Magical Karina, Vol. 1

A funny and heartfelt action manga that puts a poignant new spin on the magical girl formula, perfect for fans of Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura.

Karina never asked to be a magical girl! In fact, not even a few hours have passed since her dear grandmother's sudden death when a boy meets her in the street and calls on her to transform. But how can a sarcastic teenager from a working-class family juggle her grief, her schoolwork, her waitressing job, and fighting death itself?

Just this morning, Karina was sitting at the breakfast table, cleaning up the miso soup her grandmother dropped on the floor. Now, she's being called out to class to go to the hospital and see her grandma's body...with a piece of seaweed still stuck to her uniform. She still finds time to make it to her hourly job at a family restaurant, but on the way home, she sees a glittering, elephant-like creature floating the sky... And a teenage boy appears to push her out of the way of its attack! Death is stalking Karina's town in a form that only she can see, and this boy gives her two choices: Die or transform and fight! She can scarcely follow what he's saying, but her clothes do change, and the staff she finds herself holding has enough heft to do some serious damage... But is there space in Karina's life for getting revenge for her grandma and fighting magical monsters when she's already stretched to her limit?