When the sun sets over the violet fields, thousands of bubbles fly up and get lost in the sky. Little Kurumi is excited about seeing Copern’s Comet. The whole firmament will be full of shooting stars, like you get only once in a hundred years. She longs to see it with her grandma, but to her desolation, the night turns out rainy. Her attempt at a spell to remedy the situation fails miserably, and she cries in frustration, but a blonde magician appears and saves the day. Noticing Kurumi’s interest, she gifts her a notebook. It is only natural, then, that Kurumi’s dearest dream would be to become a magician herself! To that end, she studies, and studies, and studies. Her hard work allows her to get first place in the mock exam, but it is not enough to get her into the Magumi, the prestigious State Magician course at Rettoran Academy. Her name is right in the middle of the list, with an unmistakable “REJECTED” next to it. You are not a wizard, Harry. Rettoran Academy, though, also has the Standard Course for non-magicians, full of colorful characters with various interests, and she can at least go there. The majestic Yuzu-sama reprimands Kurumi: just being at Rettoran is already an honor. Kurumi realizes she is not supposed to have a magician’s notebook. But she cannot forget her dream…

Not every show can boast as unique a visual style, or as lively and bright a score, as The Stories (I refuse to type the whole thing: sue me, Herodotus!). This world of pastel colors and faded shadows feels like the illustrations of a fairy tale, which is perfect for this series. The musical cues have a consistently uplifting sound and accompany the sequences in a way that reminds me of the best Disney productions. The characters are fun enough, especially Kurumi and Yuzu. I would prefer it if the teachers of Rettoran Academy didn’t look fifteen, but I can manage. The weakest aspect, though, is the fact that the plot, ahem, borroweth a bit too liberally. Specifically, as you may have deduced by now, it owes a big, big debt to both My Hero Academia and the Harry Potter series. I grew up avidly reading “The Boy Who Lived,” and my eyes brighten when I hear “Plus Ultra!,” but those are bold stories that adapt their genre to suit their needs, and so far this one is not doing that. I need The Stories to stand on its own and showcase something unique to get invested. With an artistic direction this strong, it won’t be hard to give it another episode or two.

The Stories of Girls Who Couldn’t Be Magicians (Or Maybe They Could, Given Some Developments in This Episode?) can be streamed on Crunchyroll.