Mahou no Stage Fancy Lala

Some anime in this world are just plain good. Some anime in this world are just plain bad. Some anime look like they'll be awesome, yet later on turn out to be terrible and stupid. Some anime, which by all intents and purposes should NOT be good, wind up being so wonderful and so amazing that you have to wonder why most people don't know about how awesome they really are, especially if you find out that said show is a children's show primarily aimed at young girls. Back in the 1990s, both American and Japanese kids shows tried to appeal to young boys, whichwas the desired audience back then. But what about shows for girls? Nowadays, people think girls shows won't sell. Thankfully, with the new cartoon My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, that view is changing, but most channels often have shows about teen idols who go around doing stupid things while looking pretty and basically being popular and hip with an imaginary audience laughing in the background. Oddly enough, the show I'm reviewing right now is an idol show, yet it is absolutely NOTHING like that I just described! To be honest, it is rather easy for people to overlook this little gem, and I can see why. I mean, with a title like Fancy Lala, how can you not think "Ugh. It's gonna be a G3 My Little Pony-esque kids show about idols having endless tea parties, giggling over nothing, and basically acting like stuck-up brats"? Well, never fear, for this show is not like that at all! Though this show doesn't exactly have a premise that screams "Watch me!!" and you really have to watch the show in order to understand it's strengths. Fancy Lala is instead about a young, carefree girl named Miho who aspires to become a famous mangaka or model since her mother is a drama producer and her father is a paleontologist who studies dinosaur fossils. One day, after an unpleasant incident at a local store, she finds herself with two stuffed animals, which are actually little dinosaur fairies from another world. The two dinosaurs, Pigu and Mogu, give her a magical sketchbook and pen that not only allows her to bring her drawings to life, but to turn her into a 15-year-old version of herself, and upon transforming, she gets recruited by Lyrical Productions to become the next big thing! But is becoming a model/singer really worth it, especially considering all the trouble you get into to do it? Now, for those of you thinking this is going to be some kind of clone of Bratz or Hannah Montana or something like that, prepare to be proven wrong, because Fancy Lala is NOT that kind of show. Yes, it's a children's show. Yes, it's aimed at young girls. Yes, it has magical girl elements. Yes, it has cute little animal mascots. Yes, our lead character becomes a model/singer to meet up with a man she admires. But Fancy Lala is NOT a dragged out toy advertisement (heck, considering how the episodes play out, it's not even trying to promote any toys since none exist!), NOT a glorified idol show, NOT a teen-girl popular stuck-up brat fest, and, most importantly, NOT a show that's so cutesy and saccharine that you want to shoot yourself. Well, technically, yes, Fancy Lala DOES have some cutesy moments, but like I said, they're not overly sugary and sweet either. Not only that, this was made in 1998, BEFORE all of those dumb idol shows began flooding the market! Let me tell you: Fancy Lala is a polished gem in the anime world. No magical girl anime or shoujo anime I've seen has even come CLOSE to holding a candle to Fancy Lala's awesomeness. No, it doesn't have action. No, it doesn't have an evil overlord trying to steal the joy of life and destroy the world for cliche reasons. Nobody said that all magical girl anime needed to be about saving the world! If anything, you can consider this another way to deconstruct a magical girl anime. Let me start with the animation. This anime was produced by Studio Pierrot, the guys behind Naruto and Bleach. Long ago, in 1983 to be exact, Studio Pierrot hit it big when they produced a magical girl anime just like Fancy Lala called Creamy Mami, only it was 52 episodes long instead of 26. Lots of people loved it, so much so that it prompted Pierrot into making more magical girl anime afterward! But it didn't last long. Fancy Lala is actually a remake of an OVA called Harbor Light Story: Fashion Lala, which I did watch (and I really need to finish my review of that). But Fancy Lala is, in my opinion, a HECK of a lot better. It's animation is, for it's time, surprisingly detailed. I'd even be so bold as to say that the animation here is a heck of a lot better than even CardCaptor Sakura, which aired in the exact same year, and that's saying a lot! The show tries to make use of a lot of subtle drama by making the characters express their feelings through facial expressions instead of angsty dialogue and contrived coincidences or through cheese and melodrama, something that is a huge and oh-so-common pitfall in most shoujo anime nowadays. The character art in itself is very expressive and tries its best to convey even the smallest of emotions, whether