is a Japanese magical-girl

anime is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...

franchise by

Ashi Productions is a Japanese anime studio, located in Suginami, Tokyo, Japan, known for its four magical-girl anime, especially ''Magical Princess Minky Momo''. It was established by Toshihiko Sato and other artists on December 20, 1975, as ''Ashi Productions ...

. The original series ran between 1982 and 1983 on

TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as and known colloquially as , is a television station headquartered in the Sumitomo Fudosan Roppongi Grand Tower in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, owned and operated by the subsidiary of listed certifie ...

and inspired three OVAs between 1985 and 1987. A second television series, titled , ran on

NTV NTV may refer to: Television * NTV (Bangladesh), a Bengali-language satellite television channel in Bangladesh * NTV (India), Telugu regional channel * NTV (Kenya) * NTV (Mongolia), a television channel based in Mongolia * NTV (Newport Televis ...

between 1991 and 1992, and like the original, it spawned home video follow-ups. A third ''Momo'' series began in 2004, this time as a manga known as in

Shogakukan is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, comics ( manga), non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan. Shogakukan founded Shueisha, which also founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the H ...

's Shōgaku Ninensei magazine. In 2006, series writer

Takeshi Shudo was a Japanese scriptwriter and novelist. His major works include anime ''Space Warrior Baldios'', the ''Magical Princess Minky Momo'' series, and ''Pokémon'', of which he created the Pokémon Lugia. He had a reputation for his witty dialogue a ...

expressed interest in making a third ''Momo'' anime series. In 2009, Ashi Productions, then known as Production Reed, announced a new ''Momo'' production, but it has not yet surfaced, likely due to Shudo's passing in 2010.

Media

First anime

''Magical Princess Minky Momo'' is a Japanese anime television series produced by

that premiered on March 18, 1982 and concluded on May 26, 1983 on

after 63 episodes. The series inspired a crossover

short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

with Studio Pierrot's ''

Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel is a magical girl anime television series produced by Pierrot which aired from 1983 to 1984 on Nippon Television. It went on to have four OVA adaptions and featured in other Studio Pierrot special presentations. A three-volume manga wa ...

'' called that was released on June 15, 1985, attached to the latter's theatrical film. The following month, a

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythi ...

themed

OVA , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...

named was released in Japan. On January 21, 1987 Ashi released the animated music video.

Plot

Momo is a princess of , "the land of dreams in the sky". Fenarinarsa is a dwelling place for fairy tale characters. It was in danger of leaving Earth's orbit and disappearing, because people on the planet lost their dreams and hopes. The king and queen of Fenarinarsa sent their daughter Momo to Earth to help the people regain them. Momo became the daughter of a young childless couple, accompanied by three followers with the appearance of a dog (Sindbook), a monkey (Mocha) and a bird (Pipil). On Earth, Momo takes the appearance of a teenage girl. To help the planet regain its hopes and dreams, Momo transforms into an adult version of herself, with an occupation tailored to fit the situation ( airline stewardess,

police officer A police officer (also called a policeman and, less commonly, a policewoman) is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, "police officer" is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. In some, the use of the ...

football manager ''Football Manager'' (also known as ''Worldwide Soccer Manager'' in North America from 2004 to 2008) is a series of football management simulation video games developed by British developer Sports Interactive and published by Sega. The game bega ...

veterinarian A veterinarian (vet), also known as a veterinary surgeon or veterinary physician, is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, vet ...

, and many more). Each time Momo succeeds in bringing happiness to the person affected, the Fenarinarsa crown shines. When it shines four times, a jewel appears in the crown. Once twelve jewels appear, Fenarinarsa will return to Earth. Later in the series, however, the task is left incomplete as she loses her magical powers and soon gets killed by an incoming truck. She is reincarnated as a baby, the real daughter of the couple on Earth. Now she has her own dream to realize. She also has a pink lizard named Kadzilla who helps her and her allies defeat an evil shadow who had been the source of the troubles of the people she had helped.

