Magical Girls and Tactical Military Anime and Manga Development
I never thought all that deeply about the history of "girls with guns," "magical girls," "mecha-musume," and "magical girl tactical" developments. One of the first shows I watched with one these genres was NOIR, a show I really need to rewatch from beginning to end again. It is strange that the history I cover ends with Lycoris Recoil a modern descendant of this show that is influenced by the other titles shown in this article. Why did I research this? Partially out of curiosity and also because I wrote a tactical urban fantasy novel set in modern Japan which also utilize tropes from some of these series. I'll talk more about Kumotawa Confluence at the end, but do have a look at the chronology I've compiled as you might find something you want to read or watch.
The evolution of military and magical girl series began by moving away from original magical girl tropes—characterized by sparkly transformations, whimsical wands, and moral lessons—toward a gritty, tactical realism. Keep in mind that series with the original tropes never really died away, as multiple PreCure series are still being churned out. Early 2000s titles like Noir and Gunslinger Girl, not magical girl shows themselves, stripped away the fantasy entirely in favor of professional assassination, while Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha rebranded magic as a computational military science with staves that functioned like high-tech rifles. This shift replaced the shoujo (young girl) focus on romance and friendship with the mecha-musume aesthetic in series such as Strike Witches and KanColle. The girls were integrated into military bureaucracies, utilized mechanical components, and operated within strict command structures to fight alien threats.
By the 2010s, the genre moved even further from its lighthearted roots into psychological deconstruction, framing the magical girl not as a superhero, but as a traumatized child soldier. Series like Madoka Magica and Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka rejected the optimistic save the world narrative of early series like Sailor Moon, focusing instead on PTSD, the physical cost of combat, and the grim reality of magical terrorism. This culminated in modern hits like Lycoris Recoil, which blend high-fidelity Gun-Fu and realistic firearm ballistics with a secret-service setting. Ultimately, the genre transformed magic from a miraculous gift into a standardized weapon system, emphasizing combat, weaponry, and the heavy emotional burden of state-level violence. There still are more tactical, yet light hearted anime like Girls und Panzer, so it isn't all dark, though. Lycoris Recoil isn't particularly dark or magical, except for the protagonist's ability to dodge bullets like Neo does in the Matrix, but it takes us back to the girls with guns roots that I started with.
NOTE: Dates shown are the first publication/release date in Japan.
1. Noir
Anime | Year: 2001
Set in the global criminal underworld, the story follows Mireille Bouquet, a professional Corsican assassin based in Paris, and Kirika Yuumura, a Japanese amnesiac with instinctive killing skills. After receiving a mysterious email, they form a partnership under the codename Noir. They travel the world to uncover the truth behind their pasts while being hunted by Les Soldats, a secret society that has manipulated history for centuries. The setting is a grounded, atmospheric European noir, focusing on the dark intersection of religion, cult ritual, and professional murder.
Abilities & Weapons: Unlike magical girls, their powers are peak human training and clinical detachment.
- Mireille: Proficient with a Walther P99.
- Kirika: Expert with a Beretta M1934 and capable of using everyday objects as lethal weapons.
- Chloe: An ally-turned-rival who utilizes specialized throwing knives.
Key Characters:
- Mireille Bouquet: A veteran assassin seeking revenge for her family's death.
- Kirika Yuumura: A girl who lacks any memories of her identity.
Significance:
Often cited as the pioneer of the girls with guns sub-genre, emphasizing psychological depth and orchestral soundtracks (by Yuki Kajiura) over typical action tropes. Widely considered a cult classic of the 2000s; it started the Bee Train Trilogy consisting for NOIR, Madlax, and El Cazador de la Bruja.
