7 Magical Girl Anime Series Every Queer Geek Should Know

Magical girls rule! (And make for some of the queerest anime!)

Magical girls in anime and manga have been taking over Japan—and the world—by storm since Sailor Moon revitalized the genre in the '90s. Since then, there have been newer magical girl anime that have either shown a darker take on the genre, or have given us more lighthearted, sparkly goodness.

Here are seven magical girl anime that every queer geek should know!

1. Sailor Moon

Created by Naoko Takeuchi, Sailor Moon is perhaps the most famous and influential character of the magical girl genre. The manga and anime series tells the story of a young school girl named Usagi Tsukino and her misadventures as the titular superhero Sailor Moon. Recently, Sailor Moon was given the reboot treatment with the anime series Sailor Moon: Crystal.

2. Cardcaptor Sakura

If you were an American kid in the late '90s and early '00s, you might remember a cartoon called Cardcaptors. This cartoon was the English version of Cardcaptor Sakura, which featured schoolgirl Sakura Kinomoto using her newfound magical powers to recapture a set of cards called The Clow Cards. Today, the series has gotten a sequel, called Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card.
 

3. Revolutionary Girl Utena

First airing in 1997, Revolutionary Girl Utena provided a darker, more mature take on magical girls, combining them with fairy tales, sword fighting, and a whole lot of symbolism involving roses. Created by Kunihiko Ikuhara, both the anime series and the anime movie have gone on to be an influential classic!

4. Madoka Magica

In recent years, there have been magical girl anime & manga that deconstruct the lighthearted tropes of the genre with darker twists. Leading the pack is Madoka Magica, a series that features a group of schoolgirls choosing to become magical girls to battle witches. The series' popularity has resulted in similar shows such as Black Rock Shooter, Yuki Yuna Is A Hero, and Magical Girl Rising Project.

5. The PreCure franchise

Since 2004, the magical girls of the Pretty Cure franchise have carried on the lighthearted spirit of Sailor Moon. The franchise is huge, with over 600 episodes worth of anime series to watch. If you want to try out one of the PreCure anime series, there is a handy quiz that will tell you where to start.
 

6. Shugo Chara

If you've ever wanted to see magical girls working together with magical boys, then this is the series for you. It mainly focuses on middle-school student Amu Hinamori as she learns to bring out the hidden facets of her personality and fight evil using the power of three Guardian Egg spirits.

7. Umi Monogatari

Perhaps one of the most character-driven magical girl series ever, Umi Monogatari tells the tale of two girls who become the Sky Maiden and the Sea Maiden to fight the embodiment of darkness known as Sedna. Featuring mermaids, lovely piano music, and sympathetic characters, this series will soothe and entertain you.