International releases

In 1984, Harmony Gold acquired the rights to the original ''Minky Momo'' series and repackaged it into the 52-episode ''The Magical World of Gigi''. The

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

dubbed version was broadcast in Australia on Network Ten, Malaysia on RTM2, Singapore, Kuwait, Zimbabwe, Trinidad and Tobago, Indonesia, Kenya, Brunei and Israel. ''Gigi'' branded productions also aired in Brazil, China, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Russia and the Philippines, in local languages. Despite international distribution, North American audiences initially only received the 1985 OVA, ''Yume no naka no Rondo''. The English dubbed release was produced by Harmony Gold and distributed on VHS by

Celebrity Home Entertainment Celebrity Home Entertainment (also known as simply Celebrity Video), founded by Noel C. Bloom in 1987, was a home video distributor specializing in mostly obscure material from around the world, as well as B-grade action films and softcore adult ...

in 1987, titled ''Gigi and the Fountain of Youth''.

Rebecca Forstadt Rebecca Forstadt is an American voice actress, best known for playing young female roles in various animated series. After studying theater at Orange Coast College, in Costa Mesa, California, Forstadt began her acting career by working at Knott' ...

(under the pseudonym Reba West) played Gigi (Momo) in this dub. Jehan (Gigi) Agrama sang the title song in the English and Italian versions. Like most English language anime during its time, it was heavily edited, with an altered plot, rewritten dialogue, and a changed soundtrack (all of the original Japanese vocal songs were replaced with new English songs). In 2015, William Winckler Productions released Harmony Gold's English dub of the original series in 13 compilation films through

Amazon Instant Video Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming and rental service of Amazon offered as a standalone service or as part of Amazon's Prime subscription. The service pr ...

Second anime

A second television series, produced by

and sharing the same title as the original, premiered on

on October 2, 1991. After 38 episodes, the series title changed to and concluded on December 23, 1992 after a total of 62 episodes. Three additional episodes were later released on home video. This series inspired the 1993

, and its followup the year after, . The two starred an older Momo who was no longer a magical girl.

Plot

The second series follows a similar story structure to the first, but stars a new cast. This Momo came from , the "land of dreams in the bottom of the sea." She's accompanied by Cookbook (dog), Lupipi (bird), and Charmo (monkey) and enjoyed a happy life on the ground. Similar to the previous series, she is adopted by a young childless couple who became her parents on the ground and she used her magic to bring happiness to many people. Later on, Momo and her family become refugees. She understands that people have few hopes and dreams now. She eventually meets the Momo character from the first series and ultimately decides to save all the remaining hopes and dreams, using her magic against many social issues. Despite her efforts, all magic and fairy tale characters begin to disappear. The King and Queen of Marināsa decide to escape from the Earth. Momo stays behind to fulfill her parents' dream of having a child, believing that hopes and dreams are never really lost.

Impact and influence

While aimed at young girls with the goal of selling toys, the original series attracted a considerable number of older male fans and alongside ''

'', is credited as one of the originators of the lolicon

otaku is a Japanese word that describes people with consuming interests, particularly in anime, manga, video games, or computers. Its contemporary use originated with a 1983 essay by Akio Nakamori in '' Manga Burikko''. may be used as a pejorat ...

subculture. Though this unintended audience allegedly disgusted Ashi Productions founder Sato Toshihiko, it helped the show gain a strong 10% viewer share, leading to its run being extended from 50 episodes to 63. Episode 46 of the original series has become infamous due to its depiction of Momo dying after being hit by a truck carrying toys. In an issue of Japanese anime magazine OUT, series writer

explained that this was due to the toy sponsor

Popy Popy (ポピー) was a Japanese toy manufacturer of the 1970s and early 1980s. The company was owned by Bandai. It was founded in 1971 and merged back into the parent company in 1983. The company is best known for its groundbreaking Chogokin robot ...

