The worst thing about The Magical Girl and The Evil Lieutenant Used to Be Archenemies is that there won't be anymore. Or at least, no more based on the original manga by Cocoa Fujiwara; Fujiwara tragically passed away before completing the series, and we're left with only three volumes of the four-panel treat. Whether that is fully adapted in this season of half-length episodes, I can't say, having not yet read the manga, but Fujiawara's passing makes this series a final tribute to her and her work.

That said, this one may not be for you even if you enjoyed her earlier titles, such as Inu x Boku S.S., which also received an anime adaptation. It very much has the feel of a series based on a four-panel work, meaning that the plot is slight and the jokes repetitive. The basic conceit is that Byakuya is a magical girl, while Mira is a lieutenant in a nebulous evil organization. The two have been fighting without ever meeting, and when they do, glass shards fly as Mira's spectacles shatter with the force of his love at first sight. The two then embark on a not-quite relationship, much to the disgust of Byakuya's incredibly icky mascot animal, a guy in a giant cat suit. Later, a second magical girl and her equally upsetting mascot come in; their deal is that she says “fuck” a lot and bites people. Occasionally we get glimpses of Mira's coworkers and their various quirks, which are all personal oddities that we've seen before, and that's about it. On the surface, there's simply not much to it, and the plot doesn't really go anywhere.

Despite these obvious issues, there's a genuine charm to the show. The decision to make it half-length episodes no doubt helps with this; it's not the sort of story you're meant to binge-watch. Each episode doesn't so much advance the plot as remind us of what the plot is: Byakuya is down on her luck, and Mira loves her and wants to change that. He's aghast at how Cat Familiar is far more evil than his organization, and he truly worries about Byakuya's well-being. When he realizes how hard she works and for how little pay (because, of course, she has to take care of her Cat), he determines that he's going to make sure that she eats and eats well. If she needs a rest, he'll give her one, and if she's afraid to spend the night alone, he'll be right beside her, ready to overinterpret her every word and gesture. For her part, Byakuya isn't entirely sure what Mira's doing, but there's no doubt that she appreciates it, even if her lack of strong effect and quiet voice don't do much to show that. There's perhaps some question of whether she feels the same romantic love for Mira that he does for her, but that's part of who she is: someone who has been so worn down that she's never expecting anything to change and isn't quite sure how to react when it does.

In comedy terms, Byakuya is the straight man whom Mira plays off of. Her every innocent gesture throws him into a tizzy, and there's at least a sneaking suspicion that he's never felt anything remotely like the love he feels for Byakuya. He's totally off-balance at all times, and he's most sure of himself when calling out Cat Familiar for his horrible treatment of the magical girl. One of the most satisfying moments in the series is when he unleashes his evil on the repulsive “animal,” who doesn't even have the moderately redeeming cuteness of Kyubey, anime's greatest evil mascot. Still, there's something delightful about things like learning that Mira carries extra pairs of glasses with him so that he always has one when another shatters from the force of his love or the bland way Byakuya talks about her ill-treatment at the hands of Cat. The only thing that truly gets a reaction out of her is Hibana, her erstwhile…friend…with a penchant for dropping f-bombs and chomping people like an out-of-control teething shark.

The story is only one piece of the show, of course, and the art and vocal performances more than hold up their end of the bargain. While Mai Nakahara's Byakuya can be a bit breathy, old-school heavyweights like Shinichirō Miki and Hikaru Midorikawa don't disappoint as the familiars, and all the voices are generally strong. The beautiful pastel hues help to distract from Byakuya's truly awful magical girl outfit, and both the opening and ending themes are strong, with the ending having some striking imagery.

The Magical Girl and The Evil Lieutenant Used to Be Archenemies may not be the objectively best show, or even the best magical girl spoof, and I could see it pales in comparison to more plot-centric titles in the besotted enemies genre, such as Love After World Domination. But it's still a charming story, one that is both sweet and funny with one very inappropriate insert song. It's terrible that Cocoa Fujiwara couldn't see it, but it's also a way for us to keep enjoying her work, even after she is gone.