Magical Girl ( 魔法少女 ) is a character trope and literary genre that centers both around the concepts of girls coming of age and possessing power through their femininity rather than by rejecting it. It is a common theme for the protagonists to need to balance their school lives, personal lives, and their responsibilities of saving the world as a Magical Girl. The aesthetic is often hyperfeminine and very in touch with expressing emotion freely, both positive and negative.

Magical Girls are often in a team of young girls, destined to save the world. These characters often have their own designated color, weapon, and power assigned to them, although which colors, weapons, and powers can vary. Alongside these color coded costumes, a very iconic part of what makes a Magical Girl a Magical Girl visually is the animated transformation from a normal young girl into her Magical Girl identity.

Sally the Witch by Mitsuteru Yokoyama was the first Magical Girl anime to air in 1966, whilst Himitsu no Akko-chan was the first Magical Girl manga (first printed in 1962), but the most well known and influential Magical Girl anime in pop culture is Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon (often shortened to Sailor Moon ) by Naoko Takeuchi.

Magical girl-inspired fashion, also known as Mahou Kei , shares many visual similarities with Fairy Kei . Beyond the casual outfits with magical girl print, there are also many frilly sailor uniforms and over-the-top Lolita dresses inspired by the outfits from the various series. Handmade transformation  compact brooches and magic wands are popular accessories. Different to other styles, wigs are very common to be worn due to the extensive styling that gives a more otherworldly feeling to the outfit.