The magical revolution manga is a popular genre in the world of Japanese comics and animation. It combines elements of fantasy, adventure, and supernatural powers to create captivating stories that have captured the imagination of readers and viewers worldwide. In these manga, the protagonists are usually young individuals who discover that they possess magical abilities. They find themselves thrust into a world full of mystical creatures, ancient prophecies, and powerful enemies. As the story progresses, they become embroiled in epic battles and face numerous challenges that test their strength and resolve. The magic in these manga can take various forms, such as elemental manipulation, spellcasting, summoning creatures, and even time travel.
From a feminist standpoint, there’s quite a lot to chew on here. How or if the show will live up to the “revolution” of its title remains to be seen, but the story’s magic system is inherently tied to issues of class. Magic is something only the nobility inherits, and Anis’ studies in “magicology” have caused uneasy muttering that clearly has to do with the those Filthy Poors™ potentially having access to magical items down the line. And of course, there’s the central romance. Since Euphyllia and Anis don’t meet until the closing scene it’s too soon to call their chemistry, but even then there’s clearly a bit of “protesting too much” built into their dynamic. I expect many scenes of Euphyllia being scandalized by Anis’ blasé attitude to propriety; here’s hoping it doesn’t also decide to use that tsundere element for a “no means yes” approach to romantic progression. I don’t get that vibe, but it’s an easy thing to lapse into with that kind of love interest (I am looking at you, I’m in Love with the Villainess).
Unless you re completely burnt out on isekai or high fantasy in any form and especially if you enjoyed the energetic approach of My Next Life as a Villainess but want something a bit more firmly committed to its romance between ladies this is a breezy treat with a rambunctious, likable heroine and a lot of room to grow. That gives me some hope for its ability to tell a compelling and contained romance in spite of it being based on a series of still-ongoing light novels.
The magic in these manga can take various forms, such as elemental manipulation, spellcasting, summoning creatures, and even time travel. The characters often go through intense training to hone their skills and unlock their true potential. Along the way, they form deep bonds with their fellow magic users and learn valuable lessons about friendship, perseverance, and self-discovery.
The Manga Shelf: The Exuberant Lesbian Wizard Science of THE MAGICAL REVOLUTION OF THE REINCARNATED PRINCESS AND THE GENIUS YOUNG LADY
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before; totally average person from our world dies and gets reincarnated as someone of note in a stock JRPG-style fantasy universe. This is, fundamentally, the rock that the modern iteration of the isekai genre is built on. There are many, many variations of it, but the central premise remains familiar to anyone who has even a slight familiarity with modern anime.
The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and The Genius Young Lady, monstrously long title and all, is really only different in one key way. Our protagonist—and her obligatory love interest—are both girls.
Yes, it’s true, a yuri fantasy isekai. There are a couple of these. I’m in Love with the Villainess is well-liked, and The Executioner and Her Way of Life has an anime airing right now. Revolution Princess is a bit simpler than either of those, though. It is, at least going by the nineteen chapters currently available in English, a more straightforward heroic fantasy. (That’s nineteen chapters of the manga, for the record. It’s based on a light novel, presumably much farther along, by Piero Karasu.) It also draws a bit on the “tech boost” subgenre, a style wherein the hero uses their modern knowledge to fast-track technological development in their new world. It’s a fraught, and frankly, very silly, style, but that doesn’t much matter here. We haven’t really seen many fruits of this pursuit of better living through magitek yet, and indeed some part of the series’ point seems to be in illustrating how difficult doing such a thing would actually be. But I risk getting ahead of myself. Let’s start with the basics.
Anisphia (“Anis” for short) is the princess of a roughly medieval European-ish kingdom somewhere in a fantasy world. She used to be someone else, in another life. We don’t learn much about that “someone else,” but we do learn, crucially, that she was obsessed with the idea of magic. Now living in a world where it’s a reality, she’s hellbent on learning as much about it as she can. (Credit here, the scene of young Anis’ personality being “built” puzzle piece by puzzle piece, and finally completing as her past life memories come rushing back to her, is an intriguingly poetic visual.)
Because of a condition, she can’t actually use magic herself, directly. But over the course of her young life, she studies it extensively, becoming something of a magical mad scientist, creating useful gadgets for herself and inventing an entire field of study; a sort of “applied science of magic” called magicology. If that all seems a little dry to you, early parts of the manga are indeed a bit so. Things get more interesting when we’re introduced to Anis’ co-protagonist.
