Magical Girl Friendship Squad Explained

Genre:	Animated comedy Magical girl
Creator:	Kelsey Stephanides
Director:	Erica Perez Krystal "K" Downs
Starring:	Quinta Brunson Anna Akana Ana Gasteyer Matteo Lane
Country:	United States
Language:	English
Num Seasons:	1
Num Episodes:	6
Executive Producer:	Hallie Cantor James Belfer Adam Belfer Max Benator
Runtime:	15 minutes
Company:	Cartuna TZGZ Productions
Network:	Syfy
Related:

Magical Girl Friendship Squad is an American adult animated magical girl sitcom created by Kelsey Stephanides and starring Anna Akana and Quinta Brunson.^[1] It follows two directionless young women who must figure out how to save the Universe. The first season of the series, consisting of six 11-minute episodes, premiered on Syfy's late night programming block TZGZ on September 26, 2020.^{[2] [3] [4]}

Plot

In this female-driven comedic series, Alex (Brunson) and Daisy (Akana), two millennial women, are given the duty of protecting the universe while getting their lives together and pay rent to their demanding landlord.^[5]

Characters

Main

• Alex (voiced by Quinta Brunson^{[6] [7]}), a millennial black woman who thinks of becoming a barista at a local coffee shop before meeting Nut.^[8] Her magical powers are stored in her birth control.
• Daisy (voiced by Anna Akana^[9]), Alex's stoner friend and roommate. Despite having antiheroic qualities,^[10] she bonds with Alex over loving the John Wick franchise. She has allegedly slept with all the baristas at the local coffee shop, including Michaela and the No Tattoo Barista. Her ex-girlfriend, Yolanda, is revealed to be working at the urgent care clinic in the show's fourth episode. She stores her powers in a Tom Selleck bong she calls "Bong Selleck".
• Nut (voiced by Ana Gasteyer), a red panda – initially named "Isis" – who gives Daisy and Alex the ability to transform into magical girls, allowing them to work together to "save the universe from otherworldly threats."^[11] It is revealed in the show's sixth episode, "Just Two Weak Girls," that the villainous Verus was Nut's ex-girlfriend.
• Corvin (voiced by Matteo Lane^[12]), Verus' evil henchman. He is part of Arregon, an evil corporation located in Brooklyn and run by Verus. He is fired from Arregon in the fifth episode. In the sixth episode, it is implied that he has a crush on Coffee Dude.

Supporting

• Verus (voiced by Christine Baranski) is an "icy and efficient omni-universal being."^[13] Shown in a cameo in the show's third episode, she is formally introduced in the show's fifth episode, where she, as the evil corporate executive who runs Arregon, fires Corvin.^{[14] [15]} In the show's final episode, it is revealed that Nut is Verus's ex-girlfriend.
• Coffee Dude (voiced by Manny Jacinto) is an optimist on whom Alex has a crush.
• Daisy's mother (voiced by Helen Hong) is part of a fundamentalist religious cult, along with her husband.
• Daisy's father (voiced by Eric Bauza), like his wife, is part of a fundamentalist religious cult.
• Lulu (voiced by Sarah "Squirm" Sherman) is an old lady and landlord who dislikes late rent and millennials.

Other characters

• The Emptier (voiced by Jason Mantzoukas)
• Gloriana (voiced by Paget Brewster) is a goddess and Nut's sister, with whom she has a strained relationship. She is introduced in the episode "The Real World".
• CBD Monster (voiced by Vella Lovell), which wreaks havoc by using CBD to sap the energy of the patrons at Daisy and Alex's favorite coffee spot.^[16] She is the first monster defeated by Daisy and Alex. Although she transforms from her original form as the "No Tattoo Barista", her ultimate fate is not known.^[17]
• The Mushroominations (voiced by Patti Harrison^[18]), fungal parasites who "keep ego in check" on their home world of Hubris, where everyone is overconfident; this causes an outbreak of low self-esteem and negative self-talk when they propagate throughout the neighborhood via Daisy's infected cut in the episode "Anti Fungal Spit Skanks".
• Nightscreamr (voiced by Jamie Loftus), a "goth bully."^[19]
• Yolanda (voiced by Stephanie Sheh^[20]), Daisy's ex-girlfriend,^[21] who works at an urgent care clinic and was designed as a "cute, classic style anime female character" based on Usagi Tsukino from Sailor Moon and Nurse Joy from Pokémon, according to character designer Marika Cowan.^[22] Her character was designed by Cowan and Alyssa Fullerton, a character and prop designer for the show.^[23]
• Pansy, who calls herself Daisy's "monogamous live-in girlfriend." She only exists in the dimension created by Gloriana, Nut's sister, as shown in "The Real World."

