I Heart the 90s: Shoujo Edition
The 90s was the golden age of magical girl anime. Shows like Sailor Moon became the gateway drug to a world of magic and heroines. Today, anime is criticized for not having enough strong female leads leaving very little choice for strong females to represent in cosplay. Though with some new series such as “Madoka” bringing back the shoujo genre to the forefront, the definition of shoujo and tropes is scrutinized under a microscope. Are long transformation sequences necessary? Can a show aimed at little girls can go into very dark places? How can a young underachiever have the ability to self sacrifice themselves for the greater good? And where can I get all the merchandise?
This panel takes a look at some of the best magical girl anime in the 90s covering all different types from what we knew and loved from our early days of fandom and also some of the darker magical girl shows that touched up on magical girl tropes before “Madoka” ever did.
Convention Appearances: Anime Boston 2013
Presentation Requirements: Projector, Sound, Laptop Connectors
Estimated Audience: Medium to Large