2. Gunslinger Girl
Manga, Anime | Year: 2002
In Italy, the Social Welfare Agency serves as a front for a secret government counter-terrorism unit. The agency rescues terminally ill or traumatized young girls and rebuilds them into cybernetic assassins through conditioning—a mix of physical enhancement and psychological brainwashing. They are paired with adult male handlers in a Fratello (sibling) system. They primary fight the Five Republics Faction, a separatist group using conventional terrorism. The setting is a cold, bureaucratic military dorm contrasted with beautiful Italian locales.
Abilities & Weapons: Girls possess superhuman strength, speed, and durability due to cybernetic frames. They utilize realistic, high-end firearms:
- Henrietta: Signature weapon is the FN P90 and Sig Sauer P239.
- Triela: Uses a Winchester M1897 and SIG P230.
- Rico: A dedicated sniper utilizing the Dragunov SVD.
Key Characters:
- Henrietta: A sweet-natured girl whose conditioning makes her obsessively loyal to her handler, Jose.
- Jose Croce: A handler who struggles with the morality of treating a child as a weapon.
- Triela: The most mature and tactical of the girls; she acts as a mentor to the younger assassins.
Significance:
A foundational girls with guns title with grim, European noir realism. Known for its tragic, somber tone and philosophical exploration of the meaning of life when that life is artificially extended for the sake of violence. Highly controversial for its depiction of conditioning, which is effectively state-sanctioned child grooming inherent in the Fratello system.
3. Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha
Anime, Manga | Year: 2004
Nanoha Takamachi is a 3rd grader who finds an injured ferret, Yuuno Scrya—an archaeologist from a different dimension. The world blends 21st-century Earth with Mid-Childa, a highly advanced civilization where magic is treated as a computational science. Nanoha joins the Time-Space Administration Bureau (TSAB), an interdimensional military force, to stop Lost Logia (ancient magical weapons) from falling into the wrong hands. Her primary enemy is Fate Testarossa, a rival magical girl working for her abusive mother, Precia.
Abilities & Weapons: Magic is channeled through Intelligent Devices (AI-enhanced staves) that use a cartridge system for high-output mana strikes.
- Nanoha: Uses Raising Heart; specializes in long-range Starlight Breaker mana beams.
- Fate: Uses Bardiche; specializes in high-speed lightning melee combat.
Key Characters:
- Nanoha Takamachi: A prodigy who views firepower as a means of communication.
- Fate Testarossa: A tragic rival who eventually defects to become Nanoha’s closest ally.
Significance:
It redefined magical girls by stripping away the glitter and replacing it with military terminology, organization, and high-tech weaponry.
4. Sky Girls
OVA + Anime | Year: 2006
In 2084, humanity is nearly extinct after a war with the WORM, mechanical alien lifeforms. A select group of girls with rare physical traits are recruited into the 13th Air Force Unit to pilot Sonic Divers, experimental exoskeletal flight suits. The setting is a naval base where the girls live as soldiers-in-training, balancing teenage life with the extreme physical strain of high-G aerial combat against an evolving enemy.
Abilities & Weapons: Sonic Divers: High-mobility units like the Raijin and Fuujin. They feature MV-Swords (High-frequency blades) and the Valkyrie System, which links the pilot's nervous system to the machine.
Key Characters:
- Otoha Sakurano: A girl from a kendo family who uses her sword skills in the cockpit.
- Karen Sonezaki: A socially awkward tactical genius.
- Eika Ichijo: A proud, disciplined pilot from a military lineage.
Significance:
An early example of the mecha-musume (mechanical girl) aesthetic, bridging the gap between traditional mecha and the anthropomorphic girl trend.
5. Strike Witches
Light Novel, Anime | Year: 2006
Set in an alternate WWII-era world, humanity faces the Neuroi, an alien race that uses beam weapons and a toxic miasma. Conventional machines fail, so the world relies on witches—girls who can manifest magical shields. They serve in the 501st Joint Fighter Wing, a multinational unit. The world is a diesel-punk version of 1944, where magic is a natural resource that fades as a girl reaches adulthood.
