Super Doll★Licca-chan: A nostalgic toy becomes an anime! A thorough explanation of its appeal and reviews

Super Doll★Licca-chan: The charm of anime where nostalgia and newness intersect

"Super Doll Licca-chan", which aired from 1998 to 1999, is a 52-episode anime series based on Takara's popular toy Licca-chan that aired on TV Tokyo. This work is a spin-off produced to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the release of Licca-chan, and the setting and story are entirely original to the TV series. Directed by Sugii Gisaburo and produced by Madhouse, it is known for its attention to fashion and music.

story

The story of "Super Doll Licca-chan" revolves around the suspicious incidents that occur around an ordinary elementary school student, Kayama Rika. Rika was raised in a privileged environment with a musician father and a designer mother, but her upbringing hides a big secret. Rika is of royal blood in Dollland, a world of dolls, and there are three guardian dolls to protect her. The three guardian dolls, Doll Lica, Doll Isamu, and Doll Izumi, are in charge of "wisdom," "courage," and "life," respectively, and play a role in protecting Rika from various dangers.

Rika's grandmother, Nanae, defected to the human world of Ojiura to protect her from the internal conflicts of Dollland, and raised her as a human. Meanwhile, Rika's other grandmother, Yae, refuses to coexist with humans and pursues Rika to place her on the throne of Dollland. The conflict between these two grandmothers is the main axis of the story, and as Rika learns her true identity, the events surrounding her gradually escalate.

character

The main character, Kayama Rika, is a 9-year-old third-grader in elementary school, a curious and energetic girl. She is surrounded by three guardian dolls, including Doll Rika, who transform into various forms to protect her. Doll Rika controls "wisdom" and is a symbol of reason and intelligence. Doll Isamu controls "courage" and is a brave doll that stands up to Rika when she is in danger. Doll Izumi controls "life" and plays an important role in protecting Rika's vitality.

Rika's grandmother, Nanae, is the queen of Dollland and advocates the coexistence of humans and dolls, defecting to the human world to protect Rika. She is portrayed as a refined grandmother skilled in housework, manners, and trivia. Meanwhile, Yae rejects coexistence with humans and pursues Rika to place her on the throne of Dollland. Rika's mother, Orie, is the former queen of Dollland and works as a fashion designer in the human world. Rika's father, Pierre, is half French and a musician who makes music for music boxes.

Asagiyama Rui is the grandson of the doll maker who made Nanae and her friends, and moved to Ojiura to help Rika and her friends. He is a university student aiming to become a detective, and is someone Rika looks up to. Takabayashi Dai is Rika's best friend, and is portrayed as the representative of the bad boys of the downtown area. He has a secret crush on Rika, but is unable to express it well.

Production background and staff

"Super Doll Licca-chan" was created to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Takara's Licca-chan. It was directed by Sugii Gisaburo, with assistant director Onishi Keisuke and series composition by Watanabe Asami and Soma Kazuhiko. Character design and general animation director was Kumagai Tetsuya, fashion coordinator Uchida Chiharu, art director Miyano Takashi, color design by Kuroyanagi Tomoko, director of photography Fujikura Naoto, sound director Fujiyama Fusanobu, and music by Hirama Akihiko and Horii Katsumi. Animation producer was Maruyama Masao, executive producer was Maki Taro, producers were Osawa Nobuhiro and Iwata Makiko, and planning cooperation was provided by AEON.

Broadcast information

"Super Doll Licca-chan" aired on TV Tokyo from October 6, 1998 to September 28, 1999, with a total of 52 episodes. Each episode was 30 minutes long and aired every Tuesday from 6:00pm to 6:30pm.

Theme songs and music

The opening theme for episodes 1 to 39 is "Netsu" (lyrics by Ishikawa Hanako, composition and arrangement by Hirama Akihiko, sung by Rooky), and for episodes 40 to 52 is "Ashita no Kimi" (lyrics by Miura Tomoko, composition by Shirakawa Akira, arrangement by Horii Katsumi, sung by Sakurai Satoshi). The ending themes are "Ne" (Cute Techno Mix) (Lyrics: Ishikawa Hanako, Composition and Arrangement: Hirama Akihiko, Sung by Rooky) from episodes 1 to 15, "Wow!" (Lyrics: Ishikawa Hanako, Composition and Arrangement: Hirama Akihiko, Sung by Rooky) from episodes 16 to 28, "Operation LOVE Wars" (Lyrics: Sato Madoka, Composition and Arrangement: Hirama Akihiko, Sung by Rooky) from episodes 29 to 39, and " (Lyrics: AIKO, Composition: Konishi Mari, Arrangement: Horii Katsumi, Sung by Sakurai Satoshi) from episodes 40 to 52. These songs are important elements that liven up the atmosphere of the work.

episode

The episodes of "Super Doll Licca-chan" revolve around Licca's daily life and the secrets of Doll Land. In episode 1, "The Mysterious Doll Knights," Licca meets Doll Licca for the first time and learns her secret. In episode 10, "The Other Licca," Licca's past in Doll Land is revealed, making it an important episode that gets to the heart of the story. In episode 27, "Licca's Secret Revealed," Licca's true identity is fully revealed, dramatically changing the way the story unfolds. In the final episode, "Goodbye Licca-chan," Licca's adventure comes to an end and her growth and future are depicted.

Evaluation and impact

"Super Doll Licca-chan" is based on the popular Takara Licca-chan toy, but is highly regarded for its original story and characters. In particular, the story depicting Licca's growth and the secrets of Doll Land has been popular with a wide range of people, from children to adults. In addition, the production style, which focuses on fashion and music, is also an element that enhances the appeal of the work.

This work showed new possibilities for the Licca-chan toy, and played an important role in giving children dreams and hope through the medium of anime. Even after the broadcast ended, fans continue to hold events and sell merchandise, and the popularity of the work continues to this day.

Recommendations and how to watch

"Super Doll Licca-chan" is a fascinating anime that combines nostalgia with modernity. It is especially recommended for Licca-chan fans and those who like fantasy elements. It is also highly rated as a work that the whole family can enjoy.

In addition to being sold on DVD and Blu-ray, you can also watch it on video streaming services. In particular, services such as Amazon Prime Video and Netflix offer all episodes, making it easy to enjoy. In addition, detailed information about the series and fan art are available on official websites and fan sites, so if you're interested, be sure to check them out.

summary

"Super Doll Licca-chan" is a fascinating anime series based on Takara's Licca-chan, but with its own unique story and characters. The story, which depicts Licca's growth and the secrets of Doll Land, is popular with a wide range of people from children to adults, and the production style, which focuses on fashion and music, also enhances the appeal of the series. The enthusiasm of fans, which continues even after the series has ended, is proof of the value of this series. Please give it a watch and enjoy Licca's adventures and growth.