This 2026 reboot of Magic Knight Rayearth takes us back to the 90s in modern style with the premiere of Ep. 1 “From Another World”. This modern take on CLAMP’s original manga from all the way back in 1993 reintroduces us to a genre-bending adventure that combines sword and sorcery fantasy, magical girl, and even mecha in an ostensibly isekai package. All starring an entirely female main cast to boot, giving us a decidedly feminist look at the usual fantasy tropes that’s a must-see for fans of the classics.
Magic Knight Rayearth (2026) Ep. 1 “From Another World”: Details in Brief
Magic Knight Rayearth (2026) Ep. 1 “From Another World” is the first episode of this isekai sword and sorcery, magical girl, and mecha fantasy adventure anime series. Said anime is the third anime adaptation of the 1993 manga series of the same name by CLAMP (Cardcaptor Sakura, xxxHolic, Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle) after the 49-episode Magic Knight Rayearth (1994) and the three-part OVA series (1997).
E&H Production (Ninja Kamui, Red Cat Ramen) is the animation studio responsible for the animation, while TMS Entertainment (Lupin the Third, Detective Conan, Anpanman) is responsible for production. Yui Miura is the director behind the anime, with Shigeru Murakoshi as the writer, Satomi Watanabe as the character designer, and Yuki Kajiura, Takumi Ozawa, and Shiho Terada all collectively composing the music you hear in that anime.
Speaking of that music: the opening theme song for this 2026 reboot of Magic Knight Rayearth is “Otome no Tsurugi” (乙女の剣; ‘A Young Lady’s Sword’) by Toaka. Meanwhile, “Hoshiakari” (星灯; ‘Starlight’) by Yurina Kawaguchi is the ending theme song.
You can watch this modern reboot of Magic Knight Rayearth exclusively on Crunchyroll.
Magic Knight Rayearth (2026) Ep. 1 “From Another World”: The Good
Longtime fans of CLAMP will readily remember the title Magic Knight Rayearth. This was one of CLAMP’s first manga series, beginning in 1993 and ending its 2-year run in 1995, becoming one of the more famous of their works in the process. A lot of that fame came from the genre-bending nature of the story itself. The manga combined sword and sorcery fantasy, isekai fantasy, magical girl fantasy, and even mecha in a blend of tropes and genres that somehow harmonize into a fantastic story. It certainly entranced enough people that it resulted in two separate anime adaptations of it in 1994 and 1997.
This 2026 anime adaptation of Magic Knight Rayearth looks like it’s doing justice to that manga, if Ep. 1 “From Another World” is anything to tell it by. This first episode does a wonderful job of introducing the main characters Hikaru Shidou (voiced by Ayane Sakura (JP)), Umi Ryuuzaki (voiced by Rumi Okubo (JP)), and Fuu Hououji (voiced by Rie Takahashi (JP)) to the audience. With Hikaru as the courageous but rash one, Umi as the practical but short-tempered one, and Fuu as the intelligent but easily distracted one.
The three of them harmonize well together even in this first episode, which is all the more remarkable because this particular adaptation has them be strangers at the beginning. It results in the story being one of three strangers being thrown into an adventure together, where they learn each other’s skills and follies in order to overcome the obstacles in their way. Mayhaps the true magic in this story will be friendship? Only time will tell as this reboot anime unfolds.
90s Animation But with a Modern Flair
It’s not just the story that you should watch this anime for though. The animation is just drop-dead gorgeous. E&H Production and TMS Entertainment’s animation teams clearly worked hard to make this modern reboot of Magic Knight Rayearth look amazingly great. The animation itself is one of the smoothest I’ve seen in any anime, with a high level of detail for even tiny movements like wind blowing on the main characters’ hair during close-ups. I give special kudos to the transformation sequences when the trio receive their magic. Those sequences are practically high art, calling to mind classic magical girl transformation sequences while giving them their own artistically elemental flair.
The animation itself even retains the look of 90s animation, complete with the classic large expressive eyes, combined with CLAMP’s iconic limby look for the characters. However, it modernizes the looks with cleaner lines and a much higher level of detail than was possible in the 90s, giving this reboot anime the one-two punch of modern quality and nostalgia that will please older and younger fans alike.
Magic Knight Rayearth (2026) Ep. 1 “From Another World”: The Bad
If you were looking for bloody action, Ep. 1 “From Another World” doesn’t quite deliver that yet. Yes, there is action in this episode, but it’s quite brief, and the enemy monster is obliterated in a way that doesn’t leave blood behind…or a body, for that matter. If you want something more violent, you might have to wait for later in the anime.
Anime Recommendations
Fortunately, if you crave blood and violence, then you can watch Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Kaiju No. 8, DDDD, DAN DA DAN, Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online II, Zenshu, Blue Box, Solo Leveling, Black Butler, Nyaight of the Living Cat, May I Ask for One Final Thing?, TRIGUN STARGAZE, Daemons of the Shadow Realm, and / or Kagurabachi for that. However, if you want a more story-focused anime like this one, then you might also like Spy x Family, Senpai is an Otokonoko, Apocalypse Hotel, Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf, The Ancient Magus’ Bride, My Dress-Up Darling, This Monster Wants to Eat Me, Hana-Kimi, Journal with Witch, Witch Hat Atelier, Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia, The Apothecary Diaries, and / or Sasaki and Peeps.
What do you all think of this premiere of this modern reboot of Magic Knight Rayearth? Tell us your fantastical thoughts in the comments section below.
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