Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
Canis_xo
Way better than Sailor Moon! Great action scenes, cute comedy, and adorable character design make this mecha/magical girl anime a classic and a great entry point into the magical girl genre in general.
The isekai is handled really well, with the two worlds actually affecting each other rather than just being an excuse for bad writing. It also references contemporary (90s) JRPGs through its soundtrack and aestethics, but not in a super heavy handed way where the protagonists are "leveling up" or going on "quests" like modern isekai.
For the story, you get a full 20 episodes to develop side characters and subplots, contributing to great pacing that never feels rushed. If there's one thing I'd criticize the writing for though, its how formulaic it is, outside of the ending which has some tw…
Read at the sourcek-0da
Magic Knight Rayearth is a fun magical girl romp and most assuredly crack cocaine for any girl under the age of 13--but it leaves a bit to be desired.
The animation is beautiful, with CLAMP's iconic character design shining proudly. Rayearth is incredible at showing the beauty of animation, even in small scenes like environment details or impact frames. The team clearly had some great direction, as everything *moves,* especially in the action scenes. It's a far cry from what shoujo fans get today in terms of animation quality. The soundtrack is serviceable, with some of the tracks having english editions via the dub, if that's you're cup of tea.
The main trio, Hikari, Umi, and Fuu, are serviceable as protagonists. They're charming, have distinct personalities, and serve as great role m…
Read at the sourceCaeruleus_CCXVI
4.5/10 ~ Probably good for your kids, but age sure does show
When this first was launched I imagine it blew people away jamming Shonen type action into a Shojo off the back of Sailor moon just getting launched. and why dont we just jam giant robots into it too. I remember watching bits and pieces of this when I was a child, which was atleast 5-6 years after this was originally released and thinking that this show was pretty neat. However I am not a small child anymore and this is no longer one of the only Isekai on the market. Most people that hold this one in high regards probably are just wearing some nice rose tinted nostalgia glasses
Dont get me wrong when I have a child this will probably be on the list of anime I show them as it does get some aspects its trying to portray pretty we…
Read at the sourceDompa112
This is as 7/10 as they come for me. Enjoyable show that never really goes above and beyond that. Or below for that matter. Its very safe and standard as they come. Very typical both CLAMP aswell as mahou shoujo stuff.
The old isekai magical girl show. Unlike the higher rated in my book escaflowne and Inuyasha for example Rayearth lacks in story and lore. Its very by the book stuff. Not bad but not something that gets you hooked. Its good enough though for enjoyment.
Its also very by the book Clamp stuff. Lacking a bit in comparison to X and Tsubasa which had more story going on but has the usual Clamp charm with its likeable cast of characters. Good music. Fantasy setting. And ofcourse their art style which i always enjoy. Deserves a special mentioning of its great OP also.
So easy…
Read at the sourcecurvedtree
In a 20-episodes season, I wasn't expecting 6 filler episodes, especially episode 9. All of the filler episodes can be skipped (7, 8, 9, 11, 14, 17) and you won't miss anything, even because some of them don't make sense like how two antagonists interact on episode 9 and on episode 10 they seem to be interacting for the first with each other.
This series is also a bit weird because it feels too short by the amount of upgrades the Magic Knights get, but since most antagonists are boring and the fights are shallow if the show was longer it would have been a drag.
Funny thing is that I watched a couple of episodes in the 90's (I have a vivid memory of that waterfall Zagato's minions hide), but I was never interested in this show, even now as I was watching it, I took a long time to watch on…
Read at the sourceZaikoHaitsugi
This season alone would be enough to put the anime into my top 10 favorite of all time.
It's a story thoroughly crafted, with a bittersweet lesson about the hardships and injustices of one's life within the world. The soundtrack is simply wondrous, helping the voice actors' perfomance with a solid boost, especially during dramatic scenes.
Characters are well developed, with the three main characters having well established arcs concluded into the story seamlessly. The villains also adds to the plot's purpose. Although the last few episodes can feel quite rushed, they still manage to deliver the intended narrative by all metrics.
The visuals, though old by today's standards, compensate for its age with elegant uniqueness. Machinations of the representation for the characters have quite…
Read at the sourcePhobossus
This show has a special place in my heart as it's the first anime I've seen in TV at around the age of 6. I have rewatched it once or twice as a teenagaer - and now again, as an adult.
Do I still love it, would I recommend it? Yes, with a 'but'.
