Hime-chan's Ribbon

Hime-chan's Ribbon

Cover of the first manga volume
姫ちゃんのリボン
(Hime-chan no Ribon)
Genre Magical girl
Manga
Written by Megumi Mizusawa
Published by Shueisha
Demographic Shōjo
Imprint Ribon Mascot Comics
Magazine Ribon
Original run August 1990 – January 1994
Volumes 10
Anime television series
Directed by Hatsuki Tsuji
Studio Studio Gallop, NAS
Network TV Tokyo
Original run October 2, 1992 – December 3, 1993
Episodes 61
Manga
Hime-chan no Ribon Colorful
Written by Shiho Komiyuno
Published by Shueisha
Demographic Shōjo
Magazine Ribon
Original run October 2009 – December 2010
Volumes 3

Hime-chan's Ribbon (姫ちゃんのリボン Hime-chan no Ribon) is a magical girl manga series created by Megumi Mizusawa that was serialized in Ribon Magazine from August 1990 to January 1994. It was later developed into a 61 episode anime series, produced by Studio Gallop, that aired from October 2, 1992 to December 3, 1993. Hajime Watanabe's first project as a character designer was with Hime-chan no Ribbon. The manga series was collected into ten volumes in Japan, where it received a full anime DVD release.[1] A stage musical of the show was produced in December 1993 starring the idol group SMAP. The musical was presented in three episodes, each a week apart. SMAP performed the opening theme and the three ending themes for the anime and each member appears in animated form in episode 13. Both manga and anime are currently unlicensed in the United States.[2]

Plot

The story is about Himeko Nonohara (野々原姫子 Nonohara Himeko), also known as Hime-chan (姫ちゃん), an aloof, childlike, yet boasty fourteen-year-old girl who frets over the fact that she is the biggest tomboy in the school. Himeko would like nothing more than to be a proper, feminine young lady, like her older sister Aiko, so that she could approach her secret crush, Hasekura.

One night, Himeko is unexpectedly approached by a girl, who is a near-mirror image of herself, floating outside of her bedroom window. She discovers that the girl is Princess Erika of the Magical Kingdom. Erika explains that people in the Magical Kingdom have an exact counterpart in the Human World and that, in order to prove herself worthy as a princess, she must give Himeko a magical item that she has created. Himeko is allowed the use of this item, a red hair ribbon, for one year to determine whether it is useful, and consequently, if Erika will inherit the crown.

The ribbon allows Himeko to transform into anyone in the Human World for one hour. If Himeko is unable to recite the magic incantation in reverse before the hour is up, she will be trapped in that person’s form for the rest of her life. She is unable to reveal the secret of the ribbon and the existence of the Magical Kingdom to anyone. If she does, her memory will be erased as punishment. Assisting her with this is her stuffed lion, Pokota, whom the ribbon brought to life. Erika will watch her in the Magic Kingdom through her crystal ball for one year, at which point the ribbon will be returned.

Themes

In authoring Hime-chan's Ribbon, Megumi Mizusawa used themes common to magical girl manga. The concept of being able to transform into other people had been a feature of Himitsu no Akko-chan (1962).

Characters

Himeko Nonohara (野々原 姫子 Nonohara Himeko)

Himeko is the protagonist of the series. She progresses from being a tomboy at the beginning of the series to becoming a refined, feminine and mature girl by the series' end. Erika, her counterpart in the Land of Magic is an elegant princess, but warms to Hime-chan's playfulness which often lands them both in trouble with the King and Queen and Erika's magical broom, Chappy.
Himeko had a childhood crush on the much older Hasekura-senpai, but she gradually grows to like Daichi instead. The name Himeko means "little princess". Hime-chan's motto is "Ike! Ike! Go! Go! Jump!". (Come on, Come on, go, go, jump)

Pokota (ポコ太)

Pokota is Himeko's favorite stuffed animal that is only animate when Himeko is wearing the magic ribbon. He is Himeko's friend and voice of reason, often helping her out of various difficult situations. Daichi was suspicious of Pokota from the first time that he saw him and treated Pokota harshly before he could confirm that Pokota was "alive". Pokota, being a toy has no direct equal in the magic world, but he becomes close friends with a pink cat, Pink-chan.

Daichi Kobayashi (小林 大地 Kobayashi Daichi)

Daichi is a trouble maker at Himeko's school. By chance they meet at an abandoned house that Himeko was passing by on her way to give Hasekura-senpai a good luck charm. Daichi, who kept to himself prior to meeting Himeko, begins teasing her initially because of her tomboyish behavior. Daichi warms to Hime-chan and they become friends. He discovers her secret about the ribbon and Pokota. The King and Queen make an exception to the rule of secrecy for Daichi and he often travels with Himeko to the Land of Magic where Camille is his exact counterpart.