Production

Development

Magical Girl Friendship Squad was created by Kelsey Stephanides, who is also the showrunner, and is inspired by anime, riffing off the magical girl genre popularized by Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura.^[24] The show was made, according to Stephanides, between the end of 2019 to August 2020, after it was pitched to Syfy, which wanted a polished reboot with "longer episodes."^[25] In January 2020, TZGZ, Syfy's new adult animation block, ordered six 15-minute episodes for the series. At the same time, the short form version, , began airing on Syfy's late-night block.^{[26] [27]} Also anime-inspired like the main series, this pilot series was written by Diana McCorry, who created Human Kind Of and features show's two same protagonists.^[28]

Stephanides stated that she was influenced by series such as The Simpsons and Futurama but that they had mostly male casts, making her think about "what a show with a mostly female cast would look like" beginning in 2015.^[29] She then decided to make a parody of the magical girl subgenre, using Rick and Morty and Archer as a basis. In the same interview, she stated that the themes of the show are about what it's like "to gain and hold power as a woman today" without losing a part of yourself, building upon the setup of the characters in the pilot series. Furthermore, she stated that the themes of friendship and honesty are key to the series, as is the message that people are stronger when they are "more open" and connect with others. She also hoped that the series expands the "types of new animated stories" with more variety in adult animation. She also noted that the show is anime-inspired, not anime itself, despite the number of anime references in the show's backgrounds, while hoping for "different ways" to do adult animation in the future.

In February, all the voiceovers for the show's six episodes were recorded, resulting in Akana getting "really, really sick after recording everything," with Daisy's voice not in her "natural register," making it rough. Some of the recording was finished up in early March just before the pandemic hit. Months later, in early September, Stephanides made similar points as she had in the interview with Comics Beat but added that she wanted to make a "genderbent" version of previous adult animations that was more feminine in its themes, leading her to the magical girl genre, specifically a genre parody.^[30] She further noted that because of the show she is getting back into watching anime like Kill la Kill, One-Punch Man, and Mob Psycho 100 and stated that the show is trying to modernize the magical girl genre. Additionally, she commented about how it was easy to work with Brunson and Akana, that the red panda was chosen to differentiate from a cat as a magical familiar, the "adjustment period" that Daisy and Alex have to go through before they become magical girls, and the experience of having Stephanie Sheh do voice work on the show. She hoped, at the same time, this would encourage more networks and platforms to create adult animations like it, while inspiring others to make their own unique shows. The next month, Marika Cowan, character designer of the show, shared her designs for the No Tattoo Barista and her form as the CBD Monster from the show's first episode, noting the fun in designing the character and saying she "referenced a LOT of Sailor Moon monsters when developing her look."^[31]

Crew

The show is produced by Cartuna, a New York animation studio, with each producer having their own style.^{[32] [33]} As Stephanides put it, the show would have been "totally different" if another studio produced it. Erica Perez is the animation director for episodes 1, 3, and 5. Krystal "K" Downs is the animation director for episodes 2, 4, and 6. Cartuna worked with over 100 artists on the series.^[34] The animation is done on Adobe Animate, the backgrounds done in Adobe Photoshop, and character design done in both.^[35]

Hallie Cantor is the lead writer^[36] and co-executive producer with James Belfer,^[37] Adam Belfer^[38] and Max Benator.^[39] The two Belfers are also executive producers on the pilot series. Additionally, Marika Cowan is a character designer. Before the show's official release, the show's writer, Cantor described the show as featuring "dangerously horny teens," "snake demon ex-girlfriends," and other aspects, while noting that all six episodes of the show will be available on Syfy's website with a login, while the first episode will be free to stream on the same website.^[40]

In February 2022, Downs described their work on Magical Girl Friendship Squad as "a huge highlight" of their career and a "really fun project" she worked on with her friends.^[41]