Abilities & Weapons: Witches use Striker Units (leg-mounted flight engines based on real WWII aircraft like the Spitfire or Zero) and carry magically-enhanced heavy firearms like the MG42 or Boys Anti-Tank Rifle.
Key Characters:
- Yoshika Miyafuji: A pacifist with massive healing and defensive mana.
- Mio Sakamoto: A veteran commander with a magic eye that can see through Neuroi cores.
- Lynette Bishop: A British sniper specializing in long-distance mana-infused shots.
Significance:
Created the World Witches mecha-musume franchise that popularized the personified weapon genre, featuring detailed historical aviation references. Infamous for its lack of pants for the female characters, justified by the mechanical requirements of the Striker Units, which fueled debates about fanservice in military settings.
6. Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS
Classification: Anime | Year: 2007
Ten years after the original series, Nanoha and Fate are now adult officers in the TSAB. They establish Riot Force 6, a specialized military task force designed to train a new generation of Forwards to counter combat Cyborgs and the rogue scientist Jail Scaglietti. The setting is strictly a military academy and barracks, focusing on squad organization, mana management, and urban tactical maneuvers.
Key Characters:
- Subaru Nakajima: Uses Revolver Knuckle (magical gauntlets) for high-mobility melee.
- Teana Lanster: Uses Cross 708 (magical handguns) and illusions for tactical misdirection.
- Nanoha Takamachi: Now a strict but caring instructor (The Ace of Aces).
- Jail Scaglietti: A mad scientist who views humans as biological data for his cyborg experiments.
Significance:
It fully transitioned the franchise into a sci-fi military police drama, moving away from school life into professional bureaucracy and special operations.
7. Upotte!!
Classification: Manga, Anime | Year: 2009
Seishou Academy is a school where the female students are personified assault rifles. Their physical health and personalities are dictated by their real-world firearm performance and mechanical history. The student body is divided by gun type (Battle Rifles, Assault Rifles, etc.), and they engage in war games that mirror real-world infantry drills. Allies are typically Western rifles, while the enemies are rival schools using Eastern Bloc weaponry (like the AK series).
Abilities & Weapons: The girls carry the rifles they represent and can experience mechanical failure as physical illness.
Key Characters:
- Funko (FN FNC): An energetic girl with a complex about her gun's lack of mainstream popularity.
- Ichiroku (M16A4): A flashy, top-tier student representing the American standard.
Significance:
Known for its surprisingly dense technical knowledge of firearm history and ballistics. Highly controversial for the sexualized manner in which firearm maintenance and parts are handled among the young-looking cast.
8. Arpeggio of Blue Steel
Manga, Anime | Year: 2009
By 2039, global warming has caused sea levels to rise, and a mysterious, sentient fleet of warships called the Fleet of Fog has blockaded humanity from the oceans. These ships have Mental Models—humanoid avatars that control the vessels. Gunzo Chihaya, a former naval academy student, teams up with a Fog submarine, the I-401, and its Mental Model, Iona. Together, they form a privateer crew to fight the Fog's blockade and deliver a secret weapon to America.
Abilities & Weapons: Fog ships outmatch human ships and weapons. They use Super-Gravitational Cannons and Klein Fields (geometric force shields). Iona is a submarine capable of firing high-speed corrosive torpedoes.
Key Characters:
- Gunzo Chihaya: A cold, brilliant tactical commander.
- Iona: The I-401's avatar who slowly develops human emotions.
- Kongou: The flagship of the Fog's Second Oriental Fleet and the primary antagonist.
Significance:
Pioneered the use of high-quality 3D CGI for naval combat and popularized the warship as a girl concept before KanColle. There is some exploration of whether AI can choose its own side in a war.