pulling their funding due to poor merchandise sales, despite strong ratings. Furious with this decision, Ashi Productions revolted and killed the character off at the end of the episode. While the character's death was only temporary, the sequence was seen as a trailblazer that allowed later magical-girl productions to deal with darker themes. The episode, alongside the last, later inspired a Japanese

urban legend An urban legend (sometimes contemporary legend, modern legend, urban myth, or urban tale) is a genre of folklore comprising stories or fallacious claims circulated as true, especially as having happened to a "friend of a friend" or a family m ...

linking the series to natural disasters. In 1993, Hiroshi Takada won

JASRAC The , often referred to as JASRAC, is a Japanese copyright collection society. It was founded in 1939 as a nonprofit organization, and is the largest musical copyright administration society in Japan. Overview JASRAC's main business activity i ...

's International Award for his work on the first TV series. The original series ranked 70th in

TV Asahi JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as (also known as EX and and stylized as TV asahi), is a television station that is owned and operated by the subsidiary of certified broadcasting holding company , itself controlled by The Asahi Shimbun Comp ...

's 2005 poll of the most popular anime.

Soundtracks

Singles

;''Mahou no Princess Minky Momo: Yume no Naka no Rondo'' (1985) :sung by

Mariko Shiga was an idol star and voice actress born in Funabashi, Chiba, Japan. She attended and graduated from Funabashi Municipal High School before enrolling in the University of California, Riverside in 1989. While on a trip to Arizona in November of tha ...

, EP, Victor Entertainment, KV-3068 ;''Mahou no Princess Minky Momo: Yumemiru Heart'' (1991) :(CD) STAR CHILD, KIDA 31 ;''Mahou no Princess Minky Momo: Yume wo Dakishimete'' (1992) :(CD) STAR CHILD, KIDA 42 ;''Mahou no Princess Minky Momo: LOVE CALL'' (1993) :(CD) STAR CHILD, 8SSX 69

Albums

;''Magical Princess Minky Momo: Yume no Naka no Rondo Ongakuhen'' (1985) :(LP)

Victor Entertainment , also known as in Japan, is a subsidiary of JVCKenwood that produces and distributes music, movies and other entertainment products such as anime and television shows in Japan. It is known as JVC Entertainment in countries where Sony Music Ente ...

, JBX-25066 :(CD) Victor Entertainment, VDR-1073 ;''Magical Princess Minky Momo: Fenarinarsa Song Festival'' (1985) :(CD) Victor Entertainment, VDR-1085 ;''BGM MANIAC LIBRARY 3 Mahou no Princess Minky Momo Mihappyou BGM Shuu'' (1986) :(LP) Victor Entertainment, JBX-7003 :(Cassette) Victor Entertainment, VSK-20003 ;''Mahou no Princess Minky Momo: DaBaDaBa DaBaDa'' (1992) :(CD) King Records KICA-79 ;''Mahou no Princess Minky Momo: Yuki ga Yandara'' (1992) :(CD) King Records, KICA-109 ;''Mahou no Princess Minky Momo: Utau Fairy Tale!'' (1992) :(CD) King Records, KICA-120 ;''Mahou no Princess Minky Momo: LOVE STAGE'' (1993) :(CD) King Records, KICA-131 ;''Mahou no Princess Minky Momo: Yume ni Kakeru Hashi'' (1993) :(CD) King Records, KICA-146 ;''Mahou no Princess Minky Momo: Someday My Prince Will Come'' (1994) :(CD) Victor Entertainment, VICL-23060 (also released on LP) ;''Mahou no Princess Minky Momo: Tabidachi no Eki'' (1994) :(CD) King Records, KICA-196 ;''Mahou no Princess Minky Momo: Someday My Prince Will Come TV/OVA'' (1994) :(CD) Victor Entertainment, VICL-23060 ;Dendō Twin Series ''Magical Princess Minky Momo'' TV-ban OVA-ban (1999) :(CD) Victor Entertainment, VICL-60419/20

Compilations

These albums have songs from multiple shows. The applicable tracks are in bold. ;''Emotion 20th Anniversary Theme Collection - OVA & Movie'' :(CD) Victor Entertainment, VICL-60938 ::Disc 1 :#''Dallos no Theme'' (Horn Spectrum, from '' Dallos'') :#''Yume no Naka no Rondo'' (Mariko Shiga, from ''La Ronde in My Dream'') :#''Active Heart'' (

Noriko Sakai is a Japanese given name for females. Possible writings * 徳子, "benevolence child" * 法子, "method, law child" * 則子, "rule child" * 紀子, "chronicle child" * 教子, "teach child" * 範子, "pattern child" * 典子, "rule, precedent, ...

