The magical boy is a popular character type. He, too, possesses special powers. He may be a classmate of the magical girl. Or perhaps he’s someone who lives in the other, magical world and requires the magical girl’s help against the demons who are trying to destroy his people—and as such, he has been sent to Earth to bring her back to lead them. They will fight together, and maybe share a secret love from afar.
Like the magical girl, the magical boy is also about 14 to 16 years of age, but he can sometimes appear even a bit older if his features are longer and more elegant (a type of character known as a bishounen, or bishie for short, which in Japanese stands for pretty boy and is a standard character type pervasive in many styles of manga).
Male vs. Female Facial Proportions
On male characters, there’s a higher forehead, more length from the top of the eye to the tip of the nose, and more mass at the bottom of the jaw.
As you can see from the character design, the magical boy isn’t a rugged type—no jock is he. He’s earnest, determined, and true. And that’s what you want in the magical fighting genre: teens with amazing powers, who nonetheless look vulnerable and outclassed by the enemy. If they looked invincible, there would be no drama. So the magical boy still looks a little on the soft side, but he’s got a tiger’s fighting spirit in him. And yes, he can be sarcastic and also crack stupid jokes. Hey, what did you expect? He’s a boy?
Here’s the same character dressed three different ways to create three different magical boys around whom you could build a story. Remember, the origins of the magical boy are important: i.e., where he comes from, what went wrong with his world, and how the magical girl can help save his people from destruction.
Crystal Moon Commander
High collars and squared off shoulder pads create a commanding appearance.
Young Galaxy Prince
A crown and ascot offer a pampered, regal look.
A cloak and hood conjure up dark magic.
To start, draw a magical boy as a regular teen, before he transforms into a super version of himself. This chart gives some basic pointers on proportions. When artists think about body proportions, they don’t get out the tape measure. Instead, they think in terms of “head lengths.” In other words, how many “heads tall” is the character, or how many head lengths is the entire figure? Similiarly, they consider how many heads wide the character is from shoulder to shoulder. And they break down the character into smaller sections, considering how many heads tall just the hip area is (on this diagram, it’s three-quarters of a head). Doing this helps the artist keep the character looking the same in a variety of poses because even though the pose changes, the proportions don’t.
All people are built differently. So these are average proportions. With shorter people, the proportions may be truncated; on lankier characters, they might be elongated. But these proportions make a good guide that fits into the normal range.
Just as there are different types of magical girls, there are also different types of magical boys. The figures here and on the next few pages provide some of the many possibilities.
He’s your average high school sophomore who’s just been whisked from his bicycle and suddenly transported to another dimension where he has been hailed as the leader. He has been chosen to lead the fight against the legions of darkness that have invaded a peace-loving alien world. His new uniform shows that he is a commander of the highest order. He may not have any idea what he’s doing—or what he’s up against. Even worse, his new, all-powerful, wicked enemies now view him as the main obstacle to their ultimate domination of the universe. Makes you kinda wish you had a final exam to go to instead.
He’s the kind of magical boy who travels from the alien world to Earth to bring back a magical girl to save his people. His elfin ears, sharp nose, pointed eyebrows, and long hair all conspire to give him a faerielike quality. He may travel between the two worlds, but he cannot stay on Earth, even if he falls in love with an Earth girl. His home is somewhere else.
Magical boys can also be fighters of the sword, defenders of the realm, sort of “fantasy knights.”
Magical boys can be even more fanciful figures, as well, like anthros. Anthro is slang for anthropomorphic, which describes animals drawn with human attributes (walking upright, for instance). In manga, the term anthro refers to humans with animal traits, such as the cat-boy on the right. Anthros are popular enough to warrant their own subcategory in manga. These mysterious creatures can also possess mysterious powers and be part of the magical boy or girl genre.
Here they go—into action to help the magical girl defeat the forces of evil and bring justice to the world. The enemy—whether it be a monster, a giant robot, or a powerful wizard—is always larger in stature than the magical boy, which stacks the odds against our hero. That creates the nail-biting experience the reader secretly desires. It also means that the enemy is going to posses more brute force and generate more special effects. As a result, the magical boy is going to have to use mobility and speed to his advantage. So use lots of action and body movement in his poses.
Sword Attack
About to Deliver the Ultimate Blow
Battle of the Force Beams
Leaping Head-On into the Fight
