appreciated, but end up becoming either overwhelming or threatening the suspension of disbelief too much when contrasted against the fantasy elements. I'll check out the next volume to see how they develop the idea
Sadly, my enthusiasm began waning from the very first pages. I know it's a really ridiculous nitpick, but the "Tart" thing... that's really grating on my nerves and fast. Mostly because that's actually one of the least likely spellings for her father's name (most likely being Darc), and the fact that even Jeanne herself is recorded as stating that her hometown usually passed down the mother's name, not the father's. So... if she were to go with any name, it would have been her mother's and that one is no where near "Tart." This whole line of reasoning leaves me going not only "What the heck?" but also annoyed. It doesn't feel like Jeanne d'Arc now. It feels like some cutesy Japanese girl who got stuck in France for some weird reason because of the name change. It doesn't feel like an effort to get a historically accurate story. It feels like a name change because the writers thought it was cuter than Jeanne.
Also to help with the waning enthusiasm was the presence of three other magical girls on the battlefield with Jeanne. There's no reasoning given for this decision and frankly I think it's a disservice to the original woman. Jeanne is compelling because she was a female in a non-traditional role at the time, doing what she did because she believed in her cause. Her bravery and courage are more remarkable in light of the inevitable isolation her feminine nature would naturally cause in an army of males. By adding more girls to the fight, it makes her seem less compelling. The lack of character development for her doesn't help either. As near as I can tell, she's a blindly trusting ditzy type. (She accepts Kyubey as an angel even though as a religious girl, she should be aware that angels have a human like appearance. The Bible makes that much clear about them. The fact that she accepts a cat-bunny hybrid as an angel is laughable at best.) She doesn't strike me as that charismatic in this so far. Granted it could improve, but so far this series is not off to a great start in my opinion.
The other problem the extra girls bring up is the anachronism of them. The way everyone in the army (and in the flashback to her humble beginnings, the village as well) just blindly accept these women as warriors is strange to say the least. No one seems to question their capabilities at all, even just relying on hearsay as proof. Hearsay from a woman no less. Given the time period, I find this entirely laughable. In a period when women were generally not granted much say in politics and were definitely not supposed to fight wars, this is just pushing the suspension of disbelief a bit far for me.
Weapons became another issue for me. Why does an Italian girl have kunai for her weapons?! They're Japanese. There are throwing daggers in Europe too. Also, a machine/gatling gun for one of the other girls? How does she know how to operate it when the only "guns" at this time were an arquebus which was more like a very awkward mini smokescreen cannon that you mounted on a tripod and had little aim with?! Historically, she wouldn't conjure this up as a weapon because it wouldn't be something people would have the technology to create for nearly half a millennium. (Note: the gatling gun was invented in the 1860s and was a predecessor to the modern machine gun.) I was really disappointed with the weapons for the magical girls because they weren't really grounded in what these characters would be familiar with in the setting, rather on what looked cool. Not to mention how overpowered some of those weapons would make them on a late Middle Ages battlefield. Warfare back then was brutal due to the hand to hand nature of it. You bludgeoned, cut, and pierced to inflict damage. A gatling gun being present makes me wonder why France hasn't conquered the entire world yet. Heck, with that kind of firepower, they shouldn't even be struggling to stave off the English anymore. It also was the lazy route to take in my opinion, creatively. It would've been more believable and impressive to see the creators base their weapons on the technology of the time and work within those bounds. It would have forced them to be more creative with the girls' powers and fighting styles, resulting in what would probably have been a more impressive product. Also, the girls' powers need more development and explanation in this book, especially Jeanne, as the profile layouts do not give you a much better idea of their specialties. I honestly can't wrap my head around what Jeanne's powers are supposed to be beyond just a big blast of kaboom. I know she's only just learning her powers in the end, but I liked how lots of the magical girls in these series have their powers tie into their wishes. (Homura's time abilities because of her wish to redo meeting Madoka being the most obvious one, but almost all of them tie in to their wish.) Jeanne's are just a big quagmire of "Huh?" for me that don't seem to tie into her desire to be the light that guides France.