9. Sora No Wo To (Sound of the Sky)
Anime | Year: 2010
In a post-apocalyptic world where technology has regressed, 15-year-old Kanata Sorami joins the Helvetian Army as a bugler. She is stationed at the Clocktower Fortress in the quiet town of Seize. The 1121st Platoon consists of five girls who maintain a legendary, multi-legged tank called the Takemikazuchi. While the setting is initially a slice-of-life school-like military dorm, the underlying plot involves an ancient war and a looming conflict with the Roman Empire. The girls maintain the Takemikazuchi, a legendary multi-legged tank from the Old World.
Abilities & Weapons:
- Takemikazuchi: A high-tech Spider Tank from the old world, equipped with AI, optical camouflage, optics and weaponry far beyond the current era's capabilities.
- The Bugle: Used for signaling and psychological moral which serves as a central theme.
Key Characters:
- Kanata Sorami: A novice bugler with perfect pitch and an optimistic spirit.
- Rio Kazumi: A strict mentor with a hidden connection to the nation's leadership.
- Filicia Heideman: The platoon commander and a veteran of a brutal previous war.
Significance:
Praised for its world-building and its melancholic, healing (iyashikei) take on the military, emphasizing the beauty of life and preservation of culture during the decline of civilization. This is one of my personal favourites.
10. Gate: Jieitai Kano Chi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri
Light Novel, Manga, Anime | Year: 2010
A mysterious portal (the Gate) opens in Tokyo, unleashing an army of fantasy knights and monsters. The Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) push them back and establish a base on the other side. 1st Lt. Youji Itami, an otaku soldier, leads a recon team into the Special Region. The conflict pits modern military power (tanks, artillery, helicopter gunships) against medieval troops, magic and dragons. Allies consist of local villagers and a demi-goddess, while the enemy is the corrupt Empire.
Abilities & Weapons:
- JSDF: Utilize F-4 Phantoms, Type 74 Tanks, and modern small arms. Not all of Japan's top of the line equipment is sent through the gate though.
- Rory Mercury: A magical Magical Girl archetype who wields a massive halberd and possesses superhuman speed and immortality.
Key Characters:
- Youji Itami: A Ranger whose otaku hobbies help him navigate the fantasy world.
- Rory Mercury: A 900-year-old apostle of the God of War; she is a gothic Lolita who uses a massive halberd with supernatural strength.
- Tuka Luna Marceau: An elf survivor of a dragon attack.
- Lelei la Lalena: A teenage mage who quickly learns to apply modern physics to her magic.
Significance & Controversy:
A popular Portal Fantasy focused on modern military superiority over fantasy and cultural exchange. Criticized as Nationalistic Propaganda for its overly idealized portrayal of the Japanese military and its dismissive treatment of foreign governments. I like this series for the fun of it and modern verses medieval.
11. Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Anime | Year: 2011
Middle schooler Madoka Kaname is offered a wish by a creature named Kyubey in exchange for becoming a magical girl. However, the series subverts the genre by revealing that the magical girls are essentially child soldiers in a cosmic war to stave off universal entropy. The setting is a surreal, psychological landscape where girls fight witches in horrific, abstract labyrinths.
Abilities & Weapons:
- Madoka: Bow and arrow with cosmic-tier energy.
- Homura Akemi: Uses a time-manipulation shield and an arsenal of stolen military hardware (RPG-7s, C4, Beretta handguns, and Claymores).
- Mami Tomoe: Summons hundreds of magical muskets for rapid-fire Tiro Finale attacks.
Key Characters:
- Madoka Kaname: A kind-hearted girl with the potential to become either a god or a world-ending witch.
- Homura Akemi: A time-traveling veteran who fights with cold, tactical efficiency.
- Kyubey: An emotionless Incubator who manages the magical girl system.
Significance:
A deconstruction of the magical girl genre, introducing high-stakes tragedy and psychological horror. Won the Japan Media Arts Festival Grand Prize and the Tokyo Anime Award for Best TV Series.