Hikaru Hibino (日比野 ひかる Hibino Hikaru)

Hikaru attends the same class as Himeko and Daichi. She shows interest in Daichi and thinks of Hime-chan as her rival. She becomes suspicious of Hime-chan's secretiveness and she comes close to exposing Hime-chan's secret, but always is foiled at the last minute by one of Hime-chan's friends or by Hime-chan herself. Robelia is Hikaru's mirror match from the Land of Magic.

Sei Arisaka / Sei Array (有坂 静 / セイ・アレイ Arisaka Sei / Sei Arei)

Sei and his bird, Kantaro are from the Land of Magic. Sei is initially only after Himeko's magic, though after his guise of pretending to be a transfer student is revealed, he befriends Daichi and Hime-chan instead. Hime-chan does not forgive his earlier threatening behavior and rejects Sei's attempts at becoming better acquainted.

Kouichi Hasekura (支倉 浩一 Hasekura Kōichi)

Hasekura takes the same bus and is in the same grade of Himeko's older sister, Aiko, and is a senior student to Hime-chan. Hime-chan's crush goes unnoticed by Hasekura and he falls in love with her older sister instead.

Aiko Nonohara (野々原 愛子 Nonohara Aiko)

Aiko is Himeko's sister. (All of the females in the family have names that end with "ko" (子)) Hasekura and Aiko fall in love which saddens Hime-chan. Aiko is treated as a role model by both of her younger sisters, particularly Hime-chan who chooses Aiko as her first ever transformation. She is also incredibly beautiful and domesticated.

Yumeko Nonohara (野々原 夢子 Nonohara Yumeko)

Yumeko is Aiko and Himeko's younger sister. Her exploits with Daichi's younger brother, Shintaro often cause their older siblings much grief.

Shintaro Kobayashi (小林 森太郎 Kobayashi Shintarō)

Shintaro is Daichi's younger brother. He is friends with Yumeko.

Manami Mori (森 愛美 Mori Manami) and Ichiko Kamikura (上倉 一子 Kamikura Ichiko)

Himeko, Manami and Ichiko are best friends. Manami claims ownership of Himeko calling her "My hime-chan". She refers to many things as being "cool" and enjoys cooking. Ichiko is referred to as Ii-chan. She is adept at archery.

Masshi (マッシー Masshī) and Hiroshi

Masshi and Hiroshi are mischievous sprites from the Land of Magic. They cause great destruction and are eventually punished by becoming Hime-chan's assistants. They provide Hime-chan new powers through new accessories other than the ribbon. Hiroshi is a fox-like sprite who has the ability to fly. Masshi does not have a fox-like tail, but looks similar and is lifted from place to place by his partner.

Incantations

To perform magic several different incantations are recited. When Hime-chan first receives the ribbon she is told to recite "Parallel, Parallel, (person's name) ni nare". After the excitement of transformation Hime-chan dismisses Erika's important instruction to recite this incantation saying Parallel backwards, "Rurerapa rurerapa motono sugatani nare." which causes her to almost be caught as the Principal of the school forever. Pokota had to remind her of the correct way of pronouncing Rurerapa to avoid this.

Incantation Effect
Parareru parareru, (name) ni naare! Transformation into someone else.
Rurerapa rurerapa, moto no sugata ni naare! Reverts a transformation.
Tinka tinku, tinkuru tinkuru, futari ni naare! Creates a clone of herself.
Sinka sinku, sinkuru sinkuru, hitori ni naare! Dispels a clone.
Pikkori pikkora, chiisaku naare! Reduces size of people and objects .
Rakoppi rikoppi, moto no ōkisa ni naare! Returns to original size from a small state.
Gurande gurāji, ōkiku naare! Enlarges size of people and objects.
Jīragu denragu, moto no ōkisa ni naare! Returns to original size from an enlarged state.
Toppu su ōru, jikan yo tomare! Stops time.
Bāsu ri ōru, jikan yo modore! Start time again.
Fūrudo i furīsu, (object to freeze) yo tomare! Stops an object.
Raranpa rurunpa ronpappa, rarirurerurara, jikan yo moto ni modore! Start objects again.