The final thing that bothered me were the info dumps throughout the book. While some were necessary, even the necessary ones could have used a trim. Not only did they include too much material in too little space, making it difficult to read at times due to font size; but they also could have been done better that way. The amount of information they cram into some of them is just overwhelming and doesn't sink in because they are simply throwing too much at you too fast. Some of the politics could have been incorporated into conversations to make the info dump slightly more palatable. A lot of them could have been saved for a more in depth essay style explanation in the end of the book or even at the front.
My end conclusion? Their efforts to be historically accurate are appreciated, but end up becoming either overwhelming or threatening the suspension of disbelief too much when contrasted against the fantasy elements. I'll check out the next volume to see how they develop the idea
April 26, 2018
Wow. This was worse than I thought.
February 7, 2021
沒預料到會讀到字數比漫畫本體的字數還多的百年戰爭歷史
August 2, 2018
Med tanke på hvor populære "Madoka"-animeen og -franchisen er, og muligheten for å cashe inn på diverse populære historiske figurer à la "Fate" er det ikke rart at det finnes en fembinds serie om hvordan Jeanne d'Arc (eller Tart, som hun kalles) blir en magisk jente for å beskytte Frankrike fra England og de onde heksene som truer kongeriket. Sammen med "ikke kjæresten sin" Riz (som er en italiensk leiesoldat uten at det har noe med historien å gjøre) og Kyubey (eller Cube i denne serien) skal Jeanne/Tart drepe hekser, slåss mot engelskmenn og få riktig parasitt på den franske tronen. Vi vet jo så klart hvordan hun møter sitt endelikt, og det er det første du ser i boka, men siden hun er ei magisk jente tror man nesten at hun likevel kan gjøre en forskjell.
Tegningene er rene og funksjonelle med et par ordentlig bra ruter, og personligheten til de forskjellige karakterene kommer godt fram. Jeanne er mye mer aktiv enn Madoka, og jeg synes synd på henne som må være i nærheten av Kyubey i det hele tatt. Jeg var ikke særlig engasjert, men jeg skal lese videre, og jeg håper Jeanne får føle at hun utretta noe før hun ender opp i Rouen.
Tegningene er rene og funksjonelle med et par ordentlig bra ruter, og personligheten til de forskjellige karakterene kommer godt fram. Jeanne er mye mer aktiv enn Madoka, og jeg synes synd på henne som må være i nærheten av Kyubey i det hele tatt. Jeg var ikke særlig engasjert, men jeg skal lese videre, og jeg håper Jeanne får føle at hun utretta noe før hun ender opp i Rouen.
January 7, 2024
When I first read this some time ago, I wasn't entirely sure what I was getting into. PMMM isn't for me; I've seen a few episodes of it thanks to my spouse and his brother, and I know a tiny bit about PMMM's world and functions thanks to that osmosis, but it's never been something for me. Perhaps I'm too old school, but making magical girls grimdark feels antithetical and I don't care for it. Not my cup of tea. So it was a bit of a gamble when a friend told me that I should give PMTM a try because I was a fan of the Fate/Stay Night franchise and because I've always loved Joan of Arc. I was willing to give it a shot on that basis, and at the time I first read this, I did enjoy it for all that I don't like PMMM and didn't know what to expect. (The clear love and research that went into the history that this series includes was a huge point in its favor.)
I didn't write a review for any of the volumes at the time, as I was trying to catch up on the few that were out and pre-order the volumes that had yet to release. Eventually I had read the first four volumes but I've dragged my feet for years on the final one. I know enough about PMMM and how Joan of Arc's story ended historically that I wasn't in the right mood or mind space to read something like that. However, I recently looked at the volumes of the series just sitting on my shelves, collecting dust, and decided I want to sell them. I don't need them, and I don't see myself revisiting them. However, I didn't want to do so and not read the final volume or neglect the chance to finally write reviews, so I'm doing a quick re-read to get that done before selling them.