12. Girls und Panzer
Anime | Year: 2012
In this world, Sensha-do (The Way of the Tank) is considered a traditional martial art for girls, practiced to improve feminine poise and leadership. Schools are located on massive aircraft carrier-cities (School Ships). The story follows Miho Nishizumi, who leads her school’s underdog team in a national tournament against elite schools that utilize tanks based on different WWII nations (Germany, USSR, UK, USA).
Abilities & Weapons: Historically accurate WWII tanks (e.g., Panzer IV, Tiger I, T-34). Combat focuses on drifting tanks (yup – it’s a thing), flanking, and tactical formations.
Key Characters:
- Miho Nishizumi: A tactical prodigy who favors teamwork over her family's "victory at all costs" dogma.
- Yukari Akiyama: A tank otaku who serves as the team's scout and technical expert.
- Maho Nishizumi: Miho’s sister and the commander of the rival Kuromorimine Academy.
Significance:
It sparked a massive resurgence of interest in military history in Japan and turned the town of Oarai into a major pilgrimage site for fans. A series of wrap-up movies is still being released as of 2026.
13. Kantai Collection (KanColle)
Game, Anime | Year: 2013
Humanity has lost control of the seas to the Abyssal Fleet—monstrous, ghostly vessels. Kanmusu (Ship Girls) appear, girls who possess the spirits of historical WWII warships. They are stationed at a naval district (functioning as both a school and a base) to launch sorties and reclaim the oceans.
Abilities & Weapons: Girls wear Rigging, mechanical frames that function as ship cannons and flight decks.
- Aircraft Carriers: Use bows to launch planes that transform into Zeros and Nakajimas.
- Battleships / Cruisers: Wield massive turret arrays for broadside barrages.
- Destroyers: Use small cannons and torpedo launchers.
Key Characters:
- Fubuki: An eager destroyer who serves as the story's POV character.
- Akagi: A legendary aircraft carrier and mentor.
Significance:
The cultural phenomenon that launched the moe anthropomorphism trend into the mainstream, influencing dozens of mobile games and media such as Azur Lane.
14. The Saga of Tanya the Evil (Youjo Senki)
Light Novel, Anime | Year: 2013 (LN) / 2017 (Anime)
After an elite, atheist Japanese salaryman is murdered, he is confronted by a deity he calls Being X. To force him into faith, Being X reincarnates him as a young girl named Tanya von Degurechaff in an alternate-history Europe (The Empire) on the brink of a world war. Retaining his cold, analytical mindset, Tanya joins the Imperial Army’s Mage Corps at age nine. Her goal is to achieve a high enough rank to live a safe, comfortable life in the rear, but her sociopathic efficiency and tactical genius repeatedly land her—and her elite 203rd Aerial Mage Battalion—into the bloodiest trenches of the front lines. The setting is a grim diesel-punk fusion of WWI and WWII, where magic is treated as a strategic military asset.
Abilities & Weapons: Mages use Computation Jewels to process mana into tactical spells like flight, kinetic shields, and explosive shells.
- Tanya: Utilizes the Elenium Type 95, a miracle-tier quadruple-core jewel that grants her god-like power but forces her to offer prayers to Being X to use it. Her primary firearm is a magically-enhanced Mondragón semi-automatic rifle and a SIG MKMS submachine gun.
- Visha: Uses a standard-issue Type 97 computation jewel and a Mondragon M1908 rifle for precision aerial fire.
Key Characters:
- Tanya von Degurechaff: A ruthless, logic-driven military prodigy who views soldiers as human resources and war as a massive inefficiency.
- Viktoriya Ivanovna Serebryakov (Visha): Tanya’s adjutant; a kind-hearted but highly capable soldier who manages the battalion’s morale and understands the human side of Tanya.
- Being X: The self-proclaimed Creator who serves as the primary antagonist, manipulating global events and enemy nations to try and break Tanya's spirit.
