Magical Emi, the Magic Star
Magical Emi, the Magic Star is the third Magical Girl series created by Studio Pierrot, airing from 1985 to 1986.
Mai Kazuki is an aspiring magician, but her skills aren't good enough to get her into her grandparents' Magic Carat troupe. Then one day, she is visited by a mirror fairy named Topo, who gives her a magic bracelet that can transform Mai into an 18-year-old version of herself. As Magical Emi, Mai uses her magic to help people and participate in her grandparents' shows.
Tropes used in Magical Emi, the Magic Star include:
- Bittersweet Ending: In the end, Mai decides to give up her magic so that she can learn to become a great Stage Magician the hard way.
- Brought Down to Normal: Mai gives up her Magical Girl powers in the end.
- By the Power of Grayskull: "Pulitto! Pararin Ririkaru Parapora Magikaru!"
- Cheerful Child: Misaki
- The Chick: Yukiko
- Circus Brat: Mai
- Family Versus Career: Mai's mother, Yuko, left her career as a talented magician in order to get married and start a family.
- Fat and Skinny: Akira and Susumu
- Girls Love Stuffed Animals: Topo spends most of the series in the form of a stuffed animal.
- Hot Mom: Yuko
- Magic Idol Singer: Although Emi is a Stage Magician rather than an Idol Singer, her story still follows the Magic Idol Singer template. She even dabbles in Idol Singer territory by combining her magic shows with musical accompaniment.
- Magicians Are Wizards: The whole plot revolves around this. Mai's whole family are Stage Magicians and she wants to become one too, but she's not talented enough, so she turns to real magic in order to succeed with her stage magic.
- Mentor Mascot: Topo
- Nerd Glasses: Susumi and Musashi
- Non-Human Sidekick: Topo is doubly so, since he's a mirror fairy inhabiting the body of a purple flying squirrel plushie.
- Older Alter Ego
- Power Trio: Akira, Susumi, and Yukiko of the Magic Carat troupe.
- Precocious Crush: Mai has a crush on 17-year-old Sho Yuki.
- Stage Magician
- To Be a Master: Mai's dream is to become a great magician.
- Transformation Sequence
- Transformation Trinket: The bracelet.
- The Unfavorite: A mild case, but Mai's little brother Misaki is much more gifted at magic than she is.
- Victory Is Boring: More like Phlebotinum-Aided Victory Is Boring — When Mai wins a magic contest as Magical Emi, the victory feels empty and unfulfilling because she only won thanks to her Magical Girl powers, which feels like a cheat. This leads to her decision to relinquish her powers.
- Wizarding School: Mai's grandparents run a small school for young magicians.
- You Gotta Have Blue Hair: Magical Emi has teal hair.