The first volume, aside from the initial chapter starting in mens rea, is largely set-up with a lot of well-researched historical set dressing. Jeanne (called "Tart" here as a nickname due to her poor handwriting when she attempts to sign her name) meets Kyubey (called Cube) and Riz the magical girl, and drags her feet for three years on whether or not she wishes to make a contact to become a magical girl. Riz and Cube leave, disaster strikes, and Jeanne decides to make the contract. She and Riz set off on a mission to find Charles the Dauphin, and along the way we learn that Jeanne is so powerful her soul gem clouds easily (though this seems to be a result of her sheer power rather than because of despair.) So, foreshadowing, set-up, that whole basket.
It isn't bad, and I do feel like it's compulsively readable. I do love a lot of the efforts to keep to the history while still giving it a magical girl spin, even a PMMM one. As far as first volumes go, I think it's solid. (The infodump text walls can be a bit much though.)
I didn't write a review for any of the volumes at the time, as I was trying to catch up on the few that were out and pre-order the volumes that had yet to release. Eventually I had read the first four volumes but I've dragged my feet for years on the final one. I know enough about PMMM and how Joan of Arc's story ended historically that I wasn't in the right mood or mind space to read something like that. However, I recently looked at the volumes of the series just sitting on my shelves, collecting dust, and decided I want to sell them. I don't need them, and I don't see myself revisiting them. However, I didn't want to do so and not read the final volume or neglect the chance to finally write reviews, so I'm doing a quick re-read to get that done before selling them.
The first volume, aside from the initial chapter starting in mens rea, is largely set-up with a lot of well-researched historical set dressing. Jeanne (called "Tart" here as a nickname due to her poor handwriting when she attempts to sign her name) meets Kyubey (called Cube) and Riz the magical girl, and drags her feet for three years on whether or not she wishes to make a contact to become a magical girl. Riz and Cube leave, disaster strikes, and Jeanne decides to make the contract. She and Riz set off on a mission to find Charles the Dauphin, and along the way we learn that Jeanne is so powerful her soul gem clouds easily (though this seems to be a result of her sheer power rather than because of despair.) So, foreshadowing, set-up, that whole basket.
It isn't bad, and I do feel like it's compulsively readable. I do love a lot of the efforts to keep to the history while still giving it a magical girl spin, even a PMMM one. As far as first volumes go, I think it's solid. (The infodump text walls can be a bit much though.)
August 28, 2019
This was great! I stinking LOVE Madoka Magica, so I’m very happy to have a bunch of spinoffs to read. If they are all as good as this installment of Tart Magica I’m going to be surprised and delighted.
This is a magical girl version of the real Jeanne d’Arc’s story. So historical fantasy. That’s a great mashup genre for me because I like historical fiction and fantasy. It’s established in Madoka Magica that Joan of Arc was a magical girl in this storyverse, so I like that I’m getting a whole series about Jeanne (aka Tart). I do wish I knew more about European history because there is a LOT of real historical info in this volume. I’d love to be able to check if it’s all accurate! Assuming it is, I’m very impressed. Way to go to have some history infodump in a manga without it being annoying!
If you are the kind of person that doesn’t like a ton of text in your manga, you are not going to enjoy Tart Magica. I personally like it, but I’m just throwing that information out there. One thing I dislike is that the text can get to be a very small font on some pages (oh my gosh, that historical note at the very end...that font size is TINY.) However I still loved this and it’s not a big deal to me.
The other main issue I have is that you really need some suspense of disbelief for the setup of Tart Magica to work. Wouldn’t Jeanne (Tart) think ol’ Kyubey/Cube is creepy or weird? She sees his “halo” rings (go look at any picture or screenshot of him and you’ll see what I mean) and assumes he is an angel. Since she’s basically still just a kid, I’ll excuse it, but it is still a bit odd. And also...the fact that Riz goes about in pants and transforms into her magical girl outfit that has a short skirt and shows a bit of her tummy. This is the 1400s. Bit of a headscratcher, lol. Again I will give leeway since this is, after all, a MAGICAL GIRL series...but still.
