Mahou Josei Chimaka: A Reminder That Black Women Have Always Been Magic

Writer / Artist: KaiJu From a first glance it’s easy to underestimate Mahou Josei Chimaka as just another sparkly manga starring a Black woman in a petticoat, but let me deliver some truth real quick: this story is actually about what happens when Black women break after being forced to carry the world for so long. Because let’s be real here. Black women are tired. We’re tired of feeling invisible growing up, we’re tired of being told how to love, and we’re tired of fighting rape culture for ourselves by ourselves, among many other intersectional crises. Chimaka takes us to that dark place where we whisper to ourselves, “I can’t anymore” and in one triumphant volume reminds us that, “Yes. I can. Because I am goddess damn magical.” At the beginning of our story we learn that Chimaka Shi, once the powerful magical girl Shimmer Shimmer Sky Patcher Chimaka (I know, just keep reading), was defeated by her evil nemesis in their final battle and has spent her adulthood hiding undercover. All of that changes one day, however, when a mysterious phone call begging for the aid of her magical powers leads Chimaka to confess her past to her best friend, Pippa. The only problem is… Chimaka’s not so sure she can save the world any more.

What makes this story so gorgeous first and foremost is its mature understanding of the multi-faceted nature of love, whether it be platonic, romantic, or for yourself. While many manga dwell on love as a passionate, fluffy sort of emotion, Mahou Josei Ch…