Magical girl (mahou shoujo) anime: the most popular titles

Mahou shoujo, or magical girl, anime follows girls who gain powers, usually with a transformation sequence, a mascot and a duty to protect someone. The genre began as children's television and grew in two directions: bright, hopeful adventures, and darker stories that ask what that duty really costs.

The list shows the most popular magical girl titles on AniList. Some of the best-known ones are deliberately dark deconstructions, so read a synopsis before you assume a show is for children.

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