This is a great example of what a truly great Anime has to offer. It’s a shame that only Anime seems to ever involved these kinds of character complexities and moral and philosophical dilemmas, but whatever I guess.

With out spoiling anything, the story revolves around a young girl who is granted toe power to use magic via a gem that transforms her into a so called “Magical Girl” (this is a term applied to any female character that can transform into a more powerful form in Anime). The story seems to blend magic and technology in a dazzling way, at times you often wonder if the characters are using magical items or some sort of super advanced technology.

The characters are beautiful and seem to come to life with personalities of their own that make each character stand out amongst the other multitude of characters. These are not your western characters, who love fighting and fight to “protect freedom”. They have flaws but not every character is bipolar or paranoid. They are rich and diverse and help to take you away from the toils of real life, not remind you of them.

If you are unfamiliar with Anime and see a cute cartoon girl on the cover and your first thought is “This is a children’s show” you are only half right. While this show is easy to digest for children of about 10 or so years old, there are some complexities and even some realities that younger children might not be ready for.

There’s no vulgarity or sexual content, though the transformation scene might me considered kinda risky for some viewers, important body parts are simply not drawn. Sponge Bob or Tom and Jerry are both 100 times more violent and offensive than anything you will find in this show.

That said, this show can be equally enjoyed by a more mature audience, especially one who still considers themselves a child at heart. If you like a fun, touching story with out all of the mellow-drama, propaganda and nonstop real world head line news references that you’ll find in 95% of all American Prime Time dramas, then you’ll love this show.

Lyrical Nanoha A’s is the second season and is available via Amazon’s current selection at the time of this review’s writing.