Ultra Maniac
Synopsis
Fantasies and miracles never interested Ayu Tateishi, a popular second-year student at her middle school. She was content with preserving her image of being cool, calm, and collected—all to catch the eye of her crush, Tetsushi Kaji. Ayu's carefree youthful days are interrupted by the appearance of Nina Sakura, a new transfer student who turns out to be a witch. As the only person who knows about Nina's ability to cast spells using a mini-computer, Ayu is forced to help Nina with her mission to find the five Holy Stones, qualifying her to marry the prince of the Magic Kingdom. Unfortunately, Nina's ineptitude with magic and her habit of meddling in Ayu's personal life cause nothing but trouble for the two of them as Ayu toils to maintain her good reputation and Nina struggles to hide her secret from the discerning eye of Hiroki Tsujiai, Tetsushi's best friend and an avid fan of manga. And when Nina's search for the five Holy Stones brings allies and challengers from the Magic Kingdom, Ayu is dragged into a world she never even dreamed was possible. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Audience Consensus
Audience opinions are mixed. Some viewers found the show enjoyable due to its comedic and romantic elements, as well as its unique twist on the magical girl genre. However, others criticized the show for its unoriginal story, predictable plot, and lack of character development, resulting in a polarized viewing experience.
Strengths
- Lovely ending with unexpected twists.
- Characters grow and have their own problems, making them credible.
- Unique presentation compared to other magical girl race series.
- Involves fantasy, drama and romance which really pulls you into the story
- The middle schoolers actually look to be the age of middle schoolers
- Characters learn that it is better to be themselves rather then something they are not
Weaknesses
- Unoriginal premise with overused cliches and tropes.
- Predictable episodes with convoluted world-building.
- Stiff character animation and cheap effects animation.
- One-note personalities with little character development.
- Typical magical girl type music that doesn't evolve.
- Romance kind of comes later on