Super Doll★Licca-chan Licca-chan in dire straits! The miracle of Doll Knights - A thorough analysis of the touching story and the charm of the characters

Super Doll Licca-chan Licca-chan in dire straits! The Miracle of Doll Knights - Movie review and details

Overview of the film

Super Doll Licca-chan: Licca-chan in dire straits! The Miracle of the Doll Knights, released on July 31, 1999, was produced as a feature-length animated film and directed by Gisaburo Sugii. The film has an original storyline, is a one-episode juvenile animation with an Eirin rating of 26514. It was produced by Madhouse, with a screenplay by Kiyosuke Mizukami and cinematography by Naoto Fujikura.

story

Licca-chan, a third-grader in elementary school, goes to "Adventure Kids Land" with her four best friends Sumire, Dai, and Tomo. However, Sumire and her friends are kidnapped by the ice witch Dana and her servant Gyze, who have been sent by the demon Devor. To save Sumire and her friends, Licca-chan infiltrates Doll Land with Catherine and confronts Dana. Standing against Dana's sorcery, Licca-chan summons the Doll Knights, and with the help of Doll Lica, Doll Izumi, and Doll Isamu, they succeed in defeating Dana. Then, Sumire and her friends return to their original world.

Commentary

This is a juvenile animation about the Doll Knights' adventures as they fight to protect Licca-chan, the princess of the doll kingdom, from the clutches of the devil. Director Sugii Gisaburo is known for depicting deep themes even in children's animations, and he demonstrates his skill in this work as well. Screenwriter Mizukami Kiyosuke skillfully constructs the story's development, providing a story that is entertaining and moving for children. Cinematographer Fujikura Naoto pursues colorful beauty to enhance the visual appeal.

cast

The main cast includes Tomo Sakurai as Doll Rika, Yuka Kono as Kayama Rika, Kentaro Ito as Doll Isamu, Michiko Neya as Doll Izumi, Mako Hyodo as Dana, Akiko Hiramatsu as Gyze, Kazue Komiya as Kayama Nanae and Kayama Yae, Yuko Mita as Takabayashi Dai, Wasabi Mizuta as Fukiya Tomonori, Miyu Kawakami as Shinohara Sumire, Ikue Otani as Catherine, Yoko Sasaki as Kayama Orie, and Eiji Takemoto as the Adventure Kids Land attendant. These voice actors bring life to their characters and make the story more exciting.

Main Staff

Director: Sugii Gisaburo Composition: Souma Kazuhiko Screenplay: Mizukami Kiyosuke Storyboard: Kuzuoka Hiroshi Director: Hashimoto Naoto Character Design: Kumagai Tetsuya Animation Director: Horiuchi Osamu Art Director: Miyano Takashi Color Settings: Kuroyanagi Tomoko Director of Photography: Fujikura Naoto Editor: Furukawa Masashi Sound Director: Fujiyama Fusanobu Music: Horii Katsumi Music Producer: Yoshimura Jin Producers: Watari Toshio, Akutsu Yukihiro Associate Producers: Sawa Reiko, Osawa Nobuhiro, Watanabe Hajime Animation Production: Madhouse

Main Characters

Doll Rika <br> One of the Doll Knights, she is the character who governs wisdom. She is usually in the form of a doll and is kept in the Kayama household. Her image color is red, and when she is called by Kayama Rika, the owner of her Calling Ring (bracelet), or when she senses danger, her Calling Pendant lights up and is activated by chanting a spell. After that, she acts autonomously, grows to human size, and appears before her owner.

Rika Kayama <br> The other main character, a third grade elementary school student at St. Theresa Academy. In reality, she is the future queen of Dollland, the "country of dolls." When she was born, there was internal conflict in Dollland, so she was secretly taken out of the country by Nanae and brought to the town of Ojiura.