it's through facial expressions or movement. Nothing important is said, but you don't need words to convey your emotions, and Fancy Lala does this great! Though I do admit, the transformation sequences are a bit generic, but hey! It does what it's supposed to do and nothing more. The music...oh, the music! The opening and ending songs are nice and catchy, since they're performed by Miho's voice actress, who was back then a fledgling actress/singer as well. Don't worry, they're not overly sweet and saccharine like most magical girl anime theme songs. But in my opinion, it's the soundtrack that really steals this anime for me. For those of you who don't know, the soundtrack was composed by Michiru Oshima, whom many of you know did the soundtracks for the first Fullmetal Alchemist anime, Nabari no Ou, Le Chevalier D'Eon, X'amd: Lost Memories, and So-Ra-No-Wo-To. She also did the osts for My Sister Momoko, The Glass Rabbit, and 5-tou ni Naritai. She is steadily becoming one of my favorite anime composers next to Yuki Kajiura and Two-Mix. She's known for her normally orchestral sounding music, but her best work is definitely here in Fancy Lala. Her pieces fit soooo well in every single scene, and they have her name written all over it! There's light-hearted music in the light-hearted scenes, and when there's a sad scene, the mellow but beautiful background music tugs at your heartstrings. Often times in anime, music isn't always thrown in the right places, but here, nothing is mismatched! The music matches the scenes, sets the mood, and creates a fitting atmosphere for each scene. I wish I could buy the OST somewhere! The characters are just wonderful. They're not carbon copies of typical stereotypes, they look, sound, and act like real people you often run into in real life, from the kids to the adults. Everybody has their own set of problems whether it's their job, their background, their decisions, their actions, etc. Nobody's perfect nor overly flawed in this show. That's what makes the characters so great. Nobody's problems are over exaggerated or overly complex. Miho herself is a great character. Despite the fact that she has a lot to deal with in the adult world with her newfound magic, she still manages to remain an innocent child despite being burdened with the task of carrying the weight of both being an idol and the whole series. We get to know her through and through, and it's because we get to know her so well that the theme of adult problems going on around her works extremely well. Her voice actress only makes it better. Children in this series really do sound like children instead of squeaky 30 year old actresses who try too hard to sound overly moe, and I have to admit, Taro's Japanese voice doesn't sit well with me. I think his English dub voice sounds much better. Now, this isn't the kind of show everyone will like, and I can understand that, but I want to explain why the show won me over. Instead of trying to do something big, Fancy Lala focuses so much more on small subjects, like the downsides of using magic and parting with things that have a lot of sentimental value, and IT WORKS SO WELL HERE. It works so well here that the above episodes regarding said subjects actually made me cry! Episode 8 especially! Just watch it and see for yourself how wonderful it is, and the message it conveys...holy shrimp, I don't think anything will top Fancy Lala's genuine and poignant way of showing us that magic isn't eternal. By focusing on something simple, the show saves the trouble of trying to do too much and blow up in the end, something a lot of modern anime tend to do, and, according to most anime fans, it happens about 85% of the time, and it's not pretty. Fancy Lala manages to accomplish so much even though it's such a simple story, and the ending, which happens to be the very best thing about Fancy Lala as a whole (why don't more magical girl or shoujo anime do this?!), is a result of that. And surprisingly enough, even though Fancy Lala looks innocent and sweet, it actually takes quite a lot of risks. Heck, I watched the entire anime subbed, and in episode 13 they mention the word sex! But it's only used once (ONLY once. Never again after that), and I don't think Miho heard it, so I can let it slide. I don't know if it's present in the dubbed version, but if it is, then I don't know if it'll sit well with other people. While it is a nice show, it does have some flaws. For one thing, we never get an explanation from where Pigu and Mogu come from. Miho just ran into them by pure coincidence. We never learn much about the Mystery Man or why he has access to magic in the first place, and admittedly, Miho does become talented at acting and singing a little too quickly, but I've seen worse examples of this so I'll let it slide. Besides, the show makes up for it by showing an accurate portrayal of the idol scene, and by not trying to glorify it either. Don't be fooled by this show's premise or looks. Fancy Lala is a sweet, genuine, and wonderful little anime that will leave you so fulfilled you feel like smiling at the whole world.

