Fancy Lala
Encyclopedia
Fancy Lala, known in Japan as is a magical girl
anime
series produced by Studio Pierrot
in 1998. A two-volume manga
adaptation by Rurika Kasuga
ran in Ribon
. The original designs were created by Akemi Takada
, who worked on many of the 80's Studio Pierrot series. The anime series has been licensed for English release by Bandai Entertainment.
. In it, the heroine, Miho, a little girl who dreams of being a fashion designer, lives with her aunt and three cousins while her father is away on business. The aunt, who runs a dress shop, exploits Miho's dependence and makes her perform deliveries on her bike, while spoiling her own daughters. Of the three, the two oldest are cruel and mock Miho's dreams, but the youngest is nice to her. A local disco is holding a contest to find the next "Disco Queen." Miho is too young to enter, but decides to design a dress for her cousin. When the aunt finds out, she rips up the dress. After everyone leaves, two fairies take pity on Miho and transform her into "Fashion Lala," a sixteen year old blonde, so she can enter the contest herself. While performing, Miho's outfit changes into her previous designs, and it seems that she wins. At the end, she returns to a happy life with her father.
The heroine being named Miho and the two fairies, as well as the concept of an "evil cousin", were the only things retained for the final series.
dominated the magical girl genre at the time and provided little opportunity for other magical girl anime to have much of an impact), some of its influence can be seen in later series that also failed to achieve massive success. Examples of these would be Chance Pop Session
and the more successful Full Moon o Sagashite.
at Blue Water Studios. The series has been released on DVD, but is only distributed in region 1 outside of Japan. The series was also aired across Animax
's various international networks worldwide, including Hong Kong
, Taiwan
and its English-language networks in Southeast Asia
and South Asia
.
A Filipino dubbed version was also broadcast over ABC 5
in the Philippines. It was also licensed and dubbed for Italian
release by Merak Film. The manga is also available in Italian. In Portugal
, Fancy Lala was licensed to Canal Panda
, who dubbed it into Portuguese and broadcast it from 2003 to the end of 2004.
Magical girl
belong to a sub-genre of Japanese fantasy anime and manga. Magical girl stories feature young girls with superhuman abilities, forced to fight evil and to protect the Earth. They often possess a secret identity, although the name can just refer to young girls who follow a plotline involving magic...
anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series produced by Studio Pierrot
Studio Pierrot
is a Japanese animation/animation studio, founded in 1979 by former employees of Tatsunoko Production. Its headquarters is located in Mitaka, Tokyo.The company has a simple logo of the face of a clown...
in 1998. A two-volume manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
adaptation by Rurika Kasuga
Rurika Kasuga
is a female Japanese manga artist. Debut with "Heart no Kiatsuhaichi" in 1988 on Ribon Original.-Works:*Fushigi no Uu *Non-stop Kids *Pore Pore Mori no Monster *Mahou no Stage Fancy Lala *Mikadzuki carnival...
ran in Ribon
Ribon
is a monthly Japanese shōjo manga magazine published by Shueisha. First issued in August 1955, its rivals are Nakayoshi and Ciao. Its target audience is young girls roughly 9–13 years old. In 2009, the magazine's circulation was 274,167, down from the previous year's circulation numbers of 330,000...
. The original designs were created by Akemi Takada
Akemi Takada
is a Japanese manga artist born on March 31, 1955 in Tokyo, Japan. She is a popular anime character designer, noted for her long collaboration with director Mamoru Oshii. She graduated from Tama Art University, after which she worked for Tatsunoko Pro. She is currently a freelance manga artist with...
, who worked on many of the 80's Studio Pierrot series. The anime series has been licensed for English release by Bandai Entertainment.
Plot summary
One day, nine-year old girl Miho Shinohara is given two stuffed dinosaurs by a stranger. The stuffed dinosaurs come to life and present her with a magic sketchbook and pen. Within limits, and subject to varying degrees of control, she can draw in the sketchbook and bring the drawings to life. Miho can also transform into a teenage girl, whom she names Fancy Lala. Fancy Lala is scouted by Yumi Haneishi, the president of the talent agency Lyrical Productions, and begins the long road to stardom.Main cast
/- A nine-year old girl, Miho dreams of one day drawing manga. After Mystery Man gives her Pigu and Mogu, they in turn give her a magical pen and sketchbook, which allow her to transform into a 15-year old girl who she names Fancy Lala. Fancy Lala is scouted by Yumi Haneishi of Lyrical Productions, and gradually follows the path to stardom though her parents nor sister knows about this.
