| Ja Kanji: | 魔法のステージ・ファンシーララ |
| Ja Romaji: | Mahō no Sutēji Fanshī Rara |
| Genre: | Magical girl[1] |
| Type: | ova |
| Harbor Light Story Fashion Lala Yori | |
| Director: | Motosuke Takahashi |
| Music: | Kenji Yamamoto |
| Studio: | Studio Pierrot |
| Released: | 11 March 1988 |
| Runtime: | 48 minutes |
| Type: | tv series |
| Director: | Takahiro Omori |
| Music: | Michiru Ōshima |
| Studio: | Studio Pierrot |
| Network: | TXN (TV Osaka) |
| First: | 5 April 1998 |
| Last: | 27 September 1998 |
| Episodes: | 26 |
| Episode List: |
|
| Type: | manga |
| Author: | Rurika Kasuga |
| Publisher: | Shueisha |
| Demographic: | Shōjo |
| Magazine: | Ribon |
| First: | May 1998 |
| Last: | November 1998 |
| Volumes: | 2 |
Fancy Lala, known in Japan as, is a magical girl anime series produced by Studio Pierrot in 1998, following an OVA released in 1988. A two-volume manga adaptation by Rurika Kasuga ran in Ribon. The original designs were created by Akemi Takada, who worked on many of the Studio Pierrot series of the 1980s. The anime series was licensed for English release by Bandai Entertainment with a dub produced in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada by Blue Water Studios which was owned by Ocean Productions in Vancouver. This was the last magical girl anime Pierrot produced by Pierrot prior to Tokyo Mew Mew in 2002.
One day, a 9-year-old elementary schoolgirl named Miho Shinohara is given two stuffed dinosaurs by an unnamed stranger. The stuffed dinosaurs come to life and they present her with a magic sketchbook and pen. Within limits, and subject to varying degrees of control, she can draw in the sketchbook and bring the drawings to life. Miho can also transform into a teenage girl, whom she names Fancy Lala. One day, Lala is scouted by Yumi Haneishi, the president of the talent agency Lyrical Productions, and begins the long road to stardom.
Fancy Lala is a complete remake of an earlier Studio Pierrot OVA titled Harbor Light Story Fashion Lala Yori. It was also influenced by Mahō no Tenshi Creamy Mami, the story of a ten-year-old Japanese girl granted the power to transform who also became an idol.[2]
The original OVA was very different than the final series, being a retelling of Cinderella. In it, the heroine, Miho, a little girl who dreams of being a fashion designer, lives with her aunt and three cousins while her father is away on business. The aunt, who runs a dress shop, exploits Miho's dependence and makes her perform deliveries on her bike, while spoiling her own daughters. Of the three, the two oldest are cruel and mock Miho's dreams, but the youngest is nice to her. A local disco is holding a contest to find the next "Disco Queen." Miho is too young to enter, but decides to design a dress for her cousin. When the aunt finds out, she rips up the dress. After everyone leaves, two fairies take pity on Miho and transform her into "Fashion Lala," a sixteen-year-old blonde, so she can enter the contest herself. While performing, Miho's outfit changes into her previous designs, and it seems that she wins. At the end, she returns to a happy life with her father and her two oldest cousins apologized to Miho for being cruel to her and mocking her dreams for no reason.
The heroine being named Miho and the two fairies, as well as the concept of an "evil cousin", were the only things retained for the final series.
