Bones’ ‘The Magical Girl and The Evil Lieutenant Used to Be Archenemies’ is Love at First Sight in New Preview

Mira is the lieutenant of an evil organization hell-bent on taking over the world, and if it wasn't enough that the magical girl Byakuya Mimori was standing in his way, now he's fallen in love with her! The Magical Girl and the Evil Lieutenant Used to Be Archenemies, or Mahoaku for short, is a comedy, fantasy, and love story adapted by Studio Bones in memory of the work's late author.

The original manga was written/illustrated by Cocoa Fujiwara, who passed away in 2015 at the age of 31, leaving Mahoaku unfinished after three volumes, the last of which was released posthumously. At Anime NYC 2023's Avex Pictures panel, Bones announced that the manga would receive an anime adaptation, which was later revealed to be scheduled for the 2024 summer anime season.

What The New Trailer Tells Us

The most recent preview, and the second to offer a glimpse of the actual anime itself, confirmed the series would be premiering on July 9. Previous promotional videos focused solely on the dynamic between the two love interests, but this newest one offers a glimpse at what the action will look like, as well as informing the tone of the series.

Between the gothic appearance of the evil organization's headquarters and the orchestral score complete with a choir, it's as exaggerated and theatrical as one could hope for from fantasy villains. Simultaneously, it doesn't take itself too seriously, with the organization's henchmen being depicted as these masked goofballs who speak in gibberish. It's easy to tell that they will be a big source of levity in this show.

Just about everything the viewer needs to know about Mira is shown in this preview. He was raised in the organization and possesses the intelligence, cunning, and magical powers to lead his cohorts to world domination. Yet, the moment he confronts his equal in Byakuya, the magical girl chosen to defend Earth, Mira can't stop thinking about her. The preview ends with him getting caught unaware while doing some light-to-moderate internet stalking.

What To Know About the Staff

For fans of Fujiwara's work, this adaptation is a dream come true, right down to the voice cast, many of whom have reprised their roles from a Mahoaku drama CD from 2015. The full cast as of the time of writing is as follows:

• Mai Nakahara as Mira
• Yuki Ono as Byakuya Mimori
• Shinichirō Miki as the Cat Familiar
• Mariya Ise as Hibana Kagari
• Hikaru Midorikawa as the Bird Familiar
• Kenichi Suzumura as Fomalhaut
• Ayako Kawasumi as Bellatrix
• Hiro Shimono as Alcyone
• Nao Toyama as Spica
• Takumi Yamazaki as Sadalsudh
• Takaya Hashi as Betelguese

As for the production team, things are looking even more promising. The anime will be directed by Akiyo Ohashi, who directed Given - On the Other Hand and The Stranger by the Shore, two much-beloved romance stories from the past few years. The script will be written by Yuniko Ayana, the writer for the Given anime series, Lupin the III Part 5, and Flip Flappers.

It's worth noting that Ayana also wrote for the BanG Dream! Series, including BanG Dream! It's MyGO!!!!!, the jury pick for Anime of the Year 2023 at the /r/anime Awards. Haruko Iizuka (Sugar Apple Fairy Tale, Horimiya) is the character designer. MAYUKO (Ranking of Kings, Butareba) will compose the music.

A Light Addition to Bones' Big Year

This year, Bones is celebrating its 25th anniversary since its founders split off from Studio Sunrise. Back in January, they premiered their newest original series, Metallic Rouge, and My Hero Academia is back and better than ever with a new season. Additionally, My Hero Academia's fourth feature film, You're Next, is coming later this summer.

Mahoaku is their fourth project this year, and in typical Bones fashion, it's not quite like any of the others, much to its strength. It looks to be a light, funny, and heartfelt fantasy romance that will hopefully do the work of its late author justice. There's no word yet on how it aims to tackle the story being unfinished, whether it will pick a place to simply end or create an anime-original finale, but fans can find out for themselves on July 9.