, from ''

Gunbuster ''Gunbuster'', known in Japan as , is a Japanese OVA anime series produced by Bandai, Victor, and Gainax and released from 1988 to 1989. It was the directorial debut of Hideaki Anno, best known as the creator and director of ''Neon Genes ...

'') :#''Try Again...'' (Noriko Sakai, from ''Gunbuster'') :#''The Winner'' ( Miki Matsubara, from '' Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory'') :#''Magic'' (Jacob Wheeler, from ''Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory'') :#''Just Fallin' Love: Ikustu mo no Setsunai Yoru no Naka de'' ( Ayako Udagawa, from ''

Dominion The term ''Dominion'' is used to refer to one of several self-governing nations of the British Empire. "Dominion status" was first accorded to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, South Africa, and the Irish Free State at the 192 ...

'') :#''Kaze no Tsubasa'' (

Hitomi Mieno is a Japanese singer and screenwriter. She has released 17 singles and 11 albums since her debut in 1994. Several of her songs have been used as openings and endings of anime and radio dramas. She has also written the screenplays of various anim ...

, from '' Haou Taikei Ryuu Knight: Adeu's Legend'') :#''Point 1'' ( Yumiko Takahashi, from ''Haou Taikei Ryuu Knight: Adeu's Legend'') :#''Toketeiku Yume no Hate ni'' ( Yayoi Gotō, from '' Iria: Zeiram the Animation'') :#''100mph no Yūki'' (

Sakiko Tamagawa is a Japanese actress, voice actress and singer from Tokyo. She is affiliated with Sigma Seven. She voices Rei Kuki in '' Genji Tsuushin Agedama'', Natsumi Tsujimoto in '' You're Under Arrest'', Kazama's mother in '' Crayon Shin-chan'', and Toy ...

and

Akiko Hiramatsu is a Japanese voice actress affiliated with Ken Production.Doi, Hitoshi.Hiramatsu Akiko. ''Seiyuu Database''. June 11, 2010. Accessed June 28, 2010. Filmography Anime OVA Movies Video Games Dubbing *'' Bootmen'' (Linda ( Sophie Lee)) *' ...

, from '' You're Under Arrest'') :#''Arittake no Jōnetsu de'' (Sakiko Tamagawa and Akiko Hiramatsu, from ''You're Under Arrest'') :#''After, in the Dark: Torch Song'' (

Mai Yamane is a Japanese singer, known for her work on the '' Cowboy Bebop'' soundtrack with Yoko Kanno and her 1980 hit ''Tasogare''. Early life and solo career Her career started in 1979 when she participated and won the prize in Yamaha Music Foundation' ...

and

Gabriela Robin is a Japanese composer, arranger and music producer best known for her work on the soundtracks of anime series, television series, live-action films, video games, and advertisements. She was born in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. She has wri ...

, from ''

Macross Plus is a four-episode anime OVA and theatrical movie in the ''Macross'' series. It was the first sequel to the original ''Macross'' television series that took place in the official timeline ('' Macross II'' was quickly retconned by series creato ...

'') :#''Inori no Asa'' ( Miwako Saitō, from '' Shamanic Princess'') :#''Omoide no Mori'' (Miwako Saitō, from ''Shamanic Princess'') :#''Future Shock'' (cherry, from ''

Birdy the Mighty is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masami Yuki. His initial attempt with the story ran in Shogakukan's ''Shōnen Sunday Zōkan'' from 1985 to 1988, but it was eventually abandoned. Over a decade later, Yuki began a re ...