Significance:
A landmark isekai that completely subverts the genre by replacing power fantasies with a grim study on the industrialized warfare and the conflict between individual and divine will. Often scrutinized for its protagonist’s lack of empathy and the story's heavy usage of historical German military aesthetics. It challenges the audience by making them root for a character who is a terrifying person (just look at her smile!).
15. Yuki Yuna is a Hero
Anime, Light Novel | Year: 2014
Members of the Sanshu Middle School Hero Club are selected by the Taisha (a religious military body) to defend the Shinju-sama (Divine Tree) from invading Vertexes. The setting is a seemingly normal school life that masks a sacrificial military system. Every time a girl uses her Mankai (Full Bloom) power, she must pay a physical price, such as losing her sight, hearing, or use of a limb.
Abilities & Weapons:
- Yuna: High-power armored gauntlets.
- Mimori Togo: Four floating tactical rifles and a massive sniper cannon.
Key Characters:
- Yuna Yuki: An optimistic girl whose Hero form is built for close-quarters brawling.
- Mimori Togo: A disabled girl who uncovers a dark truth.
Significance:
Noted for its body horror and its bleak take on the physical cost of being a hero in a militarized religious society.
16. Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online
Light Novel, Anime | Year: 2014
Karen Kohiruimaki is a tall girl with a height complex who finds escape in the VR game Gun Gale Online, where she plays as LLENN, a tiny, pink-clad avatar. The story follows her participation in the Squad Jam, a team-based battle royale. The setting is a digital wasteland where players use realistic military tactics (camouflage, flanking, sniping) to survive. Her primary rival is the psychopathic player Pitohui.
Abilities & Weapons: Realistic firearm ballistics within the game.
- LLENN: Uses P-chan, a pink-painted FN P90.
- Fukaziroh: A dual-wielding specialist with MGL-140 grenade launchers.
Key Characters:
- LLENN: Known as the Pink Devil for her insane speed and ambush tactics.
- Pitohui: A woman obsessed with the death aspect of SAO who treats the game as a real battlefield.
Significance:
Has more grounded military realism and tactical depth compared to the main SAO series. It's all shooting and no one dies as it is a VR MMOG.
17. Girly Air Force
Light Novel, Anime | Year: 2014
In 2014, mysterious flying objects called Zai appear, outclassing all human air forces. Humanity creates Daughters—sentient fighter jets—and Anima, girls who act as their pilots and control systems. The story follows Kei Narutani, a civilian who becomes the pilot/navigator for Gripen, an unstable Anima. They operate from a military airbase, fighting for the survival of the human race.
Abilities & Weapons: The girls are the fighter jets (JAS 39 Gripen, F-15J Eagle, F-2A Viper Zero). They use EPC (electronic psychological combat) to fight the Zai.
Key Characters:
- Gripen: A socially awkward Anima who can only fly stably when Kei is present.
- Kei Narutani: A boy with an intuitive understanding of flight who helps humanize the Animas.
Significance:
Somewhat similar to Strike Witches but focused on modern jet fighters and the technical man-machine interface / relationship between a pilot and their sentient craft.
18. Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka
Manga, Anime | Year: 2015
Three years ago, humanity survived an invasion by the Disas after winning a brutal interdimensional war thanks to the Magical Five. Former leader, Asuka Otori tries to lead a normal school life while suffering from PTSD. However, a new wave of magical terrorism forces her to join M-Squad, a specialized unit within the JGSDF. The setting is a hard-edged take on the genre, where magical girls are elite special forces soldiers who use magic alongside modern military tactics, torture, and close quarters combat.
Abilities & Weapons: Combat is grounded in Special Ops tactics.
- Asuka: Uses a Karambit knife and high-density magical shields.
- Kurumi: A magical medic who uses surgery and clinical torture as weapons.
Key Characters:
- Asuka Otori: A war-weary veteran who views magic as a curse of violence.
