If an episode starts with a cute waifus bound and covered in slime, you know it will be fun. And, in Gushing Over Magical Girls‘ episode 4, we’re treated to one hell of a time. Opening with the sexualized guerrilla tactics of Magia Baiser against Tres Magia, we’re given a more laid-back but comedic episode than last week.
Did you know that fighting magical girls isn’t only harmful to your health but also detrimental to your academic standing? Well, Utena sure didn’t. All her little melees against Tres Magia have caused her grades to plummet. If that weren’t enough of a worry, her mom told her that should she fail another test, she could say goodbye to her Tres Magia merch collection. As she rushes home, she passes Magia Magneta, who’s trying to get her altered form (Magia Baiser) to show up and fight her. One can question the tactical intelligence of putting oneself on a pedestal and tempting your enemy. But maybe that’s a unique magical girl tactic the hoi polli isn’t aware of.
Disregarding the obvious bait, she heads home to study, only to have Venalita step in and tell her that “there’s a magical girl right there.” As she tries to convince Venalita that she needs to study and that it’s her constant scuffles with Tres Magia that are causing her grades to tank, Venalita replies that every time it peeps into her room, Utena is having the time of her life reading adult magazines. Then threatens her by asking what would happen if her mom found the material she’s reading with such vigor. Either due to the threat or her own realization that she may actually have a adult material addiction, Utena transforms into Magia Baiser and confronts Magia Magneta.
As Magia Baiser begrudgingly fights Magia Magneta, she summons a swarm of transfigured scissors, which strips off the clothes of all but the funnest of Magia Magneta’s parts. Whether it’s an unknown magical girl power or just anime magic, there was enough left to cover the danger zones, leaving little to the imagination. But even though Magia Baiser manages to best Magia Magneta, she again retreats without causing any grievous physical harm. One day, back home, Utena tries to study but can’t get her mind off Magia Magenta’s body. She almost starts reading smut to relieve herself but is once again summoned by Venalita.
As Utena’s battle form (Magia Baiser) one again confronts and strips Magia Magneta, she’s treated with what can only be described as “visual opulence.” Magia Magneta took the initiative and used pasties to cover her no-no squares, causing both Magia Biaser and millions of weebs (author included) to get a nosebleed. As Magia Baiser comments on Magia Magneta’s lack of embarrassment, one has to wonder who the real villain is. Undoubtedly, Magia Baiser is the antagonist, but Magia Magneta setting up a provocation in a children’s park only to then strut around in something so sexually provocative in front of all the surrounding kids seems fishy. Sure, she gets all the points for neuron activation, but she gets zero points when it comes to protecting her fans. But, smooth-brained plans aside, the two of them still engage in a proper fight, where Magia Magenta ultimately loses, and Magia Baiser receives the greatest reward of her life.
As Magia Magneta wakes up hours later (not-so-fun fact: if anyone is knocked out for longer than a few seconds, let alone hours, that’s full-on brain damage), surrounded by the rest of Tres Magia, an important topic is broached. Is Magia Baiser actually trying to defeat them? Sure, up to this point, she’s been a sex pest, and some people view that as the worst thing humanly possible. But, while Tres Magia is often placed in indecent situations and slightly bruised, they haven’t been grievously hurt. More importantly, they haven’t been grievously hurt on purpose. Magia Baiser has demonstrated plenty of abilities that can easily be lethal; in some cases, Tres Magia hasn’t even been able to escape her clutches until she lets them go. And as Vatz points out later in the episode, Tres Magia is the cream of the crop. But, in no altercation has she shown violent intent against them. Later on, even Kaoruko (Magia Sulfur) individually mulls over the fact that, so far, Magia Baiser has never concluded a fight with them.
As Tres Magia rests after a photo shoot, Vatz, their magical mascot, finally makes an appearance and encourages them to keep up the good work, as somehow a strong media presence helps in the fight against evil. Here, it is somewhat implied that Venalita was once a good magical mascot and part of their fight against Enormita is to bring it back. Their relaxed chat is interrupted when one of the media teams lets them know that another person broke the barrier Vatz had set up to repel Enormita, and immediately a battle begins. Those with a keen eye may have noticed something important here. For the most part, during her fights, Magia Baiser’s attacks do not cause damage to the area surrounding Tres Magia. But their attacks do cause damage around Magia Baiser. She’s actively restraining herself while they’re not. Enormita’s attack eventually causes Magia Sulfur to go on the offensive and land a few blows. As the skirmish continues, Magia Sulfur comments on how much fun Magia Baiser seems to be having, to which she comments that she’s just excited to wipe the grin off Magia Sulfur’s face. Unfortunately, we’re not shown the battle, and the episode draws to a close.
It would be nice to see the fights given more air time, but let’s be honest. From the start, we knew the fights would take a back seat to the show’s main content. The show has retained the animation level of the first episode and stayed true to its lascivious content. For some, the constant guerrilla tactics of Magia Baiser and Enormita can be grating. Likewise, the fact that the whole of Tres Magia seems to have a combined IQ of 50 can be a putoff. But if you’re looking for something to make your blood pressure spasm, look no further.
Screenshots via HiDive
© Akihiro Ononaka/ Takeshobo/ Gushing Over Magical Girls Production Committee