Forum › Looking Up to Magical Girls discussion

My%20god
joined Dec 27, 2014

Your lewdness lacks story

I think that's the most brutal thing that's happened in this manga. Goddamn, there's no surviving that one

Images
joined Aug 19, 2018

Michiko got herself a punk gf and is buying her jewelry. What a lucky woman

joined Apr 16, 2022

Your lewdness lacks story

I think that's the most brutal thing that's happened in this manga. Goddamn, there's no surviving that one

it hurts even more because she knows Utena is right lol

joined Aug 11, 2022

What a nice relaxing break chapter to rest on, we get to see Korisu's mom and Kiwi's mom...and MC now meets (one of) her mother-in-law lol-->> Kiwi's mother approves it seems XD

Lol Kiwi showing off how rich she with those 10,000 yen bills while (Lord) Michiko is working part time...seems she is on board with being a magical girl now and even buying her waifu a gift with her own hard-worked money.

Now we just wait for what Vena is cooking up next chapter...we know he wants magic and wants our cast to become more powerful to get more magic/harvest them...but what for (World domination, world destruction...merchandise sells)??? White mascot trying to stop him and they have history I think?

Img_20201116_114246_2-min_50-min%20(1)
joined Oct 14, 2014

Utena is SO right. Horny for horny's sake suuuucks! there's gotta be some spice in there, whether it's the sugary sweetness of Twu Wuv or the seedy bitterness of desperation. So true.

Descarga%20(3)
joined Aug 10, 2015

This chapter was so beautiful, I've missed the original trio shenanigans so much, even tho I've come to love both Nemo and matama, IMHO the original trio had the best chemistry , fights and story so far. I hope the story is leading to something as fun as the the first lord enrome fight was Cuz right now the Manga is definitely losing some momentum

saltyslug5561
Yvo0lylulbwzixjblrxj
joined May 12, 2020

"Your lewdness lacks story." Daaaaaaaaaamn.

Also Kiwi is not a beast. She is a spirit animal. Not mine but definitely somebody's.

Also also fewer people would dread working in retail if it came with a goth girlfriend and gyaru mid-boss.

last edited at May 26, 2023 2:06AM

Book%20and%20cloakhbq1
joined Aug 1, 2011

I might be misremembering things, but when Korisu was first getting introduced, wasn't it implied that there were some problems with her home life, like she was on her own FAR too often or her parents were different? Something about her mother, this chapter, feels off. Not in the sense that she's poorly written, but more in the "there's something going on there," way.

Ykn1
joined Dec 20, 2018

Well, that was just pure insanity... :D

BoobTwinkler
Sleepyfrogwaifutiny
joined Sep 25, 2019

GO FOR IT MICCHAN, SPOIL YO GIRL!

I might be misremembering things, but when Korisu was first getting introduced, wasn't it implied that there were some problems with her home life, like she was on her own FAR too often or her parents were different? Something about her mother, this chapter, feels off. Not in the sense that she's poorly written, but more in the "there's something going on there," way.

Korisu's mom doesn't seem like a bad person at a glance but that doesn't mean that their living situation can't be terrible beyond her ability to deal with anyway. Japan already has cultural problems with overworking people to the point where a lot of families are effectively living split apart from each other for work- or education reasons.

The disparity you're sensing might come from the expectation that Korisu was being neglected due to her parents not caring enough about her (Which is the more "common" cause of neglect in the western consciousness), while the new chapter instead seems to go down the road of implying that the issue is not that her mom (who seems like a single parent?) doesn't care but rather than she has to work too much to spend time together. (Which I believe is the primary reason for neglect in Japan but I'm not an expert so don't quote me on that.)

Both situations are still Korisu being "neglected" just for entirely different reasons and the latter meaning that her mom isn't strictly (necessarily) at fault. We really don't have much information to go on at this point though so it could go in any direction from here I think.

One possible angle that this new chapter doesn't particularly support nor deny though is whatever factor in this her father might be playing. Is he alive? Is he around? Does he want anything to do with his family, or is he actively fighting a legal battle against them to avoid the responsibilities he might have to them? Are they in financial troubles because of something he did? Or did he maybe just die and Korisu's mom is simply struggling to be a single-parent breadwinner? Was he a one-night stand that she never saw again and who doesn't even know that he's a father?

