A Magical Girl Retires

Title: A Magical Girl Retires
Author: Park Seolyeon
Translator: Anton Hur
Series: A Magical Girl #1
First Published: April 30, 2024
Publisher: HarperVia
Pages: 176
Genre: Contemporary, Fantasy, LGBTQ, Urban Fantasy
Format: Hardcover
Source: Gift
Rating:


Synopsis:

A millennial turned magical girl must combat climate change and credit card debt in this delightful, witty, and wildly imaginative ode to magical girl manga.

Twenty-nine, depressed, and drowning in credit card debt after losing her job during the pandemic, a millennial woman decides to end her troubles by jumping off Seoul’s Mapo Bridge.

But her suicide attempt is interrupted by a girl dressed all in white—her guardian angel. Ah Roa is a clairvoyant magical girl on a mission to find the greatest magical girl of all time. And our protagonist just may be that special someone.

But the young woman’s initial excitement turns to frustration when she learns being a magical girl in real life is much different than how it’s portrayed in stories. It isn’t just destiny—it’s work. Magical girls go to job fairs, join trade unions, attend classes. And for this magical girl there are no special powers and no great perks, and despite being magical, she still battles with low self-esteem. Her magic wand . . . is a credit card—which she must use to defeat a terrifying threat that isn’t a monster or an intergalactic war. It’s global climate change. Because magical girls need to think about sustainability, too.

Park Seolyeon reimagines classic fantasy tropes in a novel that explores real-world challenges that are both deeply personal and universal: the search for meaning and the desire to do good in a world that feels like it’s ending. A fun, fast-paced, and enchanting narrative that sparkles thanks to award-nominated translator Anton Hur, A Magical Girl Retires reminds us that we are all magical girls—that fighting evil by moonlight and winning love by daylight can be anyone's game.

Get the Book: Amazon

---

Review

Credit card debt, unemployment, suicidal depression, and climate change; A Magical Girl Retires pretty much summarizes the millennial adult experience. The narrator is pushing 30, drowning in debt, and ready to end it all when she meets a magical girl and finds herself drawn into the business of saving the world.

The book is self-aware and I found it quite funny, the world building and the magical girls were fascinating and I wanted so much more of them. The story strangely ended up feeling pretty cozy despite exploring some darker themes, and I was left feeling happy and hopeful when I finished the book. There is a little romance but I felt this aspect was really underdeveloped, and I wish the book was just a little bit longer.

It’s not a secret that many young adults have been struggling to ‘launch’ since the turn of the century, often remaining at home with parents and either delaying or never achieving previous markers of adulthood such as a career, marriage, buying a home, or starting a family. Though millennials are the most well known, this trend actually started with younger Gen X and has continued on with Gen Z coming up next in line. It’s clear that the issue is not limited to a single generation but is a symptom of greater financial, social, and political instability worldwide. Beating the odds can seem impossible without a miracle…

…And that is exactly what this book provides. The unnamed narrator is given a chance at a new life thanks to a little magic. A Magical Girl Retires is a wish fulfillment book for the generation raised on girl power. It’s not a perfect book by any means, but I found it delightful and am happy that a sequel was announced.

Quote

Content Warnings

About the Author