Casting

In May 2020, it was announced that Quinta Brunson and Anna Akana were leads of the show's ensemble cast. As Stephanides explained it, Akana voiced Daisy in the pilot series, but that in the main series they wanted to "do a bit more character development," whereas for Brunson it was different. Instead, in the words of Stephanides, she "added a new layer to Alex's personality." Brunson stated that she joined the cast because representation in anime as a Black woman was the reason to join in, and that she agreed with all of the material, especially the content about "outrage culture." In September, Matteo Lane said he loved playing a villain like Corvin, noting the magical girl anime influences, and said that a lot is packed in each episode, even saying the character has a "gay voice."^[42] He even speculated what totem would allow Corvin to transform if he could do so, while saying that people should take away that there can be diverse representation among superheroes. He also revealed that he had done recordings of his lines three times because of the pandemic and ambient noses in New York City, while hoping that in a possible Season 2 his character would get a boyfriend. The following month, Brunson said that she enjoyed playing the character, calling it a lot of fun, and about the transition from stand-up comedy to voice acting.^[43] She also stated that the voice of Alex was not the far removed from her actual voice, while trying to make her more optimistic rather than deadpan, and noted that she was sent an offer to voice this character and didn't have to audition for any others.

Also, Taylor Ortega and Daisy Hobbs voiced characters in the show.^[44]

LGBTQ representation

See also: Adult animation in the United States. When the series appeared on September 26, named Magical Girl Friendship Squad, with some new cast members and longer episodes,^{[45] [46]} there were LGBTQ characters, like in the pilot series. Daisy is unambiguously queer as she has slept with "every barista" at the local coffee shop.^[47] In the second and third episodes of the main show, "The Cool S" and "Agony Solstice", a sticker with the transgender pride flag is shown on Daisy's laptop. She is later shown to have an ex-girlfriend in the fourth episode, "Anti-Fungal Spit Skanks," a classic-style anime character, named Yolanda,^{[21] [22]} who works at urgent care center in the city. In the episode "The Real World," Pansy, who calls herself Daisy's "monogamous live-in girlfriend" is introduced, but she only exists in the dimension created by Nut's sister, Gloriana. On November 1, 2020, Hallie Cantor, a writer for the show, responded to a question on whether Daisy is trans, stated that they hadn't yet "identified her as trans or cis,"^[48] implying that she could either be a cisgender lesbian or trans lesbian. Later, Krystal Downs, director for Magical Girl Friendship Squad, said that Daisy is lesbian in a tweet.^[49] However, Anna Akana, who voiced Daisy, said that Daisy is a cisgender bisexual woman like herself, and added that those who called Daisy trans were incorrect.^[50]

In 2021, the series was also nominated for "Outstanding Animated Series" category at Autostraddle’s 4th Annual Gay Emmys.^[51]

Release

On July 24, 2020, members of the show's cast and crew talked about the show in a panel for Comic Con.^[52] A number of sneak peeks of the show were also shown at the time. Two months later, on September 16, an exclusive sneak peek of the series was uploaded to the YouTube channel of Syfy.^{[53] [54]}

The series premiered on September 26, 2020, alongside the network's other animated series debut Wild Life.^[55] GLAAD, before the series released, stated that the cast included "out actors Anna Akana and Matteo Lane," with comedian Patti Harrison as a guest star.^[56]

Reception

The series received mostly positive critical reception. Complex called the series a cross between Sailor Moon and Broad City, and commented on the "satirical diatribes on internet outrage culture and celebrity."^[57] By contrast, The A.V. Club was more critical. They stated that the series spins touted aspects of millennial culture with "anime-inspired lore and imagery," even as it relies on some tropes, and praised the charm of cast, along with the "faintest promise of adventure." However, they stated that the show functions best when lingering "on the show's core friendship," while it does not, in the end, become an animation which is "something special." This contrasted with the assessment by CBR. Their reviewer said that the series shows "plenty of promise," praised the "distinct art style," saying it feels like a "webcomic come to life," with occasional stiff (and jerky) movement.^[58] Even so, they argued that the vocal talents of Brunson and Akana, complement each other well in this comedic series which has a "mature sense of humor, drug use and language."

Charles Pulliam-Moore of Gizmodo reviewed the series much more positively. He wrote that the series is "equal parts Broad City and Sailor Moon," presenting the heroines (Alex and Daisy) as an unlikely and mismatched duo, even having similar influences to Craig of the Creek or She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, even though it has a different audience.^[59] He also writes that the show is adult not because of its "mature content" or humor, but rather because the story's protagonists see their adventures as a way to escape the stress of everyday life, "not just a responsibility they were fated to take up." He concludes by saying that the series makes clear that Alex and Daisy always have a connection to their normal lives where problems await them, with the idea that being an adult is the "singularly most soul-draining thing" that people have to do, something the viewers will have to confront eventually.