Technically, it's possible that Korisu's neglect issues were already dealt with semi-offscreen since it appears that Kiwi and Utena keeping her company is now implied to have become part of an official arrangement they have with her mother specifically so she isn't so lonely. At this point it could just be a matter of whether Korisu has any trauma lingering from her days of neglect that needs dealing with rather than any current neglect still needing to be addressed.

Korisu's neglect really could go anywhere from here, or nowhere at all if the writer decides to do that. It's a case of Schrödinger's Neglect, if you will. xD

joined Apr 1, 2023

I might be misremembering things, but when Korisu was first getting introduced, wasn't it implied that there were some problems with her home life, like she was on her own FAR too often or her parents were different? Something about her mother, this chapter, feels off. Not in the sense that she's poorly written, but more in the "there's something going on there," way.

The only thing that note said is that she needed to buy dinner and some money that her mom left. While yes, she seem to be alone often, her mother seems to actually care about her which honestly is great, because while angst is good I really didn't want her mother to be a shitty person or at the very least leave her alone for a dumb reason

Ykn1
joined Dec 20, 2018

One possible angle that this new chapter doesn't particularly support nor deny though is whatever factor in this her father might be playing. Is he alive? Is he around? Does he want anything to do with his family, or is he actively fighting a legal battle against them to avoid the responsibilities he might have to them? Are they in financial troubles because of something he did? Or did he maybe just die and Korisu's mom is simply struggling to be a single-parent breadwinner? Was he a one-night stand that she never saw again and who doesn't even know that he's a father?

Does he even exist? There is no conclusive proof as of yet that there are any men in this world at all.

welease.wodger
joined Oct 2, 2021

Utena saved by the Korisu.
Lovin' the slice of life and chilling with the gang vibe in this chapter. Hopefully more to come.

Vena is the only he we've seen so far I think..?

last edited at May 26, 2023 9:02AM

提督Artemis
Scool%20zone
joined Jul 5, 2020

One possible angle that this new chapter doesn't particularly support nor deny though is whatever factor in this her father might be playing. Is he alive? Is he around? Does he want anything to do with his family, or is he actively fighting a legal battle against them to avoid the responsibilities he might have to them? Are they in financial troubles because of something he did? Or did he maybe just die and Korisu's mom is simply struggling to be a single-parent breadwinner? Was he a one-night stand that she never saw again and who doesn't even know that he's a father?

Does he even exist? There is no conclusive proof as of yet that there are any men in this world at all.

Maybe girls in this world reproduce through budding. Just like our speedy sea cucumber friend.

BoobTwinkler
Sleepyfrogwaifutiny
joined Sep 25, 2019

Does he even exist? There is no conclusive proof as of yet that there are any men in this world at all.

What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets!
But enough talk; Have at you!

BeanBeanKingdom
Ms_icon
joined Nov 3, 2018

Does he even exist? There is no conclusive proof as of yet that there are any men in this world at all.

I assume they exist offscreen simply because every girl so far has only had a single mom shown. You'd think they'd show two if that was how it's meant to work.

Ykn1
joined Dec 20, 2018

One possible angle that this new chapter doesn't particularly support nor deny though is whatever factor in this her father might be playing. Is he alive? Is he around? Does he want anything to do with his family, or is he actively fighting a legal battle against them to avoid the responsibilities he might have to them? Are they in financial troubles because of something he did? Or did he maybe just die and Korisu's mom is simply struggling to be a single-parent breadwinner? Was he a one-night stand that she never saw again and who doesn't even know that he's a father?

Does he even exist? There is no conclusive proof as of yet that there are any men in this world at all.

Maybe girls in this world reproduce through budding. Just like our speedy sea cucumber friend.

Until proven otherwise, I stand by my earlier assessment that this takes place in the same world as this. :P

last edited at May 26, 2023 9:18AM

Internet_lied
joined Jul 15, 2016

Poor Kiwi is down bad.

Your lewdness lacks story

I think that's the most brutal thing that's happened in this manga. Goddamn, there's no surviving that one

I think that scene goes deeper than just a sick burn: it is an intentional juxtaposition of Utena and Pesca. If you recall, Utena started off as a hopeless MG fangirl, and while she still melts down whenever one says something cool to her (as her interaction with Imitatio demonstrates), she has grown to be so much more than that. In many ways, Utena has become a teacher and an examiner for almost everyone else, constantly pushing them to be better and smacking them down if they do not meet her standards (in fact, she appears to be one of the manga main characters who follows the King arc). Pesca is still in her mindless fangirling phase, but if she takes Utena's harsh words to heart, she, too, can become someone who turns her passion into the fuel for others' growth.

