Introduction
In the current anime, manga, live-action, and games, the magical girl genre is often called "mahou shoujo," which literally means magical girl. However, that was not always the case.
In the old days, "majokko"/ witch-girl was a common term. We vaguely understand that majokko is older than mahou shoujo and that majokko is usually associated with Toei's franchise. *1 However, I couldn't find further information about differences between majokko and mahou shoujo on the Internet. When and how did people start to differentiate mahou shoujo from majokko?
There are some fan theories about the history of the genre names, but they don't cite enough evidence. In this analysis, I check some sources and reconsider the history of "mahou shoujo" as a genre name.
The Beginning: Mahou Shoujo Lalabel
In discussions about "mahou shoujo," it is often said that Toei's anime series "Mahou Shoujo Lalabel" is the originator of the term. *2
However, it doesn't necessarily mean that Lalabel set the standard.
Mahou Shoujo Lalabel is Toei Animation's 6th majokko anime released in 1980. *3 It is a story of a witch girl called Lalabel. Since Majokko Megu-chan was released in 1974, the magical girl genre had been already known as "majokko." That is why some people say Lalabel is the first "mahou shoujo." However, that explanation has some questionable parts:
Animage 1980 March issue introduced Lalabel.
That issue calls the genre "majo mono" or "majokko mono"/ witch stuff. Producer Yasuo Yamaguchi from Toei says the same thing. Even though the title includes "mahou shoujo," it was not a genre name in those days.
In the show, Lalabel is usually called "mahoutsukai"/ magician or "mahou-kai no onnnanoko"/ a girl from the magical world. Her category is not called "mahou shoujo" in the universe.
Neither the protagonist nor the genre was called "mahou shoujo." Then, why did the title include that term? That question reminds us of another Toei anime called Miracle Shoujo Limit-chan.
Limit-chan is Toei's anime series released in 1973. Toei doesn't officially list it as a Majokko Series, but it shares a common style with other majokko anime. Both Lalabel and Limit-chan have "sth-shoujo" in their titles. Lalabel's "mahou shoujo" was probably just a variation of such a title trope. "Sth-shoujo" titles can be sometimes seen in fiction for girls.
However, it doesn't mean that "mahou shoujo" was never regarded as a genre in any media. For example, Senden Kaigi magazine 1981 October issue says "mahou shoujo mono"/ mahou shoujo stuff.
I suppose Lalabel's title influenced the writer of this article. I couldn't find any other example of "mahou shoujo" around 1980.
Animage 1980 May issue includes an article about Majokko Megu-chan, but it doesn't say "mahou shoujo."
And thus, I think "mahou shoujo" as a genre name was very rare in 1980.
We need to analyze newer franchises to consider the genre name.
Case 1: Minky Momo
In 1982, two years after Lalabel, Ashi Production started another magical girl anime called Minky Momo. It is arguably the first non-Toei magical girl anime. The protagonist is a princess of a magical world. She comes to the human world to reconnect the two different worlds. With her magical power, she transforms into various professional ladies.
Just like Lalabel's case, Momo is not called "mahou shoujo" in the show. She is occasionally called princess.
The chief writer Takeshi Shudo says that the staff members were aware of Toei's "majokko" tradition. *4 However, they didn't care about it so much.
"I'm new to girls shows. But if you insist, I'll try it."
I said, pretending calm.
Then, the president of Ashi Production said,
"You don't need to care about Toei's works. You can make it as you want."
"Toei's works?"
What the hell is that? The president explained,
"Sally-chan, Akko-chan, and something like that."
Toei had traditionally made Majokko anime. He meant that I didn't need to care about their franchise since it had been discontinued for a while.
I had never watched the majokko anime.
I had heard of Sally-chan and Akko-chan but was not interested in them.
The creators' side didn't care about the genre's continuity. Then, did they start to call it "mahou shoujo" around that time?