Marley Crusch argued that the series protagonists "discover their true power is friendship" and that the series "manages to make a tried and true approach feel new and fun, and boasts the sparkly, colorful visuals to match."^[60] She also called the series a "strong contender" for her favorite show of 2020, adding that while the series is a "product of its time," it will remain one of her "favorites for years to come," although saying it is very short.

Jesse Schedeen of IGN called the series a "love letter" to magical girl anime like Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura, as it is steeped in references and tropes to anime, remixing it through a "distinctly 21st century American pop culture lens."^[61] He added that this means that if you don't have some appreciation or are familiar with the anime a bit, the show might not "entirely click" while noting that the two protagonists lampoon and defy Millennial stereotypes, and has a positive animation style. He ended by saying that the show resembles a grown-up "anime-influenced Steven Universe" and that the show makes a case for "switching over to Syfy for 15 minutes every Saturday night."

External links

• Magical Girl Friendship Squad on Syfy
  • YouTube watch page
• Production website

Notes and References

1. Evershed . John . 2020 . Adult Animation Finally Breaking Free of its Comedy Shackles . . 28 . November 2, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201103023954/https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5daf57aecd04c82eed72aa1a/t/5e8643ba226c066acaa235b2/1585857472073/Adult+Animation+White+Paper.pdf . November 3, 2020.
2. Web site: Petski. Denise. May 13, 2020. 'Magical Girl Friendship Squad': Quinta Brunson & Anna Akana Lead Ensemble Cast Of Syfy's TZGZ Anime-Inspired Comedy. live. September 7, 2020. Deadline. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20200605045347/https://deadline.com/2020/05/magical-girl-friendship-squad-quinta-brunson-anna-akana-lead-ensemble-cast-syfys-tzgz-anime-comedy-1202930296/. June 5, 2020.
3. Web site: Jennings. Collier. November 28, 2020. SYFY's The Movie Show Asks, What If Batman Was a Nun?. live. November 29, 2020. CBR. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20201129135302/https://www.cbr.com/syfy-the-movie-show-batman-nun/. November 29, 2020. SYFY has slowly been expanding its slate of comedy programming, including its animation block TZGZ, which features shows such as Magical Girl Friendship Squad..
4. Web site: SYFY WIRE Staff. January 26, 2021. SYFY's The Movie Show Asks, What If Batman Was a Nun?. live. January 29, 2021. SYFY. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20210126182110/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/devil-may-care-alan-tudyk-tzgz-how-to-watch. January 26, 2021. TZGZ, SYFY's late-night animation block, features wild and original shows like Magical Girl Friendship Squad, Wild Life, Hell Den.
5. Web site: Ray. Alyssa. May 13, 2020. Rihanna's Bidet, Kristen Stewart's Saliva & More Are Conjured Up on Magical Girl Friendship Squad. live. October 3, 2020. E! Online. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20201003185402/https://www.eonline.com/ap/news/1194172/rihannas-bidet-kristen-stewarts-saliva-more-are-conjured-up-on-magical-girl-friendship-squad. October 3, 2020.
6. Web site: Andreeva. Nellie. September 3, 2020. Quinta Brunson Teacher Comedy Set At ABC As Put Pilot; Justin Halpern & Patrick Schumacker Exec Producing. live. September 25, 2020. Deadline. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20200904021919/https://deadline.com/2020/09/quinta-brunson-school-workplace-comedy-abc-put-pilot-commitment-justin-halpern-patrick-schumacker-1234570479/. September 4, 2020.
7. Web site: Clark . Kevin L. . Young Black Hollywood Stars to Watch in 2021 . . January 22, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210119233835/https://www.essence.com/entertainment/young-black-hollywood-stars-to-watch-in-2021/ . January 19, 2021 . January 19, 2021 . live . ...[she] made fans go "gah-gah" with her casting as Alex in the new late-night TZGZ-animated comedy series, Magical Girl Friendship Squad, which is airing now on SyFy.
8. Web site: Stone. Sam. September 24, 2020. EXCLUSIVE: TZGZ's Magical Girl Friendship Squad Clip Introduces the Show's Heroes. live. September 25, 2020. Comic Book Resources. en. https://archive.today/20200926001803/https://www.cbr.com/tzgz-magical-girl-friendship-squad-clip-heroes/. September 26, 2020.