As someone who's more versed with magical girl series such as Sailor Moon, Utena, Yuki Yuna, Madoka, aka the shows where the heroines are often going against dark agencies and battling against baddies to save the world, Fancy Lala is far from that beaten path. But, still, the catchy opening and exceptional artwork (considering the time and perhaps budget) were enough to have me hooked at first glance. As simple as the premise was - young girl encounters magical creatures who grant her the power to transform into the (older) girl she finds herself cartooning about in her spare time - there were so many poignantmoments that viscerally brought the show to life - specifically two off the top of my head, Episode 8 and Episode 12. Miho is, as Lala, completely relatable - she never quite looses that childish charm and naivete, even when she's entering into the more-adult world of modeling and being an idol. There's a sincerity there that genuinely makes you wonder if she's going to come out of alright. The characters are all believable to be honest, and the story moves at a pleasant pace. There isn't much room for fillers, every episode serves its purpose ultimately. And, by the end of the series, we're left with many bittersweet (but ultimately, sweet) feelings swirling in our gut. This show is exceptional, a hidden treasure, and a must for anyone seeking some purity in a world where anime seems to gravitate towards quick-gratification instead or weaving a tale that touches upon our dreams and deep desires.

One of the Best Anime i seen I don't know why it's not famous and got low votes. I will be honest in this review and I will try my best no to write more spoilers. Story (9/10) Great Story about a girl who become famous celebrity Art (7/10) Good Art for 90's Anime it's feel like your watching 2006 or 2007 Anime Sound (8/10) Very Good Sound singer and Songs Characters (10/10) Outstanding Characters specially LalaEnjoyment (10/10) I really enjoyed watching every Episodes Overall (9/10) Great Anime I think Japanese need to make like these anime and this anime is better than Creamy Mami for me. If you love anime which focus in story then try watch this even if it's Magical girl you feel like your not watching a Magical Girl Anime.

This series is teeming with creativity, a pair of prehistoric dinosaurs shrink themselves into chibi forms, that resemble stuffed animals; and then, imbue an eight-year-old with a magical sketchbook that can create clothes and even has the ability to create sentient life. Yes, in one episode Miho alchemically creates a pet cat. As you can expect from that statement, this series is bonkers, but can also be super fun and has some really serious moments! Too bad the ending was a huge downer! ⚠️ This review will have spoilers ⚠️ —Story/Characters I would have probably rated this series the same ranking as Creamy Mami (a 3★), if therewasn't a suddenly cruel, head-scratcher of an ending. The undertone to Fancy Lala had always been a little bit more mature than the fun, '80s, reference-filled romp in "Creamy Mami" — the series explores themes of children from a suffering marriage, negative press and rumors, and other coming-of-age pains! All of this is, of course, interspersed with filler episodes with transformation shenanigans and, often, spooky ghost stories! The story starts out almost too idyllic for the prescience of a downer ending: a) an eight-year-old girl gets to transform into a teenager, because of a couple of adorable, dinosaur mascots with magic powers, b) she immediately gets scouted by a talent agency because of her good looks, and gets to be closer to her male, idol crush, c) despite "Lala" constantly being late or having to attend elementary school, the firm works around her schedule! The whole script plays out like what a third-grader would imagine a talent agency to function like, and what, despite having zero vocal training (after one session), they say that