What if it’s your first time watching a magical girl in action, but your classmates are so blasé about her? How do you evangelize the awesomeness that only you see? These questions confront Chizuko Date in Acro Trip, the new mahou shoujo comedy anime this fall. The comparisons between Acro Trip and Gushing Over Magical Girls are easy to make. Should you watch the fluffier PG version? Read below for answers!
Join the Bad Guys to Hype the Good Girl!
The first similarities between Acro Trip and Gushing Over Magical Girls come from the lead characters. Chizuko became an instant fan of Berry Blossom, the rural town’s magical girl, after watching her fight Chroma and his Kuma Kaijin. Acro Trip is a comedy that riffs on the conventions and formulas for other mahou shoujo stories. Plus, it makes the same subversive twists: The villain recruits Chizuko to train them to become more effective foils so Berry Blossom can shine before a broader audience. Utena had selfish reasons to watch magical girls in action, but Chizuko wanted to evangelize her new favorite person.
Acro Trip is a Gag Comedy
The laughs will come from how Chizuko reacts to the gaps between how she expects villains to act and the hilariously disappointing Chroma. His Kuma Kaijin henchmen don’t like him, and he works at a convenience store and uses up his monthly magic budget. The teenager Chizuko thought adults and evil villains would be more impressive. What kind of an evil deed is flipping doormats? And why is her grandfather friends with “Kuroma” and the Foss Magna base underneath his house? Chizuko’s facial reactions sell the comedy for Acro Trip.
Berry Blossom’s minder, the catlike Mashirou, acts like Venalita in Gushing Over Magical Girls. He records the video that plays during news broadcasts. But Mashirou is not as hip to social media as Venalita. Magia Baiser’s antics made Tres Magia go viral through dress-breaking, squealing, and panting. Mashirou’s old-fashioned approach won’t move the needle on Berry Blossom’s Q Score. That’s where Chizuko can help!
Slightly Naughty Adult Humor
Acro Trip might be the fluffier PG version of Gushing Over Magical Girls. However, it features a kink that will become a running joke — masochism. Chroma’s first fight with Berry Blossom flipped his switch, which could explain why he loses so much. Acro Trip won’t supply bondage sessions, as we saw between Utena and Sayo. But Chizuko will react with comedic disgust to Chroma’s naughty wishes. He’s a villain, you know, not a nice guy!
Acro Trip’s Details
- What is Acro Trip (アクロトリップ)? It’s an anime adaptation of a comedy mahou shoujo manga, publishing Feb. 3, 2017, to Dec. 1, 2022. New studio Voil oversees its animation production.
- Who’s in it?
- Chizuko Date — Miku Itou (Miku Nakano from Quintessential Quintuplets) — She’s a junior high school student who likes Berry Blossom, maybe too much.
- Chroma — Nobunaga Shimazaki (Shidou Itsuka from Date A Live) — The leader of an evil organization, Fossa Magna, is Berry Blossom’s enemy.
- Berry Blossom / Kaju Noichigo — Inori Minase (Rem from Re:Zero) — She’s the magical girl protecting Chizuko’s city.
- Where can I watch? Acro Trip streams on Crunchyroll in Japanese audio with multiple language subtitles.
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We must wait for the second season of Gushing Over Magical Girls. But we can watch the Blu-rays and maybe watch Acro Trip. I like the jokes so far. Would the more innocent version scratch your itch? Let us know in the comments below!
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