I can never resist anything Magical GirlTM related, so when I first saw this in my local bookshop, I had to check it out.
'Flavor Girls' - a stupid and completely unfit title for a surprisingly dark Magical GirlTM story. Don't be fooled by the colours, character designs, art style and fruit-themed Magical GirlsTM; this comic is not for children. There is violence and tragedy. It is like 'Pacific Rim' meets 'Power Rangers' meets 'Transformers' meets 'Steven Universe' meets 'Kung Fu Panda' meets any Magical GirlTM anime you can think of. Basically, it's an alien invasion plot crossed over with the Magical GirlTM genre. It's bizarre, and by the end it is blatantly apparent that it is not a finished story.Yet, shockingly, I was really into it while I was reading, and I enjoyed it. It takes a lot for me to dislike a Magical GirlTM product, I guess.
The aliens, the mysterious Agartha, have been attacking and terrorising earth for twelve years. The only people standing between them and humanity's total destruction are the Sacred Fruit Guardians; girls who are chosen by a giant Mother Earth core tree named Mamrea (long story) to fight the invaders. The nicknamed "Flavor Girls" are mentored and trained by Master Himiko, the keeper and guardian of the Temple and Mamrea, and by Matilda, a former marathon runner, and bereaved family woman. They are also watched over by a government program called the Alliance of Sovereign States (A.S.S., ha-ha), led by the creepy Ponzzy White. All these women reside at the Temple, which is in another dimension suspended in time and space, where other people of earth also live in sanctuary.
Sara is the newest and last member of the Flavor Girls. Her theme and power is Pineapple (don't laugh, this is a dark and intense sci-fi story!). She is a student who wants to make a difference in the world and make peace with the Agartha, and she is very clumsy and awkward. After an alien attack in Paris, her home, and after she is unexpectedly chosen to be a Flavor Girl, she decides to leave her old life behind - including her two friends, Lydia and... I don't think her male friend is ever named - and join in the fight to save the world, alongside her new Flavor Girl friends.
They are: Naoko, the Dragonfruit Guardian, the leader whose tragic backstory is the one we are first introduced to (the writer clearly favours her, to the point of practically taking Sara's role as protagonist in most parts of the comic), and who is not so solemn and angsty as you would expect, as she's actually nice and friendly, and always determined to help others; no, the dark, serious and brooding character type is V, the Artichoke Guardian, who is stubborn, sporty, mostly quiet, and likes to drink; and last but definitely not least is Camille, the Pomegranate Guardian, the laidback, chatty joker of the group who is always hungry. Obviously she must be hiding a dark side, and suppressing a traumatic past.
There is a lot to unpack here, and a lot left unanswered and unexplained. But wow I was invested in what I got. At the heart of it all, 'Flavor Girls' is a solid Magical GirlTM story, with little subversions and twists here and there. A side story that pays homage to a classic Japanese horror film is included at the end of the volume. I like it, but again it puts Naoko in the spotlight at the expense of the other girls, and it hinges on the reader knowing, well, anything about A.S.S. and Ponzzy, when they, in fact, factor only a tiny bit in the main plot.
I wish the comic were longer, and that its newbie protagonist wasn't a white blonde (Sara does look and act like Usagi Tsukino, only she's more academically-minded... wait, is Naoko's name a reference to the mangaka of 'Sailor Moon', Naoko Takeuchi?) when the other Magical GirlsTM are POC - of course she's special, despite lacking experience, stamina and combat skills. And that it were "fruity" in the LBGTQ+ content sense, though maybe that will manifest in its continuation, if that ever develops and sees the light of day?
I'd like to know more of Irina's story, too. So much mystery!
Mysteries such as... Sara is the glasses-wearing girl, but why is Naoko suddenly the one wearing glasses in the end story?
Mixing sci-fi and fantasy, tragedy and comedy, horror and heart, 'Flavor Girls' is a mixed bag indeed, but a charming and exciting one. It comes recommended by me to any Magical GirlTM fan, and fans of modern "dark" cartoony media.
Final Score: 3.5/5
P.S. The blurb on the back of the volume ends with '[...] a new Magical Girl all-ages adventure with an environmental twist!'. The all-ages part is a lie, and the environmental twist is barely touched on at this time, like the A.S.S. inclusion.
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