The main cast. Bottom line, from left to right: Cherry, Apple, ???, Ann, Sakura, Annette and Sharada. In the middle is Etoile, and above him is the entity he pilots; on the right stands the author. The character on the left hasn't been formally introduced.
An interactive Webcomic by Rebecca Scalese
, started in March 2012. Currently updated about once every third week, on Monday. Homepage here, first page here.
This is the story of Ann, a girl freshly created by magic, forced into a mysterious world ruled by a strange character called the Author. She then encounters Apple, a fruit-like character who quickly becomes her friend. But as soon as the two girls get to know each other, Apple is attacked by a strange cherry creature, brutally wounding her before attacking Ann herself. Acting instinctively, Ann casts her first magic spell, sending her before the Author itself, who tells her that in order to save Apple, she has to learn to control her magic.
That's where you, the reader, kicks in.
TROPER, YOUR TURN!
You’re in front of your computer. There’s a tropes list below. You totally ought to check it out.
Creative Release contains examples of:
- Author Avatar: The author appears as a character. She apparently has the ability to grant Magical Girl powers.
- Author Powers: The author likes to play with the narration itself.
- Awful Truth: Sakura’s status as a background character who’ll disappear once her role is fulfilled if nothing is done to prevent it.
- Bilingual Bonus:
- Sakura is the Japanese for Cherry blossom.
- Etoile is the French for star.
- Four Is Death: In Turn 017, Sharada’s death is preceded by this number of scissors.
- Gender-Blender Name: Etoile (“star”, feminine in French) is a boy.
- Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: The titles of the first nine Turns are words beginning with “In-” and ending with “-ion(s)”. However, this pattern seems to have been dropped from Turn 010 on. Incidentally, updates are called Turns and chapters are called Levels.
- Magical Girl: Annette has a transformation sequence suddenly occur as a Non Sequitur in the middle of Turn 007. Turn 017 seems to indicate she actually is a Magical Girl.
- Medium Awareness: All over the place.
- Sakura becomes aware that she’s a secondary character created to teach Annette magic upon eavesdropping a conversation. And she immediately hates it.
- ??? eventually decides she’s done being a background character and immediately starts using Player 1’s mana flow, with lethal efficiency.
- No Fourth Wall: The readers are collectively called “Player 1”. Their input (through comments) has a direct influence on the plot.
- No Name Given:
- ???. She may or may not be Apple.
- The two-headed cherry-like character with a perpetual grin who shot Apple’s arm off in Turn 004, hasn’t even been given a canon designation yet.
- Non Sequitur:
- Turn 007: “Magical Girl Annette, TAKING OFF!!!” Apparently a subversion.
- Sometimes the author’ll throw seemingly random explanations in.
- Turn 011: “AND THUS, recap episode. (not pictured: NSFW pictures of the author)”
- Our Homunculi Are Different: They look like small elves and are apparently able to warp around. According to ???, they’re not alive and better described as enhanced communication devices , which is why killing one on the spot is totally fine.
- Rule of Perception: Played with: at some point, one character notices how blank the environment looks. The reason why it appears this blank is the world they're in at this moment literally is empty, except for two people, a small, snowy forest, a bed and a potted cherry tree.
- Shout-Out: Plenty of them.
- Turn 006’s glass shards and broiler element refer to Penguindrum.
- Turn 006 and 007’s doors, which seemingly each lead to the acquisition of a specific form of magic, refer to the first room of Kingdom Hearts.
- Turn 009’s end card simultaneously refers to Penguindrum and Neon Genesis Evangelion.
- Level 01’s title is “The Scientist, the Witch and the Con Artist”.
- Turn 010 is a homage to xkcd. “Minimalist mode: ON”
- Given the number of Shout Outs to Penguindrum, Turn 010’s “idol singer duo” may refer to the idol duo “Double H”.
- Turn 016 introduces Etoile, a young boy piloting an entity called “Unit 01” to defend his world from alien attacks, who wonders why he does it and concludes that he probably just wants to be praised.
- Turn 017 features heavy references to Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Look out for scissors!
- The Multiverse: Both finite and infinite worlds exist; travel between them is possible.
- White Void Room: Some segments of the narration occur in this kind of environment. According to Sakura, it usually means whatever world it takes place in is only going to last until its purpose has been fulfilled.