The daughter of a duke, one Euphyllia (“Euphy”), is renounced by the man she was betrothed to. That man? Anis’ older brother, the kingdom’s prince. It’s not totally clear why he’s dumping Euphy—he claims she was talking badly to a lady-friend of his who he seems to have far stronger feelings for, but the situation seems more complicated than that and we don’t learn all the details—but he’s doing it very publicly, destroying her reputation in the process.
Cue Anis, flying in on a magic broomstick of her own design. In an absurd—even in-universe—turn of events, Anis sees this as an opportunity. She reasons that if her older brother doesn’t need Euphy anymore, maybe Euphy should come with her instead. None of the nobles present are particularly okay with this, but Anis does manage to (eventually) convince the only person whose opinion on the subject really matters; Euphy herself.
Even this early on, Anis’ spur-of-the-moment decision to pick up this random disgraced woman as her (we soon learn) lab assistant is strange, but Anis is a beaming ray of pure personality, and it’s hard both for the other characters and for us the audience to not be charmed by her. Her sudden absconding with the Duke’s daughter somehow manages to scan as romantic.
Anis is, in general, an endearing protagonist, although not a flawless one. She’s charming when taken with the magic of her world, which she’s singlehandedly wrought into a science mostly by herself. She has an enthusiasm for admiring her own handiwork (sometimes to a positively Dexter’s Laboratory-ish degree).
But she also has a cool side. She was born without the ability to use magic naturally, and so Sciences her way around problems that would ordinarily be solvable with “regular” spellcasting. It’s easy to be cynical about this kind of thing nowadays, but Revolution Princess sells this characterization very well, partly by making it clear how into her Euphy is, and partly by cutting it with her general immaturity to not make her too perfect. She can occasionally come across as remote and, when pursuing her interests, reckless.
(There’s also the matter that her disregard for the spirits that are responsible for the world’s magic system, and the stones they leave behind that she uses to power her devices, does feel kind of Reddit Atheist-y at points. Thankfully it doesn’t come up enough to be a real problem.)
Euphy, meanwhile, is so dazed by the sudden shakeup in her life that it takes a while for her to know what to do with herself. She knows she likes Anis, at least in some way. She knows that all the training she did to become the future queen—remember, Anis’ brother is a crown prince—was for naught. She feels directionless and adrift. Anis doesn’t entirely get this, and the two come into conflict a few times over it. Anis, you see, is more than content to let Euphy do what she likes, but since she doesn’t know what “what she likes” even is, it just makes her feel restless.
They come to an understanding during of the manga’s first—and currently only—big, dramatic arc, wherein Anis decides to try stopping a rampaging dragon. Why? Well, aside from the fact that if left unchecked it might kill a lot of people, she wants the magical stone it carries within it to make more magitek gadgets. Fair enough. There’s a whole other slate of stampeding monsters to take care of, too, and Anis gets to really show off her action heroine chops here. (For those of you who, like me, just enjoy watching anime girls go full stone-cold killer, this is probably enough to sell the manga alone.)
The fight with the dragon is a visual treat, artist Harutsugu Nadaka‘s compositional skill is really something to behold in general, and he knocks the climactic battle scene here out of the park. I could easily fill this whole article with examples, and the dragon itself is worth highlighting; all shadowy wings beating the air, teeth and claws.
But I have to say my personal favorite is this absolutely bonkers page where Anis uses one of her gadgets, a magic dagger, to split the dragon’s breath in two.
These would be the obvious highlights of any hypothetical anime adaption as well, but don’t consider Nadaka a one-trick pony who’s only good at fight scenes. He can also excellently portray say, warm intimacy or imposing projection equally well, and it is this that gives the manga most of its visual strength. It’s immersive in a way that’s all too easy to take for granted.
When Euphy saves Anis from her first, botched run at the dragon, the princess is undeterred, and the panel makes her look positively majestic. You can practically see her cape flapping in the wind, feel the breeze blowing, and smell the sulfur and burnt fabric. It’s only natural that this eventually leads to that page of Anis splitting the dragon’s breath above. How could someone this confident not be able to do the impossible?
