This was an amazing book. I am obsessed with magical girls, and this was a very wholesome one. It has such a “Madoka magica” vibe.
I love the illustrations in the beginning of each chapter, they gave so much life to the story.
This is for everyone who loves “magic with a consequence” and “the chosen one”.
My only complain is the length of the book!! I wanted more! I want to get to know each character!!!
5/5 and such an easy read!!

Thanks netgalley for the review copy.

This needed to be longer! It takes so many interesting turns - climate change being the big bad! Roa confessing to the narrator! the concept of how magical girls get their powers! - but none of these things really get a chance to percolate or expand into all that they could be. It's also tonally kind of weird in the beginning, going a little too fast between bleak and slightly comic, but from the mid-point on that does kind of get smoothed out.

It is an entertaining read overall, but yeah. There needed to be a bit more there for me.

I love stories/comics/etc. where the magical girl is placed in a contemporary setting, so this book was pretty much tailor-made for me. I loved how *real* the book felt, and how the story used the common magical girl tropes to make societal observations and political critiques. It was a fast and very entertaining read, and throughout it all the love of the genre was palpable. I'm eager to read more of Park's future works!

First, i love the cover.
Second, I will religiously rewatch card captor sakura once a year.

A magical girl retires was a quick and very enjoyable read but also had depth that you normally don't find in the genre. I would totally recommend it to anyone.

"A Magical Girl Retires" is an enchanting and witty novella that reimagines the classic magical girl trope through a contemporary, millennial lens. Park Seolyeon's storytelling, brought to life by Anton Hur’s brilliant translation, is a delightful blend of humor, fantasy, and real-world challenges.

Our protagonist is a 29-year-old millennial who, after losing her job during the pandemic and drowning in credit card debt, decides to end it all by jumping off Seoul’s Mapo Bridge. Her suicide attempt is thwarted by Ah Roa, a clairvoyant magical girl on a mission to find the greatest magical girl of all time. To her surprise, our protagonist might just be that someone.

The initial excitement of becoming a magical girl quickly turns into frustration as she realizes that the magical world isn’t quite as glamorous as it seems. It's not just about destiny; it's hard work. She has to attend job fairs, join trade unions, and go to classes. Her magic wand? A credit card, which she must use to battle the colossal threat of climate change.

Seolyeon’s clever narrative offers a biting critique of societal issues, from predatory capitalism to environmental degradation. The book’s whimsical tone and fantastical elements provide a refreshing contrast to its serious themes, making it a unique and engaging read. The character's journey is both deeply personal and universally relatable, as she grapples with self-esteem, financial struggles, and the pressure to save the world.

The novella’s short length makes it a quick read, but it’s packed with thoughtful insights and laugh-out-loud moments. The illustrations by Sanho Kim add a charming touch, enhancing the magical girl aesthetic. The interplay between humor and serious social commentary is masterfully handled, keeping readers engaged from start to finish.

"A Magical Girl Retires" is a delightful and thought-provoking story that will appeal to fans of magical girl manga, fantasy, and contemporary fiction. It reminds us all that we have the power to make a difference, even in the most unexpected ways. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a magical, uplifting, and meaningful read.

Many thanks to HarperVia and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A very fun, bite-sized novel that is essentially an episode of Sailor Moon if she were 29, depressed, and in debt. Everything remains fairly surface level, but it's really just a light, fun, charming story, perfect to read on the porch on a sunny day.

I am so thankful to Libro.fm for the gifted credits that allowed me to access this audiobook. I love a magical novella, and this one was giving girl power, and I absolutely loved it.

When a young millennial was at her wit's end with all the credit card debt stacked up and no reachable prospects, she decided to end it all and leap from a bridge, falling to her death. BUT she was stopped by a magical girl with a premonition that she was destined for far greater things. What transpires is a series of trainings and activities that point to her true intent and purpose.

I loved how fantastical this entire premise was and I couldn't get enough and I really wanted to implant myself into this world of superpowers and kick-ass vibes.

I love the cover art on this book!