9. Web site: McLevy. Alex. August 20, 2020. Exclusive: Watch the animated video for Anna Akana's confessional new single, "Pink". live. September 25, 2020. the A.V. Club. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20201114205944/https://music.avclub.com/exclusive-watch-the-animated-video-for-anna-akanas-con-1845626113. November 14, 2020.
10. Akana . Anna . Sam Stone . Magical Girl Friendship Squad's Anna Akana on What Drew Her to the Show . Online . . September 25, 2020 . September 25, 2020 . https://archive.today/20200926005321/https://www.cbr.com/interview-anna-akana-magical-girl-friendship-squad/ . September 26, 2020 . live .
11. Web site: Petski. Denise. August 20, 2020. 'Magical Girl Friendship Squad' & 'Wild Life' Get Premiere Dates On Syfy's TZGZ Adult Animation Block. live. September 25, 2020. Deadline. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20200822051635/https://deadline.com/2020/08/magical-girl-friendship-squad-wild-life-get-premiere-dates-on-syfys-tzgz-adult-animation-block-1203019077/. August 22, 2020.
12. Web site: Magical Girl Friendship Squad – Matteo Lane Interview!--SyFy Original Series . YouTube . September 25, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200926020256/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8m8b-S8ss0 . September 26, 2020 . September 25, 2020 . live .
13. Web site: Fox . Sarah . SYFY Sets Premiere Date for 'Magical Girl Friendship Squad' and 'Wild Life' . Slanted . September 25, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200823070243/https://theslanted.com/2020/08/42512/syfy-tzgz-animated-slate-magical-girl-wild-life/ . August 23, 2020 . August 21, 2020 . live .
14. SYFY. SYFY. SYFY. 1319380538118017025. October 22, 2020. Christine Baranski was born to play a big bad. Meet Verus this Saturday in an all-new Magical Girl Friendship Squad, midnight on SYFY.. October 24, 2020. https://archive.today/20201024152218/https://twitter.com/SYFY/status/1319380538118017025. October 24, 2020. live.
15. Cowan . Marika . MarikaCowan . 1320168453437874177 . October 24, 2020 . Who is she?? Dastardly villain and evil corporate executive, Verus, makes her debut appearance in tonight's episode of Magical Girl Friendship Squad!! She's one of my favorite designs I did for the show. ✨ Catch her at midnight on @SYFY !! . October 25, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201025175000/https://twitter.com/MarikaCowan/status/1320168453437874177 . October 25, 2020 . live.
16. Web site: Miller. Shannon. Magical Girl Friendship Squad is fun, but banks more on dated millennial humor than lore. September 24, 2020. September 25, 2020. The A.V. Club. en. https://archive.today/20200926025607/https://tv.avclub.com/magical-girl-friendship-squad-is-fun-but-banks-more-on-1845100503. September 26, 2020. live.
17. Cowan . Marika . MarikaCowan . 1312248813151752192 . October 2, 2020 . Aw that's really sweet haha!! I hope she is ok too. Hang tight tho bc there are more creatures and monsters to come in future episodes!! . October 3, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201003184725/https://twitter.com/MarikaCowan/status/1312248813151752192 . October 3, 2020 . live.
18. Web site: Sarto. Dan. SYFY Originals 'Magical Girl Friendship Squad' and 'Wild Life' Coming to TZGZ in September. August 20, 2020. September 25, 2020. Animation World Network. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20200926031448/https://www.awn.com/news/syfy-originals-magical-girl-friendship-squad-and-wild-life-coming-tzgz-september. September 26, 2020.
19. Loftus . Jamie . Jamie Loftus . jamieloftusHELP . 1312089085658374145 . October 2, 2020 . finally, i am the goth bully i always wanted to be . October 3, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201003183633/https://twitter.com/jamieloftusHELP/status/1312089085658374145 . October 3, 2020 . live.
20. Fullerton. Alyssa. afullertonart. 1319709808493297664. October 23, 2020. Yes that was her!. https://web.archive.org/web/20201023201243/https://twitter.com/afullertonart/status/1319709808493297664. October 23, 2020. live.
21. Downs. Krystal "K". kddaawwggg. 1318335587523399680. October 19, 2020. Yolanda (. https://web.archive.org/web/20201022130700/https://twitter.com/kddaawwggg/status/1318335587523399680. October 22, 2020. live.
