Over the weekend, a new pilot dropped on YouTube and the internet ate. it. up. Pretty Pretty Please I Don't Want To Be A Magical Girl the project of YouTuber Kiana Khansmith, a Disney/Pixar animator, is here to turn the magical girl anime genre on its head.
The animatic introduces us to Aika, a magical girl who's life dream is to be a normal girl going to a normal high school and ignore the call on her life to fight evil. The short is witty, adult, and pays homage to the magical girl anime genre by deconstructing it with thoughtful wit – like having Aika use a transformation sequence to change back into her basic clothes instead of magical mode.
I personally love that we see a geeky, awkward Black girl take center stage (representation I've rarely seen in my three decades).
The characters are loveable, the villain seems ominous, and the glimpse into the proposed animation style is cute. But don't just take my word for it, watch the 11 minute 11 second-long pilot for yourself.
BONUS: There's a limited edition Aika plush available to order through Tuesday, March 4 for $29.99.
Extremely long title aside – one of my current pet peeves – I'm really excited both for this original take on a classic genre and for the representations of Blackness that will be threaded throughout.
