Magical Girl Lalabel: A thorough analysis of the fascinating story and deep charm of the characters

Magical Girl Lalabel: Nostalgic Magic and Downtown Charm

"Magical Girl Lalabelle," broadcast as a TV anime series in the early 1980s, is known as the ninth installment of the magical girl series produced by Toei Animation. This work is different from other magical girl anime in that it is set in a Japanese downtown area, providing a familiar world view to viewers. Here, we will take a closer look at the appeal and background of "Magical Girl Lalabelle," as well as its subsequent influence.

Overview

"Magical Girl Lalabelle" aired on TV Asahi from February 15, 1980 to February 27, 1981, every Friday from 7:00 to 7:30 p.m. The series, which consists of 49 episodes, is divided into 30-minute segments and was written by Fujiwara Eiko, directed by Shitara Hiroshi, and produced by Toei Animation (now Toei Animation). Copyright belongs to Fujiwara Eiko and Toei Animation.

story

Lalabelle, a girl from the magical world, discovers Viscus trying to steal a magical item from a warehouse and tries to catch her. However, she gets caught up in Viscus' magical item and falls into the human world. Unable to return to the magical world, Lalabelle is saved by the Tachibana couple and begins living in the human world. The story depicts Lalabelle's growth as she gains various experiences through her life in the human world.

Commentary

"Magical Girl Lalabel" is unique among Toei Animation's magical girl series. While many magical girl animes adopt a stateless setting, this work is set in a downtown area of ​​Japan, depicting a familiar landscape for viewers. In addition, each episode develops a story that incorporates "proverbs and sayings," and the grandfather recites them to conclude the story, a distinctive touching performance. This conveys moral lessons to children while providing a humorous and warm story.

cast

Mitsuko Horie was cast as Lalabelle, Noriko Tsukase as Teko, and Minori Matsushima as Toko. Joji Yanami was cast as Sakuzo Tachibana, Keiko Miyazaki as Ume Tachibana, Takashi Tanaka as Viscus, and Shigeru Tsuji as Tsuneo Ochiba. The performances of these voice actors bring out the charm of the characters.

Main Staff

The original story was written by Fujiwara Eiko, and it was published in magazines such as "Mebae", "Yoiko", "Youchien", "Ichinoseni", "Nichinoseni", "Third Grader", and "Yonensei". Planning was handled by Kasuga Azuma (Asahi Tsushinsha) and Yamaguchi Yasuo (Toei Animation), TV Asahi producer was Usui Yuyake, production manager was Sasaki Akira, and chief director was Shitara Hiroshi. Character design and chief animator was Shindo Mitsuo, chief designer was Ito Eiji, cinematography was Sano Yoshifumi, editing was Sota Fumio, and music was Izumi Taku. Records were produced by Nippon Columbia, recording by Imazeki Taneyoshi, sound effects by Ito Michihiro, music selection by Miyashita Shigeru, recording by Higuchi Yuko, and development by Toei Chemical. It was produced by TV Asahi, Asahi Tsushinsha, and Toei (Toei Animation), with cooperation from Aoni Production. The theme songs are the opening theme "Hello La Label" and the ending theme "Magical Girl La Label", with lyrics written by Akira Ito, music composed by Izumi Taku, arrangement by Masanori Oyadomari, and sung by Mitsuko Horie and Columbia Yurikago-kai.

Main Characters

Lalabelle is a budding wizard who has fallen from the magical world to the human world. She is a curious and cheerful girl. Her companion is a slightly chubby cat named Bira. Teko is a granddaughter who is staying with her grandfather Sakuzo while her parents are working overseas. She is a kind girl who keeps her secret even though she knows that Lalabelle is a wizard. Toko is Tekole's best friend. She is a boyish and straightforward girl who quickly becomes friends with Lalabelle. Tachibana Sakuzole is the first human Lalabelle has ever met. He is stubborn but kind, and he takes in Lalabelle who has nowhere to go. Viscus is a chubby old man who steals magical tools to make a name for himself in the human world because he is not a very successful wizard. In the human world, he goes by the name of Viscus Takabayashi, a magician.

subtitle

The subtitles for each episode of "Magical Girl Lalabell" are as follows:

• Episode 1: I hate humans
• Episode 2: Another secret friend
• Episode 3: The crosswalk is blocked
• Episode 4: Dating a younger guy
• Episode 5: A candidate for town council president comes forward
• Episode 6: I hate transfers
• Episode 7: The person I admire soaring through the sky
• Episode 8: The Beautiful Teacher Riding the Spring Breeze
• Episode 9: The lonely parents' meeting
• Episode 10: Birthdays and invisible gifts
• Episode 11: The secret hidden in the charm bag
• Episode 12: The matchmaker is a fifth grader
• Episode 13: Reunion with the Red Shoes
• Episode 14: The White Pages of the Diary
• Episode 15: My Pet is a Mischievous Raccoon
• Episode 16: Beauty Born from a Lie
• Episode 17: A Hiking Journey
• Episode 18: Introduction to the longed-for Kagikko
• Episode 19: The Hated Principal
• Episode 20: Marital quarrels are welcome
• Episode 21: The Security Guard is a Bounty Hunter
• Episode 22: The neighborhood hustling grandma
• Episode 23: There's no magic in tennis
• Episode 24: Surprise Photo Contest
• Episode 25: The Return of the God
• Episode 26: The Giant Mouse that Escaped from the Painting
• Episode 27: Magical Fashion
• Episode 28: Selling yourself as a shojo manga artist
• Episode 29: Why is the bully crying?
• Episode 30: A trip abroad that ended in a fall
• Episode 31: The World's Greatest Wizard
• Episode 32: Knockout is a magic punch
• Episode 33: Good evening from the secret broadcasting station
• Episode 34: Intruder in Fairyland
• Episode 35: Bira's First Love
• Episode 36: The Flower Bean Reporter's Exclusive Story Battle
• Episode 37: A pen pal with no address
• Episode 38: The teacher's lover is a gorilla
• Episode 39: The Perfect Fortune Teller
• Episode 40: Proposing to the Queen of the Court
• Episode 41: An incident on a ski trip
• Episode 42: The New Year's Money Pitfall
• Episode 43: Forbidden Magic
• Episode 44: Tears of the Star Princess
• Episode 45: The Girl from America
• Episode 46: Dig Here! Stray Dog Ochiba-kun
• Episode 47: A Mysterious Envoy from Space
• Episode 48: Goodbye is a Melody of Love
• Episode 49: I love humans

Related Titles

A theatrical version of "Magical Girl Lalabelle," called "Magical Girl Lalabelle: The Sea Calls Summer Vacation," was released on July 12, 1980. This film expands on the world of the TV series and depicts the new adventures of Lalabelle and her friends.

Evaluation and impact

"Magical Girl Lalabel" was widely loved by children at the time. In particular, the setting of the show in a downtown area of ​​Japan and the stories that incorporated proverbs and sayings in each episode left a deep impression on viewers. The attractive character designs of the characters, such as Lalabel, Teco, and Toco, also contributed to the popularity of the show.

This work is unique among Toei Animation's magical girl series, and has influenced subsequent magical girl anime. In particular, the setting of using magic in everyday life has been seen in subsequent works. Furthermore, Lalabel's bright and positive personality and her story of growth in the human world have given viewers courage and hope.

Recommendation

"Magical Girl Lalabel" is a work that combines nostalgia and freshness. In particular, the setting is a downtown area of ​​Japan in the 1980s, and the story incorporates proverbs and sayings in each episode, making it enjoyable for both children and adults. In addition, the attractive character designs of the characters, such as Lalabel, Teco, and Toco, also enhance the charm of the work.

Here are some reasons why I recommend this work:

• The setting, set in a working-class neighborhood of Japan, provides viewers with a familiar worldview.
• Each story incorporates a proverb or saying to teach a moral lesson to children.
• The attractive character designs of characters such as Lalabelle, Teco, and Toco add to the appeal of the work.
• Lalabelle's bright and positive personality and her story of growth in the human world give viewers courage and hope.

"Magical Girl Lalabelle" is a work that combines nostalgia and freshness, and can be enjoyed by both children and adults. Please watch this work and enjoy the adventures of Lalabelle and her friends.