I believe the strong part of Magic Knight Rayearth takes time to reach. The early episodes (or, perhaps, the majority of S1) may be difficult for newcomers to consider captivating enough to continue watching. Season 1 is an adventure story that defines its goal outright, progresses a bit in every episode, has its share of seriousness and comedy, but only becomes special and begins to stand out - in my opinion - towards the end, from episode 16 on. In these last 5 episodes, as we're heading for the season finale, the atmosphere becomes darker, dr…
Read at the sourceHyouron
Ahhh, Magic Knight Rayearth. Reeking of nostalgia, when magical school girls were all the rage and believing in the self and one’s will, against all logic, was all a heroine needed (never mind the will of the antagonist). Way back, even prior to the establishment of stereotypical characters. Have to give it some credit for being those foundational series before the importance of character growth and narrative became as established as it is today. It’s also so difficult to be harsh on the loopholes, flatness of characters, and inconsistent storylines when it was a children’s show. Though it was there when anime had just started to boom, it had some good plot twists given the monotony.
Read at the sourceArboria
Action. Adventure. Girls. Mecha. That should be enough for some of you, go watch it. For the others, well, I could shill this series all day. I'll talk a bit about both MKR I and II, because yeah the whole thing is cool, really cool. Possibly my favorite work of fiction.
Magic Knight Rayearth looks cool. Everything about it, the aesthetic. The armor, the weapons, the robots, the setting, it all looks awesome. Big jewels set into bronze trim everywhere. Weapons and armor that get more powerful and transform as you use them, some hardcore RPG stuff. Red, green, and blue. Fire, wind, and water. Classic stuff, great stuff, tried and true color-coded magical girls just work. The aesthetic of the series alone is enough to make it worth watching, but it's got plenty more backing it up. I don't w…
Read at the sourceGrayRealm
This is a surprisingly well done older anime. Three girls are thrown into another world and are tasked to save it.They overcome a trial after trial, each testing their resolve, their friendship. And in the end...
The anime is quite simple in its structure, but it is done with love, and as a result it is interesting to watch. Relatively simple premise works well, fights are interesting, and story is interesting as well, every character is well designed, and the music is magnificent. So in the end you get something that resembles a lot an interesting fairy tale rather than your typical isekai anime.
Detailed breakdown below:
Story: 7/10.
THe premise is very simple, however actual journey from start to the end is handled very well. Characters develop and get stronger, they experience many…
Read at the sourcevirtualbub
Magic Knight Rayearth is something I feel like I have a special connection with, not because I saw it at a young age, but because it was the anime I always wanted but was always just out of reach. I was first exposed to it by way of the Sega Saturn game ads, which showed off classic CLAMP art that I did, and still do, consider among the best styling you'll see of its kind. I wanted to watch the anime, but it wasn't readily available at the time, and I never thought to check out the manga (which Tokyopop had recently put out), because I was never big into comics and the like.
Years later I was able to watch the series in its full glory, and it was everything my 11 year old self could have hoped for: an SNES-era RPG in anime form, executed pretty flawlessly. The CLAMP style is animated bett…
Read at the sourceIndexXx
What makes a "Fantasy" anime so good? When someone says fantasy, the very first word that comes to my mind is "saving the world". Magic Knight Rayearth is one of those anime who stood up in this kind of platform. Yes, very common and very predictable. The anime aired in 1994, a lot of anime produced this time are fantasies. As a kid, I grew up watching a lot of old school anime and most of them are actually about a group of people saving the humanity, incredible powers and needless to say a very bad animation style..
[b]The Story -[/b]
The story itself is very common, nothing new about saving the universe, the world or other countries.. I've seen this anime before when I was a kid but I didn't have the chance to finish it actually until yesterday. The story is predictable except for the e…
Read at the sourcektulu007
Welcome back to magical girl month. Let's talk about Clamp again. Yes, the same studio behind xxxHolic and Cardcaptor Sakura. Now, I've already talked about their most famous magical girl series and, although I could look at one of its films, this month let's look at the other major one, Magic Knight Rayearth. One of the odd things about Clamp is that their anime adaptations all seem to be handled by different studios. Cardcaptor Sakura was a Madhouse production, Production IG did xxxHolic and this series was handled by TMS, a studio that's done a lot of famous stuff like Lupin, Detective Conan, Sonic X & Monster Rancher. None of which I've reviewed. So, let's take a look and see how they handle Clamp's work.
