Henshin ( Transformation Sequence )

Henshin ( Transformation Sequence )

Before the Ordinary High-School Student (or sometimes a Bad Guy) can access their secret powers, there must be a power-up and a change of costume. This usually involves a change of form or at least of costume, although the precise mechanisms usually vary by type and purpose. In Japanese television, seen in anime, and drawn in manga, this is called a Henshin. By genre, this usually goes as follows:

Maho Shoujo Girl: Our heroine usually utters a key phrase, accompanied by certain gestures and/or using some sort of access device, and then hovers said device into the air over a colorful, sparkly background. Then as her street clothes disappear, her unique and elaborate costume comes and glows into existence over her, until all her ribbons, jewels, feathers and assorted frilly items have formed and placed over her naked body. This sequence continues until all of her costume is fully deployed, and she is fully dressed. She then will take a brief final pose, so that the details of her outfit can be seen and enjoyed. For many Maho Shoujo girls, the basic final costume almost always consists of a fancy dress, or of a shirt or blouse, and some sort of mini-skirt. Despite being strongly associated with Maho Shoujo Girls, there are several "Magical Boys" who have comparable sequences, though their outfits are usually more like uniforms or armor, and the unclothed beginning is generally, thought not always, averted.

Maho Shoujo Girl from a Perceived Male: There is another type of Henshin that only a very few of a select number of those perceived as male at birth can do. But it is extremely rare, and only a very small minority of ones can do it. These are 'boys' that are perceived as male at birth, however, they were born with a female Gender Identity, or a Bigender Identity. Such ones, when they go through a Henshin, have an extra step in the Transformation Sequence. That is, they begin with the power removing their male clothing. The extra step is that the power changes their physical appearance from that perceived as the traditional male sex, to that of an atomically correct female, also unclothed. Then the power continues to clothe the person with their appropriate battle maiden outfit, as it does for all other Maho Shoujo girls. From start to finish their female Gender Identity does not change, only their sexual appearance changes. Only genuine male-to-female transgender persons, or bigender persons, who have the ability to access a Henshin, can experience this very special kind of Henshin.

---Taken from TV Tropes ( additional resource material added, edited for clarity )

SOJI'S HENSHIN ( TRANSFORMATION SEQUENCE ) INTO TAILRED



OTHER GIRL'S HENSHINS