Magical Doremi
Doremi Harukaze is a third grade student at Misora city. She dubbed herself as “The Unluckiest Pretty Girl In The World” because she often gets bad luck. One day, Doremi was forced to become a witch apprentice under Majo Rika, owner of the magic shop Maho-Dou, who got turned into a magic frog because her secret as a witch was guessed correctly by Doremi. Doremi, along with Hazuki Fujiwara and Aiko Senoo, tried to be real witches to restore Majo Rika back into human form. On the following season, Onpu Segawa (the infamous child idol), Momoko Asuka (the transfer student from America), and Hana Makihatayama (the wonder child from Witch World) joined Doremi and co. as witch apprentices.
Magical Doremi is a magical girl anime series produced by Toei Animation in the early 2000s era and broadcasted in four seasons, two movies, and one OVA series. One interesting thing about this anime is how the stories are pretty close and relevant to children without feeling too childish. The anime is also “bold” in bringing some story elements that may be rarely presented by similar anime, such as broken home, culture shock, bullying, insecurity, and puberty. Moreover, as the anime goes on through its ~200 episodes, the viewers can also slowly feel the main characters grew up more mature. It makes a magical girl show that’s not only can be enjoyed for children and girls, but also for an audience with wide range of backgrounds and ages. (Tanto Dhaneswara/KAORI Newsline)
Magical Emi
Mai Kazuki is from a family of magicians. Her dream is becoming a magician like her family and her idol, legendary magician Emily Howell. Unfortunately, because she is still a young girl, she is very clumsy and unsure. Until one day, her encounter with a mirror fairy named Topo change her life.
A classic magical girl that remins of the old days of simpler magical girl stories. (Dody Kusumanto/KAORI Newsline)
Princess Comet
Comet (12 years old in human years) is the princess of the Harmonica Star country and was to meet the prince of the Tambourine Star country at a ball where he would pick a bride. But he wasn’t there and so Comet is sent to Earth to find him. He’ll be known by the starlight in his eyes. She finds the Earth and she loves the people she meets there. Meanwhile, Princess Meteor of the Castanet Star country also arrives on Earth in search of the prince. Comet’s companion is a little puppy with a star at the end of his tail named Rubba Ball. Of course, Comet was not the first to visit the Earth and love it. Another before her did as well and married, while her pet (a white cat with bunny ears and a tiny heart on her tail named Bunny) continued life as a kind of fairy in the forest. Comet’s power is drawn from the stars of her home and is channeled through her baton. She also wears a special pendant from where Rubba Ball emerges, and with which she can detect and find the prince.
This anime has an engaging story. I watched it when I was in elementary school and even though I feel that watching this anime is not a “boy’s thing”. What makes this anime interesting is how Comet builds her relationships with another earthling characters. In that place she learned many things which her country didn’t have. The most memorable parts in this anime are when Comet finds a new power source beside the star from her country, and how Comet’s romantic feeling towards Keisuke (who was mistaken as the Prince of Tambourin because had a twinkle in his eyes) grows slowly as the series goes on. (Andira Indrawan/KAORI Shop)
Princess Tutu
Princess Tutu is the tale of a duck who longed to meet a prince and given human form to fulfill her wish. She is also given the ability to become the magical ballerina Princess Tutu to gather the scattered shards of the prince’s heart. Unknown to her, she has been pulled into the plot spun by a mysterious author named Drosselmeyer.
Born from the creator’s passion for ballet and the fairy tales that inspire them, Princess Tutu presents a meta exploration on the themes and conventions of such stories. The show puts the fairy tales themes and conventions into critical questions, without outright dismissing or looking down on the fairy tales themselves, demonstrating a deep understanding and love for the charm of fairy tales, allowing it to craft a splendid fairy tale of its own. (Halimun Muhammad/The Indonesian Anime Times)
To be continued on the next page
