Sasami: Magical Girls Club (砂沙美☆魔法少女クラブ) is a magical girl anime which features the rather familiar likenesses of Sasami and other characters of the Tenchi Muyo! franchise, specifically those of Pretty Sammy. However, this series is not in the same continuity as the Pretty Sammy anime titles. The animation style is different, and the story is set in an alternate universe. Produced by AIC and BeSTACK and officially recognized as a Tenchi Muyo! spin-off, it is aired in WOWOW on Thursday nights, the show aired its first season from April 13, 2006 to July 13, 2006. Also, the anime was produced in 16:9 widescreen. On October 6, 2006, a second season had begun airing. Both seasons have now been licensed for a release in the U.S. by Funimation. On January 12, 2009, the series made its North American debut on the Funimation Channel.

Story

Sasami Iwakura has been endowed with magical powers since birth; but at age three, she is forbidden by her parents to use them. So she decides to keep her magical powers a secret. But at the start of a new term, she encounters the new transfer teacher, Washu and her pet Ryo-Ohki, and her life is about to change. The first series/season is dedicated to character development as we are introduced to magic girls Sasami, Misao, Makoto, Tsukasa, and Anri. As the girls discover their awakening powers, they also learn a bit about themselves as they train with Washu and Daimon as part of their "cooking club." This culminates in their taking a trip to the magic world, where they compete against other magic squad teams, some having boys in them. The second series/season is dedicated to plot, where Sasami's magic girl squad's activities have impressed the Chief Sorceress. As such, she wants those girls as part of her plan to change the human world (Earth), which she sees as too corrupt. The girls, especially Misao, must not only learn to master their abilities and magics, but also learn to face their own fears, lack of understanding, and the like as they walk a dark road set down before them by the Chief Sorceress. This anime also features Misao (Shinohara) and Sasami's homeroom teacher Mihoshi.

Characters

Magical Girls Club

Supporting characters

Music

The opening and end themes were dubbed into English for Funimation's release of the series. The opening theme was performed by Lauren-Claire Poitevent while the closing themes were performed by Laura Wetsel. The official anime soundtrack was released on CD in 2006 and includes the following tracks:

Reception

Casey Brienza of Anime News Network reviewed the anime's first season, calling it an "inoffensive magical girl anime" and that the show's visuals are appealing, praised the show's character designs, and voice acting. However, Bieza criticized the show for "An-An's puppy love infatuation with Tsukasa" saying it goes nowhere and is annoying, and called the soundtrack a "mixed bag."