Animage 1982 March issue includes a teaser for Minky Momo. That teaser says that the genre of the new series is "shoujo mono"/ girls' stuff. It doesn't say "mahou shoujo".
That issue also includes a TV anime monthly preview section. Hiroshi Kato from Ashi Production appears in that section and says,
"Minky Momo is a bit different from the majo genre because Momo transforms into professional girls."
He doesn't mention "mahou shoujo".
In Monthly OUT 1983 January issue, Takeshi Shudo says,
"They told that Candy Candy and Sally the Witch sold well, so I should make something like Toei Majokko."*5
In Fanroad Extra 1983 April Minky Momo special issue, Noa Misaki, the original character designer, appears and calls the genre "majo mono."
I checked other articles about Minky Momo in early '80s magazines, and I found only one exception. In Animedia 1982 March issue, the genre is called "MAHOU SHOUJO mono." It is the oldest example of "mahou shoujo" as a genre name in anime magazines as far as I checked.
However, I could not find many examples like that. I suppose "mahou shoujo" was not a common genre name in Minky Momo's era.
Case 2: Creamy Mami
In 1983, after the end of the first Minky Momo series, Studio Pierrot started a new magical girl show called Creamy Mami. The main character is an ordinary 10 y/o girl. She gets a magical wand from a fairy and transforms into an idol singer Creamy Mami. Just like Momo, the protagonist is not called "mahou shoujo" in the show.
In a teaser from Animage 1983 May issue, the genre is called "mahou mono"/ magical stuff. It doesn't say "mahou shoujo".
Animec 1984 July issue says, "Some fans already noticed that Creamy Mami is a bit different from ordinary majokko mono."
Monthly OUT 1983 July issue calls it "mahou mono." *6
OUT featured Creamy Mami several times, but they never called the series or the genre "mahou shoujo." Many '80s magazine issues and books cover Creamy Mami, but I didn't find an example of "mahou shoujo."
I think it was not used as a genre name in Creamy Mami's era. In the first place, Creamy Mami was just a one-shot anime series, not a part of a big franchise, until the next series started.
Case 3: Persia
In 1984, after Creamy Mami ended, Studio Pierrot started a new TV show in the same programming slot. That is Persia, The Magic Fairy. The main character is a girl born in Africa. When she comes to Japan, a fairy gives her magical transformation power.
Just like Momo and Mami, Persia is not called "mahou shoujo" in the show.
The series turned Pierrot's magical girls into a "franchise." How did anime journalism introduce it?
Animage 1984 June issue includes an announcement. It says,
"Creamy Mami will end this July. They are developing a follow-on show. It is another MAHOU SHOUJO story. The new heroine's name is Persia."
In Animage 1984 August issue, Hiroshi Konishikawa from Studio Pierrot wrote Persia's self-introduction:
"Nice to meet you. I am Persia. I joined MAHOU SHOUJO on September 6."
They suddenly started to call the genre and character category "mahou shoujo." Why did that happen?
Pierrot's merchandise business booklet for Persia calls the franchise "MAHOU NO SHOUJO series." *7 Maybe that was one of the triggers.
I suppose Pierrot's official announcements about the brand names affected the mass media and fans in Persia's era. I don't have enough information to analyze that process. There can be several reasons why Pierrot chose "Mahou no Shoujo" or "Mahou Shoujo" instead of "Majokko." Maybe they avoided the word from Toei's iconic title, or maybe they thought majo/ witch wouldn't fit the style of their franchise.
Anyway, "mahou no shoujo" or "mahou shoujo" appeared in that era. However, it didn't completely change the standard genre name. For example, Monthly OUT 1984 August issue still calls it "a majo story." *8
Compared to Momo and Mami, not many magazine articles covers Persia. It doesn't necessarily mean that Persia was unpopular, but maybe other anime's popularity overwhelmed Persia in anime magazines. Plus, the writers didn't necessarily compare it with Mami or other magical girls. I didn't find many examples of brand names or genre names in Persia's era.