she's gifted enough to start performing at concert venues? What an insane progression! So, to then, end the series by having all of her powers suddenly taken away from her... forever, seemed very cruel. Especially, when everyone at the agency now thinks that she was murdered or something, because she's a missing person. It even makes it on the news, that the idol singer named "Lala" has gone missing. Miho's mother is the talent supervisor, so hearing about it at home torments Miho more; and not only that, but when Miho tries to transform using a fusion of her magical sketchbook and her dinosaur buddies' powers, and the effect of it is... that her small friends disappear... never to be seen again! The series implies that she can become "Lala" again, in a few years, after she's grown up, but what is she going to say... she's been a missing person for half of a decade by that point, and she's supposed to just resume her job as a singer, like nothing ever happened? I guess she could introduce herself with her real name and just write off the uncanny resemblance as a coincidence? Or, has the mysterious Mr. Fushigi taken away her powers, to force her to focus on her dream of being a comic book artist? I don't even know. And then, her make-up artist reveals that he was once greeted by the mystery man and given magical powers, too. What? What, even, is this ending? On a positive note, I really liked how practical Miho's transformations were. In most magical girl shows, the clothes just form over the girls' bodies, but Miho has to first transmute the outfit out of paranormal paper, and then transform into an adult, to manually put the garments on! It was entertaining to wonder how Miho was going to pull off the switch, since it was harder and has less plot conveniences than the typical mahō shōjo series! And the fact that the magical mascots, are just shrunken dinosaurs was really rad! They are usually cat or dog-like creatures, so the dinosaur angle was as original as the twist of Keroberos ("Cardcaptor Sakura") actually being a Cerberus-like beast! I also liked Miho's "friend-enemy" relationship with her rival, Miki Yumeno! I thought their dynamic was interesting, and how much Miki adored Miho's mother was really sweet. I wasn't the biggest fan of Miho's relationship with Taro, though his original seiyū is really talented! It was just two children getting on each other's nerves all the time, with Miho being the more diligent and responsible half, and Taro being lazy and kind of stupid, by comparison! Since I already made a juxtaposition with "Cardcaptor Sakura," I will with the romance, too! Syaoran and Sakura are both portrayed as competent, fast-witted, magic users, so that couple was much easier to root for... whereas, Miho and Taro seem like they're at complete opposite ends of the spectrum! —Technical Luna's Favorite Works by Each Respective Creator = ✅ Takahiro Ōmori (director), notable works: * Akachan to Boku, "Baby and Me" * Baccano! * Durarara!! (series) ✅ * Gakuen Alice * Hotarubi no Mori e, "Into the Forest of Fireflies' Light" ✅ * Hyper Police * Jigoku Shōjo, "Hell Girl" (series) * Koi Kaze ✅ * Kuragehime, "Jellyfish Princess" ✅ * Natsume Yūjinchō (series) ✅ * Oh! Super Milk-chan * Pet * Power Stone * Samurai Flamenco * Wonder Bebil-kun * Yoiko Commentary: From what I've seen, Mr. Ōmori seems to be skillful at directing character interactions in natural settings, you can see examples of this in Natsume Yūjinchō, Kuragehime, Hotarubi no Mori e, etc. He did an excellent job at making the world of Fancy Lala, seem like it takes place in an actual suburban district in Japan. Despite my qualms with the actual story, the atmosphere is dense with a comfortable, child-like ambience. I specifically liked the moments when Miho would creep up to the rooftop of her family's home and talk about her troubles to her dinosaur friends, from within a tranquil garden. It felt really peaceful and cathartic. Anyone