I would call this a cozy fantasy. The main character is one trying to find her place in a magical world.

Award-winning South Korean novelist Park takes on the magical girl genre with a light tone—but a darkly pointed commentary—in this short novel about finding a place in the world. In debt and so disillusioned with her life that she’s ready to end everything, the 29-year-old narrator is saved by destiny in the form of magical girl Ah Roa, a clairvoyant who believes the narrator is the Magical Girl of Time. The only hope for the planet, in the midst of the climate crisis, is for the Magical Girl of Time to save them. But though the narrator at once believes that she could have this meaning to her life, she also stumbles through activating her own powers, frustrated when the talisman that’s supposed to help her takes the form of a credit card. What kind of magical girl is she, anyway? With manhwa-style chapter illustrations and tropes that could be drawn from the familiar comics genre, a lot of the style of the novel hearkens back to the popularity of Sailor Moon, but it also acknowledges a stark reality where those who gain the power of magical girls are the ones who face the greatest risk of harm and trauma. Park pictures a world on the brink of collapse, with no one paying the price—and shows what it might take for a millennial to not only survive, but to capture her own dreams and make her life worth living. – AJA

This was a short read for me, honestly, because it was so short. I went in knowing about the plot and kind of expecting A Magical Girl Retires to be a bit basic, but I'm glad I finally picked this up. Park Seolyeon exceeded my expectations. I really enjoyed the additional art work too.

Thank you again to the publisher and Netgalley - the above is my honest opinion on A Magical Girl Retires.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperVia for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The premise for A Magical Girl Retires instantly drew me in, and honestly I loved it. This novella is pretty fast, easy read and I thought that for <200 pages, it packed a lot in. I thought it was interesting how it touched on fairly heavy themes—suicide, domestic violence, the treatment of women in South Korea, climate change—while maintaining a certain level of whimsy. The illustrations were lovely and Hur’s translation was smooth and easy to read. It was fun to read this spin on the magical girl genre, and I hope to see more of Park Seolyeon’s work translated!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This was such a cute cozy fantasy read. I loved the characters and thought the story was pretty clever using relevant issues to our society. My only wish that this was longer! This is my first book from this author but look forward to reading more from them in the future. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

Who to recommend this to: adults who had a sailor-moon phase, anyone interested in translated novellas

I forgot to write a review at the time of reading, but I remember liking the humor of it, and honestly its hard to be mad at a book this short.

This novella takes the magical girl trope you’re probably familiar with from anime and video games and uses said magical girls to examine what being a woman is like in South Korea today. Entertaining read, great translation by Anton Hur, per usual.

A young woman at the verge of ending her life discovers that she may possibly be the Magical Girl of Time. She may be the one who solves the climate crisis. In the midst of everything she finds love and discovers who she truly is meant to be and what it costs to have power.

If only magic could really solve the climate crisis. It is a novel that made me nostalgic for Sailor Moon and all types of girl groups.

A Magical Girl Retires was such a fascinating premise. As a long-time fan of Sailor Moon, I figured I would be the target audience for this. And, for the most part, I enjoyed this. I liked how short and sweet it was, but it felt a little too sparse. I didn't connect with the characters, and they felt a little flat. Overall, I enjoyed this read and am curious about anything else this author may write in the future.

Though the pacing can be a bit slow for some but I loved it, the heartfelt moments and creative world-building make it a delightful read.

I've purchased my own copy since reading the ARC, but to be honest (as a Sailor Moon fan since the 90's lol) I would have impulsively bought this book for the title and cover alone. If you love illustrations in books you won't be disappointed. Every chapter has an accompanying illustration and they're beautiful! So, even thought it was the aesthetic of this title that pulled me in, the synopsis kept my interest. It's darker than I expected, but not in a violent or graphic way. It's a pretty traditional magical girl story, but it includes some themes of depression and modern issues. Overall, I enjoyed reading this immensely and recommend it, but don't go in expecting it to be like a Sailor Moon light novel.

