Review: Magical Girl Friendship Squad “My Fated Guardians”

Overview (Spoilers Below)

Broad City meets She-ra and the Princesses of Power in this colorful adventure about two struggling millennials discovering they are the protectors of the universe. When the creator of the universe materializes on Earth in the form of an adorable magical red panda, they must seek out guardians for protection. After Alex (Quinta Brunson) and Daisy (Anna Akana) mistakenly give the impression they’re warriors with misquoted John Wick scenes, they find themselves being recruited for the job, and on boarded via butthole powerpoint. Reluctant to take on the staggering responsibility of universe creator guardianship while still trying to find jobs that will pay the rent, they head to the neighborhood coffeeshop to call animal control, and are instead met with their first mission.

Our take

This show is 100% hilarious. If you’ve been mourning Tuca and Bertie, need more Quinta B and Anna Akana in your life, or are just a standard millennial (particularly of the female persuasion), there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy this swear-laden play off the magical girl genre. Kelsey Stephanides is brilliant and I’m excited to see where she goes from here.

If you’ve already seen Magical Girl Friendship Squad: Origins, you’ll recognize most of the key jokes and plot points, although this version is more fully fleshed out in regards to character design, transformation sequences, and character backstories, while still clocking in at just under 12 minutes. Alex gets a bright red hairdo and deeper skintone, while Daisy’s features are more fully and accurately defined. Their apartment’s background also gets more details, with a Yoshi/Alien mashup poster, and Cowboy Bebop inspired “Keep Calm and Play Jazz” decor. Another benefit of this “more official” version is that it features an upgraded soundtrack courtesy of Tokyo Jetz and River City Tanlines.

The episode starts with besties Alex and Daisy walking through their neighborhood after Alex has recently been laid off from her job at a “culinary experience creation innovation” startup. Their attempt to get her hired at a barista (at the coffee shop where Daisy has slept with all the baristas, natch) highlights the typical Catch-22 that young and often not-that-young job seekers face, of needing specific experience or qualifications to get a job. This show goes ahead and takes it to the next level, with Vella Lovell (Mermista in She-Ra) giving the vocal-fry soaked explanation that “one is born a barista.”

Ana Gasteyer’s voice performance as red panda universe creator deity Isis (“no, name’s no good, sorry.”) fine, Nut, is a master class in absurdity that manages to lend humor to every scene, either with quality jokes or just the contrast of the regal voice and ridiculous appearance.

The dynamic duo’s transformation sequence is more smooth and flashy, and ends with a classic dab, while the ridiculous magical outfits (now revealed to have been designed by Nut) are all thongs and thigh-highs, forcing the two newly minted guardians to fight in a puffer and trash bag for their first encounter.

I’m excited to see their revised outfits, which character designer Marika Cowan has posted about on Twitter, in upcoming episodes. I’m also highly interested in how the writers will be expanding the show beyond the “Origins” storyline. Overall, a strong start to a silly series, with hopefully good things to come!