22. Cowan. Marika. MarikaCowan. 1318364232262496256. October 19, 2020. @kelseynides might be able to answer this better than I can, but Yolanda was designed as a more cute, classic style anime female character. @afullertonart designed her, and the main references she used (if memory serves) were Usagi from sailor moon & Nurse Joy from Pokémon!. https://web.archive.org/web/20201022125750/https://twitter.com/MarikaCowan/status/1318364232262496256. October 22, 2020. live.
23. Fullerton. Alyssa. afullertonart. 1319700335204683778. October 23, 2020. Thank you! She was super fun—It was a bit of collaborative effort between Marika and I, glad you liked her!. https://web.archive.org/web/20201023181757/https://twitter.com/afullertonart/status/1319700335204683778. October 23, 2020. live.
24. Web site: Oller . Jacob . WIRE Buzz: TZGZ sets 2 new series premieres; Moonbase sci-fi comedy to Showtime; American Reaper . . August 23, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200823161752/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/tzgz-premieres-moonbase-8-american-reaper-files . August 23, 2020 . August 20, 2020 . live .
25. Stephanides . Kelsey . Jackson Murphy . INTERVIEW: Kelsey Stephanides Invite You To Join "Magical Girl Friendship Squad" . Online . Animation Scoop . September 21, 2020 . September 26, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200921161954/https://www.animationscoop.com/interview-kelsey-stephanides-invite-you-to-join-magical-girl-friendship-squad/ . September 21, 2020 . live .
26. Web site: Magical Girl Friendship Squad: Origins [promo clip] ]. Facebook . . July 12, 2020 . https://archive.today/20200712221257/https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=470088237255552 . July 12, 2020 . January 9, 2020 . live .
27. Web site: Milligan . Mercedes . SYFY Greenlights 'Devil May Care', 3 More Pilots for Adult Toon Block TZGZ . . July 12, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200616214646/https://www.animationmagazine.net/tv/syfy-greenlights-devil-may-care-3-more-pilots-for-adult-toon-block-tzgz/ . June 16, 2020 . May 13, 2020 . live .
28. Web site: Bullard . Benjamin . SYFY sets cackle-worthy cast for TZGZ's Magical Girl Friendship Squad . . . July 12, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200616015947/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/syfy-casts-tzgz-magical-girl-friendship-squad . June 16, 2020 . June 16, 2020 . live .
29. Stephanides . Kelsey . Kay-B . INTERVIEW: MAGICAL GIRL FRIENDSHIP SQUAD creator Kelsey Stephanides on the new Syfy animated series . Online . Online . . September 24, 2020 . September 25, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200926004046/https://www.comicsbeat.com/interview-kelsey-stephanides-magical-girl-friendship-squad/ . September 26, 2020 . live .
30. Stephanides . Kelsey . Victoria L. Johnson . Sailor Moon Fan Club Ep. 28 – Magical Girl Friendship Squad Creator Kelsey Stephanides . Sailor Moon Fan Club . September 21, 2020 . YouTube . October 14, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201015021612/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wB164z1rZHc . October 15, 2020 . live.
31. Cowan . Marika . MarikaCowan . 1312118409887322114 . October 2, 2020 . Finally getting around to posting my designs for No Tattoo Barista and her CBD Monster form, from last week's episode of Magical Girl Friendship Squad! This character was so much fun to design, you bet I referenced a LOT of Sailor Moon monsters when developing her look . October 3, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201003184251/https://twitter.com/MarikaCowan/status/1312118409887322114 . October 3, 2020 . live.
32. Stephanides . Kelsey . Tim Brinkof . Magical Girl Friendship Squad's Anna Akana on What Drew Her to the Show . Online . BubbleBlabber . September 23, 2020 . September 25, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200926034231/https://www.bubbleblabber.com/exclusive-magical-girl-friendship-squad-interview-with-kelsey-stephanides/ . September 26, 2020 . live .
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34. Web site: Cartuna. September 25, 2020. ✨Magical Girl Friendship Squad✨debuts on @syfy this Saturday at midnight. We worked with a crew of over 100 artists during a pandemic to make this special series. Tune in on @tzgz_syfy!. https://archive.today/20200926050240/https://www.instagram.com/p/CFihVbapb6D/. September 26, 2020. September 26, 2020. Instagram. en. live.
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36. Web site: Williams. Tommy. MAGICAL GIRL FRIENDSHIP SQUAD and WILD LIFE Revealed as 2 New Shows for SYFY's TZGZ Block. September 2020. September 25, 2020. Geek Tyrant. en. https://archive.today/20200926035928/https://geektyrant.com/news/magical-girl-friendship-squad-and-wild-life-revealed-as-2-new-shows-for-syfys-tzgz-block. September 26, 2020. live.
