28 years after its last magical girl show, Bleach and Naruto studio Pierrot is launching a new series as its producer admits they are "tired of battles" in anime.
Speaking to Oricon News (via Automaton Media), producer Yuhei Fukui pulled back the curtain on Magical Sisters LuluttoLilly, a series that continues the studio's decades-old tradition of magical girl anime, best characterized by a group of young women transforming into fantastical alter-egos – complete with a "no battles" rule.
“Our company has produced numerous works like Naruto and Bleach that lean heavily into battles, but this time, the producer in charge was like, I’m so tired of battles," Fukui said.
For Fukui, who has worked with Studio Pierrot as they went to work on action-heavy shonen series punctuated by sword fights, betrayal, and power levels, that means going for a change of pace in a more intense landscape than when they last worked on magical girl anime in the 1990s.
They continued, "In the current day and age, when it’s easy to get tired from informational overload, we felt that there is a need for an anime with a tender and soothing worldview. Instead of an anime that you have to watch with your eyes glued to the screen, we wanted something you can casually watch while you unwind."
Magical Sisters LuluttoLilly, currently airing in Japan, follows Fuu and Rui, a pair of sisters who have drifted apart but suddenly reconnect after receiving magical powers that transform them into adults. The catch? The powers only last for a year – and must be kept a secret. Don't go expecting any episode-spanning showdowns here, that's for sure.
For more, check out the new anime coming your way in the summer season, plus our picks for the best anime movies to watch right now.
