Magic Knight Rayearth

Summary
Magic Knight Rayearth (魔法騎士レイアース, Majikku Naito Reiāsu) is a fantasy adventure anime based on the manga of the same name by the all-female artist team CLAMP. It follows three fourteen-year-old middle school girls named Hikaru Shidou, Umi Ryuuzaki, and Fuu Hououji, as they get whisked away to a magical realm known as Cephiro while on a field trip to Tokyo Tower. Then, a mage named Clef tells them that they were chosen by Princess Emeraude, the Pillar of Cephiro, to become three legendary warriors known as the Magic Knights, destined to save Cephiro from its destruction. Clef then gives the girls magical powers for them to use in their battle to rescue Emeraude from High Priest Zagato, and before they could fight him, they have to find and awaken the three Rune Gods in order to become true Magic Knights. Guided by the spirit creature Mokona, our heroines set out to fulfill their destinies to become the Magic Knights so they could all defeat Zagato, rescue Princess Emeraude, save Cephiro, and finally return home to Tokyo.

Why It's So Magical

 * 1) Characters are lovable and go through dynamic arcs, especially the three lead heroines.
 * 2) Gorgeous art and animation for 1994 standards, which has aged very well for the time being.
 * 3) Incredible voice acting in both the Japanese and English dubs of the show.
 * 4) Epic battle scenes that are memorable.
 * 5) Nova was a dynamic and threatening villain in the series.
 * 6) Highly tender and emotional moments.
 * 7) A strong plot twist at the end of the first season that becomes the basis for the second season.
 * 8) Actually portrays the strong female character trope properly without dumbing down most of the guys or making them stereotypical jerks.
 * 9) Has positive morals like "try to listen to the other side's point of view" (which is especially important in today's political climate).

Bad Qualities

 * 1) Characters can get off-model at times.
 * 2) Somewhat lacking in world-building.
 * 3) Dialogue can be repetitive at times.
 * 4) Some people consider Debonair and Nova unnecessary additions to the anime as they weren't in the manga.
 * 5) The ending in the anime isn't as strong compared to the manga counterpart.

Videos
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