Mahou Shoujo ni Akogarete Main Theme
Prelude
If you want a character summary go read the Wiki, this is not that. Instead I will wax poetic about weird anime porn, as I am wont to do.
So I think an interesting element of discussion of Gushing Over Magical Girls (henceforth referred to as Mahoako), is its examination/iteration on the magical girl genre/archetype. You might expect me to say it's a deconstruction, but that's a term for food and this is a manga (slash anime). For some history, the Mahou Shoujo as a genre is quite peculiar in terms of its intersection with Otaku interest/fetishization and the Bishoujo boom of the 1980's. Although not the oldest, titles such as Minky Momo and Creamy Mami were some of the earliest to pick up an adult fanbase of otaku men, which was a shock considering the demographic they were made for. At first, shows like this had the magical transformations as a metaphor for the many things a young girl could grow into or the sorta power fantasy of being able to be an adult as a child or just like, isn't it cool to do magic lol. Ebbs and Flows. This kind of Mahou Shoujo work is referred to as "Witch" type magical girls cause of Sally the Witch and other early pioneers who had a witch theme.
As the genre expanded, one of the earliest (a bit debated) titles to be made not for little girls was one Cutie Honey. A Go Nagai work and if you know anything about the man you know that is has some sexual themes so to say. This title would influence magical girl behemoth Bishojo Senshi Sailor Moon, hey we heard that word before, which again, has some sexual themes. Loooot of panty shots in that one (especially the anime). Oh and these kinda shows are referred to as "Warrior" type magical girls cause they fight. All this to say that the theme of sexuality and magical girls is deep rooted in the history of the genre.
A response I've seen to Mahoako considering its interests, is that it is unbecoming of a magical girl property, that it doesn't represent the genre well cause of the sexual themes. Which I think is malarkey as it's a very old part of it. The series, I think, plays with that history, considering Utena is a magical girl otaku and all. Just like the otaku of old, they are her interest and she very much fetishizes them. It's a bit meta in that sense, Utena's infatuation with magical girls is that they persevere through adversity. She loves seeing them persevere so much that she becomes the adversity to see them shine ever brighter, as is the role of a villain, which she takes up. What a magical girl should be, is a big part of the series, as Utena is almost always trying to see that archetype come alive.
They even have some of that witch DNA too, as Utena gets stronger, she very apparently gets older looking. Just like Minky Momo and Creamy Mami, but with more BDSM. There is a point made about Utena, when she's Utena, and when she's Baiser acting differently. At the start of the series these two halves were more clearly separated but as the series goes on the gap closes between the selves. The dichotomy of the self and the roles a magical girl takes when they are a magical girl and a regular girl, very witch coded (some of the big ones anyway).
I get people not vibing with the series, cause it has a lot of weird sex stuff in it. But one thing I think you can't say is that it doesn't explore the genre.
If you'd like to read more on the subject, I recommend The Moe Manifesto by Patrick W. Galbraith and Beautiful Fighting Girl by Tamaki Saito.
Experience And Or Skill
Thus far Gushing Over Magical Girls doesn't have characters who know every martial art, or really any traditional fighting things. Her experience is the total amount of fights that have happened so far, which is like, probably around 30. As will be elucidated further, it's kinda just a bunch of bullshit, but there is some stuff. Baiser excels at keep away tactics, sneak attacks, and kidnapping.
Perhaps her best showing as a tactician is her social engineering, as it is her role both metanarratively and regular narratively, she acts as a wall that the heroes must overcome. The dragon they must slay to become fuller people, thusly she plans scenarios and events in order to unleash the hidden potential in her idols so they can shine brighter.
Along with this, she is able to discern tricks from other characters (namely Venalita). She's also beaten the more experienced Lord Squad, who've hunted down numerous other magical girls, so that's something.
Equipment
Transformation Device
As is tradition, this is the thing she uses to transform. Usually she needs to hold it and do a chant to do so but when she's rrrreeaaalllyy horny she can do it without touching it. It can also create portals.
Magical Barricade Thingy
Magic device that makes a barrier that also conceals magic.
Magic Stealth Tool
It does that. Able to go unnoticed by Tres Magia who can detect magics. So far only used on the ASMR Dummy.
