Magical Emi 40th Anniversary Blu-ray Box Limited Edition

Eleven-year-old Mai Kazuki dreams of becoming a magician like the legendary Emily Howell. Her life changes when she meets Topo, a fairy living in an old decorative mirror. Hoping for a playmate, Topo gives her a bracelet that can grant wishes, allowing Mai to transform into the brilliant Magical Emi. She joins Magicarat, the emerging magic troupe led by her grandmother Haruko, and begins a double life as an ordinary schoolgirl and an idol magician performing extraordinary illusions.

The third series in Pierrot's magical-girl lineup centers on a young girl's growth. Newcomer Yoko Obata voices Mai and Emi and performs the opening, ending and insert songs. Directed by Takashi Anno with character designs by Yoshiyuki Kishi, the series originally aired from June 1985 to February 1986. This fortieth-anniversary set presents all 38 television episodes remastered from film, together with four OVA productions and HD-remastered supplementary material.

Semishigure follows Mai's changing feelings as summer turns to autumn and her farewell to Emi draws nearer. Its fifteen-minute television recap is followed by forty-five minutes of original animation, with both the original and Director's Choice versions included. Kumo Hikaru returns to the time before Mai discovers magic: as her family awaits the birth of her brother Misaki, Mai practices riding a bicycle in anticipation of becoming a big sister. Her mother's sudden hospitalization brings loneliness and uncertainty. Finale! Finale! revisits the series through re-edited footage with newly recorded narration by the principal cast. Adesugata Maho no Sannin Musume brings Creamy Mami, Persia and Emi together on a hot-spring trip, sharing drinks, laughter and conversation while revisiting memorable scenes.

The bonus disc also includes clean opening and ending sequences, the apology film shown at the Magical Girl Festival, and the 1998 Kaze no Invitation music clip. Newly recorded audio commentary and a special booklet accompany the set, whose presentation box and inner jackets feature new illustrations by Yoshiyuki Kishi. The five main discs run approximately 894 minutes and the bonus disc approximately 192 minutes, with Japanese monaural Linear PCM audio and no subtitles.

The television and Semishigure cast includes Yoko Obata, Yu Mizushima, Naoki Tatsuta, Atsuko Mine, Joji Yanami, Nana Aoki, Rokuro Naya, Yuko Mita, Kazue Ikura, Daisuke Gori, Shigeru Chiba, Shinya Otaki, Sukekiyo Kameyama and Maya Okamoto. Aya Hisakawa voices Mai in Kumo Hikaru, alongside returning cast members. Takako Ota and Mina Tominaga join Obata and Mizushima for the three-heroine crossover.

The television episode sequence begins with A Mysterious Birth: The Magic Star; A Magical Debut, Live on Air!; The Boxing He Loves; Happiness in Mysterious Colors; A Rainy Tanabata Fantasy; With a Star's Radiance Within; Summer Vacation Home Economics; The Best Kid at the Seaside; I Hate Boxing!; Where Is the Highland Train UFO?; A Secret Star Life; Summer Memories in Shining Colors; and The Sixteen-Year-Old Tutor.

The next episodes are Kotemaridai's Flower Stage; The Pinwheel Left by the Wind; A Wonderful, Powerful Driver; Mixed Feelings at the School Festival; Dreams in the Light of Magic; Romance Through Glass; A Dangerous Photo Opportunity; Keep Going! A Heart-Pounding Game; Autumn Breezes and Changing Feelings; Sorry, Mi-chan; Let the Bells Ring Once More; A Cute Visitor; and A Shower of Fallen Leaves.

The final stretch comprises The Kokubunji Murder Case; When the Moon Sets, the Sun Rises; A Snowy Dreamland; A Wine-Colored Party; A Loving Couple's Ups and Downs; A Surprise in the Bathroom!; Fly, Snow Dragon!; Karinto of Love and Sorrow; Welcome to the Fairy Forest!; Alone in the North Wind; A Season of Hesitation; and Goodbye, Dream-Colored Magician.