Anime to check out
This section is to showcase old school (or simply not too recent) shoujo anime that I believe need some attention.
Majokko Meg-chan (1974) In order to possibly succeed the throne in the Magic World, Meg, a young witch, is sent to Earth to live among the humans. She is adopted by a woman named Mami, who gave up her right to be a witch and live in Meg's world when she married a mortal. In order for Meg to live with her, Mami uses magic to brainwash her family into believing that Meg is the eldest daughter. As the young girl struggles to adapt to her new life (where she comes from, families don't exist) she also has to deal with a rival for the throne named Non.
This show played a significant part in how modern magical girl plot points and concepts came to be; it's likely that you already recognize a few things from the summary alone. Sadly, it has never been licensed for North American release. Video clips can be found on Youtube.
Hime-chan no Ribbon (1992) Himeko may be quite the tomboy on the outside, but on the inside she yearns to be feminine and domestic, like her pretty older sister Aiko. One night, Himeko's fate changes. A strange young girl who looks just like her appears at her bedroom window. Erika, princess of the Magic World, wants her twin to test a ribbon she made that allows the wearer to take the form of any living, non-fictional person on Earth for a short period. With the news that she could be like Aiko, Himeko is ecstatic. But the responsibility proves perhaps a mistake, especially with her tendency to scatterbrain and Erika's right to the throne on the line!
This show has not been licensed for North American release, and the chances are less than 1% it ever will be, tragically. Video clips can be found on Youtube.
Akazukin Cha Cha (1994) Try as she might, fumbling witch-in-training Cha Cha can never get her spells right. When she can do something at all it almost always leads to strange and disastrous results. This is surprising, considering her teacher and guardian, Seravy, is regarded as the world's best sorcerer. But that's OK, because she has two best friends: Riiya, a strong boy who can transform into a wolf without the full moon, and Shiine, a fellow magic user who is studying under a self-declared rival of Seravy. Together they lend support to Cha Cha and help her transform into Magical Princess, to defend the land and defeat monsters and other evil-doers.
This show has not yet been licensed for North American release. Our best bet would be 4KIDS or a similar company picking it up for some kind of Saturday morning lineup, but that would be disastrous. Video clips can be found on Youtube.
Saint Tail (1995) Meimi is your average, cheerful schoolgirl; so who would ever guess that she moonlights as the infamous thief, Saint Tail? Saint Tail takes items that were stolen and gives them back to the original owners. A sort of modern day Robin Hood if you will. But the police force can think of her as nothing but a common criminal, and relentlessly try to catch her with no success. The only person who knows of Meimi's identity is her best friend and nun-in-training, Seira. She is also the one who finds victims for Saint Tail to help. A fellow classmate of Meimi's, Asuka Jr., is the son of a detective, and he's made it his mission to do what his father can't: catch Saint Tail once and for all (much to Meimi's annoyance)! How would he feel if he knew he sat in the same room with her everyday?
Saint Tail was licensed for North American release in the early 2000s by Tokyopop, but sold poorly and quickly went out of print. You can still locate the DVDs on places like Amazon and Ebay.
*MORE COMING SOON*
Majokko Meg-chan (1974) In order to possibly succeed the throne in the Magic World, Meg, a young witch, is sent to Earth to live among the humans. She is adopted by a woman named Mami, who gave up her right to be a witch and live in Meg's world when she married a mortal. In order for Meg to live with her, Mami uses magic to brainwash her family into believing that Meg is the eldest daughter. As the young girl struggles to adapt to her new life (where she comes from, families don't exist) she also has to deal with a rival for the throne named Non.
This show played a significant part in how modern magical girl plot points and concepts came to be; it's likely that you already recognize a few things from the summary alone. Sadly, it has never been licensed for North American release. Video clips can be found on Youtube.
Hime-chan no Ribbon (1992) Himeko may be quite the tomboy on the outside, but on the inside she yearns to be feminine and domestic, like her pretty older sister Aiko. One night, Himeko's fate changes. A strange young girl who looks just like her appears at her bedroom window. Erika, princess of the Magic World, wants her twin to test a ribbon she made that allows the wearer to take the form of any living, non-fictional person on Earth for a short period. With the news that she could be like Aiko, Himeko is ecstatic. But the responsibility proves perhaps a mistake, especially with her tendency to scatterbrain and Erika's right to the throne on the line!
This show has not been licensed for North American release, and the chances are less than 1% it ever will be, tragically. Video clips can be found on Youtube.
Akazukin Cha Cha (1994) Try as she might, fumbling witch-in-training Cha Cha can never get her spells right. When she can do something at all it almost always leads to strange and disastrous results. This is surprising, considering her teacher and guardian, Seravy, is regarded as the world's best sorcerer. But that's OK, because she has two best friends: Riiya, a strong boy who can transform into a wolf without the full moon, and Shiine, a fellow magic user who is studying under a self-declared rival of Seravy. Together they lend support to Cha Cha and help her transform into Magical Princess, to defend the land and defeat monsters and other evil-doers.
This show has not yet been licensed for North American release. Our best bet would be 4KIDS or a similar company picking it up for some kind of Saturday morning lineup, but that would be disastrous. Video clips can be found on Youtube.
Saint Tail (1995) Meimi is your average, cheerful schoolgirl; so who would ever guess that she moonlights as the infamous thief, Saint Tail? Saint Tail takes items that were stolen and gives them back to the original owners. A sort of modern day Robin Hood if you will. But the police force can think of her as nothing but a common criminal, and relentlessly try to catch her with no success. The only person who knows of Meimi's identity is her best friend and nun-in-training, Seira. She is also the one who finds victims for Saint Tail to help. A fellow classmate of Meimi's, Asuka Jr., is the son of a detective, and he's made it his mission to do what his father can't: catch Saint Tail once and for all (much to Meimi's annoyance)! How would he feel if he knew he sat in the same room with her everyday?
Saint Tail was licensed for North American release in the early 2000s by Tokyopop, but sold poorly and quickly went out of print. You can still locate the DVDs on places like Amazon and Ebay.
*MORE COMING SOON*
Why did I make this?
Eventually, I might start to include more recent manga (say, from 2000 and later) that fell off the radar rather quickly and never gathered much of a fanbase (if it did at all). Or, even if it did have a large readership, it remains largely forgotten or unnoticed by modern manga enthusiasts. If I'm lucky to find some books from the 60s or earlier, I'll definitely add those. Keep in mind that, because of the rarity of these books and the time and effort it takes me to find them, updates may not be as frequent as, say, once or twice a month. My collection is rather small right now but I'm always looking for more! And if there's a particular book or series you think I should check out, I'm all ears, so send me a message!
What makes a retro shoujo girl?
Eat like a retro shoujo manga girl!
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Anime to check out
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Eat like a retro shoujo manga girl!
When Series Are Revived
Why did I make this?
Anime to check out
Song of the Moment: Lady Lady!! Hit Kyokushuu - Hello Lady