Img_20220602_141642-min%20(1)%20(1)%20(1)
joined Feb 5, 2020

I love these off day shenanigan episodes. Nothing happens and yet, so many things happen. For this chapter we have mothers, gyaru manager, utena-michiko respectful rivalry, murder, kiwi-korisu-randa friendship, kiwi's temptation, and buying jewelry for your gf. No appearance from the og magical trio but hopefully, the get spotlight next time.

Now we just wait for what Vena is cooking up next chapter...we know he wants magic and wants our cast to become more powerful to get more magic/harvest them...but what for (World domination, world destruction...merchandise sells)??? White mascot trying to stop him and they have history I think?

He wants to preserve the universe from entropy.

joined Jun 9, 2022

I love these off day shenanigan episodes. Nothing happens and yet, so many things happen. For this chapter we have mothers, gyaru manager, utena-michiko respectful rivalry, murder, kiwi-korisu-randa friendship, kiwi's temptation, and buying jewelry for your gf. No appearance from the og magical trio but hopefully, the get spotlight next time.

Now we just wait for what Vena is cooking up next chapter...we know he wants magic and wants our cast to become more powerful to get more magic/harvest them...but what for (World domination, world destruction...merchandise sells)??? White mascot trying to stop him and they have history I think?

He wants to preserve the universe from entropy.

I expect the reason to be some sort of send up of Madoka. IE his motivations are completely venal/petty.

Linterdiction
Kiarabg
joined Sep 6, 2018

I adore this chapter and feel cleansed. Randa’s style with the body mods is fantastic. Michiko working hard at the konbini is blessed and I wish her all the luck and success with her doting gf. She’s gone from punished to whipped over the course of two arcs and I love that for her.

Kiwi’s temptation was great, and I love that she’s interested in Utena as much as in her evil magical girl form. I’m sad we didn’t get to see Tres Magia though… and that Azul/Utena seems to have fallen off the radar. Which is a shame bc I feel like they have so much chemistry and compatibility, and there’s a ton of potential there. And, frankly, I want to see a sadist and masochist getting closer. We’re so starved for romancy representation QQ

Screenshot_20230620_200924_chrome
joined Mar 31, 2021

Just realized this is the first time we've seen Randa in casual clothes, does she have those threads sewn into her skin?

Internet_lied
joined Jul 15, 2016

Just realized this is the first time we've seen Randa in casual clothes, does she have those threads sewn into her skin?

It seems that way.

Sleepyfrogwaifutiny
joined Sep 25, 2019

We've seen Randa's various body-mods sticking into her actual skin before, they don't seem connected to her magical girl transformation... well, at all. Rather, they seem to be self-mutilation that she just does to herself in general, we just don't see them beneath her clothes because she's placed them strategically to not show them if she doesn't want to.

(Which actually makes perfect sense now that I think about it... why would a presumably "goodness" fueled transformation involve self-mutilation even if it's in-character of the person undergoing it?)

I remember it stood out to me in particular how in the last panel of this page: https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/looking_up_to_magical_girls_ch48#9 we see her partway through transforming and it seems the extensive stichings and piercings littering her body are actually just there under her clothes normally.

Personally, I'm impressed at the author's willingness to portray this particular aspect of a self-loating character in such a visceral and realistic way. Most "edgelord" characters whose whole schtick is how much they don't care about things in general including themselves are typically still never shown to habitually practice any form of self-harm other than outright suicide attempts. Randa, despite being an exaggerated character in an obviously parody-narrative, honestly comes across to me as fairly realistic in essence. Which should speak VOLUMES about the quality of this writing.

...Man, remembering how many people have written this manga off as just fetish-pandering (or worse, BEING cp) is kinda depressing. Literally every time I look into something in this story, there's a red thread to find and a deeper motivation to piece together.

Sena
joined Jun 27, 2017

Just realized this is the first time we've seen Randa in casual clothes, does she have those threads sewn into her skin?

Corset piercings. It's a real thing. The threads aren't sewn into the skin; it's just a bunch of piercings you put thread through.

last edited at May 27, 2023 1:18PM

To reply you must either login or sign up.