A lot of shows sneak under my radar, which admittedly is just me holding dowsing rods with a small non-functioning satellite dish attached to my head. While the titans like Haruhi S2, Umineko, Bakemonogatari, Canaan and Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 duke it out for summer supremacy, it’s the little shows like Yokuwakaru Gendaimahou (Modern Magic for Dummies) that fall to the wayside, doomed to obscurity from the very start. I merely picked it up on a whim (not because I heard it has a girl running around a city without pantsu on) and found it’s a surprisingly fun show.

The thing about Gendaimahou is that it’s not good enough to be great, but it has shown flashes of being a very good sleeper show. I’ll liken it to an indie garage band that’s good but will ultimately never get the big break it deserves. I absolutely love the premise of magic with a modern day twist, that magic is comprised of computer codes and is heavily integrated with current technology. The magic meets technology spin is like Toaru Majutsu no Index in spirit, except with magical high school girls replacing loli nuns and scientific railguns.

Koyomi and Yumiko sharing a precious moment together.

The characters themselves are very likable, centering around the quirky Koyomi (voiced by the always hyper Ai Nonaka) and the elegantly haughty Yumiko (voiced by rising star Haruka Tomatsu). While the characters are familiar archetypes, Koyomi as the screwup with hidden potential (and a knack for summoning bathtub pans) with Yumiko as her talented foil, when done well I don’t particularly mind. It’s still too early to say much about the story. The timeline thus far has been pretty screwy since episodes 2-3 didn’t follow episode 1, which will be continued later, but I like what’s been shown so far with hints that there are villains working in the background working toward their own goals as Koyomi learns more about magic and (hopefully) refines her skills. It’s a shounen formula, and again I don’t mind as long as it’s done well.

i herd u liek pantsu stealing tentacle monsterz.

Gendaimahou does have moderate amounts of fanservice, but is a lot more tasteful than the other two summer fanservice shows, Fight Ippatsu! Juuden-chan!! (lol peeing fetish) and Princess Lover (lol breasts made of jello), all while being infinitely more entertaining as well. Well, it’s as tasteful as it can be considering there’s a girl running around the city without any panties fighting magical demons with tentacles… Just take my word on it.

All said I’m really digging Gendaimahou, almost smitten with it really. I really do think it’s a charming little show for what it is. Magic shows really are a dime a dozen, and it’s a shame that more don’t try to add a flavor as unique as Gendaimahou’s. Any unique take on an age old cliche like magic is a good one in my book. It’s not great by any means, but it’s certainly worth at least a little attention. Bogus stock market tips aside, have I ever steered you guys wrong?