'') ::Disc 2 :#''Ai, Oboete Imasu ka'' (long version) (

Mari Iijima is a Japanese actress and singer. She writes and produces most of her own music, and plays the piano and other instruments. After being signed to JVC Victor in 1982, Mari first became known for her voice-acting role as Lynn Minmay in the anime ...

, from '' The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love?'') :#''Tenshi no Enogu'' (Mari Iijima, from ''The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love?'') :#''Akira no Theme'' ( Geinoh Yamashirogumi, from '' Akira'') :#''Voices'' (

Akino Arai is a Japanese singer, songwriter, and lyricist for various anime theme songs and shows, including '' Record of Lodoss War'', '' Please Save My Earth'', '' Macross Plus'', '' Outlaw Star'', '' Kaze no Stigma'', '' Maoyu'', and ''Aria The Originat ...

, from ''Macross Plus'' (movie edition)) :#''Heart & Soul'' (Emilia with Basara Nekki, from '' Macross 7: The Galaxy Is Calling Me!'') :#''In Yer Memory'' (

Takkyū Ishino , better known by his stage name , is a Japanese DJ, record producer, and singer from Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture. He is a member of Denki Groove is a Japanese music group founded in 1989. It consists of Takkyu Ishino and Pierre Taki. Histor ...

, from ''

Memories Memory is the faculty of the mind by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If past events could not be remembered, ...

'') :#''Calling'' (Nitro, from ''You're Under Arrest: The Movie'') :#''Tōi Kono Machi de'' (

Naomi Kaitani Naomi or Naomie may refer to: People and biblical figures * Naomi (given name), a female given name and a list of people with the name * Naomi (biblical figure), Ruth's mother-in-law in the Old Testament Book of Ruth * Naomi (Romanian singer) (bo ...

, from ''

Cardcaptor Sakura , abbreviated as ''CCS'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by the manga group Clamp. Serialized monthly in the ''shōjo'' manga magazine ''Nakayoshi'' from May 1996 to June 2000, it was also published in 12 ''tankōbon'' ...

'') :#''Ashita e no Melody'' ( Chaka, from ''Cardcaptor Sakura'') :#''Yubiwa'' (single version) (

Maaya Sakamoto Maaya may refer to: * Maaya (given name) Maaya (written: 真綾 or 真礼) is a feminine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese singer-songwriter, actress and voice actress *, Japanese actress and voice actress *, ...

, from ''

The Vision of Escaflowne is a 26-episode Japanese anime television series created by Shōji Kawamori and Sunrise Studios and directed by Kazuki Akane. It premiered in Japan on April 2, 1996 on TV Tokyo, and the final episode aired on September 24, 1996. Sony's a ...

'') :#''Grace - Jinroh Main Theme - Omega'' (

Hajime Mizoguchi is a Japanese cellist and composer. Mizoguchi started playing piano at the age of 3, and the cello at the age of 11. From 1978–1985 he attended the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music where he majored in violoncello. In 1986, ...

, from '' Jin-Roh'') :#''Ask DNA'' ( The Seatbelts, from '' Cowboy Bebop: The Movie'')

References

External links

* :* :* (62 main episodes, plus special episodes 46.5, 53.5 and 58.5) ::* :::* * *
Fairy Princess Minky Momo 1st
at Production Reed's website :
Fairy Princess Minky Momo - La ronde in my dream
at Production Reed's website
Fairy Princess Minky Momo 2nd
at Production Reed's website
Fairy Princess Minky Momo
official website

{{Ashi Productions 1982 anime television series debuts 1985 anime OVAs 1987 anime OVAs 1991 anime television series debuts 1993 anime OVAs 1994 anime OVAs Animated television series about children Anime with original screenplays Ashi Productions Bandai Visual Japanese children's animated fantasy television series Magical girl anime and manga Nippon TV original programming Television series about princesses Television series about shapeshifting TV Tokyo original programming