This is the difference between a relationship that feels convenient and one that feels real, and it’s here where Anis and Euphy seem to finally “click” with each other for good. The general sentiments here are old—far older than the manga format itself—but they’re expressed very well. Reading Revolution Princess, I get why Euphy and Anis are into each other, and the visuals play a huge part in selling that. At a ball, some weeks later and held in celebration of Anis’ victory, Euphy straight-up confesses. I’ve seen a lot of confession scenes over the course of my time reading manga, and I have to say that this is one of the sweetest. I absolutely love how we get to see a rare shot of Anis being totally, sincerely flummoxed by someone else’s actions, the brave isekai heroine reverts to a blushing schoolgirl in the face of such strong feelings. (Note also how this scene and the one immediately above mirror each other. I like that, it’s a nice visual touch.)
I’d tell you more—because goodness dear readers, do I ever want more people to pick this up—but in truth, there isn’t much more, at least not yet. Revolution Princess is still a fairly young serialization, and as good as it’s been so far, I feel as though its best chapters are ahead of it. I can only hope it picks up the following it deserves. In addition to its obvious appeal to the WLWs of the world (or just anyone who likes a good romance), there are other, intriguing plots forming in the background; dragon prophecies, jealous older siblings, and and an eccentric girl who “collects curses.” A world is being built here, and while Anis and Euphy are at the center of it, they aren’t the only interesting parts of it.
I often lament that so much yuri focuses solely on the romantic aspect. I like romance (I’m covering two romance anime this very season!), but having some other plot as well definitely helps things feel more fleshed-out and lived in. In general, I’m fond of this current wave of yuri isekai manga, and I hope that Executioner is not the last to get an anime adaption. Stories like this are built on old foundations, but Revolution Princess is a breath of exhilarating, magical fresh air.
Update: If you liked this article, be sure to check out my writeup on the anime!
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One of the key aspects of the magical revolution manga is the intricate artwork. The illustrations are often detailed and vibrant, depicting fantastical settings and visually stunning magical abilities. The use of vibrant colors and dynamic panel layouts further enhances the overall reading experience, immersing the audience in the magical worlds created by the authors and artists. Another notable characteristic of these manga is the strong emphasis on storytelling. The plots are usually filled with twists, turns, and plot reveals that keep readers hooked and eager to know what will happen next. The character development is also given ample attention, as the protagonists evolve and grow both in their magical abilities and as individuals. In recent years, the magical revolution manga has gained a large following not just in Japan but also in other parts of the world. Its popularity has led to the adaptation of many of these manga into anime series and even live-action films. This has further expanded the reach of these captivating stories and introduced them to an even broader audience. Overall, the magical revolution manga offers readers and viewers a unique blend of fantasy, adventure, and magic. With engaging characters, captivating storylines, and visually stunning artwork, it continues to captivate audiences around the globe and remains a beloved genre in the world of manga..
Reviews for "From Street Performances to Stadiums: The Growth of Magic in the Revolution"
1. Sarah - 1 out of 5 stars - I really did not enjoy "The Magical Revolution Manga". The story was confusing and lacked depth. The characters felt one-dimensional, and I couldn't connect with any of them. The artwork was underwhelming and did not capture my interest. Overall, I found this manga to be a disappointing read.
2. Michael - 2 out of 5 stars - "The Magical Revolution Manga" had an interesting premise, but it fell short in execution. The pacing was extremely slow, and it felt like the story was dragging on without significant development. The dialogue was dull and lacked the wit or charm that I usually enjoy in manga. Additionally, the artwork was average at best and didn't add anything to the overall experience. I was disappointed with this manga and wouldn't recommend it.
3. Emily - 2 out of 5 stars - I found "The Magical Revolution Manga" to be quite underwhelming. The plot was predictable and didn't offer any surprises or unique twists. The character development was lacking, making it difficult to feel any attachment or interest in their plight. The artwork was decent, but nothing exceptional. Overall, I found this manga to be unremarkable and forgettable.
4. Alex - 1 out of 5 stars - "The Magical Revolution Manga" was a complete letdown. The story lacked coherence, jumping from one event to another without proper explanation or logic. The characters were poorly developed and felt like mere caricatures. The artwork was mediocre and failed to make any impression. I struggled to finish this manga and wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for an engaging and well-crafted story.