- Mia Cyrus: An American magical girl serving in JSOC (Joint Special Operations Command).
Significance:
The most gritty military take on magical girls, focusing on the Geneva Convention, international law, and the trauma of child soldiers. Unnecessarily violent and there is use of torture.
19. Girls' Frontline
Game, Manga, Anime | Year: 2016 (Game), 2022 (Anime)
Set in a war-torn future (2062) where much of the world is contaminated by Collapse Fluid, the series follows T-Dolls—female androids representing personified firearms. The private military company Griffin & Kryuger is hired to contain the rogue AI forces of Sangvis Ferri. The setting is a bleak, post-apocalyptic military base where T-Dolls face existential questions about their status as replaceable tools.
Abilities & Weapons: T-Dolls are synchronized with a specific firearm and utilize Zener Network data to coordinate squad tactics.
- M4A1: Leader of the Anti-Rain (AR) team; uses a customized Colt M4A1.
- ST AR-15: A highly independent and tactical rifleman.
Key Characters:
- The Commander: The player/POV character who manages the T-Dolls' lives and strategies.
- M4A1: A sensitive, evolving AI who carries a burden of secret data essential to the plot.
Significance & Controversy:
Renowned for its incredibly dark, complex lore and the dehumanization of AI. The sequel (Girls' Frontline 2) faced massive controversy in China over narrative shifts that fans perceived as betraying the relationship between the Commander and the T-Dolls.
20. Toji No Miko (Katana Maidens)
Anime, Manga | Year: 2017
Toji are shrine maidens who are also part of a specialized paramilitary police force. They attend five elite schools where they are trained to use Okatana (magical swords) to fight Aradama (monsters). The story follows Kanami Etou, a student who uncovers a deep-seated conspiracy within the high-ranking Origami family that controls the Toji administration.
Abilities & Weapons: Combat utilizes real Kenjutsu stances and swords.
- Utsushi: A supernatural shield that absorbs physical damage.
- Okatana: Real-life historical swords (e.g., Chidori, Onimaru Kunitsuna).
Key Characters:
- Kanami Etou: A sword-fighting prodigy who sees combat as a way to talk to others.
- Hiyori Juujuu: A serious Toji with a grudge against the administration's corruption.
Significance: Known for its technical accuracy in Japanese swordsmanship and its blend of traditional Shinto ritual with modern police hierarchy.
21. The Magnificent Kotobuki
Anime | Year: 2019
In a desert world where air travel is the only way to survive, the Kotobuki Corps are mercenary female pilots hired to protect airships from pirates. They live on a massive flying mother-ship called the Hagoromo. The setting is a Diesel-punk Western where dogfighting is a way of life.
Abilities & Weapons: Purely skill-based aerial combat. They pilot historically accurate Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa (Oscar) fighters. There is no magic; success depends on energy management and G-tolerance.
Key Characters:
- Kirie: An impulsive but genius pilot with incredible spatial awareness.
- Reona: The strict, experienced commander of the corps.
Significance:
Noted for its legendary sound design (using real recordings of historical engines) and its commitment to realistic flight physics. There is a portal fantasy element to this show.
22. Assault Lily: Bouquet
Mixed Media, Anime | Year: 2020
Earth is threatened by monsters called Huge. Humanity develops CHARM (Counter Huge Arms)—transformable magical-science weapons. Lilies are teenage girls who can sync with CHARMs, and they are trained in Gardens (military academies). The series follows Riri Hitotsuyanagi at Yurigaoka Academy as she navigates the Schutzengel (Guardian Angel) mentorship system while fighting the Huge.
Abilities & Weapons:
- CHARM: A weapon that shifts between Blade Mode and Shooting Mode.
- Rare Skills: Supernatural abilities like Charisma (mass buffing) or Phantasm (cloning).
Key Characters:
- Riri Hitotsuyanagi: A rookie Lily with a rare talent for leadership and social bonding.