Frustino Dominanza
Baiser's main weapon and conduit to use her minion making powers tm or corruption for a not stupid name. Once she hits an inanimate object or even organic life, including things with sentience, they transform into something she can command. The only thing she can't corrupt seems to be liquid by itself going off this exchange. She needed to bottle it up first. There's not an exact rhyme or reason for what the thing becomes, the only constant is that it will likely result in something lewd. She can also summon it to herself like a keyblade and make it long. Baiser has hit a loooooot of things, including the following:
Plants
Mostly used for binding or creating barriers to stop attacks. Also potential power dampening (debatable). The humanoid version can also make leaf blades.
Mannequins
They do that.
Masks
Make seeing not good.
Candles
Probably the most used item; can be made into a big monster, trap people, and create lifelike dummy clones of Baiser.
Lightbulbs
Trap and electrocute (also a hit with the ladies).
Scissors
An easy joke to make here, they fly and cut things.
Azul Figure
Dummy copy.
Bombs
Flying bombs, created as a combo attack from her maybe lover, Kiwi.
Sankakumokuba & Gag
Pretty cool, right?
The Room You Can't Leave Until Magia Baiser Is Satisfied Box
Created from combining Baiser's and Alice's magic, a magic room that Baiser can use to trap people in, also has the side effect of shrinking the victim so they can fit inside the box. In Alice's previous room creations, it has been made a point that she could crush the person inside. Interestingly, Baiser can very easily get people inside of it in its one showing.
Lord's Monsters
Originally minions created by Lord Enorme, Baiser was able to take control of them and is able to summon them herself. They are goopy magic things that will regenerate as long as the creator still has magic and can cover a wide area, as well as drown people in themselves (she can also use them to bind people).
Octopi
The first sentient creature Baiser has turned, she can make 'em big and do the classic thing we all think of when we think of anime and tentacles. She can also make a lot of humanoid octopi to do the same thing but smaller and more. They also combine the portals with the tentacles for sneak attacks.
Crab
Crab
Blocks explosives, an anime original.
Umbrellas
Umbrellas made into seagulls. They spin and attack.
Electrical Cables
Get this, she ties people up with this one, and shocks them bad (or shock them good if you are Kiwi).
Dungeon
Unlike the "The Room You Can't Leave Until Magia Baiser Is Satisfied Box," this is a stationary, controllable space. Like before, a mix of Alice and Baiser's magics that lets her do a bunch of lewd traps and japes, it's also full scale so no shrinking. It does take a lot of her power to use though.
Mosquito
Makes a really itchy itch. It can also suck all of a person's blood out leaving them a husk, it's crazy.
Paint
ASMR Dummy
This is an odd one, she can project sound to a person from a far distance via invisible hands and an ASMR mic head thing. Amplifying the effects of ASMR (if the subject already gets anything out of it) to incapacitate them, or alternatively just projecting a really loud sound that can also knock someone out. The stealth here is pretty good, as the Magical Girls can detect magic but was able to slip by them anyway.
Perfume
A perfume monster that sprays a mind control scent that causes others to be infatuated with the person sprayed. Like Axe Body Spray.
Onion
Onion girl that makes people cry.
Aphrodisiac Serum
Does what it says on the tin.
Whistle
Bird.
Full Star Dominanza
Becomes a staff that can be a whip also if she wants. Just wait for all that. Seemingly can just do her corruption at a distance or at the very least more easily spawn her minions.
And also gives life, cool.
Abilities
Mana/Magic
The main power source in Mahoako is Mana/Magic (used interchangeably), which is powered by emotions. Magia Baiser is like the Hulk but instead of anger it's lust ( and sometimes just anger ). The amount of Mana/Magic she has is indicated by the Stars that appear on her body, in Magia Baiser form she usually has 2 but gains more if she feels strong emotions (usually lust).
An interesting thing about the magic in Mahoako is that it appears to have a DBZ kinda deal where the level of strength of the character will dictate how they interact with hax abilities and resistances. Stronger characters are able to just power through both.