There are a few bad words spoken by creeps and some violence as is on par for this storyverse, but no sexual content. I certainly wouldn’t give Tart Magica (or Madoka Magica) to a younger girl but for older ones it’s wonderful. If you’re uncomfortable with “mature content” don’t be put off by the OT rating. If the rest of Tart Magica is like v1, and its parent series Madoka Magica, it’s earned the rating by slamming you in the feels and making the reader/watcher cry.
Which in this case is a good thing.:)
4.75 stars rounded to 5! Not QUITE as amazing as Madoka Magica but still very very good.
This is a magical girl version of the real Jeanne d’Arc’s story. So historical fantasy. That’s a great mashup genre for me because I like historical fiction and fantasy. It’s established in Madoka Magica that Joan of Arc was a magical girl in this storyverse, so I like that I’m getting a whole series about Jeanne (aka Tart). I do wish I knew more about European history because there is a LOT of real historical info in this volume. I’d love to be able to check if it’s all accurate! Assuming it is, I’m very impressed. Way to go to have some history infodump in a manga without it being annoying!
If you are the kind of person that doesn’t like a ton of text in your manga, you are not going to enjoy Tart Magica. I personally like it, but I’m just throwing that information out there. One thing I dislike is that the text can get to be a very small font on some pages (oh my gosh, that historical note at the very end...that font size is TINY.) However I still loved this and it’s not a big deal to me.
The other main issue I have is that you really need some suspense of disbelief for the setup of Tart Magica to work. Wouldn’t Jeanne (Tart) think ol’ Kyubey/Cube is creepy or weird? She sees his “halo” rings (go look at any picture or screenshot of him and you’ll see what I mean) and assumes he is an angel. Since she’s basically still just a kid, I’ll excuse it, but it is still a bit odd. And also...the fact that Riz goes about in pants and transforms into her magical girl outfit that has a short skirt and shows a bit of her tummy. This is the 1400s. Bit of a headscratcher, lol. Again I will give leeway since this is, after all, a MAGICAL GIRL series...but still.
There are a few bad words spoken by creeps and some violence as is on par for this storyverse, but no sexual content. I certainly wouldn’t give Tart Magica (or Madoka Magica) to a younger girl but for older ones it’s wonderful. If you’re uncomfortable with “mature content” don’t be put off by the OT rating. If the rest of Tart Magica is like v1, and its parent series Madoka Magica, it’s earned the rating by slamming you in the feels and making the reader/watcher cry.
Which in this case is a good thing.:)
4.75 stars rounded to 5! Not QUITE as amazing as Madoka Magica but still very very good.
June 20, 2015
This is another series in the Puella Magi series that does not directly relate to Madoka. This book does not deviate far from the concept of the original series which defined a new genre of darker magical girl manga that mixes innocence with tragedy. The major difference is it based on the past with famous historical figure Jeanne d'Arc and her quest to save France in the 100 year war after being given the power of a magical girl. Just like the other books in the Puella Magi series this book is rated Older Teen and should be reviewed personally before allowing younger readers to delve in. Besides for those who know the story of Jeanne d'Arc it doesn't end pretty so I can imagine that part of the story doesn't change much(plus the first few color pages are a clear indicator of this fact.)
The art like the other books is soft and when dealing with normal things (the males in the story seem a little to effeminate in my opinion) but shifts into harder shapes and contrasts when powerful creates known as witches (which if you haven't seen the original series is why the books tend to be tragic.) I do enjoy the occasional color page splashes as this book has at the beginning of it like a great foreshadowing of things to come as Jeanne (later known as Tart) wakes from a dream.
All in all I really enjoyed this retelling of history and am looking forward to volume two. I would have to say my favorite part of the volume would have to be when Jeanne makes her wish and becomes a magical girl like a great beacon from God calling her from heaven as she cuts away her long hair to leave behind her simple country girl destiny and take claim as future savoir of France. :)
The art like the other books is soft and when dealing with normal things (the males in the story seem a little to effeminate in my opinion) but shifts into harder shapes and contrasts when powerful creates known as witches (which if you haven't seen the original series is why the books tend to be tragic.) I do enjoy the occasional color page splashes as this book has at the beginning of it like a great foreshadowing of things to come as Jeanne (later known as Tart) wakes from a dream.
