“Korean author Park Seolyeon’s English-language debut succeeds in ways no other recent novel
has: in portraying the anxiety-riddled realities of coming of age in our present moment through
an unexpected and fantastical lens.”— The Rumpus .com A millennial turned magical girl must
combat climate change and credit card debt in this delightful witty and wildly imaginative
ode to magical girl manga now available in a convenient pocket-sized portable Nomad Edition.
Twenty-nine depressed and drowning in credit card debt after losing her job during the
pandemic a millennial woman decides to end her troubles by jumping off Seoul’s Mapo Bridge.
But her suicide attempt is interrupted by a girl dressed all in white—her guardian angel. Ah
Roa is a clairvoyant magical girl on a mission to find the greatest magical girl of all time.
And our protagonist just may be that special someone. But the young woman’s initial excitement
turns to frustration when she learns being a magical girl in real life is much different than
how it’s portrayed in stories. It isn’t just destiny—it’s work. Magical girls go to job fairs
join trade unions attend classes. And for this magical girl there are no special powers and no
great perks and despite being magical she still battles with low self-esteem. Her magic wand
. . . is a credit card—which she must use to defeat a terrifying threat that isn’t a monster or
an intergalactic war. It’s global climate change. Because magical girls need to think about
sustainability too. Park Seolyeon reimagines classic fantasy tropes in a novel that explores
real-world challenges that are both deeply personal and universal: the search for meaning and
the desire to do good in a world that feels like it’s ending. A fun fast-paced and enchanting
narrative that sparkles thanks to award-nominated translator Anton Hur A Magical Girl Retires
reminds us that we are all magical girls—that fighting evil by moonlight and winning love by
daylight can be anyone's game. Translated from the Korean by Anton Hur