For instance, the conflict with Lord Enorme, in her regular Magia Baiser form (2 Stars), Baiser was unable to take control of Lord's monsters but when she got a power boost that put her above Lord (Lord having 4), she was able to overcome their resistance and control them. Similarly, Azul in her La Veritas form was able to negate their regeneration with her attacks (Baiser herself should get regen negate in her own La Veritas form).
This is not an isolated instance, more examples include:
• Sister Gigant was able to burst out of Alice's doll house with little resistance (same amount of Stars). Said houses being able to mind control and physically alter the people inside.
• Lord's Monsters do this as well (4 Star).
• Utena in her Ugly Flower (a lot of Stars lol) form was able to corrupt Magia Magenta who has shown resistance to mind control and transmogrification.
• Venalita states that strong emotions could dispel Baiser's magic.
Corruption
Her main ability; she can transform inanimate objects and organic life, including things with sentience, into her minions. Sans liquids, she need's to bottle them up first, seemingly.
So as established above with Nemo, the level of Mana someone has can determine whether someone can be controlled. Also above is an example of Baiser having so much Mana that she was able to turn Magia Magenta. I bring this up to say that Baiser likely could make minions out of regular people seeing as how she is capable of transforming Mana-less animals and has controlled a person before.
The only reason she hasn't or has not tried is actually explained though:
As is documented in her equipment section, Baiser's Corruption does have biological manipulation/transmogrification/transmutation (she turned a crab's eyes into ball gags for a specific biological matter into non-biological matter example) effects: turning inanimate objects into beautiful women, turning plants into beautiful women, and turning animals into beautiful women. You know, I think Utena might be a lesbian.
She can also duplicate her minions and give them life, like the Virgin Mary.
Anti-Recognition Magic
For dramatic irony, it hides her identity unless she's seen coming in and out of the transformation.
Flight
Even though she has the wings she don't gotta flap 'em really. They do look cool though.
Portals
After merging with her Transformation Device, she can spawn portals instantaneously without gripping or tugging on it. Pretty versatile as it allows her to do quick getaways, sneak attacks, teleport things to her, forcefully bring other people to other locations, travel between Nacht Base (which appears to be a different dimension), and Earth. And of course, just general travel seemingly anywhere on Earth.
Screens
Magic screens that can broadcast a person or spy on people, including in Nacht Base. They can even record video.
Magical Detection
Usually, they are the ones causing havoc so Tres Magia is detecting them but it does seem like they have that ability as well.
Telepathy
She does this once lol, another DBZ parallel; she should fight Goku clearly.
Healing
A curious effect when transforming into different forms or when they experience a large rush of emotion is that they heal the user. This is mostly observed when she unlocks a new form for the first time. It can recover their stamina and heal scrapes, bruises, and bleeding.
Magic Attack
She channels energy into a strike, creating an explosion when clashing with Magia Magenta.
Menace Walner
Magic blast
Menace Rondo
Magic blast but more
Webs
In her La Veritas form Baiser gains the ability to create webs, you are gonna have to sit down for this, she uses them to bind people. She can also use them to make her staff a whip and does seem to be able to use her monster making powers tm through the webs. She can also spawn them seemingly anywhere for sneak attacks and defense.
Web techniques include:
• Web of Malice (pictured above)
Arachne Baldaquin
It's like the Simpsons' dome, she makes it out of the coat around her in her La Veritas form. She can also use that silly old thing to defend from attacks.
Pervert Sight
Since Baiser's strength is dependent on her emotions, if she is fighting a foe that doesn't excite her she will force her brain to perceive them in a form that gets her going. It does tire her out though.
Reuse(?)
So a question that may have arisen from you, the reader, is whether Magia Baiser can use her transformed stuff situationally as a one time thing depending on the environment, if she brings these items with her before battle, or even if she's like Kirby where she can pop out these things whenever. There isn't a clear answer on this but as I have extensively read the manga, it seems to me that is a mix of preparing beforehand and that she can just whip em' out like Kirby.
Take, for instance, her summoning Lord's Monsters. As you can see, the black circle that is drawn doesn't have the same effect the portals are consistently drawn with, being a swirly around the edges, like when she uses the iconic octopus. This depiction has happened twice so it is likely intentional (even does the staff click).
For the sake of argument, perhaps the mangaka just forgot that detail and it's intended to be a portal, there still are various moments where Baiser just has item she's used before apropos of nothing.
