I think starting out as a standard sparkly magical girl stock transformation, then partway through switching to a more visceral werewolf or Hulk style sequence could be a fun way to do it.

Anyone remember Chaotic?

The same style, but instead of cute ribbons of light and stars it’s sprays of blood and flying skulls. And the music isn’t upbeat, it’s screaming death metal.

I like that. The weird mutants from the sewers are the heroes (oh wait, that’s TMNT) nuclear cooling lagoon are heroes (oh wait, that’s the Toxic Avenger). Fergeddabout subverting expectations, just throw in more anime tiddies.

Isn’t that the one where Joey ends up sent into a kind of purgatory and chased by the manifestation of death?

That was probably originally Hell, wasn’t it? They loved sending people straight to Hell in that series. Yami has no chill. You jaywalked? Children’s card game, going to Hell.

Same, but nice to know the fanservice was equal opportunity.

Isn’t that the one where Joey ends up sent into a kind of purgatory and chased by the manifestation of death?

Yep.

That was probably originally Hell, wasn’t it?

Originally? They just straight up killed you. But for some bizarre reason, 4kids in the US went “Kids can’t deal with death! Let’s instead make a realm where they go! Yeah! A realm they don’t want to be but that way they don’t die! Forever!”

4Kids straight up invented a version of hell because they were too terrified of just saying “People gon die.”

I mean… Yami is pretty fuckin hot. That voice.

Funny story but I was watching a ‘Live Duel’ of Kaiba vs Yugi a few years back on YouTube. Was at some world tournament or whatever. They had the voice actors from the US come and do the duel. They were reading a script and acting it out on a very minor scale. Then there were two dudes behind who had decks and were drawing the cards/playing them as it was said by the voice actor.

The moment that I realized that the voice actor for lil Yugi and for the Pharoah was the same person was during this duel. At the start when Kaiba challenges him, he does the whole transformation thing. The “Yugiohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh” transformation music plays and the voice actor just slowly turns on the fucking spot. Like this adorable little awkward spin. Then opens his mouth and it’s the Pharoah. Man… I nearly knocked the fucking table over with how hard I was laughing. I had NO IDEA! Also, voice actor for Yugi be cute as fuck.

I found it! Here it is. I linked to the timestamp but if it doesn’t work, jump to 2:03

Sailer moon transformation into anime girls and a parody of the same but dull trash colors with bits of debris and shit flying around hitting them in the face and whatnot.

I love it, it subverts the trope perfectly. Who do we have to talk to to make it happen?

I like it. We could combine it with @sbv@sh.itjust.work 's blood and skulls suggestion for extra pizzaz.

I could get behind a Jekyll/Hyde scenario with magical girl transformations.

Every villain gets curbstombed almost instantly. The show is about them trying not to simply murder every annoyance in their real life, using all those constantly appearing villains as outlets for all the repressed violence.

Everyone is afraid of the four dnd chars, but of course no one knows that its the girls.

See also: Monster Girl from Invincible

it’s just a deadpan puff of smoke and a “poof” sound effect

can’t believe they’d leave out Himbo the halfling bard

This is literally just Changeling: the Dreaming.

Basicallt Ben 10 classic series transformations with all the sparks and body horror