| Type: | TV |
| Length: | 26 episodes |
| Genre: | Magical Girl, Drama, Romance |
Ultra Maniac
Summary
Ayu Tetsushi is one of the most popular girls at Shuei middle school. One night she meets Nina, a girl from the Magical Kingdom, and they quickly become friends. Nina begins going to Ayu's school to study while improving her magic abilities.
Review
Ultra Maniac is a shoujo anime with magical girl elements mixed in.
The story is mostly about Nina looking for the five Holy Stones. Another witch, named Maya, is also looking for the stones, which makes her Nina's rival. In the episodes where the two girls discover the whereabouts of a Holy Stone, they compete against each other to get the stone first. It's a very simple show without much depth that feels like it is targeted at a younger audience. I wish the story was better and more developed because it's pretty weak. It does avoid being repetitive, however, there are several tedious filler episodes. The last seven or so episodes are pretty good compared to a lot of the stuff that came before it and bring Ultra Maniac to a good - although almost entirely predictable - ending.
I think that the main characters are likeable and are what kept me interested in the show. I like the friendship that Nina and Ayu share. Ayu has a crush on Kaji, one of the boys at her school, but she hasn't told him yet because she is too embarrassed. Nina becomes friends with Tsujiai, Kaji's friend. Romance is presented in a sweet and innocent way and I am pleased with the way the relationships in this show are handled.
Nina's magic comes across as being pretty lame. In the beginning, her magic doesn't always work right because she is still learning and must use a mini laptop to aid her in selecting and performing spells. Nina places an item into a treasure chest that is connected to her laptop through a USB wire. She then says "Practice!" and presses a button on her computer that converts the item in the treasure box into the magical item she needs. She always transforms into her uniform from the magical kingdom before she uses her magic, but it serves no purpose. It's almost as if it's there just for the sake of having a transformation sequence.
For the most part, the animation is subpar and cheap looking. The character designs are fairly attractive, but they look off at times, almost to the point that it's distracting. As is expected, there is some recycled animation used during Nina's transformation and when she uses her magic.
The show can be improved in many areas, but the truth is that it's not all bad. In the end, I'd say that Ultra Maniac is a satisfactory show possibly worth getting for fans of the shoujo genre.
The story is mostly about Nina looking for the five Holy Stones. Another witch, named Maya, is also looking for the stones, which makes her Nina's rival. In the episodes where the two girls discover the whereabouts of a Holy Stone, they compete against each other to get the stone first. It's a very simple show without much depth that feels like it is targeted at a younger audience. I wish the story was better and more developed because it's pretty weak. It does avoid being repetitive, however, there are several tedious filler episodes. The last seven or so episodes are pretty good compared to a lot of the stuff that came before it and bring Ultra Maniac to a good - although almost entirely predictable - ending.
I think that the main characters are likeable and are what kept me interested in the show. I like the friendship that Nina and Ayu share. Ayu has a crush on Kaji, one of the boys at her school, but she hasn't told him yet because she is too embarrassed. Nina becomes friends with Tsujiai, Kaji's friend. Romance is presented in a sweet and innocent way and I am pleased with the way the relationships in this show are handled.
Nina's magic comes across as being pretty lame. In the beginning, her magic doesn't always work right because she is still learning and must use a mini laptop to aid her in selecting and performing spells. Nina places an item into a treasure chest that is connected to her laptop through a USB wire. She then says "Practice!" and presses a button on her computer that converts the item in the treasure box into the magical item she needs. She always transforms into her uniform from the magical kingdom before she uses her magic, but it serves no purpose. It's almost as if it's there just for the sake of having a transformation sequence.
For the most part, the animation is subpar and cheap looking. The character designs are fairly attractive, but they look off at times, almost to the point that it's distracting. As is expected, there is some recycled animation used during Nina's transformation and when she uses her magic.
The show can be improved in many areas, but the truth is that it's not all bad. In the end, I'd say that Ultra Maniac is a satisfactory show possibly worth getting for fans of the shoujo genre.
Score:
Written by Marc Frost on
Content 
Nothing offensive.
Violence
Nothing offensive.
Sex
Some very brief, very undetailed nudity during transformations.