- Voiced by: Michiko NeyaMichiko Neyais a female Japanese voice actress born in Echizen, Fukui . Neya is a freelancer, although she worked at Arts Vision.-Anime:*Aka-chan to Boku *Cardcaptor Sakura *Chrono Crusade...
(Japanese), Chris Simms (English) - A pink dinosaur who accompanies Miho Shinohara.
- A blue dinosaur who accompanies Miho Shinohara.
- A mysterious person who gave Miho Shinohara Pigu and Mogu. He often advises Miho/Fancy Lala.
- A popular idol, Hiroya is Miho Shinohara's love-interest, and Fancy Lala's mentor.
- The president of Lyrical Productions, who represent Fancy Lala. She was once married to Kishi, the guitarist of Hiroya Aikawa's band, and has a son named Tappei.
- (Japanese)
- An employee at Lyrical Productions, and Fancy Lala's manager.
- The neighbour and classmate of Miho Shinohara, they often fight (often like an old married couple), but cares about her. He is also the cousin of Miki Yumeno. He seems to have a romantic interest in Miho.
- A popular idol, Miki is Fancy Lala's main rival. She is also the cousin of Taro Yoshida.
Supporting cast
- Miho Shinohara's teacher.
- An employee at Lyrical Productions.
- Komiyama is Fancy Lala's stylist. It is hinted in the last episode that he knows more about what is going on than meets the eye.
- (Japanese)
- A classmate of Miho Shinohara.
- Miho Shinohara's older sister.
- Miho Shinohara's mother, she works as a TV producer, and is often away from home.
- Miho Shinohara's father, he works as a paleontologist, and mostly works at home.
- An employee at Lyrical Productions.
- Miho Shinohara's classmate, and closest friend, she dreams of becoming an actress.
Production
Fancy Lala is a complete remake of an earlier Studio Pierrot OVA titled Harbor Light Monogatari Fashion Lala yori. It was also influenced by Mahō no Tenshi Creamy Mami, the story of a nine-year-old Japanese girl granted the power to transform who also became an idol.Harbor Light Story Fashion Lala yori
The original OVA was very different than the final series, being a retelling of CinderellaCinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
. In it, the heroine, Miho, a little girl who dreams of being a fashion designer, lives with her aunt and three cousins while her father is away on business. The aunt, who runs a dress shop, exploits Miho's dependence and makes her perform deliveries on her bike, while spoiling her own daughters. Of the three, the two oldest are cruel and mock Miho's dreams, but the youngest is nice to her. A local disco is holding a contest to find the next "Disco Queen." Miho is too young to enter, but decides to design a dress for her cousin. When the aunt finds out, she rips up the dress. After everyone leaves, two fairies take pity on Miho and transform her into "Fashion Lala," a sixteen year old blonde, so she can enter the contest herself. While performing, Miho's outfit changes into her previous designs, and it seems that she wins. At the end, she returns to a happy life with her father.
The heroine being named Miho and the two fairies, as well as the concept of an "evil cousin", were the only things retained for the final series.
Episode list
| Episode # | Title | Transformation Outfit | | Original Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Miho's Spectacular Transformation" ｢みほ、華麗なる変身!｣ (Miho, Karei Naru Henshin) |
||
| 2 | "Lala's Debut in Harajuku" ｢ララの原宿デビュー!｣ (Rara no Harajuku Debyū!) |
||
| 3 | "The Heart-Pounding TV Appearance!" ｢どきどきテレビ出演!｣ (Dokidoki Terebi Shutsuen) |
||
| 4 | "A Double Date on Sunday!" ｢ダブルデートの日曜日｣ (Daburudēto no Nichiyōbi) |
||
| 5 | "A Busy Day for Miho and Lala!" ｢みほとララの多忙な一日｣ (Miho to Rara no Tabōna Ichinichi) |
||
| 6 | "Lala's a Rival?" ｢ララはライバル?｣ (Rara wa Raibaru?) |
||
| 7 | "The Terrifying Care Duty for Mokko" ｢恐怖のモッコ当番｣ (Kyōbu no Mokko Tōban) |
||
| 8 | "Kitten Lilu and the Secret of the Magic!" ｢チビ猫リルと魔法のひみつ｣ (Chibi Neko Riru to Mahō no Himitsu) |
||
| 9 | "There's No Way I Can Be a Singer!" ｢歌手になんてなれない!｣ (Kashu ni Nante Narenai!) |
||
| 10 | "The CD Release Campaign Disaster!" ｢すったもんだのキャンペーン｣ (Suttamonda no Kyampēn) |
mermaid suit, fortune tellers outfit | |
| 11 | "The Spectacular Pinch Hitter!" ｢華麗なるピンチヒッター｣ (Karei Naru Pinchihittā) |
||
| 12 | "Who Are You?" ｢あなたはだあれ?｣ (Anata wa Daare?) |