All in all I really enjoyed this retelling of history and am looking forward to volume two. I would have to say my favorite part of the volume would have to be when Jeanne makes her wish and becomes a magical girl like a great beacon from God calling her from heaven as she cuts away her long hair to leave behind her simple country girl destiny and take claim as future savoir of France. :)
June 25, 2016
The legend of Joan of Arc, told as if she were a magical girl, battling witches. I've not seen Puella Magi Madoka Magica, so don't have much back knowledge.
Something about this story just doesn't do it for me. It's the classical hero's story: A hero is called by destiny, attempts to ignore the call in their contented simple life, but then gets pulled in after tragic death. I feel as if the emotion of Tart is somewhat missing, the dealing with death, the heartwrench. She is just a character being pulled along by plot without consideration for developing her feelings. Her decision to become magical is too weakly justified, and the battles are too one-sided. The battles don't leave you feeling like the protagonists are in any real danger. The villain leaves without much explanation.
I'll try reading some more before passing final judgement on this series.
Something about this story just doesn't do it for me. It's the classical hero's story: A hero is called by destiny, attempts to ignore the call in their contented simple life, but then gets pulled in after tragic death. I feel as if the emotion of Tart is somewhat missing, the dealing with death, the heartwrench. She is just a character being pulled along by plot without consideration for developing her feelings. Her decision to become magical is too weakly justified, and the battles are too one-sided. The battles don't leave you feeling like the protagonists are in any real danger. The villain leaves without much explanation.
I'll try reading some more before passing final judgement on this series.
January 25, 2016
Despite the fantasy elements (and the very obvious non-historical troupe of magical girls tromping around France with Jeanne), the manga does a great job explaining the context of what Jeanne is fighting against (England) and why (they invaded her country).
In the context of the story, Jeanne — who is a magical girl named Tart — fights alongside a team of French magical girls with the French army, battling both witches as well as magical girls from England who, along with the English army, are attempting to invade France.
(Full review at Girls in Capes.
In the context of the story, Jeanne — who is a magical girl named Tart — fights alongside a team of French magical girls with the French army, battling both witches as well as magical girls from England who, along with the English army, are attempting to invade France.
(Full review at Girls in Capes.
May 3, 2015
3.5*
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I was very excited for this one, and had the library order it, however the story just was not as good as some of the other *Puella Magi* series was. Not that I didn't enjoy reading about JeAnne Tart, but I just enjoyed reading about Kazumi and Madoka more.
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I was very excited for this one, and had the library order it, however the story just was not as good as some of the other *Puella Magi* series was. Not that I didn't enjoy reading about JeAnne Tart, but I just enjoyed reading about Kazumi and Madoka more.
January 8, 2018
Some of the text was very long, and in graphic novels and manga, I dislike that. I like the setting of this story. It's much different from the original "Madoka Magica" setting, since this story is about magical girls fighting witches and in a war: England Vs. France. I thought I would enjoy it, but I find myself a bit unmotivated to read this series. I got four books for christmas, only leaving me with one left in the series to get. I'm on the second volume right now, it's getting a little more interesting, but I hope the long story text bubbles will come to an end, like they're annoying to read for me.
May 30, 2015
While I’m gnashing my teeth over whether or not we’ll be getting a third animated series/movie in the Madoka Magica franchise (after what happened in The Rebellion Story I AM STILL NOT HAPPY WITH THAT ENDING), the manga franchise continues to drain my wallet with its never-ending spin-offs or retellings or what have you. To be fair, it’s not too far-fetched of a cash grab when the series canonically has centuries of magical girls to draw on, not to mention the nearly one hundred potential storylines concerning the main characters. But it does feel like there’s a point when it feels like a horse flogging when the manga series alone has two adaptations, three retellings/alternate timelines and three different spin-offs. And that’s just what’s been licensed in the US so far.