| Episode # | Title | Transformation Outfit | Original Airdate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Miho's Spectacular Transformation" ｢みほ、華麗なる変身!｣ (Miho, Karei Naru Henshin) | April 5, 1998 | |||
| 2 | "Lala's Debut in Harajuku" ｢ララの原宿デビュー!｣ (Rara no Harajuku Debyū | ) | April 12, 1998 | ||
| 3 | "The Heart-Pounding TV Appearance!" ｢どきどきテレビ出演 | ｣ (Dokidoki Terebi Shutsuen) | April 19, 1998 | ||
| 4 | "A Double Date on Sunday!" ｢ダブルデートの日曜日｣ (Daburudēto no Nichiyōbi) | April 26, 1998 | |||
| 5 | "A Busy Day for Miho and Lala!" ｢みほとララの多忙な一日｣ (Miho to Rara no Tabōna Ichinichi) | May 3, 1998 | |||
| 6 | "Lala's a Rival?" ｢ララはライバル?｣ (Rara wa Raibaru?) | May 10, 1998 | |||
| 7 | "The Terrifying Care Duty for Mokko" ｢恐怖のモッコ当番｣ (Kyōbu no Mokko Tōban) | May 17, 1998 | |||
| 8 | "Kitten Lilu and the Secret of the Magic!" ｢チビ猫リルと魔法のひみつ｣ (Chibi Neko Riru to Mahō no Himitsu) | May 24, 1998 | |||
| 9 | "There's No Way I Can Be a Singer!" ｢歌手になんてなれない | ｣ (Kashu ni Nante Narenai!) | May 31, 1998 | ||
| 10 | "The CD Release Campaign Disaster!" ｢すったもんだのキャンペーン｣ (Suttamonda no Kyampēn) | mermaid suit, fortune tellers outfit | June 7, 1998 | ||
| 11 | "The Spectacular Pinch Hitter!" ｢華麗なるピンチヒッター｣ (Karei Naru Pinchihittā) | June 14, 1998 | |||
| 12 | "Who Are You?" ｢あなたはだあれ?｣ (Anata wa Daare?) | June 21, 1998 | |||
| 13 | "The Lala and Hiroya Scandal!" ｢ララとひろやのスキャンダル｣ (Rara to Hiroya no Sukyandaru) | June 28, 1998 | |||
| 14 | "Miho in Toyland!" ｢おもちゃの国のみほ｣ (Omocha no Kuni no Miho) | July 5, 1998 | |||
| 15 | "The Dream Will Never End" ｢その夢は終わらない｣ (Sono Yume wa Owaranai) | July 12, 1998 | |||
| 16 | "Miho's First Journey Alone!" ｢みほの最初の一人旅｣ (Miho no Saisho no Hitoritabi) | July 19, 1998 | |||
| 17 | "The Day the Water Imp Appeared!" ｢カッパが出てきた日｣ (Kappa ga Detekita Hi) | July 26, 1998 | |||
| 18 | "Lala is a Cupid!" ｢ララは恋のキューピッド｣ (Rara wa Koi no Kyūpiddo) | August 2, 1998 | |||
| 19 | "Something Chisa Left Behind" ｢お姉ちゃんの忘れ物｣ (Onēchan no Wasuremono) | August 9, 1998 | |||
| 20 | "Together With Mom?!" ｢お母さんと一緒? | ｣ (Okāsan to Issho?!) | August 16, 1998 | ||
| 21 | "Mr. Asaka's Girlfriend?!" ｢朝霞先生の恋人?｣ (Asaka Sensei no Koibito?) | August 23, 1998 | |||
| 22 | "The Scoop! Lala's Identity Revealed | " ｢スクープ!ララの正体｣ (Sukūpu | Rara no Shōtai) | August 30, 1998 | |
| 23 | "My Sister's Boyfriend" ｢お姉ちゃんのボーイフレンド｣ (Onēchan no Bōifurendo) | September 6, 1998 | |||
| 24 | "Lala's First Concert" ｢ララのファーストコンサート｣ (Rara no Fāsuto Konsāto) | September 13, 1998 | |||
| 25 | "Lala Has Vanished!" ｢消えてしまったララ｣ (Kieteshimatta Rara) | September 20, 1998 | |||
| 26 | "I Love You All!" ｢みんな大好き | ｣ (Minna Daisuki!) | September 27, 1998 |
Fancy Lala was licensed by Bandai Entertainment for English release in 2001,[3] and dubbed at Blue Water Studios. The series has been released on DVD, but is only distributed in region 1 outside Japan.