And thus, it is difficult to check whether "mahou shoujo" was common or not. At least, we can say it was not fixed as a genre name yet.
Case 4: Magical Emi
In 1986, after the end of Persia, Pierrot started another magical show called Magical Emi, The Magic Star. It is the story of an ordinary girl called Mai. Mai gets magical power from a fairy and transforms into Magical Emi, a genius stage magician.
How did Emi get introduced in magazines?
Animage 1985 April issue includes a teaser. However, Takashi Anno from Pierrot and Animage still called the genre "majokko" or "mahou-mono." As I explained in the Persia part, "mahou shoujo" was not a fixed genre name yet.
In Animage 1985 July issue, Hiroshi Konisikawa calls the franchise "mahou no onnanoko mono." The literal meaning is very similar to "mahou shoujo," but it is not the same term.
Monthly OUT 1985 June issue calls it "the third Mahou Series." *10
What was Pierrot's official franchise name in that era? In a merch business booklet for Magical Emi, Pierrot calls it "Mahou Series." *11
Then, was "mahou shoujo" not used in Emi's era?
Animage 1985 August issue includes Yoshiharu Tokugi's column, "The Third MAHOU SHOUJO, Magical Emi." In that column, Tokugi calls the franchise "MAHOU SHOUJO Series" and compares it with Toei's "Majokko Series." It seems like "Mahou Shoujo" was already recognized as Pierrot's brand, contrary to their official announcement.
"Mahou shoujo" meant both Pierrot's brand name and the genre name in Magical Emi's era, for the fandom at least.
Animage 1986 February issue explains the post-Momo magical girls and calls it "Mahou Shoujo Boom."
My Anime 1985 November issue calls Pierrot's magical girl franchise "mahou shoujo mono" and differentiates it from Toei's "majokko." They argue that Pierrot's mahou shoujo depict happiness of ordinary girls without focusing on magic so much unlike Toei's series.
In My Anime 1985 No.2, a fan calls the franchise "Mahou Series," but another fan calls it "Mahou Shoujo." *12
National Diet Library's search shows that some other magazines like Anime V started to use "mahou shoujo" in 1985. *13
I suppose "Mahou Shoujo" as a brand name and a genre name was estanblished in Magical Emi's era. Some people still preferred to use "majokko," and Pierrot's attitude toward the brand name was inconsistent. However, fans couldn't ignore the term anymore. What Pierrot started in Persia's era became the standard in Magical Emi's era.
Case 5: Pastel Yumi
In 1986, after the end of Magical Emi, Pierrot started Pastel Yumi, The Magic Idol. It is Pierrot's final magical girl TV anime in the '80s. The protagonist is an ordinary girl. She gets magical power from a fairy. Unlike the other protagonists, Yumi doesn't transform into a mature form.
Animage 1986 February issue introduced Yumi. However, they call the franchise "Mahou Series." As I mentioned earlier, "Mahou Series" had been used as Pierrot's brand name since Magical Emi.
Animage 1986 July issue still calls it "mahou mono."
In My Anime 1986 No.3, the brand is called "Majokko Series." *14
In My Anim 1986 No.4, however, it is called "MAHOU SHOUJO." *15
It seems that there was still no standard genre name. Then, what was Pierrot's official brand name in that era? Pierrot's merch business booklet for Pastel Yumi calls it "MAHOU SHOUJO Series."*16
Anime magazines' terms and Pierrot's brand names were unstable. When Pierrot called it "Mahou Series," some anime magazines used "Mahou Shoujo Series." When Pierrot called it "Mahou Shoujo Series," anime magazines called it "Mahou Series."
As I showed in Magical Emi's part, "mahou shoujo" was recognized enough in 1985. However, it was not fixed throughout Pierrot's magical girl TV anime era.
Case 6: Fashion Lala
In Pastel Yumi, Pierrot Magical Girl's '80s original series ended. After releasing some OVAs, however, Pierrot and Seika started a stationary item brand. That is Fanshion Lala. Unlike Pierrot's other magical girls, Fashion Lala didn't have an anime at first. In 1988, however, Pierrot released a one-shot OVA called Fashion Lala: Harborlight Story.