Episode list

# Title Original airdate
1 "I've become a magician!"
(私はマジシャンになりました！) 		October 2, 1992

A very cute girl named Erika, with long blonde hair and a red ribbon, is having fun flying on a broom, among the clouds high in the night sky. When she emerges from the clouds, a large city far below her comes to view. The girl says that the view from here is great, and she can't see that from the Land of Magic. Then she asks her broom, named Chappy, to fly down closer. Her broom retorts that it's no game and she, the Princess, should go back soon or her father the King will be very mad at her. But the girl says that she has two days to find her look-a-like. After school, a middle-schooler named Himeko is seen walking home with her friend Manami, soon they hear the sound of roller skates getting closer at full speed. A boy with short brown hair is visibly trying to run away from a very mad teacher who calls him Kobayashi and is chasing him for skating in the hallway. When Kobayashi gets cornered in front of a closed door, he throws his school bag at a very surprised Hime-chan, takes a run at the teacher, and impressively jumps over him. Then he picks up his school bag and heads for the playground, with the teacher still after him. Manami says that this boy was the very cool Kobayashi Daichi. Icchan teases her for finding just every boy very cool, but Manami retorts that it's true: Kobayashi is very good at sports and really good-looking. But Hime-chan says he's not her type as she prefers much quieter and intellectual boys."Just like Hasekura-senpai then?" Manami adds, startling Hime-chan. She wonders out loud if Hasekura-senpai, a member of Hime-chan's theater club, is Hime-chan's secret love. As Hime-chan retorts that he's not, Hasekura-senpai, a tall guy with short light brown hair, comes into view and asks her what she was saying about him, making her blush and look down, when she got home Hime-chan remembers that the next day is Hasekura's birthday. A few days later Hime-chan meets Princess Erika-(a look a like version of Himeko) in her room Erika says she is the Princess from the Land of Magic. Hime-chan obviously doesn't believe her at all, and gets up to call her mother. But then she spots Erika's broom Chappy flying around her, so she sits down quietly. Erika continues to tell her story. In the Land of Magic, everybody's duty (such as her father the King) is to prepare/invent magical items. In fact, Chappy herself was invented by Erika's great-great-great-grandfather, and Erika has invented the ribbon she is now holding out to Hime-chan. She adds that it could transform Hime-chan into any other living person on Earth. Hime-chan, as expected, doesn't believe a word of what she said, and Chappy gets mad, yelling that it's the truth. Erika would give her ribbon to Hime-chan for one year, in return for the permission to let her observe Hime-chan for her training. Hime-chan retorts with an angry look that she is NOT a guinea pig. Erika replies that she can't help it because she had to find her copy on Earth to make the experiment with.

