High Guardian Spice: Setting a High Bar for Future Western Animation

Despite all the delays, High Guardian Spice is finally here! I will admit upfront that I have some level of bias, since I'm a non-binary fantasy nerd who loves all things magical and colourful. This show was always going to be on my radar, but has it lived up to my lofty expectations?

No, it has surpassed them. While the characters may initially fit in with generic archetypes, as the show progresses, we learn so much more about them. They fit like a glove into this fully fleshed-out fantasy world, where both hard and soft magic systems exist in tandem with each other.

The "New Magic" is the soft magic system, being faster, more direct, but also more expendable than the "Old" hard magic system, which requires extensive knowledge and use of runes. With only twelve episodes of the season, it's impossible to flesh out the consequences of each in their entirety. But for what it's worth, we get to see how the rejection of old magic is having a dramatic effect on the world.

HGS draws inspiration from both western and eastern animation, with influences ranging from Little Witch Academia to Steven Universe. As such, each of the characters have a different relation to magic, including different levels of magical skill. The more time we spend with them, the more we learn about their own goals and ideals, adding depth that sets them apart from their basal archetypes.

HGS sets a solid foundation on existing magic-school tropes, but goes further in showing how the magic they learn about effects those around them. They learn as much about themselves as they do magic in general, showing a great strength in the overall character writing.

HGS should be especially noteworthy for its handling of transgender-related topics. At least one of the characters is openly, explicitly trans, and another is an egg just waiting to crack. HGS does an incredible job of tackling toxic masculinity and internalised transphobia, showing how strict gender roles stifle and break down people who are anything but the standards they're expected to adhere to.

Likewise, even Amaryllis, who at times feels like a generic bully character, genuinely cares for her friends, and shows an openness to emotion which few other shows would even touch upon. The heroes aren't perfect, and that's the point. They aren't the chosen ones, but they are dedicated to their causes, and even when victories turn messy (taxed with a heavy emotional toll), it grounds the show in a way that firmly places it in the teen demographic.

The show does have its fair share of blood and swearing, but not to a gratuitous degree. Personally, I find the content warnings at the beginning from Crunchyroll are excessive. This is not a kids show, but it's not strictly adult animation by modern standards, either. In that sense, I think it does well to avoid the shock value that comes with trying too hard to escape the animation age ghetto.

HGS does have some flaws, mostly prevalent in the first few episodes while the characters are getting set up. Some choices of dialogue feel a bit stilted, sounding awkward in any context. There are also a few times where the animation tends to pause a minute, lingering on a single frame with no dialogue for several seconds.

But, if you can overlook these minor flaws, there is a great time to be had here. If you're looking for something dark and edgy, then this show isn't for you. But if you've enjoyed any of the instant classics that have come from western animation (The Owl House, Steven Universe, She-Ra, etc), then you will love this series. I just hope that the entitled weebs review bombing the show don't kill its future prospects!

High Guardian Spice gets a final rating of 8/10.