Doll Isamu <br> One of the Doll Knights, he is the character who governs courage. He transforms into Super Doll Isamu. His image color is blue, and he is the only male. His physical power exceeds even Doll Rika's. When the person wearing the Calling Ring (blue) calls or is in danger, the pocket watch-like Calling Watch lights up and can be activated by chanting a spell. He has a special large sword-like weapon called "Light Thunder", which when thrust into the ground creates a shock wave, cracks in the ground, and causes the earth to run. He can also concentrate power into the blade and release it as a beam.

Doll Izumi <br> One of the Doll Knights, this character controls life. He transforms into Super Doll Izumi. His image color is green, and when the person wearing the Calling Ring (green) calls or when danger approaches, the necklace-shaped Calling Choker lights up and is activated by chanting a spell. He has a baton-shaped special weapon called the "Light Circle," which can be thrown like a boomerang, but is also often used as a beam technique (capture ring, whip, etc.).

Dana <br> An ice witch who is employed by the devil Devor. She plans to kidnap Licca-chan and her friends and take control of Doll Land.

Gyze <br> Dana's servant who follows her orders.

Kayama Nanae <br> She is the person who secretly took Licca-chan out of Doll Land. She is also like a mother to Licca-chan.

Kayama Yae <br> She is Nanae's sister and one of Licca-chan's guardians.

Theme songs and music

OP
"You of Tomorrow"
Lyrics: Tomoko Miura Music: Akira Shirakawa Arrangement: Katsumi Horii Vocals: Satoshi Sakurai

ED
"Destiny"
Lyrics: Eriko Kyo Music: Himeko Yamamoto Arrangement: Katsumi Horii Vocals: Satoshi Sakurai

Movie reviews and impressions

"Super Doll Licca-chan: Licca-chan in dire straits! The Miracle of the Doll Knights" is an animation aimed at children, but it has a deep theme and a moving story. In particular, Licca-chan's struggle to save her friends will give children courage and hope. The exploits of the Doll Knights are also visually very appealing, stimulating children's imaginations.

Director Sugii Gisaburo is known for depicting deep themes in his children's animations, and he demonstrates his skill in this work. Screenwriter Mizukami Kiyosuke skillfully constructs the story's development, providing a story that is entertaining and moving for children. Cinematographer Fujikura Naoto pursues colorful beauty in the images, enhancing the visual appeal.

The cast is also very impressive, and the voice actors who breathe life into each character are an important element in making the story more exciting. In particular, Tomo Sakurai, who plays Dolllica, brings out the best in the character, leaving a strong impression on children.

The music also plays an important role, and the opening theme "Ashita no Kimi" and the ending theme "Destiny" have beautiful melodies that reflect the theme of the story and capture the hearts of viewers. Composer Katsumi Horii is also highly regarded for his music for children's animations, and he demonstrates his talent in this work as well.

Recommended points

This is an excellent piece of animation for children, and the following points make it especially recommended:

1. A moving story <br> Watching Licca-chan struggle to save her friends gives children courage and hope. In particular, the exploits of the Doll Knights are visually very appealing and stimulate children's imaginations.

2. Deep Themes <br> Director Gisaburo Sugii is known for depicting deep themes even in his children's animations, and he demonstrates this skill in this work as well. Themes such as friendship, courage, and hope deeply move children.

3. A splendid cast <br> The performances of the voice actors who breathe life into each character are an important element in making the story more exciting. In particular, Tomo Sakurai, who plays Dolllica, brings out the charm of the character to the fullest, making a strong impression on children.

4. Beautiful Music
The opening theme "Ashita no Kimi" and the ending theme "Destiny" have beautiful melodies that reflect the theme of the story and capture the hearts of viewers. Composer Katsumi Horii is also highly regarded for his music for children's animations, and he demonstrates his talent in this work as well.

5. Visual Appeal <br> Cinematographer Naoto Fujikura has pursued colorful imagery to enhance the visual appeal. In particular, the Doll Knights' transformation and battle scenes will be a delight for children.

summary

"Super Doll Licca-chan: Licca-chan in dire straits! The Miracle of the Doll Knights" is an excellent children's animation. It is packed with many elements, including a moving story, deep themes, a gorgeous cast, beautiful music, and visual appeal. This work gives courage and hope to children, so we recommend that you watch it at least once.