She also advises her to take great care of herself when using the magic ribbon. 
2 "Big shock! Hasekura-senpai's confession"
(ビッグショック！支倉先輩の告白) 		October 9, 1992
The next day, Hime-chan wakes up getting ready for school, Hime-chan gets up and grabs Pokota to wish him a good morning. But Pokota doesn't reply, and she realizes that isn't wearing the ribbon, Then her younger sister Yumeko sneaks in and spots the cute ribbon on Hime-chan's desk. Hime-chan rushes and grabs the ribbon before her sister, and throws her out, saying she will get dressed and go very soon. Hime-chan, realizing that it was not a dream, quickly puts on the bracelet and the ribbon, and Pokota starts talking immediately. He scolds her for not remembering that she must wear the ribbon for him to be able to talk. But she hugs him hard, with tears of joy, because she was thinking she couldn't speak to him any more. Suddenly Hime-chan spots Hasekura-senpai in the bus passing by. She is really worried because his birthday is today and she has lost the amulet that she had gotten for him. With a resolute look, she dashes after the bus, as we see her sister Aiko getting into the bus. Hime-chan wishes she could take the bus with her sister, because that way she would be with Hasekura-senpai. Since she arrives at the school gate late, Hime-chan spots Gori-sensei (the teacher who was after Daichi in the first episode) on guard. But she has an idea to get rid of him, and uses a car mirror to turn herself into the principal. Then she confidently walks to the gate and Gori-sensei lets her in, even bowing at her with respect. But at the very last instant he tells her he thinks he has already seen her go in. Hime-chan/principal scolds him, saying she is the only principal out there.At home, Pokota is still worried about Hime-chan, thinking she could get into trouble if she uses the ribbon for fun. In her crystal ball, Erika and Chappy are looking at Hime-chan as the school principal, Chappy wondering if it's okay to use the ribbon for such things but then Hime-chan spots the real principal coming downstairs, so she rushes to the men's restroom and hides inside. After that she stands in front of a mirror to turn back to her own self. She makes the correct gestures but it doesn't work at all. Doing it three times makes no better. Hime-chan starts panicking. Erika says if she and chappy don't do anything about it Hime-chan will be stuck in the principal's body for the rest of her life; in the men's restroom, Hime-chan is thinking that Erika told her the wrong magic words. But then Pokota, out of breath, sneaks in, carrying a large roll of paper on his back. Hime-chan/principal, in tears, cries out that no matter how many times she says rerurapa, nothing happens. Then Pokota tells her that the reverse of parareru isn't rerurapa but rurerapa. He tells Hime-chan to transform back soon because the bell for the break is ringing and some people might come over. This time the magic words work fine, and Hime-chan, with a quick glance, sneaks out of the restroom. Walking to the theater club's meeting room, Hime-chan thinks to herself that even if she has no present to give Hasekura-senpai, she should at least wish him a happy birthday. But as she goes in, she spots 3 girls giving birthday presents to him. So Hime-chan leaves, deciding to give him a present by all means. She decides that she will go to a nearby shrine to buy another amulet. At the shrine, she throws 100 yen as an offering to Gods, asking them to let her give the amulet to him at least. She wonders why she's the only one who doesn't have the guts to give Hasekura a birthday present, unlike the other girls; She heads for the ladies' restroom and turns herself into her sister Aiko, Walking in the streets, Hime-chan feels much better now, thanks to her sister's body's strength. Everybody (boys and girls) stares at her with envy, saying she is very cute. She even spots some nice dresses in a shop window, but leaves as the sales woman comes to ask her if she'd like to try some on. Now Hime-chan/Aiko is at Hasekura's school gate, waiting for him, but a pushy guy comes to bother her. Hime-chan can't get rid of him, but then Hasekura unexpectedly shows up, saying he's sorry for having made her wait, and takes her hand and leaves. Hime-chan/Aiko is so stunned that he took her sister's hand this naturally that she doesn't say a word. She blushes and gently follows him, her heart beating very fast. After a while, they arrive at the nearby park, Hasekura saying the pushy guy should be far enough now. Realizing he still has her hand in his, Hime-chan/Aiko shyly takes hers back, thanking him nevertheless for what he did, with a cheerful voice. Hasekura says that's nothing, besides he doesn't like those kind of guys at all. Hime-chan/Aiko replies, in the Hime-chan's tomboy-ish style, that she'll beat the tar out of him next time. Hasekura is very surprised to hear her speaking that way, so Hime-chan realizes she has given in to her natural self and laughs more girl-ish-ly with embarrassment, saying that's what she'd like to do. She still can't believe she is talking that casually to Hasekura, and remembers she must give him the amulet this time. 
3 "Turning into her beloved senpai"
(ノー先輩NI変身あこがれ) 		October 16, 1992
4 "Hime-chan transforms into the principal!"
(姫ちゃんは校長に変身します！) 		October 23, 1992
5 (ぶっ飛び少女ヒカル東城) 
6 "Battary! Daichi and Daichi"
(電池! 大地の大地) 		November 6, 1992
7 "The secret of the GA barechau!"
(GAのbarechauの秘密！) 		November 13, 1992
8 "Transform into the Kidnappers"
(キッドナッパーに変身) 		November 20, 1992

Music

Opening themes
# Transcription/Translation Performed by Episodes
Egao no Genki SMAP All
Ending themes
# Transcription/Translation Performed by Episodes
1 Bura Bura Sasete SMAP 1-31
2 Hajimete no Natsu SMAP 32-53
3 Kimi wa Kimi da yo SMAP 54-61

Reception

Jennifer B from THEM Anime reviews stated that Hime-chan's Ribbon is "a fun, cute series that's worth watching if you like magical girl shows" and "Hime-chan herself is a likable character".[3] Andrew Sheldon from Anime-Meta Review felt that "The writing is well done, has a great sense of character and can be touching".[4] Kelly Mayback from the Anime Cafe: A Parent's Guide to Anime described it as "an EXCELLENT series to use when exploring Japanese culture".[5]

Remake

In 2009 the series was remade, with manga creator Shiho Komiyuno penning the series. Hime-chan no Ribon Colorful premiered in the October 2009 issue of Ribon, the same magazine that the original series ran in.[6] Differences between the two series included the setting being moved to modern day as well as the character of Pokota being replaced by a shape changing Princess Erika.

References

  1. ↑ The manga series was collected into ten volumes in Japan information from Chime fansite. Accessed 2007-03-19.
  2. ↑ 姫ちゃんのリボン (in Japanese). Retrieved 2006-07-24.
  3. ↑ "Hime-chan's Ribbon review". THEM Anime. Retrieved 2007-01-02.
  4. ↑ "Hime-chan's Ribbon review". Anime Meta. Retrieved 2007-01-02.
  5. ↑ "Hime-chan's Ribbon review". Anime Cafe: A Parent's Guide to Anime. Retrieved 2007-01-02.
  6. ↑ Mantova News '11: Planet Manga! Panini Comics Italian
Preceded by
Genji Tsūshin Agedama
(10/4/1991 - 9/25/1992)		 TV Tokyo Friday 18:00 Timeframe
Hime-chan's Ribbon
(October 2, 1992 – December 3, 1993) 		Succeeded by
Akazukin Chacha
(1/7/1994 - 6/30/1995)
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