As a millennial who grew up watching Sailor Moon, Cardcaptors Sakura, Powerpuff Girls, and any other magical girl media I could find I was drawn to this book. Unfortunately, I didn't love it. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I have a physical book because there was beautiful artwork that I just didn't enjoy the same on my phone. The story was cute, but I wish there was more of it.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review

As someone who loves anime and manga, especially in the magical girl subgenre, this book was SO written for me! Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura are two of my all time favorites, but the one thing I always wondered was “where are the older magical girls??” A Magical Girl Retires answered that question in such an interesting and engaging way!

In this book, a magical girl is created after a moment of trauma in her life. When you think about it, who best to help others than someone who has come out the other side of trauma with a new outlook on life? We meet the main character at the moment she has decided to commit suicide. At the last second, a woman called Ah Roa intervenes and informs the main character that she is a magical girl with powers. Magical girls are a part of normal life in the world of A Magical Girl Retires, so the main character is skeptical but not unbelieving. But what ensues after she accepts her role as a magical girl is a little more than she bargained for, and she inherits a whole host of responsibilities that weigh a lot more on her than the credit card debt and malaise that led her to almost jumping off a bridge.

I loved how this book inserted the figure of the magical girl in today’s world, a world struggling with climate change and violence that is way more real than fantastical. The trials that a modern magical girl would have to face aren’t the monsters and supervillains of Sailor Moon—it’s other people…and possibly other magical girls.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who grew up watching magical girl anime and wanted to be one. It’ll cause you to think hard about what role you really want to play in the world—it’s not all just cute costumes and power stances.

A charming bite of a novel that has fun but also has depths worth talking about. Satire and social commentary walk hand in hand. Relatable main character, and a witty tone. I only wish there was more book to read. I read an advanced readers copy from Netgalley.

A Magical Girl Retires is a light novel, which is similar to manga. Light novels are mostly text, but the stories are short and read like a manga.

A woman is on a bridge, ready to jump. She is in debt, and lost her job because of the pandemic. Instead of continuing life and losing everything, she decides to end her life. But a car pulls up and tells her she's a magical girl, and is destined to save the world.

I don't think light fiction is for me, but it is nice to be able to finish a book in a couple of hours! This was a cute story, but I like a little more character development and plot. But if you're looking for a fun easy read, this was a decent book.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book.

This is a WEIRD book but really fun! I honestly just grabbed it because of the title and because Anton Hur translated it, but I really enjoyed the heroine and the worldbuilding. Surprisingly optimistic for a book that opens with a suicide attempt, but also pretty brutally frank about the financial struggles young people are experiencing nowadays.

The story had quite a heavy start - this magical girl is not without worries, and the contrast between this approach to a magical girl and the nostalgic popular versions is apparent. I think I may have missed some of the metaphors, and the story might be more meaningful that what I grasped from it. The way this book starts by submerging the reader in the main character’s depressed thoughts was creative and unique.

I found it hard to get past the beginning of this book. However, I read this book as an ARC, and did not know what to expect. I think that other readers might enjoy this short story, especially if they read the description of the book prior to starting the book itself.

I found the illustrations to be a delightful addition to the story.

When I read the translator’s note, which is at the end of the book, after the actual story concluded, things started to fall into place.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an electronic ARC of this book for my honest review.

TW: discussion of suicide

thank you netgalley and the publisher for giving me access to this arc!

a cute little book about the issues of girlhood with a magical twist. really tackled some topics i haven’t seen talked about before.

fast paced at times, but definitely something i couldn’t stop reading once i started!

Thank you NetGalley for the digital review copy!

I was enamored by the premise, title, and the cover as a fan of magical girl series such as Sailor Moon. (the cover alone is eye catching and gorgeous, and I loved the illustrations at the beginning of each chapter.) But it was a painful read. I found myself at times glazing over at the end, because I just wanted it to be over.

The main character is going through some of the toughest hardships of her life (losing her job, death of a family member, driven to unalive herself over debt, etc.), but there wasn’t anything about her that grabbed me at the beginning and nothing that sustained me throughout that allowed me to feel her on a deeper level. Perhaps it was a short amount of time and we couldn’t delve too deep without sacrificing pace, though very linear.

There are deep questions raised in the book that I love: “When is the proper age to shed the moniker ‘girl’? Do you stop being one with your first period? Are you an adult once you grow taller than 160 centimeters? When lots of adults don’t reach that height anyway? And is it not true that all of our girlhoods are different, not just in terms of physical growth, but in the growth of our hearts and minds?”