Of the three spin-offs (well, considering how much you want to consider Oriko Magica a spin-off story), I do think that Tart Magica, as of the first volume, has the strongest beginning. This is the first of the series that is really looking at the larger scope of the series, instead of sticking with the magical girls of Mitakihara City, and getting into those stories. That said, there’s something about going with this universe’s history of Jeanne d’Arc that I just was a little bored with. And not because I was thinking “Huh, reimagining Jeanne d’Arc as a magical girl. Never seen that before.”
What I do like immediately about this volume is the number of parallels we see between Jeanne’s story and the main plotline that we see in the original MadoMagi series. Girls being rescued by magical girls and being inspired by them, the massive magical potential that Jeanne possesses for an “ordinary” girl, and how everything will play out to its inevitable ending. What does help is that knowing the history of Jeanne d’Arc (even through cultural osmosis) is that we automatically know that this will be a much different dynamic from the modern-day series—we even see in the first chapter Jeanne leading her troop of magical girls into battle against England’s magical girl and her forces. I really liked the dynamic between Jeanne and Riz, and I really can’t wait to see how they meet the other members of their team and their relationships with each other.
As this is the first volume, we get a long flashback after the opening chapter detailing how Jeanne made her decision to make a contract and her history with Riz. (Also, extensive footnoting on the Hundred Years’ War and the politics behind it.) I do really like that it is mentioned that Riz is protecting Jeanne’s village for nearly three years, and that her presence scares away any potential attacks. And that there are consequences to Riz being in the same place for so long, that she’s ignored her own duties as a magical girl to care about this family. I really like that although Jeanne is initially reluctant to become a magical girl at first, she does feel the need to learn how to fight in case if she does end up in trouble again.
As a standalone first volume, I don’t think that it does a lot to grab a casual MadoMagi fan or even someone who just stumbles on it at the store. (And really at this point, I think they’re just pumping these volumes out for the hardcore fans in Japan, and we’re getting a little deluged with these over here.) However, of the three spin-off series, I will say that Tart Magica is the strongest one so far—it cuts to the point of the series, and being that we already know how the story will end, it’s not 100% subject to the events of the main series. Rebellion’s ending.) I probably won’t give this to anyone who hasn’t seen Madoka Magica (because there is a lot that relies on knowing what the series’ main plot points are), but I think more interested fans would like this one.
Of the three spin-offs (well, considering how much you want to consider Oriko Magica a spin-off story), I do think that Tart Magica, as of the first volume, has the strongest beginning. This is the first of the series that is really looking at the larger scope of the series, instead of sticking with the magical girls of Mitakihara City, and getting into those stories. That said, there’s something about going with this universe’s history of Jeanne d’Arc that I just was a little bored with. And not because I was thinking “Huh, reimagining Jeanne d’Arc as a magical girl. Never seen that before.”
What I do like immediately about this volume is the number of parallels we see between Jeanne’s story and the main plotline that we see in the original MadoMagi series. Girls being rescued by magical girls and being inspired by them, the massive magical potential that Jeanne possesses for an “ordinary” girl, and how everything will play out to its inevitable ending. What does help is that knowing the history of Jeanne d’Arc (even through cultural osmosis) is that we automatically know that this will be a much different dynamic from the modern-day series—we even see in the first chapter Jeanne leading her troop of magical girls into battle against England’s magical girl and her forces. I really liked the dynamic between Jeanne and Riz, and I really can’t wait to see how they meet the other members of their team and their relationships with each other.
As this is the first volume, we get a long flashback after the opening chapter detailing how Jeanne made her decision to make a contract and her history with Riz. (Also, extensive footnoting on the Hundred Years’ War and the politics behind it.) I do really like that it is mentioned that Riz is protecting Jeanne’s village for nearly three years, and that her presence scares away any potential attacks. And that there are consequences to Riz being in the same place for so long, that she’s ignored her own duties as a magical girl to care about this family. I really like that although Jeanne is initially reluctant to become a magical girl at first, she does feel the need to learn how to fight in case if she does end up in trouble again.
