“I feel closer to my community by making this,” said Kiana Mai Khansmith. She's the creator of the viral animation Pretty Pretty Please I Don’t Want To Be A Magical Girl (Magical Girl).
“I grew up in Hawai’i, so there wasn't a whole lot of Black people there. Like at least on my side of the island. I was maybe one of four Black students. Otherwise, it was mostly other Asian folks.”
Khansmith, who is director of Disney Channel’s Big City Greens, grew up in a Jamaican and Japanese household. Her childhood shows of choice embodied both her western and eastern cultures, ranging from Jimmy Neutron and Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, to Magical Princess Minky Momo and Sailor Moon.
The inspiration for the show
“I was homeschooled for a while, so [high] school just felt very cool to me,” Khansmith said. “Like, ‘Oh my god! There’s so many people everywhere!’ And like, ‘Oh my god! We’re getting homework that I get to take back and do at home!’ It just felt like a culture shock.”
The main character in Magical Girl, Aika, has a similar disposition, reflecting Khansmith’s novel experience with school. In episode one, Aika attends high school for the first time and marvels at all the stereotypical happenings.
But, we soon find out that Aika is hiding a big secret: she’s a magical girl and, as the show's title states, she doesn’t want to be. Aika has burnt out from the job.
This, too, is a storyline lifted from Khansmith’s life.
“Animation was my dream job for a very, very long time. And, when I got it, it was like, ‘Oh my god, it's so amazing. It's so great.’ But, then you kind of learn how it's actually made. And you learn that it is a job at the end of the day.”
It took reconnecting with children in her hometown, seeing the impact she was having on their lives, to pull herself out of burnout.
“I try to remind myself, this is what this is for. I feel like I am contributing to the world in some way or, like, making a difference, even though in my head it's just cartoons.”
Just like the children did for Khansmith, Aika’s new friend, Zira, will be the one to respark her passion for magical girl heroism. And, Zira will also see how important her role is, even though she feels insignificant.
How did Pretty Pretty Please I Don’t Want To Be A Magical Girl become a viral sensation?
At the time of writing, the fully animated episode one of Pretty Pretty Please I Don’t Want To Be A Magical Girl has amassed 7.9 million views.
Since the pilot animatic dropped in 2025, there have been a plethora of indie animated shows featuring Black magical girls, but none have (yet) garnered the millions of views Magical Girl has. So, what exactly is the secret viral sauce?
I know what you’re thinking and, no, it wasn’t just luck.
Though her YouTube presence was initially minimal, Khansmith has been posting her art online via sites such as Tumblr and Instagram for over 13 years, steadily building a community. Her Pokémon fan art was a huge driver in attracting her audience.
Khansmith also studied animation and storytelling at the famous California College of the Arts between 2014-2017, and even participated in Pixar’s Summer Story intensive to develop her storytelling skills. Ultimately, she dropped out after being scouted by Disney TV Animation.
“I got picked out of school, so I never had time to really get a nice body of work for myself. So [Magical Girl] was my way to do that. It was initially just gonna be a storyboard portfolio piece, and it ended up kind of spiraling into more.”
Now that Magical Girl has grown to become a cultural phenomenon, Khansmith has a big mission for the show.
“I think a lot of people are feeling burnt out right now, with how the world is, [so] I wanted to make something that is hopeful. I want people to come out of the show appreciating life more and appreciating what they do and what they do for the world – even if it's small or seems insignificant to them.”
Curious what the future plans are for Pretty Pretty Please I Don’t Want To Be A Magical Girl? Want to hear Khansmith’s advice to animators? Learn more about her animation career? Become a Charmed Geek member to gain access to watch – or read – the extended interview (releasing October 10, 2026 at 2pm central).