- Yuyu Shirai: A veteran student traumatized by the Lunatic Trance ability that caused her to hurt her allies.
Significance:
A high-budget collaboration between Studio SHAFT and Azone International, noted for its complex weapon engineering and focus on the tactical bond between partners.
23. Lycoris Recoil
Anime, Manga | Year: 2022
Japan is the safest country in the world, thanks to Direct Attack (DA), a secret government organization that uses Lycoris—orphaned teenage girls raised as assassins—to eliminate criminals before they can commit crimes. The public is kept ignorant through mass media cover-ups. The story follows Chisato, an elite Lycoris who refuses to kill, and Takina, a disciplined Lycoris transferred to a Cafe LycoReco branch after an act of insubordination. They must stop a rogue terrorist named Majima.
Abilities & Weapons:
- Chisato: Possesses superhuman sight, allowing her to predict and dodge bullets. She uses Non-lethal rubber bullets in a custom handgun.
- Takina: A master sniper/marksman who uses a Smith & Wesson M&P.
Key Characters:
- Chisato Nishikigi: A happy-go-lucky girl who is secretly the agency's greatest weapon.
- Takina Inoue: A cold, efficiency-minded girl who slowly learns the value of a non-military lifestyle.
- Mika: The manager of Cafe LycoReco and a former DA instructor.
Significance:
A massive 2022 hit praised for its high-quality Gun-Fu animation and the unwilling partners chemistry between the leads. Quite different and very upbeat as compared to Gunslinger Girl despite the theme. A recent favourite of mine. A visual in the opening credits featuring the characters with Spider Lily flowers in their mouths had to be changed in the TV broadcast because the flowers are highly poisonous and the studio feared viewers might imitate it.
Conclusion
While this overview ends in 2022, it doesn't include all series and many more shows / manga have emerged since. This does provide an overview of the magical girls and military/tactical girls with guns development over more than twenty years. I've enjoyed watching many of these and hope there are more good ones in the future.
There are also other shows worthy of attention that were not covered such as:
- High School Fleet
- Izetta the Last Witch
- My Zhime
- Only My Railgun (technically ESPERS, but close enough)
- Sakura Taisen (Sakura Wars)
- Tactical Roar
- Valkyria Chronicles
- Vividred Operation
In addition, there are other new shows since 2022 like Spy Classroom, Gushing over Magical Girls, Girl's Frontline 2, and new Girls und Panzer and Madoka Magica movies coming in 2026.
Significant Japanese High Fantasy Novels With English Translations
Urban Fantasy Novels, Anime, Games Set In Japan
Cats and Coffee and Books Means It's Japanese Cozy Fiction or Fantasy
Magical Girls and Tactical Military Anime and Manga Development
A End Note About Kumotawa Confluence
Thanks for reading to the end and seeing this blurb about my contemporary fantasy novel set in Japan. It contains a fusion of Japanese folklore, relentless action, and characters both ordinary and heroic. Kumotawa Confluence plunges you into a world where ancient myth collides with the modern world. Yuriko, a veteran ex–special forces operator turned small-town convenience store manager, investigates eerie disappearances on Mount Kumotawa. After meeting a mysterious cat, she uncovers a hidden realm of yokai and escalating danger.
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Author's Note
I've used my experience from publishing a guidebook on Tokyo and my blogging to craft a story that is an action-oriented, urban fantasy, but it has slice of life elements, friendship, along with gripping adventure and battle. Readers who like the X-Files, light novels like Otherside Picnic and In/Spectre, anime like Katana Maidens and Lycoris Recoil, and gripping military action like Blackhawk Down and 13 Hours will enjoy this book. It is an unusual take on urban fantasy with an older heroine who manages a convenience store, Japanese mythology come to life, an awesome and mysterious grey cat, a sword princess who wields a mystical sword, and there's even fresh coffee in the store. Now available on Amazon as an ebook or paperback.
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