Follow us on Twitter | Instagram
The manga series “Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!” (Original title: “30-sai made Doutei dato Mahoutsukai ni Nareru Rashii”) by Yuu Toyota is such a hit with fans that it already had two live-action adaptations (a Japanese series and a Thai remake called “Cherry Magic”) and one movie released before its anime adaptation finished airing. And not like anybody is asking, but my favorite version is the Japanese show starring Eiji Akaso and Keita Machida – it had all the elements right, from the cast, to chemistry, to comic timing, and background music! But let’s now talk about the 2024 animated series directed by Yoshiko Okuda.
Faithful to the manga in large parts, the anime version of “30-sai made Doutei dato Mahoutsukai ni Nareru Rashii” has been made by Satelight animation studio, who are behind titles like “Macross Frontier” and “Fairy Tail”. Chiaki Kobayashi voices primary protagonist Adachi Kiyoshi, an ordinary boring office employee with no social life, who gains the power to read minds by touching people after he turns 30. According to popular legend, those who remain virgin until 30, develop this strange power, and Adachi has such low esteem, he doesn’t see how he can use his new powers to his advantage. But when he learns the office heartthrob Yuichi Kurosawa (voiced by Ryota Suzuki) is madly in love with him through his powers, his life turns upside down. A secondary sub-plot focuses on Adachi’s best-friend Tsuge gaining the same power and falling for a much younger man called Minato who wants to become a pop star.
The first few episodes of the show hilariously establishes the clashing personalities of its leads Adachi and Kurosowa; while the former is a hard-working wallflower, the handsome Kurosowa is the star of his office, who is exceptional is everything he does. Adachi is in-fact envious of Kurosowa’s personality, so it comes as a shock to learn the office hottie has a crazy crush on him. The calm-cool exterior of Kurosowa and his chaotic inner thoughts offer plenty of comedic moments in the show. He constantly rushes to Adachi’s help and never crosses the line. So, despite its silly magical premise, what makes “30-sai made Doutei dato Mahoutsukai ni Nareru Rashii” a heartwarming feel-good romance is how the leads fall in love with each other due to small acts of kindness.
Chiaki Kobayashi’s voice-acting for Adachi was slightly inconsistent, his voice would just sound different in certain parts in the latter episodes, but he definitely manages to capture the capricious/skittish personality of Adachi very well. The animation on the other-hand is pretty cute, with the character styles quite similar to the manga illustrations, but the creators could’ve taken some liberties with the faces of the different characters, because except for their hair color and style – Minato and Adachi look like twins. However, there’s a noteworthy detail throughout the series concerning Adachi: his hair conceals his face and one eye for the first half of the series, symbolizing his lack of confidence and reluctance to reveal himself. Yet, as he gradually gains confidence, largely due to Kurosawa’s love and support, his countenance becomes more visible, a subtle metaphor for his burgeoning personality and increasing happiness.
Regardless of whether you’ve watched/read the other versions of the story, this animated series is a fun watch for those looking for a comedic-cute office romance.
You can watch the series on Netflix/CrunchyRoll.
Read Next: Fallout Review – Dystopia Is Rarely This Fun!
Also Read: Einstein and the Bomb Review (Audio Version Below)