Story:
Our narrative opens at Tokyo Tower where three different schools have al…
Read at the sourceChelsea5465
Magic Knight rayearth is a very unique anime. Unlike Sailor Moon which also has the same artstyle it also involves mecha in it which I was not excepting since the main characters in this series are girls. Magic Rayearth is another series by Clamp I noticed that when Makona appeared in the 1st episode. Now I think everyone should give this series a try it's got romance ,adventure,comedy, and hardships you know like your friend gets captured and you have to save them it's a awesome anime I say it's on my top ten anime list right now.
Read at the sourcermmr111
Want to watch some old school maho shojo? Well go for it, with Magic Knight Rayearth, but be warned, don't expect pre-teen romance, glittery accessories and lacy uniforms you won't get it here.
Story: 9
I – as many of my anime loving friends- am a big Clamp fan.
Love the way they can tell a story and how they seem to make original things while doing it. This was no exception.
You get really hooked in the story itself, as it slowly unveils through their journey, even though the main plot may be a bit cliché at first – Endangered princess in a parallel world needs rescuing from evil wizard, and only the chosen ones can do it properly yada yada yada – it all comes out to a surprising twist in the end.
This was the first the first Maho Shojo I’d EVER watched where the girls actually…. Fought…
Read at the sourceangelsreview
So, what happens when you cross Fushigi Yugi, Sailor Moon, and a Dungeons and Dragons vibe with way too many comedic jokes? Well, I guess this shows it. The characters are pretty much generic, the story is pretty generic and to top it all off, the main characters seem rather stupid, including Fuu who is supposed to be smart. In fact, the only real character that actually had the right thought in the head during the first episode was Umi who kept trying to get back home. Of course, she slowly gets into the swing of the other characters after the first one.
I’m not going to lie; the characters are dip-shits. They are completely stupid most of the time without any real reason to be stupid. It did surprise me though just how smart Hikaru was once in a while, only to have it crashing down mome…
Read at the sourcedavensjournal
Let's start off with something obvious, and which is even mentioned in the story itself; this is a video game.
You travel through the landscape, you collect "plot coupons", you level up, you get more stuff, you meet challenges, make allies, oppose the bad guys, and eventually you have enough plot coupons to send off for your ending. That's the entirety of the 20 episodes of the first season.
Even though you now know this, it still really does keep you guessing till the last episode.
Granted the plot twists are NOT shocking, they are NOT the huge surprises, but they are enjoyable and they do advance the story sufficiently that even though you won't be sitting on the edge of your seat, you will be anxious to see what's next.
Surprisingly the characters, while simple concepts, are not ju…
Read at the sourcenightcrawlercyp
I liked the show until the 15 episode when I started realising what the fight was actually was about. It first remainded me of Sailor Moon. It was very cute and nice. But the end was a bit annoying. What I thought was : "If the people of Cephiro cannot pray for it's peace and safety then Cephiro deserves to be destroyed. Putting all this on one person's shoulders is too much!". I did not like the ending and did not buy all that will be reunited in death stuff. Also in my opinion the villans are the Rune-Gods, Clef and Mokona. They all lied and deceived the girls for the benefit of a world that deserves to be destroyed. I hate liars and those that lie cannot call themselves good no matter of their motives.
Read at the sourcefitzytail89
Magic Knights Rayearth is one of my all time favorite anime from the 90's as well as my first anime. The story is about 3 ordinary but unique girls: Hikari ( the red-headed tomboy), Umi ( the classy upper-rich Lass) and finally Fuu ( the smart and kind gal) who are mysteriously summoned to a Magical Land of Cephiro by It's Pillar ( basically it's Leader) Princess Emeraude to save the Land. The Girls are greeted by Master Clef ( the princess' right hand, Looks like a child but is actually older than the girls) and explains to them that they must save The Pillar from Zagato ( the main villain), to do that they must find the Rune Gods to battle him and his Henchmen. Though reluctant at first (well except Hikaru) the girls eventually makes up their minds and do their job in order to get back h…
Read at the sourceLiLSatania
i never thought i will write a review of an anime~ well i guess ill try~ I just finished re-watching this anime~ I miss this anime... last time ive seen it was 1996 or 97... and become one of my all time favorite... cant believe that this is a Shoujo type of anime XD~
Story: 7
Its a story about a 3 random girls that been summoned from earth by a princess from a different planet and the only way home is to save their planet Cephiro but there's more to it than that... The story was made so that children and children at heart can easily understand it. All about the power of friendship, not giving up no matter what and the power to believe. Its like a typical RPG game.
Art: 9
This is the part what i like most about MKR. Character design made by CLAMP is always beautiful, specially the unifo…
Read at the source
