Magical Girl Friendship Squad
Two millennials gain magical powers to save the universe.
Magical Girl Friendship Squad is an American adult animated magical girl sitcom created by Kelsey Stephanides. The series follows two directionless young women, Alex and Daisy, who receive superpowers to save the universe. It premiered on Syfy's late night programming block TZGZ on September 26, 2020.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Animated comedy; Magical girl
- Creator
- Kelsey Stephanides
- Writer
- Hallie Cantor
- Director
- Erica Perez; K Downs
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Seasons
- 1
- Episodes
- 6
Facts from the source article.
Characters
Alex, voiced by Quinta Brunson, is a millennial black woman who considers becoming a barista before meeting Nut; her magical powers are stored in her birth control. Daisy, voiced by Anna Akana, is Alex's stoner friend and roommate who bonds with Alex over the John Wick franchise and has allegedly slept with all the baristas at the local coffee shop, including Michaela and the No Tattoo Barista. Her ex-girlfriend Yolanda works at an urgent care clinic. Daisy stores her powers in a Tom Selleck bong called "Bong Selleck." Nut, voiced by Ana Gasteyer, is a red panda initially named "Isis" who gives Alex and Daisy the ability to transform into magical girls; it is later revealed that the villainous Verus was Nut's ex-girlfriend. Corvin, voiced by Matteo Lane, is Verus's evil henchman and part of the evil corporation Arregon, located in Brooklyn; he is fired in the fifth episode, and in the sixth episode it is implied he has a crush on Coffee Dude. Verus, voiced by Christine Baranski, is an icy and efficient omni-universal being who runs Arregon and fires Corvin; she is Nut's ex-girlfriend. Coffee Dude, voiced by Manny Jacinto, is an optimist on whom Alex has a crush. Daisy's mother, voiced by Helen Hong, and father, voiced by Eric Bauza, are part of a fundamentalist religious cult. Lulu, voiced by Sarah "Squirm" Sherman, is an old lady and landlord who dislikes late rent and millennials. The Emptier is voiced by Jason Mantzoukas. Gloriana, voiced by Paget Brewster, is a goddess and Nut's sister with whom she has a strained relationship. The CBD Monster, voiced by Vella Lovell, wreaks havoc using CBD and is the first monster defeated by Daisy and Alex; she transforms from the No Tattoo Barista, but her ultimate fate is not known.
Production
Magical Girl Friendship Squad was created by Kelsey Stephanides, who also serves as showrunner. The series is inspired by anime and riffs on the magical girl genre popularized by Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura. It was made between the end of 2019 and August 2020 after being pitched to Syfy, which wanted a polished reboot with longer episodes. In January 2020, TZGZ ordered six 15-minute episodes for the series, while the short-form pilot series Magical Girl Friendship Squad: Origins began airing on Syfy's late-night block. That pilot, also anime-inspired, was written by Diana McCorry and features the same two protagonists. Stephanides stated she was influenced by The Simpsons and Futurama but wanted a show with a mostly female cast, beginning in 2015. She decided to parody the magical girl subgenre using Rick and Morty and Archer as a basis. The themes involve gaining and holding power as a woman today without losing oneself, and the importance of friendship and honesty. Stephanides noted the show is anime-inspired, not anime itself, and hoped to expand the types of new animated stories in adult animation.
Release
Before the series aired, GLAAD highlighted that the voice cast featured openly LGBTQ+ actors Anna Akana and Matteo Lane, with comedian Patti Harrison appearing as a guest star. The show premiered on September 26, 2020, debuting alongside Syfy's other new animated series, Wild Life. A Comic Con panel on July 24, 2020, offered early looks, and an exclusive clip later hit Syfy's YouTube channel on September 16.
Reception
The series received mostly positive critical reception. Complex described it as a cross between Sailor Moon and Broad City, noting its satirical diatribes on internet outrage culture and celebrity. The A.V. Club was more critical, stating the series spins millennial culture with anime-inspired lore and imagery while relying on some tropes; they praised the cast's charm and the faintest promise of adventure, but felt the show functions best when focusing on the core friendship and does not become something special. CBR's reviewer said the series shows plenty of promise, praised its distinct art style that feels like a webcomic come to life despite occasional stiff movement, and argued that the vocal talents of Brunson and Akana complement each other well in a comedic series with mature humor, drug use, and language. Charles Pulliam-Moore of Gizmodo reviewed the series positively, calling it equal parts Broad City and Sailor Moon, presenting Alex and Daisy as an unlikely duo with influences similar to Craig of the Creek or She-Ra and the Princesses of Power; he wrote that the show is adult because the protagonists see their adventures as an escape from everyday stress, not a fated responsibility, and that being an adult is the singularly most soul-draining thing people have to do. Marley Crusch argued the protagonists discover their true power is friendship, and the series makes a tried and true approach feel new and fun with sparkly, colorful visuals; she called it a strong contender for her favorite show of 2020, adding that while it is a product of its time, it will remain a favorite for years to come, though it is very short.
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