The Hitachi Magic Wand is one of those toys that is almost a legend. It seems like it should be standard-issue and yet it's easy to pass on. It looks so pedestrian. Plain. Boring.

It is anything but.

We always "meant" to get one. After all, there are so many glowing reviews. One would think this one of, if not the most, adored sex toy in the world. As I write this, I envision another person or couple out there thinking the same thing we did: "another too-good-to-be-true" review.

It's true. It is *that* good.

It wasn't until our friends, who have used massagers for a while, bought us a cheap knockoff (a wireless number from a popular mall-based national gadget store) that we realized that there was something to this whole "massager" craze. Shortly after that one proved promising, but ultimately inadequate, we bucked up and bought the real deal. Our thoughts are as follows:

The Good: In a word, power. This bad boy has all the buzz you could ever ask for. Short of climbing onto a jack hammer, you're not going to do any better. That said, it's not overwhelming (at least not in a bad way) and at least one woman we know who has a very sensitive clit LOVES this toy (she calls it 'The Screaming Stick' and it does in fact make her normally quiet self scream uncontrollably). Although we haven't tried any attachments, bringing the "Magic" indoors is definitely an advantage of the Magic Wand and is near the top of our short list. It's also good -- quite good -- as an actual massager, and we've used it many times to ease sore shoulders and backs. I suppose that's what it was designed for, after all.

The Great: Everyone we know and play with has since bought one, and each one has deemed it their 'desert island' toy. Our friend with the sensitive clit has literally put her other toys away in a box. Another friend ejaculates (gushes might be a better word) every time she uses this, without fail. For us guys the vibration is strong enough to where a slight bit easily transfers to us and we can enjoy a good tickle too. For myself, a few seconds behind my balls and I get an instant erection. While this certainly isn't a male-focused toy, it's not without its charms in that arena either.

The Not-So-Great: It only has two speeds. No "seven speeds plus a roller coaster" in this box. While that hasn't been a problem for us, one might find themselves in a "one's too soft, one's too strong" scenario. It's also a corded device, though I do not count this as a fault, per se. I don't think you could get this kind of power out of a cordless device, and if you could you'd be running out to the store for D-Cell batteries once a week. The cord however is much too short, so count on grabbing an extension cord to allow the sort of flexibility you deserve. Lastly, the device itself (including but not limited to the head) is quite large, which raises some logistical challenges. It is harder to use during intercourse than some of our smaller toys, but ultimately more rewarding when and if we can pull it off.