As a standalone first volume, I don’t think that it does a lot to grab a casual MadoMagi fan or even someone who just stumbles on it at the store. (And really at this point, I think they’re just pumping these volumes out for the hardcore fans in Japan, and we’re getting a little deluged with these over here.) However, of the three spin-off series, I will say that Tart Magica is the strongest one so far—it cuts to the point of the series, and being that we already know how the story will end, it’s not 100% subject to the events of the main series. Rebellion’s ending.) I probably won’t give this to anyone who hasn’t seen Madoka Magica (because there is a lot that relies on knowing what the series’ main plot points are), but I think more interested fans would like this one.
April 16, 2018
I’ve been looking forward to this spin off, as Joan of Arc is one of my favorite historical figures. So far, I’m not disappointed! This is very well-researched, although the working in of some historical facts is a little clunky and interrupts the flow of the story. I’m really interested to see how Riz and Kyubey are woven into the tale.
The artwork is pretty great, and there were little bits of humor thrown in especially in the final chapter. 4/5 stars for this volume!
The artwork is pretty great, and there were little bits of humor thrown in especially in the final chapter. 4/5 stars for this volume!
February 11, 2024
Hicieron a tart muy Madoka, estuvo aburrido, queria sentirlo como una historia de juana del arco con chicas magicas, que ella en verdad alucinara con ageles y que no hubiesen dicho que solo era kybey para añadir mas misticismo. La hicieron muy moe
August 10, 2018
i am so wowed by this!!! ahhh the Magica quartet never fails to amaze me :]
March 18, 2025
3.5 Stars; Main complaint is that the explanations of the war and other notes are in a minuscule font size.
March 19, 2025
liked
multiple books
- a really weird way to learn some largely inaccurate history
- madoka magica lesbian angst always
multiple books
- a really weird way to learn some largely inaccurate history
- madoka magica lesbian angst always
May 21, 2025
the lesbianism of puella magi™️
February 19, 2016
I read this, Homura's Revenge, and Suzune Magica at the same time. This is my favorite.
Like most of the Magica Quartet stories, there is an idealistic protagonist who Kyubey sees a lot of potential in the form of Jeanne d'Arc (nicknamed Tart). Riz is a detached veteran with a couple of cool skills (she also looks oddly like Homura in dress). Riz, like Mami, is also working closely to Kyubey, her companion as she travels as a mercenary in war torn France (not sure how the magical transformations, and in the case of Riz and Eliza anachronistic weapons and outfits, escape other people's notice. Perhaps Riz's wish was to hide the effects of magic?) After an attack on Tart's home village, she decides to wish to be the force to save France. Tart is powerful but can't summon a weapon and can only use light magic attacks that are powerful but drain her soul gem.
What I really love is what this series adds to the world of Madoka Magica. Tart and the rest of the magical girl world are tied to the non-magical world's war. War is a great source of grief, so it's natural for Kyubey to be preying on the situation. As a result, Tart is the leader of a group of girls backing France, while a mysterious masked girl with the power to force magical girls to turn into witches is a prominent member of England's group. The story starts in media res, but I do hope that it gets mentioned how the girls handled the concept of turning into the witches they fight in a very anti-witch setting.
The final great touch is that it teaches a lot about the One Hundred Year War. Unfortunately, in the translation the text is extremely small and hard to read. That's what loses most of the star, bad font.
Like most of the Magica Quartet stories, there is an idealistic protagonist who Kyubey sees a lot of potential in the form of Jeanne d'Arc (nicknamed Tart). Riz is a detached veteran with a couple of cool skills (she also looks oddly like Homura in dress). Riz, like Mami, is also working closely to Kyubey, her companion as she travels as a mercenary in war torn France (not sure how the magical transformations, and in the case of Riz and Eliza anachronistic weapons and outfits, escape other people's notice. Perhaps Riz's wish was to hide the effects of magic?) After an attack on Tart's home village, she decides to wish to be the force to save France. Tart is powerful but can't summon a weapon and can only use light magic attacks that are powerful but drain her soul gem.