||
| 13 | "The Lala and Hiroya Scandal!" ｢ララとひろやのスキャンダル｣ (Rara to Hiroya no Sukyandaru) |
||
| 14 | "Miho in Toyland!" ｢おもちゃの国のみほ｣ (Omocha no Kuni no Miho) |
||
| 15 | "The Dream Will Never End" ｢その夢は終わらない｣ (Sono Yume wa Owaranai) |
||
| 16 | "Miho's First Journey Alone!" ｢みほの最初の一人旅｣ (Miho no Saisho no Hitoritabi) |
||
| 17 | "The Day the Water Imp Appeared!" ｢カッパが出てきた日｣ (Kappa ga Detekita Hi) |
||
| 18 | "Lala is a Cupid!" ｢ララは恋のキューピッド｣ (Rara wa Koi no Kyūpiddo) |
||
| 19 | "Something Chisa Left Behind" ｢お姉ちゃんの忘れ物｣ (Onēchan no Wasuremono) |
||
| 20 | "Together With Mom?!" ｢お母さんと一緒?!｣ (Okāsan to Issho?!) |
||
| 21 | "Mr. Asaka's Girlfriend?!" ｢朝霞先生の恋人?｣ (Asaka Sensei no Koibito?) |
||
| 22 | "The Scoop! Lala's Identity Revealed!" ｢スクープ!ララの正体｣ (Sukūpu! Rara no Shōtai) |
||
| 23 | "My Sister's Boyfriend" ｢お姉ちゃんのボーイフレンド｣ (Onēchan no Bōifurendo) |
||
| 24 | "Lala's First Concert" ｢ララのファーストコンサート｣ (Rara no Fāsuto Konsāto) |
||
| 25 | "Lala Has Vanished!" ｢消えてしまったララ｣ (Kieteshimatta Rara) |
||
| 26 | "I Love You All!" ｢みんな大好き!｣ (Minna Daisuki!) |
Impact and influence
Although Fancy Lala did not achieve huge success upon release in Japan (Cardcaptor SakuraCardcaptor Sakura
, abbreviated as CCS and also known as Cardcaptors, is a Japanese shōjo manga series written and illustrated by the manga artist group Clamp. The manga was originally serialized monthly in Nakayoshi from the May 1996 until the June 2000 issue, and later published in 12 tankōbon volumes by Kodansha...
dominated the magical girl genre at the time and provided little opportunity for other magical girl anime to have much of an impact), some of its influence can be seen in later series that also failed to achieve massive success. Examples of these would be Chance Pop Session
Chance Pop Session
, also known as Chance: Pop Session, is a 2001 anime produced by Madhouse studios. The series aired from May 21 to August 27, 2001 and ran for 13 episodes....
and the more successful Full Moon o Sagashite.
Internationalization
Fancy Lala was licensed by Bandai Entertainment for English release in 2001, and dubbedDubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
at Blue Water Studios. The series has been released on DVD, but is only distributed in region 1 outside of Japan. The series was also aired across Animax
Animax
is a Japanese anime satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. A subsidiary of Japanese media conglomerate Sony, it is headquartered in in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with its co-founders and shareholders including Sony Pictures Entertainment and the noted anime studios...
's various international networks worldwide, including Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and its English-language networks in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
and South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
.
A Filipino dubbed version was also broadcast over ABC 5
Associated Broadcasting Company
The Associated Broadcasting Company, Inc is a television network in the Philippines, with main broadcast facilities and transmitter located at 762 Quirino Highway, San Bartolome, Novaliches, Quezon City. The network was previously known as the , Associated Broadcasting Company remains the legal...
in the Philippines. It was also licensed and dubbed for Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
release by Merak Film. The manga is also available in Italian. In Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Fancy Lala was licensed to Canal Panda
Canal Panda
Canal Panda is the first Portuguese cable television channel dedicated to children's programming, mostly animated series. The channel was founded in 1996 as Panda Club in Spain and Portugal, but the name was changed to Canal Panda in 1997. In 2000, the channel left Spain, thus concentrating...
, who dubbed it into Portuguese and broadcast it from 2003 to the end of 2004.
External links
- Fancy Lala, the Magic StageOfficial Mahō no Stage Fancy Lala site at Studio PierrotStudio Pierrotis a Japanese animation/animation studio, founded in 1979 by former employees of Tatsunoko Production. Its headquarters is located in Mitaka, Tokyo.The company has a simple logo of the face of a clown...