Hey there, it’s time for another Rising Sun. Today’s topic show is one of the newest additions to Netflix’s library: Yuki Yuna is a Hero.

Yuki Yuna is a Hero is an original series that began airing in Japan sometime last year. Set in a alternate universe where humanity is protected by a god-tree called the Shinju-sama, the show revolves around Yuna Yuki, who is one of the four (later five) members of the middle school Hero Club, which focuses on helping the people around them. One day, time suddenly freezes and the Hero Club is transported to a strange, colorful and surreal enviroment. As it turns it, the Shinju-sama has chosen the members of the Hero Club to be actual Heroes to battle invaders called the Vertex.

One of the reasons I decided to try this show is because I’ve read that anime fans hail it as a spiritual successor to Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Having seen the first four episodes though, I prefer to think of it this way: If Madoka‘s a deconstruction of the magical girl genre, Yuki Yuna is a reconstruction. The series focuses on maintaining a effective balance between high-stakes battles and the more mundane slice-of-life scenes that pre-Madoka shows were known for having.

The aesthetics of the series suit the return to the previous balance very effectively. The character designs are eye-pleasing, the real world enviroments are well drawn, with the battle scenes taking place in a environment akin to Madoka Magica‘s labyrinths, with the music switching to a surreal tone similar to Yuki Kajiura’s scores. The voice cast for the English version produced by newly founded distributor Pony Canyon USA seems to have been picked with fans’ perception of the show in mind, as Xanthe Huynh and Sarah Williams were both in Madoka Magica. They both perform their parts very well, even if Williams’ character sounds a little too much like Sayaka Miki.

In conclusion, if you’re looking for a good post-Madoka magical girl series to watch, Yuki Yuna is a Hero on Netflix and Crunchyroll should arouse your interest.