The Top 22 Magical Girl (Majokko) Anime To Purify Your Soul (2024)

Magical Girl (or Maho Shojo/Majokko) is one of those genres that is able to combine a wide array of different elements, like horror and violence with magic.

Even though it blatantly began as a genre for little girls, its versatility is certainly appreciable.

This list features series for children, a female audience, and boys because this genre has everything you can wish for.

Rankings are based on our experience and personal taste but we can guarantee that the vast majority of the anime in this listicle is quite good.

22. Kamichama Karin

Kamichama Karin is a very simple magical girl show within the canon. A small demerit note goes to the animation, which isn’t up to par even by the standards of the time it came out, in 2007.

Karin is a middle school student, living alone with her aunt after the death of her parents.

However, she discovers that the only inheritance she had from her mother, a mysterious silver ring, allows her to transform into a goddess with the help of Athena.

After this discovery and meeting 2 people with the same powers, she will begin attending Sakuragaoka Academy, the most prestigious school in all of Japan.

This could look like an anime for kids but it’s actually very complex in terms of plot. It’s a great introduction if you are new to the theme and love kawaii characters.

21. Phantom Thief Jeanne

A Majokko anime from the early 2000s with all the tropes you can wish for, from romance to flashy transformations.

Especially recommended if you are looking for drama and romance with a lovely vintage aesthetic.

Maron Kusakabe, who appears to be a cheerful and sunny 16-year-old girl living alone is actually nothing less than the reincarnation of Joan of Arc.

At night she transforms into the phantom thief Kaito Jeanne, who, with the help of the half-angel Fin Fish, acts to steal paintings in which dangerous demons are hidden and seal them away for good.

Action and adventure add to the pros of this anime with very colorful graphic features typical of the 2000s.

20. Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya

One of the boundless routes of the famous Fate series, one of the most popular series in recent times. Fate/Kaleid Liner Prism Illya, however, differs greatly from the others.

We won’t see Servants, Holy Grail fighting, and Familiars either. That’s because the series is a parody where the main characters, especially the girls, are sorceresses with powers similar to Majokko canons.

Fate/Kaleid Liner Prism Illya wasn’t even made by Ufotable but the battle scenes and animations are fluid anyway.

You will miss many references to the main series if this is your first entry in the franchise, so it’s not recommended as a standalone.

Even though this anime follows the canons of magical girl, it can bother some people for the sheer amount of fanservice and yuri bait.

19. Yuna Yuki is a Hero

Yuna Yuki is a Hero was born by the minds of Kishi and Takahiro, respectively known for Angel Beats! and Akame ga Kill!.

The show has some good premises but shares the same issues as the 2 anime mentioned before. The main problems we have found are character development and the pacing of the first season.

The main character Yuna Yuki is a heroine who attends her middle school’s Hero Club. After the advent of dark forces called Vertex, she will transform into a magical girl to prevent the imminent threat.

Mimori Togo and the 2 sisters Fū and Itsuki Inubōzaki will help the heroine in her mission, creating a moe and cute cast.

This anime isn’t supposed to be moe but ends up being such, so lovers of the “cute girls doing cute things” genre will love it.

The good combination of Majokko, transformations, school life, and colorful fights make it a decent starting point.

On the other hand, we discourage more experience anime watchers to go through this show.

18. Shakugan no Shana

An action fantasy magical girl show with school and romance with a love triangle.

The protagonist Sakai Yuji is a high school student who gets attacked by a monster in the shape of a large doll.

On the verge of death, she gets saved by a girl armed with a katana who terminates the threat.

The girl is a Flame Haze capable of transforming and learning the powers necessary to kill these monsters from another world, called Crimson Denizens.

This show starts right off with a hook to keep you engaged and curious about how the series will progress.

But this initial excitement doesn’t make up for the slow pacing found later on. If we approach this issue from another perspective, this is good because we get more time for character development.

The strong role of the female lead and the presence of magic are the strongest magical girl elements here.

17. Persia, the Magic Fairy

A 48-episode series dating back to 1984 that is bursting with vintage in character design, animation, and settings. It’s among the first works of the famous Studio Pierrot and is their second magical girl anime produced.

Persha Hayami is a lively 11-year-old girl who has lived her childhood away from her parents in Africa in the company of the friendly ethologist Gouken.

When it’s time for her to return to her parents in Japan, she is transported to a parallel dimension called Lovely Dream.

Here she will be asked to save that world, with magical powers given to her.

One of the precursors of the theme and an introspective show for those who love comedy mixed with enough character depth.

This series is a must for vintage lovers and if you want to study how magical girl evolved from the 80s to today.