Since it was a one-shot OVA based on a stationary brand for little kids, it didn't gain mature fans' attention.
Animage 1987 November issue includes an announcement of Harborlight Story. They say, "A new MAHOU SHOUJO SERIES is going to be released as an OVA after Pastel Yumi."
That issue also includes a monthly home video list. It says, "Studio Pierrot is going to release the 5th MAHOU SHOUJO SERIES in OVA." It seems that the "Mahou Shoujo" brand was well-recognized in that phase.
However, Pierrot's official brand name was still inconsistent. Pierrot's posters and home video covers for Harborlight Story say "Mahou Series." Their brand name went back to Magical Emi's phase.
Those materials prove that Pierrot's side didn't have a consistent brand name throughout the '80s franchise. Mahou shoujo brand and mahou shoujo genre were already well-known to fans and anime journalists, but Pierrot didn't fix it.
Case 7: Fancy Lala
In 1998, after a long hiatus, Pierrot released a new, and the last, anime from Pierrot Magical Girl franchise. That is Fancy Lala.
As we saw in this analysis, "mahou shoujo" was already popular before Fancy Lala. In Fancy Lala, Pierrot finally fixed it as their official brand name. It is used even today. This 1999 calendar says "Pierrot Mahou Shoujo Series" and shows all their TV anime magical girls.
I'd like to quickly check how the terms were used in that era.
Animage 1998 April issue announced the show. The announcement calls both the brand and the genre "Mahou Shoujo."
In Animage 1998 August issue, however, they call the genre "majokko." It seems like majokko and mahou shoujo were interchangeable.
In the same issue, Takahiro Omori, the director of Fancy Lala, calls the genre "mahou shoujo."
Plus, Yukio Kaizuka, the director of Fun Fun Pharmacy, calls it "mahou shoujo" too.
In other words, there was no clear difference between majokko and mahou shoujo even after Pierrot's brand name was fixed. People still randomly called it majokko or mahou shoujo as they wanted.
Magical Girls In General
From Case 1 to Case 7, I checked articles about each magical girl series. In this part, I'd like to go back in time and check some sources about Pierrot Magical Girls in general or the magical girl genre.
In July 1986, Monthly OUT released an extra issue about the Pierrot Magical Girl. In that special, many people use words like "mahou shoujo" or "Mahou Shoujo Series." As we saw in Magical Emi's part, it was well-known in 1986.
Animage 1986 August issue includes an anime history analysis series. The title is "The Long History of Majokko Anime's Evolution." It covers magical girls made by Toei, Ashi Production, and Pierrot. Since it was released after Magical Emi, it includes words like "mahou shoujo" or "Mahou Shoujo Series."
Interestingly enough, the writer of this article argues that there is a difference between majokko and mahou shoujo. They say that majokko stems from majo/ witch, so all the majokko have origins in magical worlds or witch families. On the other hand, mahou shoujo are ordinary girls who just happened to get magical power.
We often hear such definitions even today. When we ask differences between the two terms, many people say that majokko are girls from witch origins. However, that definition has some questionable parts:
First, some Toei Majokko like Akko and Lunlun have their origins in the human world. They are categorized as mahou shoujo by Animage's definition, but that would contradict Toei's brand name.
Second, did people really care about such a minor difference? Pierrot's magical girls were born on the earth, but they are sometimes called "majokko" in anime magazines. It seems that Animage's definition was/ is not so common. It is an interesting attempt to analyze the two different terms, but I think it failed.
In September 1987, Fanroad made "Majokko Special" issue. The title says "majokko," but it covers mahou shoujo made by Pierrot and Ashi Production too. Some fans use both terms, but I didn't find a big difference between them. I suppose many fans didn't care the difference.
For example, the first image says that Momo, Mami, and Mai are "majokko" while the second image says that Mai is "mahou shoujo."
