Magical Sempai (Japanese: 手品先輩, Hepburn: Tejina Senpai, "Magic Trick Senior") is a Japanese manga series by Azu. It was serialized in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Weekly Young Magazine from February 2016 to February 2021 and has been collected into eight tankōbon volumes. Kodansha USA published the series digitally in North America. An anime television series adaptation by Liden Films aired from July to September 2019.
Plot
An unmotivated first-year high school boy finds a girl practicing a magic trick. The girl is Sempai, the only remaining member of the Magic Club. She has stage fright whenever she performs in front of an audience, which often results in her screwing up. She recruits the boy to be her assistant, despite his objections.
A high school girl who is a skilled magician when no one is watching. However, due to embarrassment and clumsiness, she easily gets stage fright and often blunders her magic tricks when even one person watches her perform.Ch. 1 One of her weaknesses is that she is easy to hypnotize.Ch. 20-21
A high school boy who gets recruited to be Sempai's assistant in the Magic Club, despite his objections.Ch. 1-9 It has been shown he can do magic tricks better than Sempai.Ch. 2, 11, 17 He has short hair in a bowl cut.Ch. 1 He also joins the school's Chemistry Club.Ch. 31
Sempai's older sister, who is a teacher at the school. She agrees to be the Magic Club advisor.Ch. 9 She is a bit air-headed as well, and enjoys dressing Sempai in cosplay costumes.Ch. 14-15 It is later revealed that she is married.Ch. 50-51
Saki is a third-year transfer student with long wavy hair. She is in charge of the Street Performance Club and intends to take over the Magic Club. She is obsessed with her younger brother, Masashi. She can make balloon animals, but her performances are as clumsy and ditzy as Sempai's.Ch. 33-35 After losing to Sempai in comparing breast sizes, she and Masashi join the Magic Club.Ch. 35 She and Sempai are not good students academically.Ch. 43
Masashi is Saki's obese younger brother. He is level-headed like Assistant. He and Saki join the Magic Club.Ch. 33-35 Saki affectionately refers to him as "Ma-kun" (まーくん).Ch. 33
Madara is a second-year student and president of the Chemistry Club. She let Assistant join her club when the Magic Club did not have enough members. She has long dark hair and wears glasses.Ch. 31 She is able to do some tricks by using science techniques but is annoyed by Sempai's antics.Ch. 53
Media
Manga
Magical Sempai, written and illustrated by Azu, was serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Young Magazine from February 29, 2016 to February 15, 2021.[5][6] Kodansha collected its chapters in eight individual tankōbon volumes, which were released from August 5, 2016 to March 5, 2021.[7][8]
A spinoff manga series titled Isekai Senpai ー Tejina Senpai wa Kono Sekai de mo Ponkotsu na Yō Desu (異世界先輩 -手品先輩はこの世界でもポンコツなようです-) by Shotan was launched in Ichijinsha's Manga 4-Koma Palette on November 22, 2019.[11]
An anime television series adaptation was announced in the 49th issue of Weekly Young Magazine on November 5, 2018. The series was produced by Liden Films and directed by Fumiaki Usui. Rintarou Ikeda handled the series composition, Eriko Itō designed the characters, and Takeshi Hama composed the music.[26][27]
It aired from July 2 to September 17, 2019 on Tokyo MX, MBS, and BS-NTV.[26] The series consists of 12 fifteen-minute episodes.[28][29]i☆Ris performed the opening theme "FANTASTIC ILLUSION", while Minori Suzuki performed the ending theme "Dame wa Dame" (ダメハダメ).[30][31]Crunchyroll streamed the series.[32]
On November 16, 2019, Crunchyroll announced that the series would receive an English dub.[3]
"Sempai and the Pigeon" Transliteration: "Hato to Senpai" (Japanese: ハトと先輩)
A first-year high school boy is forced to pick a school club to join when he stumbles upon his Sempai practicing a magic trick. However, upon finding herself with an audience, she gets stage fright and can't complete any of her magic tricks successfully. The same boy later finds himself drafted as the Assistant while Sempai tries to recruit new club members, but Sempai struggles to break out of her wooden box. The Assistant is called to the club room where Sempai has baked him some bread, but he immediately suspects her of testing a new trick. Sempai tries to show off her new white pigeon, but can't control it.