And personally, the most overt example to me is this one, she just pops out the scissors there.
Assuming she can just whip out Lord's Monsters, that means she could likely shoot out other combo items like Kiwi's grenades or Alice's houses. Either way, even if the instance with Lord's Monster is a portal summoning situation, it's clear she can manifest other stuff. So I'd say overall Baiser can likely reuse the majority of the things she's turned, either through simply conjuring them herself or via portals to bring them to her.
The only holdouts I'd say that she can't pop out are the Azul Figure, Sankakumokuba & Gag, and the Dungeon. We see the former two poof to normal not in her possession (Utena also mentions she has to buy another figure), and the latter is a stationary location. Although, she could portal someone in there if she wanted.
Forms
Hiiragi Utena
Her base form. But which form is the true Utena? The one that hides her face, or the one that is her face?
Magia Baiser
Super Pervert Grade I
Magia Baiser Excited Mode
Super Pervert Grade II, big power boost at least more than 4 Stars, an interesting thing to note about the initial appearance of this form is her fingers. They appear black in her first showing and have the capability to control things like her whip, in subsequent chapters this is not the case. Although considering the pitch blackness of it, this could be foreshadowing to....
Hideous Flower Of Lust
Super Pervert Grade ???, seemingly her strongest form if the Stars are anything to go by (more on that later). Unfortunately for all the Baiser heads, this is a non-standard form. In order to get to it she had to have an inner conflict between her lust and reason as well as the influence of Venalita's goop.
Her stats shoot up a good deal as she made quick work of Tres Magia and her own team; able to corrupt objects that try to touch her, make webs like her La Veritas form, said webs even being able to inject a magical girl with her mana, corrupting them. She's also pretty large and in charge; she can flood an area with her webs too. She was only stopped because being in the form for too long turned her into a pure cluster of defenseless mana and she acts like a wild animal, but horny.
Monster Mode
Magia Baiser: Night-weaver's Mantle
Super Pervert Grade III, bigger power boost, her La Veritas or True Form. Does the web stuff mentioned above and gets the Full Star Dominanza.
Feats
Power
• Created a large explosion when clashing with Magia Magenta.
• Created a larger-er explosion by herself when entering Excited Mode. She even blew up a big monster, if I could do calculations I'm sure it would be swell.
• Cracked a scythe with her teeth.
• Defeated Leopard in her 3 Star form while Utena was in her Excited Mode (Building - 1.071 tons of TNT).
• Stomped Magia Sulfur's first form in her Excited Mode (City Block-Small Town).
• Spanked Imitatio to defeat in her La Veritas Form.
Speed
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• Able to intercept sound based attacks (Mach 1+ - Supersonic).
• Moved so fast she could hit, injest, and bottle one of Imitatio's Love Potions before it hit the ground in 01:00:04 seconds (probably fast idk).
• Dodges bullets from various guns (Mach 1-2+ - Supersonic).
• In base managed to transform and evade an explosion from one of Leopard's grenades (Mach 20.1+ - Hypersonic+).
• Does a similar feat by moving fast enough to shield Kiwi from several explosions (Mach 22.85+ - Hypersonic+).
• In base managed to transform and evade explosions from (this sounds familiar) Leopard's explosives (Mach 20.1+ - Hypersonic+).
• In her La Veritas mode, she can react to Magia Sulfur's (possible) lightning attacks. Where this could get really depends on what you buy, the official translation says it's electricity but the original kanji can be translated to lightning.
The best argument that it means lightning, especially when it comes to speed, is the name of Sulfur's La Veritas form. This is a whole thing.
The kanji used is "電撃天使," with the potential lightning part, being the same kanji used above, means something like "blitz/lightning/shock-angel." The katakana, ブリッツエンゼル, used makes it clear what the kanji means (second part is just angel), as the first part "ブリッツ" means "blitz," now "blitz" is a loneword from the German language. One of the meanings of said word is *drum roll* lightning. Meaning that the intent for the kanji in this case is to mean lightning as that is the shared meaning of both "Blitz" and "電撃." This could also mean that the other use of this kanji also means lightning as it would be consistent with this usage.
The official translation goes with just "Blitz Angel."