who's a fan of Natsume Yūjinchō, will know that this man is amazing at creating a pulchritudinous setting! I watched "Magical Stage Fancy Lala" with the English dub, so I will list the Japanese seiyū, but comments will be on the performances of the English voice actors. Reiko Ōmori as Miho Shinohara, notable roles: * Julie, Kaleido Star Candice Moore as Miho Shinohara, notable roles: * Kanata Saionji, Daa! Daa! Daa! * Jin Nomura, Fūjin Monogatari * Maria, Hayate no Gotoku * Shippō, InuYasha ✅ * Rei Hasekura, Yoshino Shimazu, and Sachiko Ogasawara, Maria-sama ga Miteru ✅ * Abe no Masahiro, Shōnen Onmyōji * Kazuma Azuma, Yakitate!! Japan Commentary: Ms. Moore is most famous for voicing little kid characters, an example of this is: she voices most of the child counterparts to all of the "Ranma ½" female characters, as well as the child versions of most characters in Fate/stay night (2006)! She does well as Miho Shinohara, since she a third-grader that has whiny tendencies, similar to her predecessor, Yū Morisawa ("Creamy Mami")! Magnificent job as the character! ※Warning: The singing in the English dub is really bad! The Japanese seiyū is a real-life J-POP star, so I would suggest switching over to the Japanese audio for the musical parts! Michiko Neya as Mogu, notable roles: * Satella Harvenheit, Chrno Crusade * Nina A. Thunder, eX-Driver * Melissa Mao, Full Metal Panic! ✅ * Riza Hawkeye, Fullmetal Alchemist ✅ * Jun, Gatchaman * Irene Vincent, Gunsmith Cats ✅ * Hungary, Hetalia Axis Powers * Ihrie, Hikyō Tanken Fam & Ihrlie ✅ * Tatsuki Iizuka, Hyakko * Mako Satō, Initial D * Talho Yūki, Kōkyōshihen Eureka Seven ✅ * Delphine Eraclea, Last Exile ✅ * Elie, Mahō Gakuen Lunar! Aoi Ryū no Himitsu ("Magic School Lunar: Secret of the Blue Dragon") * Tōe Kanbaru, Monogatari series ✅ * Reiju Vinsmoke, One Piece ✅ * Huang Kuang-Mei, Power Dolls * Nancy Makuhari, R.O.D. ("Read or Die") ✅ * Honey Kisaragi, Shin Cutey Honey ✅ * Doll Izumi, Super Doll Licca-chan * Natalia Luzu Kimlasca Lanvaldear, Tales of the Abyss * Serio (HMX-13), To Heart ✅ * Shizuka ("Serenity") Kawai, Yū☆Gi☆Ō! ✅ * Agnès Chevalier de Milan, Zero no Tsukaima Maureen Jones as Mogu, notable roles: * None Commentary: The more sensible of the two mascots and I guess it's no wonder, when the Japanese seiyū voices an entourage of "sultry" women, who also happen to kick major butt. Ms. Jones as Mogu works well, as she has an older woman voice! Adorable role! Shinobu Adachi as Pigu, notable roles: * Miki Jōnōchi, Future GPX Cyber Formula * Rabi, Madō King Granzort * Calimero, Shin Calimero * Rupert von Trapp, Trapp Ikka Monogatari * Flower Ōji, Yume no Hoshi no Button Nose Chris Simms as Pigu, notable roles: * None Commentary: The cute mascot role works really well with Mr. Simms voice. He's the voracious eater that has to be scolded by his partner, Mogu! Very cute! Tomoko Ishimura as Chisa Shinohara, notable roles: * Mimi Takaoka, Buttobi!! CPU ("I Dream of Mimi") ✅ * Fatora Venus, El Hazard ✅ * Rumy, Fortune Quest L * Kurusu, Guardian Hearts * Millie Nocturne, Lost Universe * Saeno Hiiragi, Seraphim Call Carol-Anne Day as Chisa Shinohara, notable roles: * Misaki Tokura, Cardfight!! Vanguard * Marsha Rizarov, D.I.C.E. * Hikaru Usada, Di Gi Charat Nyo ✅ * Nobue Itō, Ichigo Mashimaro ("Strawberry Marshmallow") * Mai Tokiha, Mai-HiME * Yanagi Sakoshita, Rekka no Honō * Josie, Tide-Line Blue * Sakurako Kariya, Viper's Creed * Elisi Linette, Zoids Commentary: I had only heard her as the super cute, Hikaru Usada in "Di Gi Charat Nyo"! The character of Chisa Shinohara isn't that, she's more of the average older sister. She blends into the cast, but plays her role well. Wonderful work! Kappei Yamaguchi as Taro Yoshida, notable roles: * Takuya Enoki, Akachan to Boku * Shō Hamara, Angel's Feather * Vergil Strauss, Apfelland Monogatari * Arslan, Arslan Senki (OVA) ✅ * Gokū, Asobot Senki Gokū, localized as Monkey Typhoon * Keita Aono, Betterman * Andropov, Blue