In October 1987, B-CLUB released a special issue about Pierrot's magical girl OVA called Majokko Club. It includes interviews with the staff members of Pierrot Magical Girl franchise. Some of them use both majokko and mahou shoujo. "Mahou shoujo" tends to be more associated with Pierrot's franchise, but it seems that they're interchangeable.
In August 1989, Animedia released Mahou Shoujo Zukan, a special booklet about magical girl anime. The caption says "It covers all the majokko stars." In the booklet, mahou shoujo and majokko are totally interchangeable. Mahou shoujo is not associated with Pierrot's brand anymore.
That booklet is important because it covers non-Toei/ AshiPro/ Pierrot magical girls too. It covers Kiki's Delivery Service, Himiko from Wataru, and even ESPer Mami. The genre trope became common enough to allow some genre mixture in those days.
In February 1992, B-CLUB released "Ultimate Majokko Special." It covers any type of magical girl. They never use "mahou shoujo" in that issue. I suppose there was not a copyright issue yet in that era, so maybe the editor preferred "majokko."
In July 1997, Kinema Junpo released "Doga-Oh: Super Majokko Taisen." It is probably the most useful material for mahou shoujo genre analysis. It includes both "majokko" and "mahou shoujo." It seems like those two terms are totally interchangeable. In some pages, they call Toei franchise "Mahou Shoujo" and call Pierrot's franchises "Majokko." I suppose they became common enough to cause such an inversion.
Conclusion
I read all the available sources I have and checked articles about magical girls, mainly about Pierrot's '80 franchise. I admit that the analysis has many flaws. It doesn't cover many other sources such as fan letters, Animedia magazine, The Anime magazine, or shoujo manga magazines. I couldn't continue further research with my limited resources. If you find some disproof, please let me know about it.
Let me roughly summarize the history of the genre name.
1. The term "mahou shoujo" was seldom recognized as a genre name before the Pierrot's franchise.
2. In Persia, The Magic Fairy (1984), Pierrot started to call their franchise "Mahou Shoujo" or "Mahou no Shoujo." It influenced some fans and journalists.
3. In Magical Emi, The Magic Star (1985), "mahou shoujo" as a genre name became common.
4. From the middle '80s to the early '90s, "mahou shoujo" and "majokko" gradually became interchangeable.
5. In 1998, Pierrot released Fancy Lala and officially called their franchise "Mahou Shoujo" again.
The change from the middle '80s to the early '90s was slow and gradual. It didn't quickly switched to "mahou shoujo." For example, Mana Takeuchi released a book called "Majokko Days" in 2009. It covers Pierrot's franchise, but Takeuchi never says "mahou shoujo" in that book.
It is an ironic conclusion. My initial question was, "When and how did people start to differentiate mahou shoujo from majokko?" but the conclusion was "We don't differentiate them."
Mahou shoujo was/ is majokko.
*1:Toei registered "majokko" brand in 2002.
*2:https://mangapedia.com/gd/uc1uafp3y
*3:The order of Toei Majokko varies from sources to sources.
*4:http://www.style.fm/as/05_column/shudo46.shtml
*5:https://ameblo.jp/g-fock/entry-11966650925.html?frm=theme
*6:https://ameblo.jp/g-fock/entry-12004097767.html?frm=theme
*7:https://twitter.com/zilli_san/status/1248619762201980928
*8:https://ameblo.jp/g-fock/entry-12071856140.html?frm=theme
*9:http://www.orimina.com/books/anime/aminec/1985/1985_01/1985_01.html
*10:https://ameblo.jp/g-fock/entry-12122691201.html?frm=theme
*11:https://aucfree.com/items/n412035903
*12:https://archive.org/details/1985-11-05/mode/2up
*14:https://archive.org/details/MyAnime-1986-2-5/page/34/mode/2up
*15:https://archive.org/details/MyAnime-1986-2-20/page/22/mode/2up