Worth noting, that when Sulfur unlocks this form she gains a massive speed boost, so there's an argument the intent is for her to be as fast as lightning. She even gots the lightning on her feet, look at her feet, you really need to look there right now.
Also Wikipedia says she's as fast as lightning, so like, take that doubters (they also use the fan translation for terms, interesting).
Magia Azul can do other weather phenomena so it's not out of the realm of possibility for Magic in Mahoako to be able to make natural lightning and the like (Kiwi's whole kit is making bombs and such as well, even fireworks).
Oh uhh, if you buy her attacks as lightning it's like Mach 1,677.506167303207 (Massively Hypersonic+) for Baiser reaction time, if me math right.
Under the assumptions that she's moving as fast as lightning Mach 1,282.79883 (Massively Hypersonic+) reactions.
Pretty epic, there's also a better(?) feat here but I dunno how to calc it sorrz.
Durability
• Get Team Rocket-ed and live (Wall level).
• Survived several explosions blowing her up in Magia Baiser form (Small building - 0.08818 Tons of TNT).
• Took an explosion that leveled a hotel in Magia Baiser form. Kiwi being in her first form (Building - 1.071 tons of TNT).
• Better survived an explosion blowing her up in her Excited Magia Baiser form and Kiwi in her 3 Star form (Building - 1.071 tons of TNT+).
• Relatively fine from being frozen by Magia Azul in her La Veritas form, also in Excited Magia Baiser form (Large Building - 7.244602225 Tons of TNT+).
• Survived being exploded by the Magical United Burst (Temp) in La Veritas form. This attack should upscale from Cannon Fortissimo (City Block-Multi-City Block+).
Scaling
Stars
Circling back to the Dragon Ball comparisons is the Star System, it's basically power levels. More Stars means the more Magic/Mana you have which means anyone who has more stars upscale characters who have less. Including all the stats. Unfortunately, unlike Dragon Ball, there is not an exact number for the gap between Stars but the more Stars the better.
0 Stars
This is the Kiwi tier. Leopard is the crown jewel for scaling Mahoako really, she does the most quantifiable stuff and is also a low tier for a good chunk of the story so everyone scales. Sister Gigant who is a 3 Star is able to tank Leopard's attacks (only getting cuts, scratches, and minor bleeding) in her 0 Star form so anything above Magia Baiser's 2 Star form (like her Excited Mode and such) should be capable of that as well.
• Can shoot out grenades (Wall - 217568 joules).
• Can shoot out Sea Mines (Small building - 0.08818 Tons of TNT).
• Leveled a hotel (Building - 1.071 Tons of TNT).
• Can intercept multiple sound based attacks (Mach 1+ - Supersonic)
3 Stars
• Loco Musica can upheave the ground with her sound attacks.
• Sister Gigant could power through Leopard's attacks.
• Leberblume could completely control the body of Kiwi.
4 Stars
Lord Enorme tier, Baiser directly scales above her via her Excited Mode making quick work of her and her monsters.
• Her monsters can overwhelm most of Enormita (3 Stars as the highest).
• Lord's Monsters can burst out of and resist Alice's house. Said houses being able to mind control and physically alter the people inside.
Tres Magia
They don't use the Stars to indicate strength but we do know that their La Veritas form are a tier above, so anything they do as regular Magical Girls would get upscaled in their La Veritas.
• Magia Sulfur's shield blocked two hits from Cannon Fortissimo (City Block-Small Town). My methodology may be flawed so I'd appreciate feedback lol. Seeing as how Mana/Magic is used for both attacking and defending, you could argue her defense stat should translate to attack as well. Either way, La Varitas tier characters sould upscale fr fr.
• Magia Magenta was able to resist being mind controlled and turned into a baby.
• Magia Azul enjoyed a wrecking ball (Wall - 83.393166061 kilojoules).
• Magia Azul froze a giant octopus (Large Building - 7.244602225 Tons of TNT).
• All of them resist the effects of Baiser's Perfume, which mind controls people.
La Veritas
Top tiers as of now in Mahoako, anyone who gets one is relatively in the same "weight class."
• Magia Sulfur potentially can move as fast as lightning (Mach 1,282.79883 - Massively Hypersonic+).