Dragon * Haruhiko Kazama, Boku no Chikyū wo Mamotte ("Please Save My Earth") ✅ * Kenta Ochiai, Can Can Bunny Extra * Hifumi Yamada, Danganronpa: The Animation ✅ * Retro, Dead Leaves ✅ * L Lawliet, Death Note ✅ * Shinichi Kudō (adult) and Kaito Kuroba, Detective Conan ✅ * Enma, Dororon Enma-kun Meeramera ✅ * Yorn, Eden's Bowy * Tarō Raimon, Eyeshield 21 * Flappy, Futari wa PreCure ✅ * Daisaku Kusama, Giant Robo * Tsutomu Yamaguchi, Gokinjo Monogatari * Baki Hanma, Grappler Baki * Ryūichi Sakuma, Gravitation ✅ * Yugo, Gunnm ("Battle Angel Alita") ✅ * Hanappe Yamada, Hanappe Bazooka ✅ * Bass, Hōma Hunter Lime ("Jewel BEM Hunter Lime") * Feitan Pohtoh, Hunter x Hunter (2011) ✅ * InuYasha, InuYasha ✅ * Zenki, Kishin Dōji Zenki * Wan Derbard, K.O. Beast * Yattarō, Kyattō Ninden Teyandee ("Samurai Pizza Cats") * Sabato Rokudō, Kyōkai no Rinne ("RIN-NE") * Tombo Kapoli, Majo no Takkyūbin ("Kiki's Delivery Service") ✅ * Usopp, One Piece ✅ * Kuma, Persona 4: The Animation * Ranma Saotome, Ranma ½ ✅ * Ryū-ō, RG Veda ✅ * Shū Akiba, Slow Step * Subaru Sumeragi, Tokyo Babylon ✅ * Saburo Tenma, Violence Jack * Jin, Yū☆Yū☆Hakusho ✅ Jeffrey Watson as Taro Yoshida, notable roles: * Son Gokū, Dragon Ball ✅ * Takuto Kira, Full Moon wo Sagishite * Kenta Suetake, Sensei no Ojikan: Doki Doki School Hours Commentary: The only role that I've heard Mr. Watson as is Son Gokū, in the "Dragon Ball" dub, and I remember it being rather charming. The characterization of the kiddish Taro, is very similar to that. Great job! Fumi Kusachi as Miki Yumeno, notable roles: * Lufy, Gall Force: The Revolution ✅ * Uzuki Toreishi, Idol Bōei-tai Hummingbird Mariette Sluyter as Miki Yumeno, notable roles: * None Commentary: I enjoyed Ms. Sluyter as Miki Yumeno, she conveys a snooty idol girl, that is secretly kind of a tsundere, that has a good heart. Good role, it's a shame that she hasn't been cast in more anime! Hideo Ishikawa as Hiroya Aikawa, notable roles: * Jūshirō Ukitake, Bleach ✅ * Yoshihiko Kenjo, Boys Be... * Dino Ptera, DinoZone * Keisuke Honda, Fantasista Stella * Cait Sith, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children ✅ * Hōsei Toki, Kin'iro no Corda: Blue♪Sky * Hiroto Kanazawa, Kin'iro no Corda: Primo Passo * Oliver May, Kidō Senshi Gundam MS IGLOO * Itachi Uchiha, Naruto ✅ * Seiji Hayami, Re: Cutey Honey ✅ * Jabu Unicorn, Saint Seiya: Meiō Hades ✅ * Genjūrō Kazanari, Senki Zesshō Symphogear (series) ✅ * Ryōma Nagare, Shin Getter Robo * Yūsuke Katō, Sotsugyō M: Ore-tachi no Carnival * Kintarō Tōyama, Tantei Gakuen Q * Minoru Tokitō, Wilder Adapter Victor Atelevich as Hiroya Aikawa, notable roles: * Tōya, Ayashi no Ceres ✅ * Illumi Zoldyck, Hunter x Hunter (1999) Commentary: It's been a long time since I've previewed the English dub for "Ayashi no Ceres," I remember watching a miscellaneous DVD back in day, when I was really obsessed with the manga... but, then I ended up watching the rest of the series in Japanese. From what I can remember, Mr. Atelevich did a pretty good job with Tōya, which is saying something, since Tōya was hands down, my best boy! His characterization of Hiroya Aikawa is also a pretty boy-type of voice, and it works for the character. Other notable seiyū talents: Atsuko Tanaka (Major Motoko Kusanagi in "Ghost in the Shell" and Lisa Lisa in "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure"), Ryūsuke Ōbayashi (Sōun Tendō in "Ranma ½" and Captain Kiichi Gotō in "Patlabor"), and Yoshiko Sakakibara (Armaroid Lady in "Space Cobra" and Haman Karn "Kidō Senshi Zēta Gundam"). Conclusively, if you're itching for an imaginative magical girl series, then I would give this one a try. It fumbles a little bit, and some episodes can come off as generic, but I truly do think that this series deserves to be more popular. There are some major flaws, but I found amusement in watching it so, I give Mahō no Stage Fancy Lala a 4/10! Rating: ★★☆☆☆

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