Life Lessons from Magical Girls

If you've ever been on the Internet around someone in their early to mid-twenties, chances are you've heard the term "adulting" tossed around. The word is used to describe any task in an adult's life that is difficult, undesirable, or otherwise noteworthy to anyone who is newly an adult: "I had to do some serious adulting today: I called the bank, made a doctor's appointment, and gave a presentation at work." Typically, when someone talks about "adulting", it's with a sense of abhorrence or dismay. "Adulting sucks. I'd rather curl up in a blanket, eat a bowl of cereal, and watch some anime." Who hasn't been there, right?

I've been watching magical girls, or mahou shoujo anime, for nearly twelve years now. If you're at all familiar with Sailor Moon, Cardcaptor Sakura, or other similar shows, you're familiar with the genre. A young girl, usually in her late childhood or early teens, is granted a magical power by some holy fate and is then tasked with striking a balance between saving the world and keeping her grades up. The genre lends itself to being formulaic, and the "monster of the week" trope can often overtake entire blocks of episodes. It's not strictly a genre for children (if you've seen Puella Magi Madoka Magica, for example, you already knew this), but a large percentage of magical girls are aimed at the little ones.

So what could an adult possibly stand to learn from a fantasy anime marketed mostly for children? Considering how easy it is to lose sight of what's really important in life with every little task adulthood sets in front of us, the answer might be more than we think.

Meet new friends.

School environments are an easy way to introduce yourself to large groups of peers, be it formally through a spoken self-introduction or unintentionally through your actions and behaviors. Most of us made more friends in elementary school than we ever have at our grown-up jobs. Once we age out of school, those opportunities start to dwindle. We can be left feeling alone and out of touch. Besides, once a person has grown up, isn't it too late to start making new friends? What good would it do anyone to try and socialize when adults are already so set in their ways?

Part of the joy I find in watching mahou shoujo is seeing relationships form between partners in crime-fighting. My favorite shows start out with an insecure young girl undertaking the daunting task of moving to a new school, or even a new country, and starting out alone, as is the case with Tsubomi Hanasaki from HeartCatch PreCure. Tsubomi is a very relatable character, nervous in crowds, shy in front of others, and afraid that it's too late for her to really change, even at a new school with all new peers surrounding her. A lot of people who are drifting through adulthood and missing that social connection have that same fear: what if it's too late? What if I never reach out, and nothing ever changes?

Over the course of the show, Tsubomi meets Erika Kurumi, a brash, forceful girl who at first scares Tsubomi more than interests her. And as their friendship starts to blossom, as they both become PreCure and fight against evil as partners, the change that Tsubomi had dreamed of finally starts to happen, and she finally starts to come into her own, both as a student and as the legendary PreCure. Her character development is a pretty clear metaphor for growing up, and it culminates in a change at the end of the series: her parents have another child, and Tsubomi learns that she has to take on the responsibilities of an older sister, a role she is all too eager to fill. The series closes out on a shot of her little sister, now about six or seven, holding a photograph of Tsubomi and her newfound friends, smiling wider than she ever had before.

As adults, we have a responsibility to younger generations, and just like every magical girl to have fought on a team, we don't ever have to do it alone. Taking the extra initiative to go out after work, to find a social activity you enjoy, or even just to spend time out and about in groups of people can become the foundation of a future lifelong friendship with someone you haven't even met at this point in your life. It might feel like a risky venture, but the more of us there are together, the less there is to fear from whatever life might throw at us.

Be your own person.

Ask anyone who's ever watched the same anime as you have, and you can guarantee they won't share your same list of favorite characters. Some people like the spunky tomboys, while others prefer the elegant ojou-sama types. Some people like their main characters confident and kick-ass, others like to see clumsy and emotional characters at the forefront of the action. People tend to prefer characters that reflect some aspect of themselves, which is why there are as many character archetypes in fiction as there are fish in the sea.

People don't tend to realize that the same traits people look for in their favorite TV show characters are traits they also look for in friends or partners in real life. Sometimes it's simply impractical (if all your favorite characters tend to be mech pilots, you're out of luck), but more often than not people gravitate towards others who have the same sort of personality as their favorites in fiction.

Take a moment sometime and ask a friend of yours who their favorite Sailor Moon character is. Go on. Try it. Personally, my favorite is Neptune, and my best friend's favorite is Jupiter. She and I are very similar, but we don't have exactly the same tastes, and it shows. Everyone has a different favorite, and not a single character is unloved by the fans. The same goes for us as people: if we're not afraid to be ourselves, we'll find the people who love who we are.

Part of what made Sailor Moon such a hit was author Naoko Takeuchi's relatable approach to characterization. Usagi Tsukino (or Selena if you grew up watching in the US) is, in a way, more "real" than any magical girl protagonist before her: she's excessively emotional, she cries at the slightest provocation, she's always eating, and she struggles with schoolwork. Some of the traits that make her annoying to some people endear her to others. Above all, Usagi is unapologetic: she is who she is, and she's not about to conform to someone else's standards. That strength to stand by her principles is what makes her such a strong warrior when she transforms into Sailor Moon, and it's also what draws others to her and makes her predisposed as a natural leader.

It's important to remember that no one loves themselves all the time. We are all prone to our low moments, be it a rough day at work, an argument with family, or just a low couple of days that leave us predisposed to self-criticism and judgment. At these low points, it helps to remind ourselves that someone out there is enraptured with the very thing we so despise about ourselves. Like Ami Mizuno, someone loves your intelligence and the way you talk about what you love, even if you think it's embarrassing. Like Rei Hino, someone admires your dedication and skill with subjects you might think would drive others away. Like Makoto Kino, someone loves your figure and the way you carry yourself, even if you think it stands out too much. Like Minako Aino, someone loves you not just despite the things that happened in your past that make you look down on yourself, but because of them.

It might seem trite to say, but just be yourself. The less time you spend focused on the perfect self-image, the more time you can dedicate to pursuing what makes you happiest.

Fight for something.

"If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." No one is quite sure who said it first (seriously, jump down that Google rabbit hole sometime), but the old saying holds some serious truth. To get anything done in life, from folding laundry to getting up for work, our minds need to find the motivation. It's so much easier to find the strength to do things we don't want to do when it's for the good of something we care about.

Here's a fun fact for you: my sister is in college, majoring in environmental science and policy. When we were little, she and I would spend our days after school watching Tokyo Mew Mew together, enraptured by their adventures. The premise of the show is a little cliche, if not still relevant in today's political climate: the world is under attack from aliens who are seeking to bring down human civilization. Humanity's crime? The pollution of the air, the deforestation of the land, and the littering of the oceans. Five girls, imbued with the DNA of endangered animals, stand between these aliens and the world they know. Now, I'm not saying that the bravery of Ichigo Momomiya and her team of Mew Mews directly inspired my sister to study the preservation of our Earth, but I'm not all-out discounting that theory either.

My point is this: Live every day like you have something to save. If you're finding it hard to work up the will to walk that giant bin of recycling out to the even bigger bin three blocks down the road, think of how much plastic waste you're keeping out of the oceans by doing so. If the thought of paying your bills fills you with dread, think of it instead as preserving your way of life (or, you know, your air conditioning,) and act on that. Struggling to find the motivation to work that food-based job? Imagine how happy a child out there will be to receive dinner from you tonight.

Sometimes it's easier for us to do things for others than it is to do the same things for ourselves. How many magical girls do you think would continue to fight and put themselves in harm's way every day if there was no one to protect by doing so? You're not a bad person for not wanting to do the right thing all the time. Sometimes we just need a little push.

Now go out there today, all you "adulting" people, and do your magical best!