16. The Demon Girl Next Door

One day the demonic abilities of 15-year-old Yuko Yoshida, the protagonist, are awakened causing her to grow a tail and horns.

Her family is in fact descended from the Clan of Darkness, which for centuries fought against the Clan of Light and lost, thus forcing them to live as ordinary mortals.

In order to fully recover her powers, Yuko will have to defeat a sorceress and sacrifice her.

The only one present in her town is capable of single-handedly blocking a truck, and her mother’s advice is far from helpful. How will she do it?

The Demon Girl Next Door is a satiric take on the genre and is perfect for those who love “cute girls doing cute things” due to its frequent funny moments.

A comedy that excellently combines Majokko and demented elements that will have you dying with laughter.

15. Little Witch Academia

Little Witch Academia is a fairly recent anime consisting of 25 episodes aired in 2017.

The plot tells the story of the protagonist surnamedAkko, a young girl who as a child witnesses the witch Shiny Chariot’s magic show.

From that moment on decides to follow in her footsteps by enrolling in the Luna Nova Academy for Little Witches. But not everything will be as easy and smooth as hoped.

This anime makes the watcher identify with Akko, a resolute and motivated girl who will find a way to face her hardships.

There isn’t plenty of drama and the plot is episodic, so the tone tends to be funny and chill on average. What we liked about this anime is that it was extremely refreshing and wholesome when it aired the first time.

The second part shifts from episodic to a more consistent plot with a darker tone, which is good to create even more variety.

Little Witch Academia is a blessing in disguise and excels technically, what a blast!

14. Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha

Based on a video game of the same name, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha is another magical girl series consisting of multiple seasons released since 2004.

The protagonist is Nanoha, a little girl attending elementary school, who obtains the power of the Raging Heart from Yuno, a ferret.

It allows her to transform into a magical girl with superpowers, nothing new then. Her new goal will be to retrieve the 21 Jewel Seeds in a fashion that recalls the stereotypical heroine’s journey.

This is where her raids begin as she defeats ever-new enemies in a format that resembles Sailor Moon.

The monster of the week structure isn’t good per se because it can destroy the pacing of an anime if not executed properly.

Fortunately, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha has a great villain called Fate Testarossa, who will play a key role in the plot.

Don’t judge a book by its cover describes what we think about this show, which can look like the usual moe bait.

It’s not once you watch it and there are a lot of interesting ideas that we would like to see more, such as the presence of a strong villain like Fate.

13. Shugo Chara!

Shugo Chara! is a great classic of the Majokko genre, released in 2007 divided into several series.

The main character Amu is a strong and popular elementary school girl who would like to make new friends. But she can’t due to her inability to bring out her true character.

One night she expresses a prayer to be more honest with herself and others, and in the morning finds 3 eggs in her bed.

These contain mysterious little beings that can change Amu’s character through magic and can make her become feisty, thoughtful, or sweet and messy.

The premise may seem childish but the character development and depth of Amu are really astounding. You may expect the usual show rich in stereotypes, and Shugo Chara! shatters your dream for free.

The heroine is conflicted and is more relatable than many other anime characters out there. This extreme focus on Amu is also a disadvantage because the vast majority of the cast is shallow.

For this reason, Shugo Chara! is a great addition to your watchlist if you love psychology and protagonist-centric plots.

Beware of the pacing as the series is full of filler episodes and the plot can get predictable soon.

12. Symphogear

Symphogear combines music with Maho Shojo elements, creating a novel and interesting product.

Hibiki Tachibana goes to attend a concert by her favorite singers: the Zwei Wing, a duo formed by Kanade Amou and Tsubasa Kazanari.

During the concert, however, mysterious beings attack the auditorium, causing death and destruction.

But that point, however, the two singers begin to confront the enemies wearing special armor using the power of music.

2 years later with the incident now over, she begins to develop the same powers.

Symphogear gets better each season and excels in its music and charming visuals. If you love idols, Sci-Fi and the power of friendship, this is the best entry on the list.

We are sure you will like it if you have enjoyed Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha for the Sci-Fi component.

11. Magical DoReMi

One of the behemoths of the genre, released at the turn of 1999-2000. Fans will have already figured it out, but we are talking about Magical DoReM.

The anime centers on a clumsy elementary school girl named Doremi Harukaze, who runs into a witch known as Majo Rika on her way home.

During their encounter, Doremi accidentally turns her into a frog, thus ending up being forced to become her apprentice in order to turn her back to normal.

This show is the stereotypical magical girl executed to perfection. This time, witches are portrayed in a positive light unlike other anime like Puella Magi Madoka Magica.

