There are a lot of anime out there that are inspired by video games, but this usually just ends up being the basis for a magic system. Few ever do anything significant with the premise, so it’s surprising that an anime meant for kids actually does something unique with the concept (and the manga it was based on started in 1992). While Magical Circle is intended for a younger audience (though since this is meant for Japanese children, there is some innuendo that might surprise viewers), there are still many things in it that make it enjoyable by anyone.
The story starts off by saying that the demon king will resurrect soon. Nike, a normal 13 year old boy, is pushed by his parents to become the hero of the world, and is literally launched out of his house. He ends up finding the Guru Guru magic user, Kukuri, a 12 year old girl, and together they start their journey to defeat the demon king, Giri.
It’s a simple set up that parodies early fantasy video games (especially Dragon Quest), so the simplicity is excused. The whole story is full of elements parodying things from fantasy games, but it doesn’t require vast knowledge of video games to enjoy. Many of the tropes are simply fantasy tropes, or just aesthetic choices. A lot of moments don’t even have to do with video games, but just general writing tropes.
This anime is pretty faced paced, and this can be a detriment to the story occasionally. Since this is primarily a comedy anime, there are lots of jokes, and very little time to breath between them. Some jokes work very well at the fast pace, but others don’t have the proper time to get a reaction. This becomes less of a problem as the show goes on as the viewer gets used to the fast pace. There is also one minor element of the story not fully explored, but overall things are very satisfying. The story touches upon almost every trope it needs to, and tells a sweet romance as well. Overall, the story is great, even given the pacing that can be a little too fast.
The characters are also just as good. Nike plays the role of the hero character, but he has a lot of qualities that typical good guy heroes don’t have. He is a slight pervert (though he never goes out of his way to do perverted things, he just goes with the flow if they happen), and he is rather lazy about saving the world. He is the perfect type of character to parody the hero in fantasy games. Kukuri is shy and sheltered, but she grows a lot as the story progresses. She is infatuated with Nike right from the beginning, and this plays a large role in her story, but it is not her only defining characteristic. These two characters aren’t the only ones of the main cast, but they are the ones most fleshed out.
They carry the rest of the cast, who are mostly stereotypical parodies. There is old man North North, who tries to take the spotlight by dancing, Gipple, who interrupts any scene when it gets too serious emotionally, Juju, who is calm most of the time, but gets devilish when using magic, and many others with similar gimmicks. There is a huge amount of characters in this anime because there are a lot of tropes that need to be filled. No everyone is a trope though, some are just funny characters, who don’t show up too much, so their joke never gets stale. While none of these characters are really deep, they serve their role in the story perfectly, and since there are so many, and this is a comedy anime, they have just the right amount of exploration to feel distinct. No joke is ever repeated by a second character.
A character design is never repeated either. This anime has a more simple art style, which means that the characters are very distinct. Since the amount of detail is lower, characters have extra features to make them unique (that’s not to say everyone has the same face though, far from it. Characters have the same general shape, but their outfits, face, and hair are all vastly different from each other. The designs are perfect to transition for jokes, as they give away just the right amount of information. They are also very colorful, showing off a bunch of different unique designs. Even more basic side characters will be remembered by the end of the series, in part because the designs are so good.
The setting is also well designed, and an important part of the anime. The setting is surprisingly fleshed out and consistent. It is based on video games, so this makes sense in hindsight, but the world is intriguing, full of interesting cities. The magic system isn’t ever explained in detail, but it doesn’t need to be, it’s magic, it just works. The art also does wonders for the setting, making every new place have that distinct video game feel, but also feel fresh.
Unfortunately, the animation isn’t always quite up to par. It’s fine for most scenes (not stellar or anything, but it doesn’t usually need to be). There are some creative uses of animation, and occasionally, the bad animation works for a joke, but there are some cases that don’t add anything. The show often zooms in to a particular scene, making that scene blurry with no added effect. There are also a lot of moments where a pixel art style will be used, and while this calls back to video games, it’s use is not consistent, and often covers up for zoom ins (probably because they would look to blurry otherwise), or for more intensive action scenes (which granted might be a joke, but because of the inconsistent use, this is uncertain). Overall though, the animation isn’t bad, it’s just not up to par with the rest of the show.
The sound, however is great. The voice actors and actresses all do a fantastic job in their roles, and add a lot of comedy to the show, even if it is just, character shouts at something strange. The sound effects are equally great, calling back to a lot of classic video game sounds. The music is used well throughout, and there are a lot of really great sounding tracks. The openings and endings are all great, and the generic nature of each of them fits the parody aspect even more. They even pull a Jojo and use sound effects in the first opening for some episodes (though not the second disappointingly).
SPOILERS!
The musical episode was absolutely amazing. It was the perfect mix of meaning and comedy, as Kukuri develops, and it was hilarious. It’s easily the best episode of the series. It’s disappointing that Nike having light magic and Kukuri having dark magic isn’t ever expanded upon. They just have that because of the legend, and this isn’t ever brought up to mean anything. The final episode was great, though it was too bad seeing Nike and Kukuri go through a storm of demons in pixel form.
Spoilers End
Overall, this show is great. The comedy is all well done, and relies on more general references, so it doesn’t alienate anyone. The romance is sweet, the setting is unique, the characters are charming, the show even has some well done messages (though they aren’t really deep, or hidden). It is a kid’s anime, so it is childish of course, but that doesn’t stop it from being good. If you want a parody of fantasy elements, a good comedy anime, or something simple but well written, then check this out. If you can’ appreciated all ages media then stay away.
Legend of the Golden Wind 
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