What I really love is what this series adds to the world of Madoka Magica. Tart and the rest of the magical girl world are tied to the non-magical world's war. War is a great source of grief, so it's natural for Kyubey to be preying on the situation. As a result, Tart is the leader of a group of girls backing France, while a mysterious masked girl with the power to force magical girls to turn into witches is a prominent member of England's group. The story starts in media res, but I do hope that it gets mentioned how the girls handled the concept of turning into the witches they fight in a very anti-witch setting.
The final great touch is that it teaches a lot about the One Hundred Year War. Unfortunately, in the translation the text is extremely small and hard to read. That's what loses most of the star, bad font.
April 25, 2015
The Puella Magi series are an interesting series, in that it takes the magical girl genre of Japan and flips it on its head. The heroines in this series face the very real consequence of becoming Witches if they fail to purify themselves in time. The good thing about Puella Magi Tart Magica is that the concept is merged with that of the real life French heroine Joan of Arc, who in this series is called Tart. In the initial volume, we get Tart's history as to how she became a magical girl and how she met Cube, a cute white creature who Tart refers to as an angel, and Riz, who although a girl is based on the historical figure of John Hawkwood, who was an English mercenary. This series shows much potential and the ending will leave the reader wanting for more.
September 16, 2016
Real review to come. It's late OTL.
Short form:
The beginning was really boring, and any of the background info. Which shouldn't have been. D:. All the background info about the time period should have been at the end, not sprinkled throughout.
Thought Jeanne was too ditzy. And like another reviewer said, why did they need more than Jeanne for magical girls? And I don't like Riz. She's a perfect version of Homura. Seriously, she seems to have no flaws.
Also, Tart is a seriously stupid name. They had a lot of other last names they could have used for her, if they didn't just want to call her Jeanne d'arc.
Plot later on was interesting enough, so I'm glad I got it. I just get to dislike Riz for how many more books and think Jeanne here is too stupid.
Short form:
The beginning was really boring, and any of the background info. Which shouldn't have been. D:. All the background info about the time period should have been at the end, not sprinkled throughout.
Thought Jeanne was too ditzy. And like another reviewer said, why did they need more than Jeanne for magical girls? And I don't like Riz. She's a perfect version of Homura. Seriously, she seems to have no flaws.
Also, Tart is a seriously stupid name. They had a lot of other last names they could have used for her, if they didn't just want to call her Jeanne d'arc.
Plot later on was interesting enough, so I'm glad I got it. I just get to dislike Riz for how many more books and think Jeanne here is too stupid.
September 5, 2016
While I'm not sure how a Catholic would feel about this version of Joan of Arc, I can say that as a history buff, I'm torn between "impressed with the research" and "annoyed with how it was implemented." It's a pet peeve of mine to use anachronistic language in period pieces, so "cool" and "okay" really take me out of the story here, and the art is decidedly weak. But the handling of the story is interesting enough to make me keep going, and I like how no bones are made about how Kybey (or Cube in this version) is not as nice as he looks. There are few enough volumes that I'll stick this one out.
May 24, 2017
Good! Very different aesthetic and tone then Madoka Magica, but it's good in its own way. Plus Kyubey aren't quite as much of an a**hole as they were in Madoka Magica, so that's pretty nice. Also the main antagonist magical girls are so cool! overall the quality i would expect from the Magica Quartet crew, so, fantastic.
October 10, 2014
so crazy, and I'm so glad Magica Quartet decided to do this spinoff. can't wait to see the English translation!
Want to read
June 7, 2015Sooo…
Puella Magi Madoka Magica is one of my favorite anime series, and Jeanne d'Arc is one of my favorite historical figures. Let's hope this is good.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica is one of my favorite anime series, and Jeanne d'Arc is one of my favorite historical figures. Let's hope this is good.
June 8, 2015
the concept of Joan of Arc as a magical girl is....hysterical. Still, it was well done, and the history was for the most part accurate (what little was included, that is).
July 13, 2015
It's an interesting concept...Jeanne of Arc as a magical girl.
December 14, 2017
This is a rather strange story line so far. Though I am enjoying it
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