37. Web site: AWN Staff Editor. Free Post New York Alliance Webinar on August 27. August 25, 2020. September 25, 2020. Animation World Network. en. https://archive.today/20200926040619/https://www.awn.com/news/free-post-new-york-alliance-webinar-august-27. September 26, 2020. live.
38. Web site: Lafayette. Jon. Syfy to Debut Late Night TZGZ Shows Sept. 26. August 20, 2020. September 25, 2020. Broadcasting + Cable. en. https://archive.today/20200926041347/https://www.nexttv.com/news/syfy-to-debut-late-night-tzgz-shows-sept-26. September 26, 2020. live.
39. Web site: Hilgenberg. Josh. Studio Coffee Run 1/21/20: Apple TV+ announces new series and renewals, Ghibli jumps to Netflix and more!. January 21, 2020. September 25, 2020. Comics Beat. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20200408152401/https://www.comicsbeat.com/studio-coffee-run-1-21-20-apple-tv/. April 8, 2020.
40. Cantor . Hallie . halliecantor . 1309564077971177472 . September 25, 2020 . hi all 6 eps of Magical Girl Friendship Squad are hitting @syfy tomorrow night!! You will see: bitchy mushrooms, dangerously horny teens, snake demon ex-girlfriends, rivers of period blood, and robert deniro's retainer!!! . September 26, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200926173145/https://twitter.com/halliecantor/status/1309564077971177472 . September 26, 2020 . live. Some of these aspects are noted in her later tweet, which is the last one in this thread, after she thanks the cast and crew.
41. Web site: School Of Visual Arts Alumni Return As Faculty To Share Their Expertise. Cartoon Brew. February 17, 2022. February 18, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220217183644/https://www.cartoonbrew.com/sponsored-by-sva/school-of-visual-arts-alumni-return-as-faculty-to-share-their-expertise-213277.html. February 17, 2022. live.
42. Lane . Matteo . Sarah Carey . Magical Girl Friendship Squad – Matteo Lane Interview! – SyFy Original Series. Smells Like Teen Angst . September 24, 2020 . YouTube . October 14, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200926020256/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8m8b-S8ss0 . September 26, 2020 . live.
43. Brunson . Alex . Julian Cannon . Quinta Brunson Talks SYFY's New TZGZ Animated Series MAGICAL GIRL FRIENDSHIP SQUAD . The Knockturnal . October 9, 2020 . YouTube . October 14, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201015012353/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMrz-Kvgi3A . October 15, 2020 . live. Summary of interview by Julian Cannon
44. Web site: Jones. Monique. 'Magical Girl Friendship Squad': Quinta Brunson To Star In Anime-Inspired Syfy Series. May 19, 2020. September 25, 2020. shadowandact.com. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20200608122105/https://shadowandact.com/magical-girl-friendship-squad-quinta-brunson-to-star-in-anime-inspired-syfy-series. June 8, 2020.
45. Web site: Petski . Diane . 'Magical Girl Friendship Squad': Quinta Brunson & Anna Akana Lead Ensemble Cast Of Syfy's TZGZ Anime-Inspired Comedy . . July 12, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200601221833/https://deadline.com/2020/05/magical-girl-friendship-squad-quinta-brunson-anna-akana-lead-ensemble-cast-syfys-tzgz-anime-comedy-1202930296/ . June 1, 2020 . May 13, 2020 . live .
46. Web site: Oller . Jacob . WIRE Buzz: TZGZ sets 2 new series premieres; Moonbase sci-fi comedy to Showtime; American Reaper . . August 23, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200823161752/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/tzgz-premieres-moonbase-8-american-reaper-files . August 23, 2020 . August 20, 2020 . live .
47. Web site: Hogan. Heather. "Magical Girl Friendship Squad" Is a Queer Millennial "Sailor Moon" Meets "Broad City". Autostraddle. October 7, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201007231300/https://www.autostraddle.com/magical-girl-friendship-squad-is-a-queer-adult-millennial-sailor-moon-meets-broad-city/. October 7, 2020. October 7, 2020. live.
48. Cantor. Hallie. halliecantor. 1323093051854647296. November 1, 2020. As far as I know we haven't (yet!) identified her as trans or cis, @kelseynides who created her might have a diff answer. https://web.archive.org/web/20201104044332/https://twitter.com/halliecantor/status/1323093051854647296. November 4, 2020. live.