Another important element is given by the influence of the family on children, a quite important topic even today and that was exceptionally portrayed by Magical DoReMi.

While you may say that the absence of great villains and heavy magic are big cons, we argue that it’s a positive. This anime managed to create a unique combination of character depth with childish and comedy vibes.

10. Mew Mew Power

From the work written by Reiko Yoshida and drawn by Mia Ikumi comes the anime of Mew Mew, a Maho Shojo work that has been enormously successful since its release.

Ichigo’s coveted date is abruptly interrupted when during it she is chosen to acquire special powers.

Her DNA is combined with that of a cat, and she will acquire many characteristics of this animal, as well as the ability to transform herself into a cat-girl.

From that day on she will be committed to protecting the Earth, but first, she will have to find her 4 other companions with the same powers.

The plot isn’t that special, you have a great evil, a magical girl cast, and superpowers. The first half of the series even has quite boring pacing, then why did we put this series here?

The reason is simple, the relatable characters like Ichigo and the presence of good romance throughout the story.

Even though the atmosphere is carefree and even relaxed, this show can boast several serious moments and great transformation sequences.

Mew Mew Power is another excellent choice if you love character development and uniqueness.

9. Pretear

Pretear is an anime that deliberately takes inspiration from the Snow White fairy tale, making many different kinds of references to the classic story.

Himeno Awayuki is a quiet 16-year-old girl whose only wish is to be able to live a normal life after losing her mother. Meanwhile, the Princess of Disasters Saihi is sending her seeds of evil to Earth to suck the life energy of all living creatures.

To avert the catastrophe, seven warriors, the Riphe Knights, set out to find the Pretear, a princess with magical powers to foil the threat, who of course turns out to be Himeno.

This reverse harem magical girl show is also focused on the family of the female lead, such a great addition since many other shows don’t go into much detail.

Pretear will make you cry toward the end and could have lasted longer instead of being rushed. If you love romance, drama and sentimental plots, this is the right choice.

Stay away if you want intense fights or a lot of action, because it’s not the main focus of the show.

8. Revolutionary Girl Utena

Revolutionary Girl Utena is an anime released in 1997 that is part of the multimedia project of the same name by Chiho Saito and Be-Papas.

The story revolves around Utena Tenjou, a very peculiar 15-year-old girl who doesn’t like wearing a female uniform and rejects the idea of femininity in general.

This is because when she was a child she fell into a stream and was rescued by a man who looked like a real prince, which welded deeply into the girl’s memory.

After rescuing her, he gave her an heirloom called the Rose Ring promising her that one day they would see each other again.

To realize this dream of hers Utena decides to enroll in the Otori Institute, where a variety of people possessing the same ring as her will challenge her to a duel.

And the Majokko element this time is given by the presence of these rings, which bestow magical powers on the wearer allowing them to fight and change appearance.

Many can argue that this anime isn’t really a pure magical girl but the presence of Anthy and the strong heroine say otherwise.

Revolutionary Girl Utena has a pleasant and refined atmosphere with a vintage touch of elegance. It’s rich in symbolism and metaphors so we can say that it’s about abstraction.

This is the anime you want to watch when you want a deeper experience and think a lot about choices.

7. Princess Tutu

Princess Tutu is an anime of 26 total episodes created by Jun’ichi Sato and animated by Hal Film Maker.

Drosselmeyer is a bizarre writer who has the power to make the fairy tales he writes come to life.

In one of his fairy tales, he tells the story of Ahiru, a duck who has fallen in love with the reclusive Prince Mithos and whom the writer makes into a human girl.

Thanks to a magical pendant Ahiru can transform into Princess Tutu, a girl who uses her magical powers by dancing.

To save Mithos, who no longer has feelings, the girl-daughter will have to recover the scattered fragments of her destroyed heart using her powers.

If you want a union between Majokko and fairy tale elements then don’t wait any longer and start this viewing.

It’s also one of the first examples of dark elements combined with magical girl, even though most fans think that Madoka Magica gets the first word.

6. Flip Flappers

Flip Flappers is an anime produced by Studio 3Hz and broadcasted in the winter of 2016.

The main character is Cocona, a young girl attending middle school. Quiet and judicious, however, she will make the acquaintance of Papika, a peer with an explosive personality.

The latter also unexpectedly invites Cocona to come along with her to a mysterious parallel dimension called Pure Illusion, where everything is possible, including magical powers.

The entire world feels like lucid dreaming and it feels like a wonderful and oniric experience at the edges of reality.

