Rating: 4.82 out of 5

I just finished reading Magical Girl - Cyber Ronin and I am absolutely screaming. I did not know I needed a mix of neon-drenched cyberpunk and frilly magical girl outfits in my life until now, but this novel served it on a silver platter. The whole concept of "Trillion-yen CEO publicly executed by rogue Magical Girl" in the very first chapter? Iconic behavior. Tokiko is not your typical hero; she is a total anti-hero queen and I am obsessed with her.

The relationship between Toki and her cat guide, Time, is the heart of this story. They are so sassy with each other but you can tell they are ride or die. There is this one scene in the "A hundred years or a hundred minutes" chapter where Time is terrified of losing Toki, and it was so wholesome I almost cried. It grounded all the crazy action in something real. And speaking of action, the fight scenes are insane. When Toki teams up with Ryou and Electron to raid the Kurogaisha headquarters? I was on the edge of my seat. The way they mix magic with cybernetic enhancements is such a cool power system.

The climax on the rooftop against Aki (or Space, whatever you want to call that imperialist witch) was everything. When Tokiko finally revealed her true magical girl form with the black wings and halo after hiding it for three years? I gasped. Her "Why I fight" speech wasn't just some cheesy monologue; it felt earned because we saw how much she suffered. She literally dismembered the villain while listing off everyone she was fighting for. It was brutal and beautiful.

The ending was bittersweet, which I usually hate, but here it worked. Seeing the cats leave to find new partners made me sad, but knowing Toki and Time are still out there fighting the system gave me hope.

If you want a story that is flashy, edgy, and full of girl power, you have to read this. 4.82/5 because Tokiko is the moment.