Mahou Shoujo × Haiboku Saiban - Vol. 4 Ch. 23 - Case 08 Samurai Tsubaki Part 1

[Monstrengo]

Oh no! Not Aoi-kun's savior! Well, at least Aoi-kun can return the favor.

But yeah, this chapter feels more serious. The molestation and murder are not played for laughs. The dispatch girl certainly points at something dark within the magical girl organization (not to mention that 'not authorized' business). Eventually, Yuuri's sister will get involved.

 

[SpiritedBreak2]

genuinely i thought i accidentally reading hentai from the few first pages since this involve my favourite tag lmao

ikr. author should just go independant and make it a full-blown hentai at this point. might be even more interesting.

 

[Misticsan]

As others are saying, yes, this chapter has a darker tone.

I think it's the first chapter where neither Yuuri nor Aoi, our plucky protagonist duo, appear. Instead, we take a look at the larger Magical Girl system. The overworked routine of a public safety agent (funny how "Chevalier" is her alias, but "Samurai" is her real name), the mysterious and cyberpunk-like mission control, and Yuuri's sister was name-dropped.

I hope this means the series will start expanding its scope to explore the system as a whole, even if the trials will remain the "climactic fights" of the story.

 

[runedKnight]

As others are saying, yes, this chapter has a darker tone.

I think it's the first chapter where neither Yuuri nor Aoi, our plucky protagonist duo, appear. Instead, we take a look at the larger Magical Girl system. The overworked routine of a public safety agent (funny how "Chevalier" is her alias, but "Samurai" is her real name), the mysterious and cyberpunk-like mission control, and Yuuri's sister was name-dropped.

I hope this means the series will start expanding its scope to explore the system as a whole, even if the trials will remain the "climactic fights" of the story.

Chevalier is the term used to refer to State Magical Girls. Shikimi was one as well until her own defeat, though perhaps losing to a monster disqualifies you from the position?

My theory on the mission control is that she just calculates the chances of the girls winning in order to make sure the Chevaliers never lose or something. Tsubaki disregarding the system might play into her eventual trial.

Will we get a new Prosecutor this time? or will Lemon return?

 

[LecherousLeech]

Is the dispatcher a court punishment?

These magical girl powers and duties are fuckin’ dystopian some times.

 

[Raptorofwar]

It's because they're not people, they're property. Good ol slavery.

That's a common undertone of modern misogyny, women seen as pieces rather than as people. There's a lot of dehumanization in many forms of oppression. You don't have to treat someone as equal to you if they're not "really a person", at least mentally.

 

[runedKnight]

It's because they're not people, they're property. Good ol slavery.

Interestingly enough during Lemons trial it was mentioned that in other nations the girls are essentially property of the state, more so because of their military value, and are forcefully conscripted. The implication being that the girls living in this society can live how they want?

Usually magical girls stories are localized at one place in time from my experience, but with that reveal the author opened the possibility that there is something supernatural at play in this society that employs the Defeat Trial instead.
Would it be a surprise if some of the people in the Peanut gallery were monsters in disguise?

That's a common undertone of modern misogyny, women seen as pieces rather than as people. There's a lot of dehumanization in many forms of oppression. You don't have to treat someone as equal to you if they're not "really a person", at least mentally.

Misogyny is a form of violence and it pairs well against a group that are uniformly girls (thematically speaking don't get any wrong ideas)... well there are former boys too, but they are treated just as badly.
Run of the mill violence can only get you so far against entities that are fueled by virtuous feelings, destroying their spirit through humiliation seems more final.
Yuuri fights for their dignity which is an interesting turn on things since magical girls usually fight monsters or evil villains while here they don't really have a clear enemy (yet) other than the system that forces them into these situations.

I still wonder if the author came to this compelling setup completely by accident or not...

 

[nisashi13]

if she is powerful enough for them to assign a teleport magic girl with her, you may as well pay her so she can stop going to school.