Magical Girl Incident Volume 2 continues flipping the oft-used magical girl trope on its head. The series shows that if a man transforms into a magical girl, a woman transforms into a magical guy. Additionally, most of these characters are older than the age of most magical girls series. It loses some steam, getting lost in plot points that feel bewildering rather than seamless. However, the fun from the first volume and the potential for later issues keep Magical Girl Incident Volume 2 worth reading.
Created by Zero Akabane, translated by Caleb Cook, and lettered by Phil Christie, the second volume broadens the world for Hiromi Sakura and readers as he discovers he’s not the only magical person. The Yen Press manga continues where the previous volume left off. Hiromi, as a magical girl, faces off against another magical girl. Like other series when magical girls go dark, the girl wears a dark uniform. But Sakura gets rescued by someone she knows. Magical Girl Incident Volume 2 brings to mind the phrase, “It’s a small world.” Through this expanding world, Hiromi finds themself in the thick of intrigue as they learn about the magical community.
Magical Girl Incident Volume 2 Is Exciting, But The Worldbuilding Is Fast and Confusing
The story moves between action and calm moments. Surprises keep coming. But there are chaotic introductions to the broadening world. As the discoveries pile on, there are more questions. Not only is there a branch for magic in the government, but Hiromi’s coworker, Hakuba, is the magical guy who rescued her. So, Magical Girl Incident needs to clarify what Hiromi is in the midst of and what triggers these transformations. Too much occurs with far too little explanations.
Reminiscent of an Older Anime
One of the best parts of Magical Girl Incident Volume 2 is that when people transform, they switch from a guy to a girl or vice versa. Happily, there is no tension because of the switch. The story and characters handle it with aplomb. They roll with the punches as they fight to protect those around them. The similarity to Ranma ½ adds a hilarious layer of familiarity for those who’ve seen that anime series. Being able to switch back and forth sounds like a hilarious extended Freaky Friday or just Freaky delight.
Additional Espionage and Perhaps Betrayal
Hiromi’s friend, Yuzuru, is another mystery. They are close friends, but Yuzuru has another secret aspect to his life that now encroaches on Hiromi’s magical one. Given two magical people work at the same company, Hiromi and Kasuba, and Yuzuru is there, too, it raises questions. Yuzuru could happen to work there, or perhaps he knew about Kasuba and Hiromi’s potential to transform. The secret layers here are more interesting than the unclear worldbuilding for the magical division because it has to do with friends. Having characters that hold readers’ interest, keeps them coming back.
Magical Girl Incident Volume 2 doesn’t pack the wallop of the first volume. However, it does enough through the action and readers’ journey with Hiromi to keep interest. Before adding to the magic world, Akabane needs to expand on the friendship between Hiromi and Yuzuru to build a deeper connection. While worlds are essential in any series, having readers care about what happens is pivotal to longevity. Magical Girl Incident Volume 2 focuses too much on the former. But the cliffhanger ending leans toward the latter’s potential, and it’s just what the series needs.