49. Downs. Krystal "K". kddaawwggg. 1335015452091801602. December 4, 2020. Daisy is a lesbian [.]And that's canon lol. https://web.archive.org/web/20201205002033/https://twitter.com/kddaawwggg/status/1335015452091801602. December 5, 2020. live.
50. Akana . Anna . Anna Akana . AnnaAkana . 1329291497582120960 . November 19, 2020 . My response to the deleted tweet included not only my frustration about the mistaken trans issue, but how upset I was that people kept dismissing the bi aspect, an integral part of my identity & why I was so excited to play the character . en . June 22, 2021 . https://twitter.com/AnnaAkana/status/1329291497582120960 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20201119051310/https://twitter.com/AnnaAkana/status/1329291497582120960 . November 19, 2020 .
51. Web site: Vote Now In Autostraddle's 4th Annual Gay Emmys. Phillips. Carmen. Autostraddle. September 13, 2021. September 14, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210914134544/https://www.autostraddle.com/vote-now-in-autostraddles-4th-annual-gay-emmys/. September 14, 2021. live.
52. Web site: July 24, 2020. SYFY: TZGZ's Adult Animated Originals—Comic-Con@Home 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200725053632/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFquZf2tqdA. July 25, 2020. September 26, 2020. YouTube. Comic Con. en. See 20:59–33:32 in this video.
53. Web site: BGN Staff. September 16, 2020. EXCLUSIVE: Premiere Episode Sneak Peek Featuring Quinta Brunson in 'Magical Girl Friendship Squad'. https://web.archive.org/web/20200926011523/https://blackgirlnerds.com/exclusive-premiere-episode-sneak-peek-featuring-quinta-brunson-in-magical-girl-friendship-squad/. September 26, 2020. September 25, 2020. Black Girl Nerds. en.
54. Web site: September 16, 2020. "Magical Girl Friendship Squad" Premiere Episode Sneak Peek. https://web.archive.org/web/20200926012039/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Wqz-9-aFGM. September 26, 2020. September 25, 2020. YouTube. Syfy. en.
55. Web site: August 20, 2020. 'Magical Girl Friendship Squad': Anime-Inspired Series Led By Quinta Brunson Sets Syfy Premiere Date, Preview. https://web.archive.org/web/20200926002804/https://shadowandact.com/magical-girl-friendship-squad-anime-inspired-series-led-by-quinta-brunson-sets-syfy-premiere-date-preview. September 26, 2020. September 7, 2020. shadowandact.com. en.
56. Web site: Deerwater. Raina. May 15, 2020. The GLAAD Wrap: Dates announced for 'The New Mutants,' 'Doom Patrol,' and 'Queer Eye;' new music from Ben Platt, Kehlani, Alex Newell; and more!. https://web.archive.org/web/20200620144112/https://www.glaad.org/blog/glaad-wrap-dates-announced-new-mutants-doom-patrol-and-queer-eye-new-music-ben-platt-kehlani. June 20, 2020. January 14, 2021. GLAAD. en.
57. Brunson . Quinta . Keith Nelson, Jr. . Quinta Brunson's 2020 Has Been Extra Ordinary . Online . . September 25, 2020 . September 26, 2020 . https://archive.today/20200926042914/https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2020/09/quinta-brunson-magical-girl-friendship-squad-syfy-tzgz-interview . September 26, 2020 . live .
58. Web site: Stone. Sam. September 26, 2020. Magical Girl Friendship Squad Is an Off-Kilter Start to Syfy's TZGZ. live. September 26, 2020. Comic Book Resources. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20200926173822/https://www.cbr.com/review-magical-girl-friendship-squad/. September 26, 2020.
59. Web site: Pulliam-Moore. Charles. November 25, 2020. Magical Girl Friendship Squad Is a Potent Shot of Millennial Wish Fulfillment. live. November 26, 2020. Gizmodo. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20201125210629/https://io9.gizmodo.com/magical-girl-friendship-squad-is-a-potent-shot-of-mille-1845747159. November 25, 2020.
60. Web site: Crusch. Marley. December 3, 2020. Season Review: Magical Girl Friendship Squad Season One. live. December 5, 2020. Bubble Blabber. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20201206040240/https://www.bubbleblabber.com/season-review-magical-girl-friendship-squad-season-one/. December 6, 2020.
61. Web site: Scheedeen. Jesse. September 28, 2020. Syfy's TZGZ Series Premieres: Magical Girl Friendship Squad & Wild Life Review. live. December 5, 2020. IGN. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20201011223818/https://www.ign.com/articles/syfys-tzgz-series-premieres-magical-girl-friendship-squad-wild-life-review. October 11, 2020.