Park Seo-lyeon (Im Se-jun/The Korea Herald)

At 3 a.m., a young woman stands alone on Mapo Bridge in Seoul, leaning against the railing. Cars speed past, no one noticing her. She is contemplating ending her life: The pandemic has stripped her of her job, her debts are mounting and her hope is waning. It’s been two hours of deep, dark introspection.

Suddenly a taxi stops right in front of her. A woman in a glowing white dress, white shoes and a white bow steps out. She is Ah Roa, the Clairvoyant Magical Girl. With a gentle touch, Ah takes the woman’s hand and says, “Your destiny is to become a magical girl.”

The troubled yet enchanting scene opens “A Magical Girl Retires,” a novel by Park Seo-lyeon, translated by Anton Hur, which hit the bookshelves in English last spring.

Perhaps you remember magical girls on television, the fantasy genre centered on young girls who possess magical abilities. (A well-known example is the Japanese manga series “Sailor Moon.”) In cartoons, the magical girls wave their magic wands, transform into powerful beings and vanquish monsters and evil forces. In Park's novel, set in a world much like our own in the present, these magical girls use their superpowers to fight crime and rescue those in dire need.

"A question popped into my head one day. I wondered if magical girls' wands or magic tools would be considered illegal weapons at an airport screening," Park said in a recent interview with The Korea Herald. "I wrote it because I love it. I loved magical girls from my childhood and writing about what I love was natural for me."

Park, 35, said her love for the genre is deeply rooted in her childhood. She fondly recalled her favorite magical girls, such as Sweet Mint from "Magical Angel Sweet Mint" and Mary Bell from "Flower Witch Mary Bell." Although there were times when Park felt she had to hide her passion for the genre, fearing it was behind the times, she said she has now come to fully embrace it.

"I wanted to break the image of magical girls as being mere children's entertainment," Park explained. "I wanted to show that we can tell bigger stories with them. Writing my own magical girl story was for my own enjoyment as much as anything else."

In Park's narrative, the term "magical girl" transcends age and, as she suggests in the author’s note, gender.

“First, I used the word ‘magical girl’ out of respect for the existing genre,” said Park adding that magical girls are different from wizards or superheroes.

“I wrote the story thinking that anyone who doesn’t feel uncomfortable considering themselves a magical girl can be one. One important condition is having one's own world of imagination and, most importantly, a sense of innocent justice with a pure heart that is not tainted by the world.”

English edition (left) and Korean edition of "A Magical Girl Retires" (Harper Via, Changbi Publishers)

"A Magical Girl Retires" blends fantasy with stark realism. The girls in the novel resemble everyday working people. The heroine (narrator) grapples with credit debt and a lack of opportunities. They are part of organizations, hired for security work, or involved in counter-terrorism operations, and have trade unions.

“I wanted to balance magic with reality. I hoped the magic would feel real and that readers would feel that our real-world problems could somehow be solved magically. And at the same time, I wanted to show that having magical powers doesn't make reality any easier,” said Park.

The ultimate villain in the story? Climate change.

“I think the biggest threat we face today as humanity is the climate crisis. It affects everyone equally, whether you are rich and healthy, or poor and sick. So I thought it was the perfect villain for my story.”

A prolific writer spanning different genres, Park has released three books this year alone -- the historical “Kakadu” set in a Western-style cafe in Gyeongseong during the Japanese colonial era, the YA collection “Go Back Loop” and “Tale of Diaochan” which reimagines the Chinese classic “Records of the Three Kingdoms” from the perspective of Diaochan, one of the Four Beauties of ancient China.

Park attributes her inspiration to her boundless imagination.

“I guess I just keep writing about things I like. I find the most comfortable posture and start daydreaming and imagining endlessly. Eventually, the most memorable ideas are the ones that turn into stories.”

As Park continues to weave her tales, a sequel to “A Magical Girl Retires” is already in the works.

---

In this series, The Korea Herald introduces Korean literature through translated works, offering interviews with authors or translators as well as reviews, inviting readers to explore the vibrant literary landscape of Korea. -- Ed.