Flip Flappers is one of those original anime that may pass quietly and be forgotten, but with the potential of a cult series.

The style and fluidity of the action scenes are reminiscent of the quality of Studio Trigger, which is repeatedly paid homage to.

This anime is a joy for the eyes and features an interesting storyline full of plot twists and interesting villains.

There are some dark elements after the first half as this show is all but just cheerful. The transformations are awesome and you will be amazed by how well they are inserted into fighting scenes.

Flip Flappers may not be super popular, even so, give a chance to this hidden gem. It’s one of the most brilliant magical girl shows out there and few people know.

5. Magic Knight Rayearth

A 1994 anime based on the manga of the same name written in 1993 by the famous CLAMP.

Rayearth features 3 girls, called Hikaru, Umi, and Fu, who during a school trip to Tokyo Tower are teleported to the fantasy world of Cefiro.

Upon arriving in this new reality, they realize that the world is in grave danger and decide to fight for its salvation as Magic Knights, using magical powers.

But while retaining the classic Maho Shojo elements, Magic Knight Rayearth manages to include mecha and kingdoms at war too, creating a union of genres more unique than rare.

The clashes draw great inspiration from fantasy RPGs and combine the dynamism typical of mech battles with tactics derived from a system of weaknesses and resistances.

The interesting blend of all these elements isn’t foreign to Majokko, but Rayearth does it better.

4. Pretty Cure

A great classic of magical anime starring sorceresses produced in 2004 by Izumi Todo.

Pretty Cure fully takes the lessons of the great past classics of the Majokko genre and reworks them into a wide variety of series.

Although the basis is the same as in typical Maho Shojo anime, in Pretty Cure the fighting is directed to a more physical approach and more emphasis is given to secondary characters.

This gives a slightly different approach to the genre that is well-appreciated by the fans.

The transformation sequences play a key role and are memorable, they can be considered among the best in the genre.

3. Puella Magi Madoka Magica

A 2011 short anime produced by Shaft and Aniplex, Puella Magi Madoka Magika is a masterpiece that has affected how Majokko is perceived.

The protagonist Madoka Kaname is shy and indecisive and will quickly get dragged into a much worse reality.

Even though the plot starts as stereotypical, the atmosphere starts changing from Episode 3, quite early considering that it’s 1/4 of the length of the series.

The relaxed and playful atmosphere is just a facade, as the focus is on dark and deep themes. As the plot thickens, you will get to learn many gloomy details and the plot gets darker.

There are no better choices if you want an anime with basic Majokko elements that takes a totally unexpected turn.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica doesn’t end with its plot twists because the technical side is super solid and bright.

From the animations during the fights to the bizarre cutscenes and sceneries, this show is a feast for the eyes of every magical girl and dark fantasy anime lover.

2. Cardcaptor Sakura

Card Captor Sakura is one of the most-known majokko series and one of thebest anime about magic. The story features a 10-year-old girl who one day stumbles upon a mysterious book in her father’s library.

The girl, intrigued, opens the book and accidentally releases the magic contained within it in the form of cards, at the same time acquiring magical powers.

These powers will be useful for the protagonist to undo the damage done, beginning a journey that will lead her to find all the lost cards.

Those who have enjoyed other classics of the genre will greatly appreciate this anime, especially if you are akin to the theme of love and how powerful it can be.

The presence of Li Shaoran creates an interesting duo that will later evolve into something else. Cardcaptor Sakura is quite modest since we don’t get any fancy transformations and the look of the main character is all but flashy.

That’s one of the main points of the series, which is more about character relationships and fun rather than pure aesthetics.

1. Sailor Moon

Based on the manga of the same name written in 1991 by Naoko Takeuchi, Sailor Moon features Usagi Tsukino and her friends as protagonists.

The plot of the anime unfolds in various self-contained mini-adventures that slowly bring the warriors closer to the final enemy of the day.

While the anime isn’t faithful to the manga and is rich in filler episodes, it’s saved by its vintage aesthetic and artistic beauty.

Sailor Moon Crystal is the more faithful remake of the original source but can’t boast the same pros of the original show.

If we are talking about Maho Shojo, this is probably its pinnacle, as it set many standards and is frequently mentioned for its flashy and memorable transformations.

Magic is a predominant element as shown by the powers of the enemies and the overall themes of the show, making this series one of the best fantasy anime too.

But Sailor Moon isn’t just about fighting and fireworks, it’s also about the psychology of the young girls and their daily challenges.

The main character Usagi Tsujino is far from being a perfect heroine, and this is super clear right from the start, but we’re more than confident to call her one of the best female MC in a fantasy anime.