Mahou Timeline
A work in progress!
Little Witch Era
This era is marked by the prominence of the "magical visitor" archetype, a type of magical girl who lives in the ordinary world but is really a witch, or a princess, or some other magical being from a fantasy world. It also features a set of magical girl shows produced by Toei Animation, many of which fill the same broadcast timeslot across several years.
1962
Himetsu no Akko-chan, first known magical girl manga, begins publication. An ordinary girl receives a magic mirror that lets her transform into various personae.
1963
Chibikko Tenshi, by Mitsuteru Yokoyama, begins publication. This manga features two angels who descend to earth and cause mischief with their magic powers. Sally the Witch and Princess Comet, from the same author, will have similar premises. Yokoyama also created Tetsujin-28-go, an early influential mecha work.
1964
Sarutobi Ecchan, by Shotaro Ishinomori of Kamen Rider fame, is published in a shoujo manga magazine. This series follows a litle girl who possessses powerful ninja skills from her family.
1966
Sally the Witch is Yokoyama's second magical girl work, this time featuring a magical princess who comes to our world. The manga receives an anime counterpart from Toei Animation before the end of the year. Supposedly inspired by the American series Bewitched.
1967
Princess Comet, again from Yokoyama, premieres as a manga and a tokusatsu drama.
1968
Himetsu no Akko-chan receives an anime adaptation through Toei Animation, filling the same broadcast slot as Sally the Witch had. Toei will continue to include magical girls in this broadcast slot for the next several years.
1970
Marvelous Melmo, a manga by Osamu Tezuka, depicts a young girl who receives the ability to transform into a teenage version of herself in various outfits. A similar template is used by the later Minky Momo.
Mahou no Mako-chan, a Toei Animation series inspired by The Little Mermaid, takes the time slot at the conclusion of Akko-chan. The "magical visitor to the world of humans" template is taking shape.
1971
Marvelous Melmo is adapted into an anime by Tezuka Productions. In the anime version, Melmo's costume changes are not made as magically convenient.
Sarutobi Ecchan receives an anime adaptation through Toei Animation, taking Mako-chan's time slot after its conclusion. May or may not be counted among the traditional "Toei Magical Girl" roster.
1972
Mahoutsukai Chappy marks Toei Animation's return to the "magical visitor" format, and takes the broadcast slot from Ecchan. The next show to fill this slot is Babel II, after which it returns to magical girl shows.
1973
Miracle Girl Limit-chan restores Toei Magical Girls to their previous broadcast timeslot after the conclusion of Babel II. Limit is an ordinary girl who becomes a cyborg after a near-death experience, a sci-fi twist on the formula.
Cutie Honey, concept by Go Nagai, releases as a manga and an anime through Toei Animation. Cutie Honey had been competing with Limit-chan for the magical girl timeslot, which may have led to a different direction for the show after losing the pressure to conform to shoujo expectations. Cutie Honey takes a lot of cues from tokusatsu action heroes; she transforms into forms themed after various occupations before transforming again to enter the combat phase. Nagai also created Mazinger Z, an early influential mecha work.
1974
Majokko Megu-chan takes the Toei Magical Girl timeslot after the conclusion of Limit-chan, but also inherits some of the staff and sensibilities of Cutie Honey. Meg is a visitor from a magical world, sent to learn about the human world and compete with her rival for the throne. Extremely influential on later works. After Megu-chan's conclusion in 1975, the Toei Magical Girl timeslot is turned over to other shows for a few years.