I found this tale of a 29 year old magical girl to be a pretty fun "but what if in the real world" take on magical girls. While there's a lot that is universal in the tale, there were a few Korean cultural elements that didn't perfectly translate that were explained in the afterword by the translator that might have benefited from being in a foreword instead. I enjoyed it, but would have enjoyed a longer excursion in that world even more, the novella length was both its strength (poignancy and succinctness) and its weakness.

A MAGICAL GIRL RETIRES by 박서련, (translated by Anton Hur) intrigued me with its manga-like cover and premise about a millennial girl dealing with credit card debt. Despite not being my usual type of book, this novella took me by surprise.

It was a fast and engaging read, touching on relevant topics such as the workplace in Korea, domestic violence (and how the society does not stand up for affected women), burnout, debt, and even COVID (though it does feel a bit too soon for books set during the pandemic, as I’m not over it yet), and especially, climate change.

Our main character is depressed and burdened by credit card debt, leading her to contemplate ending her life. However, at 마포대교, she discovers that she’s a 마법소녀 (magical girl). After accepting her new fate and receiving her talisman (which I found so funny, lol), and her newfound calling, she joins the magical girl union, hoping to to help save the world.

The book took a different direction than I anticipated and, being a short novella, lacked some depth. Additionally, elements like time manipulation and other fantastical aspects were a bit too fantasy-y for my taste. However, I appreciated the author’s focus on climate change and the sapphic storyline between our main character and Roa. After reading the translator’s note, I better understood the book and grew to appreciate it even more. While not perfect, I think this book will linger on my mind for some time.

A short adaptation of magical girl manga that's translated from Korean to English, this book tries to imagine a situation where actions have consequences.

A bit too short to explore the potential of what's being proposed here, I liked the ideas it brought to the table, with a magic system that enabled girls and women to tip the scales of power to restore justice. But it falls short of its full potential by cramming it all into about a hundred pages. Maybe I'm not familiar enough with manga adaptations, or the translation is clunky, I cannot tell which.

Oh. My. God. I loved it. Is this about me? Lolol. A hilarious and brutally honest depiction of what it means to be a millennial woman. Addressing topics like debt, love and loss. I highly recommend this to lovers of comedy and anything with a magical spin.

A Magical Girl Retires is a novella that isn't immediately obvious why it's called that, but wraps up pretty neatly throughout the short story. I think even as someone who has a background in Magical Girl Media that you don't have to know too much about the genre to appreciate this book (it's more like an adult urban fantasy sort of thing having much more to do with society and the consequences of, well, being an adult in society, especially a Woman in South Korea) but it does help a little I'm sure! There's a lot here without being too much, and it was a nice succinct little book that I'll probably be thinking about for a while actually.

Also the cover, hello!

Thank you to HarperVia and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for review!

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperVia for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a fun read! I can't say I've ever read anything like this before. I suppose the best description would be a pragmatic new Magical Girl who is thrown into a world of whimsy but struggles to stay afloat with depression and monetary woes. It's not a light-hearted Sailor Moon title, that's for sure.

I did thoroughly enjoy this title, my only complaint was how odd Roa was, I couldn't tell what was going on with her, did she want to date the protagonist or what? It was just confusing me with how they kept going back and forth. Still, it was a fun and ironic read!

This is not what I was expecting when I imaged a book about magical girls. I was envisioning more whimsical outfits, cute magical wands, and a cat sidekick or two. I was not expecting a pragmatic book about the dangers of credit card debts, climate change, and domestic abuse. This books felt like it was trying to touch on many important current events, yet it was so short that every point made felt shallow and surface-level. I wouldn't go into this expecting a fantasy because you will be disappointed, but if you grew up woth Cardcaptor Sakura or Sailor and you want to see what magical girls would be like grown up and in modern-day Korea, maybe you will enjoy this book!

A Magical Girl Retires is a delightful twist on the magical girl genre, offering a unique blend of charm, humor, and heartfelt moments. The story follows navigating a world and tackling mundane yet relatable challenges. The characters are well-developed, with the protagonist's struggle to find her place in a "normal" life resonating deeply. The art is vibrant and whimsical, perfectly complementing the narrative's blend of fantasy and reality. Overall, it's a refreshing and engaging read that explores the transition from extraordinary to ordinary with grace and wit.

Thank you net gallery for a copy of this book.