Dreaming of a Magical Girl Dream Crate!

Happy May! 

I’ve been a bit delayed in being able to update as often, but the school term is almost over and Fanime is upon us! I’ll be providing more updates soon on my ongoing process for the spring to summer season, but I wanted to make a special post that I had the pleasure of working on for the past weeks!

If you’re into a number of fandoms, I’m sure you’ve heard of Loot Crate before! They are a monthly subscription service that sends a box filled with goodies from specific fandoms and interests, from films to video games, and (my favorite) anime. Their monthly box contains a variety of items, from wearables to collectibles, and figurines to trinkets, which have been carefully selected to satisfy the true fan. 

Recently, I was asked to come up with a Dream Crate with special items I would love to ideally see in a fun crate for fans to enjoy. There were so many themes to choose from, but ultimately I ended up sticking with one I felt was the closest to my interests and one of the major reasons why I really love anime, manga, and cosplaying. 

CLASSICAL MAHOU SHOUJO/MAGICAL GIRL DREAMCRATE!

As you can tell from a lot of my cosplays, I absolutely love magical girls, and I know most of us have grown up with most of these girls, if not all of them! I could go on forever about magical girls. Their essence, compassion, purity, and determination to do their best for the sake of others and the world make them stand out in comparison from other anime archetypes. The 80’s and 90’s brought a great class of magical girls, from Sailor Moon and her cosmic group of Sailor senshi, to fanciful Miaka and her journey to save ancient China in a storybook, or Utena, a student-turned-duelist who becomes part of an enchanted game for the sake of the world. 

This crate is designed to highlight some of my favorite magical girls both from growing up and my ongoing love for anime, manga, and cosplay with various items and accessories that would complement any aspiring magical girl’s wardrobe and palette.

I definitely hope that others will also be inspired by this fun take on the classic mahou shoujo genre!

CARDCAPTOR SAKURA HAIR PINS

Cardcaptor Sakura is a classic shoujo series by acclaimed manga team, CLAMP, with a global following and particularly well-known for her dozens of intricate outfits and her mission to collect the mysterious Clow Cards. It was a massively popular series back in the 90’s, and I’m really excited that the story has once again resumed with a new arc that will become an anime soon! To commemorate Sakura’s love of accessories and dressing up, these pins by The Snow Ball are absolutely adorable and the perfect way to show off your inner magical girl in a small but cute way! They would come in a set of 2 to 4 pins, with different designs consisting of the magical cards for Clow and Sakura, her two wand designs, or her cute sidekick Kero-chan!

MAHOU NO TENSHI CREAMY MAMI JACKET

This Creamy Mami printed jacket is inspired by the series, Creamy Mami, a classic magical girl series from the early 1980’s. I’m happy to see that she’s still really loved, especially since she is a magical idol! The bright pastel palette on this jacket really captures her bright and bubbly spirit, and would be perfect to have as part of your magical girl wardrobe. There’s also so many ways to style with this jacket, from going with a Harajuku-inspired look with lots of neon, pastels, and prints, or putting on a colorful headband and getting into that 80’s idol vibe. I’m over the moon for this jacket, and I definitely would love to see it in a crate!

BISHOUJO SENSHI SAILOR MOON FIGURINE

This dream crate can’t be complete without a figurine of some kind, and I feel that it’s an absolute given that there has to be a Sailor Moon figurine, like the one by S. H. Figurarts. It especially has to be Super Sailor Moon, who appears in the S and SuperS seasons, where her outfit is vibrant, colorful, and has an even more beautiful silhouette than her original version. Growing up, this was my favorite version of her. Sailor Moon is a classic series, and she’s been part of so many lifelong fans’ dreams, so having her figurine on a desk, a room, or even a dedicated magical girl display would be a perfect way to express your love for Sailor Moon, who is known among many as the ultimate magical girl.

MAGIC KNIGHT RAYEARTH STATIONERY

Magic Knight Rayearth is another beloved series by CLAMP that I loved reading when I was younger! They follow many elements of the magical girl genre, but these girls have a lot of spunk and personality to them, and most definitely had some of the best battles. I’m also really fond of collecting stationery, notebooks, and other accessories from various series to add a touch to my daily work, so I would ideally love to see some Magic Knight Rayearth stationery as an option! It really adds a touch of a magic even when writing the simplest of notes. 

FUSHIGI YUUGI WALLET

Continuing on with another classic series, Fushigi Yuugi is one of my favorite manga series and another headlining title in the genre. The story follows Miaka’s journey into a storybook as the priestess of Suzaku as she collects the seven celestial warriors in an effort to save their land of ancient China, all while trying to find her way back home (and resist the temptation of falling for these dashing warriors). Wallets and bags are always handy to have and a great way of sharing your love for a series, and it would be fun to envision wallets with Miaka and even some variations of the different celestial warriors, who are all really special in their own ways. You could definitely take it to a convention and I’d guarantee it would be a great icebreaker for another fellow mahou shoujo enthusiast.

SHOUJO KAKUMEI UTENA MUG

I saved my all-time favorite series for last, but it’s no surprise that my Dream Crate would have to include an item from Shoujo Kakumei Utena, which I could spend hours discussing but most importantly, is an absolute gem in the mahou shoujo genre and of anime itself. It’s stood the test of time with some of the most intriguing imagery and a beautiful take on fairy tale conventions that have inspired me throughout the years. I also chose the mug because Utena and Anthy enjoy having tea together.  I absolutely would love to have an Utena mug like this one by Tee Public, which features a beautiful illustration of Utena and Anthy and bearing that clean, iconic style. I’m admittedly a huge coffee drinker, so one of my favorite ways of showing my love for any series would be to have a fun cup to have my morning coffee with, or even my tea whenever I’m working and sewing. 

I had a lot of fun working out the details and choosing these items for my Dream Crate, and I would love to hope that it might become a real one someday! I know I’m definitely not the only one who appreciates and loves magical girls, especially when they’ve brought a great deal of inspiration, courage, and heart to become the best person you can be. 

Special thanks to Loot Crate for reaching out and sharing the project! It’s been a wonderful chance to be creative and explore some fun options! For more information, visit their site: https://www.lootcrate.com/