What can we say about Gushing Over Magical Girls episode 13 that we haven’t already said? It was over the top, lascivious, lewd to the extreme, and filled with friendship. But most importantly, it had tentacles!
Gushing Over Magical Girls episode 13 starts with that most time-honored of slice-of-life traditions—a beach episode. Because, if you think about it, everything is a slice of life. Some say these serve as relaxation episodes. Others say it’s unnecessary far service. Either way, the Enormita girls are on a much-needed vacation, and finally, Utena’s the one being lewded. And you can bet a lot of money that made plenty of people happy.
As the Enormita girls gear up for a relaxing day, little do they know that nonsense awaits them. Turns out, the Tres Magia crew is there as well. But despite the hate their transformed personas have for each other, the two opposing factions end up chilling at the beach. That’s a beautiful reminder that, in most cases, if you remove the point of contention, enemies can see eye-to-eye. They can even end up being cordial.
As Utena and Sayo are alone, Sayo can’t help but eye Utena like a fat bro who eyes a brisket at an all-you-can-eat buffet. After all, following last week’s debacle, she has questions. She knows Utena is a super-freak but how can she broach the topic? How would you? Utena, on the other hand, has no idea that while she’s fawning over Tres Magia and Magia Azure, she’s doing so to Magia Azure.
As the girls enjoy a much-needed day of rest and relaxation, Utena faces an introvert’s worst nightmare—drunk people who cut others off at the drink stand. In turn, this makes Kiwi’s spidey senses tingle. She channels her inner bullied US kid, transforms into Leoparde, and rushes to the scene with a gun. Leoparde has heart, but the creases in her brain are shallow and don’t fold much. With her transformation, she alerted Tres Magia to Enormita’s presence and forced everyone into a fight. As Tres Magia confronts Leoparde, Utena tells her to deploy a smoke bomb and uses that cover to turn an octopus that Leoparde was piggybacking into a full-on kraken.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane before we continue our recap. In the 80s and 90s, American schoolchildren were inundated with DARE’s “Just Say No” campaign. DARE was supposed to combat and reduce drug use. Even though the campaign poured millions of dollars into its cause, it achieved little to no positive impact. Similarly, recent trends in book and media bans have proven ineffective. Not only do they fail to achieve their goals but they inadvertently draw more attention to what they are attempting to suppress.
Why is this important here, you ask? Well, censorship doesn’t work. People find ways around it or carry on as they did. Have you ever wondered why tentacles are so prolific in anime and hentai? While Japan can be considered a bastion for expression. They still face some forms of censorship. Specifically, the depiction of male genitalia is considered obscene. So, to circumvent this censorship, tentacles substituted the meat stick. But after a while, these became just another titillating trope.
And because of that trope, in Gushing Over Magical Girls episode 13, we’re treated to Magia Baiser summoning a kraken that does pervy things to Tres Magia and Enormita. In the industry, we call this ‘peak cinema.’ Of course, some will argue that SpongeBob did this scene better and that’s alright. Art is subjective.
As everyone struggles to free themselves from the big-ass octopus, Azure musters her strength and comes to the rescue. Azure transforms like a Pokemon that just got an evolution item while Magia Baiser can’t help but be in awe of what she’s seeing. Her misconstrued thoughts are set in stone as Azure mentions that her growth could not be possible without Magia Baiser, which is true. But that’s just letting Magia Baiser think she needs to be the next Jimmy Savile.
As Magia Baiser gushes like never before, she transforms into her onee-san mode and begins to clash with Magia Azure. She doesn’t fare too well but she isn’t losing to Magia Azure either. At heart, Magia Baiser is a magical girl stan and is so worked up over Azure’s spring 2024 look that she’s so distracted she’s leaving herself vulnerable. Because of this, even when the rest of Enormita step in to help, Magia Baiser lets Azure blow them away.
As Gushing Over Magical Girls episode 13 draws to a close, all the girls are now back on the beach, enjoying a slow and tranquil summer night. Ignorant to the fact that mere hours ago they were at each other’s throats, Utena and Sayo share a peaceful moment in which Sayo remarks that Utena seems quite happy and at ease. Upon hearing this, Utena reflects on her time as Magia Baiser and on the positive effects that it has had on her life. After a few more “look at this peaceful life you’ll never have” shots, we see the last scene of the anime, in which Enormita is facing Tres Magia again. And with that, Gushing Over Magical Girls ends.
Many consider ecchi shows to be the lowest common denominator. To most, they’re cheap shows that use cheap fan service to attract horny viewers and that’s it. I’d argue that thinking that all things sexual are just smut lacks imagination. Gushing Over Magical Girls did a pretty good job of showing character growth and interactions. Maybe it’s not how most would like it, but that’s the thing about life—morality does not equal reward. People who are worse than Utena live pretty good lives, not in spite of what they do but because of what they do.
Should we strive to be better versions of ourselves? Yes! But what’s a better version of oneself? An honest, do-no-wrong individual? Or an individual who grows and breaks out of their self-imposed barriers. One who adapts to the curve balls that life gives them? As a character, Utena is morally ambiguous. Even though she acts inappropriately towards Tres Magia, why she does is a pretty convoluted answer. She’s conflating way too many things into a single goal. Due to her situation, mental standing, and upbringing, she doesn’t have a filter because she has no reference to what is the appropriate course of action for her.
Yet, there is actual care and compassion here. And people often forget that “bad people” are still perfectly capable of showing love and care to others. Utena, as Magia Baiser, has the power to attack and assault civilians but never does anything that puts them at risk. Likewise, she minimalizes the harm and destruction their fights cause. Most of the damage we see in the show happened due to Lord Enorme, Leoparde, or Tres Magia.
Is this a show everyone can watch? No. Is this a show that can trigger some people? Absolutely. But for those who can tolerate and enjoy this series, there’s so much more to it than cheap boob and panty shots. Because, as Magia Baiser so accurately stated during her last battle, it’s about the power of friendship. The real treasure wasn’t the boob shots or lewding Tres Magia, it was the friends we made along the way. Made it this far? Thanks for reading! Hopefully, we get to cover season 2 of this show one day.
Screenshots via HIDIVE
© Akihiro Ononaka/ Takeshobo/ Gushing Over Magical Girls Production Committee