• Magia Sulfur blocks Obliteration Beam Strahl (3.998c-6.27867c, if you buy it being light).
• Magia Azul catches Obliteration Beam Strahl. (something something relativistic probs).
• Magia Azul survived a combined attack from Obliteration Beam Strahl and Cannon Fortissimo (City Block-Multi-City Block+).
• Magia Azul also survived a stronger Cannon Fortissimo and wasn't half dead that time (City Block-Multi-City Block+).
• Magia Azul's attacks negated Lord's Monster's regeneration.
• Imitatio can defeat both Leberblume and Loco Musica.
• Imitatio beat Magia Baiser fairly easily in their first fight, Baiser being in her Excited Mode.
Resistances
Because of how the Mana/Magic System works in Mahoako, I think it's fair to give her stuff that weaker characters have also resisted.
• Mind Control: resisted the perfume from her monster, despite the perfume creature being her minion, she does not control the effects of the perfume once sprayed, in fact she couldn't stop the people who were controlled as a plot point so this should count toward resistance. There are other arguments for this like scaling to Magia Magenta who overcame mind control from Alice.
• Body Puppetry: resisted it as a 2 Star but should be completely immune in higher forms.
• Extreme Cold: including her webs.
• Extreme Heat: been in a lot of explosions.
• Extreme Pain: she gets her shit rocked a lot.
• Electricity (Presumably Extreme): Kiwi in weaker forms took it like a champ.
• Sleep Manipulation: was able to stay awake after ingesting a sleep potion from Imitatio.
Weaknesses
Despite her outfit she can be surprisingly bashful when she is not the one in control.
Her lust is also a double edged sword, very often she will position herself to lose if she's fighting a magical girl as is the role of a villain. She prefers to fuck around rather than strictly fight to win, although when she does she is an effective fighter. If her opponent is someone who doesn't excite her, she will perform vastly worse in a fight, although she can remedy this with her Pervert Sight. Along with that, if something is able to disrupt her emotions she will get depowered. Her Mana/Magic pool is also finite and she can run out.
Men also don't exist in Mahoako so it's a mystery how she'd take that information if she met one.
Other
This is for stuff that didn't fit cleanly into the other thangs.
Universal Mahoako?!?!?!?
An argument I've seen sometimes about the series is that they can get to universal cause of Nero Alice's Doll Houses being realms. But this is a stupid and a dumb. The doll houses are explicitly small in size and shrink the opponent down (she can make them like, small house sized at most). So unfortunately, no universes inside them.
There is one specific realm that also takes a lot of stretching the old noggin to consider universal. So in one chapter Alice gets really worked up and puts most of the cast in a PS1 which in turn makes them into a Dark Souls III clone. Now this realm is a lot bigger, it has a sky and mountains, but it is quite literally a video game. They got smushed into a disc and they play it on a PS1 hooked up to a TV. So there really isn't much sense there, no one would even scale to this besides Alice anyway. She has a big power boost that enabled her to even do it in the first place.
I will say, since most of the cast is like data on an electrical device. You could make the argument they would scale to the speed at which electricity flows at (which is like 50% to 90% the speed of light), I've seen people make that argument for The Amazing Digital Circus so do with that what you will.
Closing Thoughts
I think an implicit premise most people have when they make things like this for the versus scene is that they have a want or maybe an even an expectation that the work they do will move the needle in the public consciousness to get their boys into a death battle episode. A versus debater's white whale, so to say.
Believe you me, I have no such expectation lol. I think Mahoako getting a Death Battle episode is as likely as two objects phasing through each other cause their atoms aligned in just the right way. It don't got that swagger like other pervert anime that people are more generally cool with like Dragon Ball. Maybe if it was an American live action sex comedy like The Boys, then it'd be cool, because that's less gross somehow.
But who cares about that, I mainly wanted to make this just cause it existing at all is funny. Like you can say with some real arguments that Mahoako has light speed scaling, eat your heart out JJK.
Resources
• Where me got most of the images.
• Fanbook.
• Blu-ray booklets, this is where those measurement charts come from.
• Special shout out to Goggledanon, Anon, Darkaac, and vatzitodeleche who do the fan translation.