The Assistant does a spoon-bending trick that Sempai fails at, despite explaining it to him. Sempai attempts a coin penetration trick, but keeps losing the coin in difficult spots. Sempai shows off "Behemoth-kun," a stuffed toy weasel. Sempai utterly fails at magic tricks in front of some kids in the park. Sempai locks her Assistant in the club room when she discovers he hasn't officially signed up for the Magic Club yet.
"Sempai Off Campus" Transliteration: "Kōgai Senpai" (Japanese: 校外先輩)
Sempai hands in her Assistant's club form to his homeroom teacher, who happens to be Sempai's older sister. Sempai tests her Assistant's skill to try to act superior over him. Sempai tries to conquer her stage fright. Sempai puts on a kimono to do traditional Japanese magic. Sempai attempts to perform magic with wild pigeons in the park.
"Pigeon, Pigeon and Sempai" Transliteration: "Hato to Hato to Senpai" (Japanese: ハトとハトと先輩)
"Sempai Finishes the Job" Transliteration: "Shitomeru Senpai" (Japanese: 仕留める先輩)
"Magic Club Sempai" Transliteration: "Kijutsubu Senpai" (Japanese: 奇術部先輩)
Sempai tries to celebrate her Assistant's one-month anniversary since joining the club when her Sister informs her that the Magic Club is not official because it doesn't have enough members. Assistant tries to join another club but can't escape his Sempai. Sempai introduces two new white pigeons. Sempai tries to do a sword box trick. Sempai is able to successfully perform magic by herself until her Assistant comes in and announces he's joined the Chemistry Club.
5
"Observer and Sempai" Transliteration: "Kengaku-sha to Senpai" (Japanese: 見学者と先輩)
Assistant dreads the potential arrival of a couple girls who want to observe the Magic Club. Sempai tests out a new quick-change trick as her Sister puts her in increasingly skimpy outfits. Madara uses her science knowledge to show off tricks to the Assistant. Sempai tries to surprise Assistant from inside a box, but overhears some embarrassing information from him instead. Sempai invites Assistant into her home.
Saki, a senior student, announces her intent to take over the Magic Club with her "street performance" tricks. Saki introduces her brother, Ma-kun, to the club, though he is less enthused about joining. Sempai tries to show off her own magic tricks in response and fails, when her Sister announces she's decided to become the Magic Club's advisor. Sempai tries to practice hypnotism on her Assistant, but he turns the lesson back on her.
Saki and Sempai each try to bake cookies for Ma-kun and Assistant, respectively. The Magic Club tries to raise funds in a nearby park. Sempai wants to demonstrate an underwater magic trick, but her Assistant fears she'll drown. Assistant tries to help Sempai overcome her stage fright again.
Sempai attempts to uncover the secrets of Bian Lian with the Magic Club. Sempai practices mentalism with her Assistant. Sempai has too many mikan. Sempai makes a webpage for the Magic Club. The Magic Club is invited to a local nursery school.
Sempai attempts a mind-reading trick. Sempai and Saki play a counting game while waiting to take a make-up exam. The Magic Club get together during summer break. The Magic Club goes shopping for swimsuits.
10
"Beach Sempai" Transliteration: "Umi to Senpai" (Japanese: 海と先輩)
The Magic Club hits the beach in their new swimsuits. Assistant runs into Madara on the same beach. Assistant invites Madara to the Magic Club's watermelon splitting game. Sempai tries to demonstrate some fire magic tricks, setting off Saki's fireworks prematurely.
Sempai practices magic tricks with four balls. Saki practices ventriloquism with a hand puppet of her brother. The rest of the Magic Club tail Sempai after school to find out if she has a boyfriend.
Saki teaches the club how to make balloon shapes. Sempai tries to prove her skills to her Assistant again. Madara shows off more tricks with her science knowledge. Sempai tries to practice magic while Assistant sleeps in the club room. Sempai tries to beat her stage fright by dressing in a sexy bunny costume.