I also really loved the antagonistic, cynical side of the Magical Girl of Time and really wanted to delve way deeper with her. The rushed aspect of the book left me hanging.

Didn’t leave me too much to think about but I definitely wanted more.

I really enjoyed this book! The balance between magic and shining the light on the real world problem of global warming was perfect! It had me reminiscing my favorite cartoon as a child, Captain Planet in the best way! I also really enjoyed the LGBTQ+ representation mixed in with sensitive topics such as domestic violence and suicide. All of these things having representation especially in our current social/political climate is so important. I enjoyed following the main character from depression, to feeling worthy, to acceptance and finally to greatness accompanied by confidence. It was a wonderfully done roller coaster of emotions both the characters and the reader alike. A great bonus were the chapter illustrations that helped bring the book to life.

I absolutely loved this and wish it had been longer, even! I've always loved magical girls and it was so fun and refreshing to see one around my age. The illustrations were beautiful and really added to the feel of the book, although they were a little small on my Kindle screen! They had just the right whimsical feel of traditional magical girl manga. I did feel the translation felt a bit awkward or overly wordy at times, but nothing especially egregious. I heard about this book through word of mouth from another magical girl enthusiast and I will be spreading the word now too!

With the most gorgeous manwah-esque cover, A Magical Girl Retires is the most whimsical, silly, and witty short novel about magical girls and their fight to make the world a better place, one silly little transformation at a time.

Ah Roa is 29 year old drowning in debt who learns she might just be the most magical girl to ever magical girl. Joining the Union for Magical Girls, Roa fights her own crippling self esteem, and learns to channel her inner magical girl powers to fight the greatest threat humanity has ever faced: climate change (and maybe finds love along the way. kyaaa ^w^ !!)

This reads quick (do not look at how long is took me, i am the magical girl of slow reading) and is paced like magic girl anime, sprinkled with silly social commentary that will appeal to the modern existentialist, climate activist, feminist, and to those who grew up watching every single different variation of sailor moon and magical girls there ever was.

the art was beautiful and added to the whole silly anime aesthetic of the novel. i am so thankful that this was translated so that i was given the opportunity to read it.

My first impression of A Magical Girl Retires was a playful reimagining of classic fairy tale and fantasy tropes. We have the Chosen One, a magical quest, and the power within us. But within this novella, Seolyeon explores what it can feel like to be seen. To have this potential people haven't recognized yet be finally appreciated. That's why part of the 'let down' is so heartbreaking, because I think we've all been in her shoes. With whimsical illustrations, A Magical Girl Retires balances the line of seriousness and self-reflection.

"... the first battle a magical girl must fight is the fight to save herself."

⭐⭐⭐.5 / 5 (rounded up)
BUT an ENTHUSIASTIC ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5 for that cover art and section/chapter illustrations by Kim Sanho, am I right???

Anyways, I had to take a moment before rating this book to not let my nostalgia and love for all things magical girl inflate my rating. Is it completely awesome to read a story about a magical girl like the ones of my childhood but as a depressed 29-year-old in the present day struggling with credit card debt? Absolutely. But I don't think it would be fair to rate this higher just because I'm obsessed with the concept.

The delivery wasn't fully there for me. Which made me really sad because the concept was so amazing and it sparked joy in me just reading the synopsis. I felt like the book tried to tackle too much as a novella without really committing to anything fully or taking the time to truly make you think. Yes, it mentioned heavy topics - but little time was spent expanding on those topics and making you feel something about them.

We see this story through the eyes of our depressed millennial FMC (who I DID actually like for the most part, because she was portrayed so realistically). I also really enjoyed Roa and the depth that you start to get with her character - but it still just felt like every writing element came up a little bit under my expectations and was just missing something.

I really hope that the author might choose to write a more involved story around this concept and make this world more vivid, the ensemble characters less basic, and the overall thing a bit deeper. But my nostalgic self still enjoyed this, just for the concept and whimsy of it all - so I wouldn't say I regret reading it! It was a fun little magical girl snack that just left a bit too much to be desired.