| Magical Princess Minky Momo | |
| Ja Kanji: | 魔法のプリンセス ミンキー モモ |
| Ja Romaji: | Mahō no Purinsesu Minkī Momo |
| Genre: | Magical girl |
| Creator: | Takeshi Shudo |
| Type: | tv series |
| Director: | Kunihiko Yuyama |
| Producer: | Minoru Ōno (Yomiko Advertising) Hiroshi Katō Masaru Umehara |
| Music: | Hiroshi Takada |
| Studio: | Ashi Productions |
| Network: | TV Tokyo |
| First: | 18 March 1982 |
| Last: | 26 May 1983 |
| Episodes: | 63 |
| Episode List: | List of Minky Momo 1982 episodes |
| Type: | ova |
| Long Goodbye: Mahō no Tenshi Creamy Mami VS Mahō no Princess Minky Momo Gekijou no Daikessen | |
| Director: | Mochizuki Tomomichi |
| Studio: | Studio Pierrot |
| Released: | 15 June 1985 |
| Type: | ova |
| Magical Princess Minky Momo La Ronde in my Dream | |
| Director: | Kunihiko Yuyama |
| Studio: | Ashi Productions |
| Released: | 28 July 1985 |
| Runtime: | 81 minutes |
| Type: | ova |
| Magical Princess Minky Momo Hitomi no Seiza Minky Momo SONG Special | |
| Director: | Kunihiko Yuyama |
| Studio: | Ashi Productions |
| Released: | 21 January 1987 |
| Type: | tv series |
| Magical Princess Minky Momo: Hold on to Your Dreams | |
| Director: | Kunihiko Yuyama |
| Producer: | Tōru Horikoshi (NTV) Minoru Ōno (Yomiko Advertising) Hiroshi Katō Masaru Umehara |
| Music: | Tomoki Hasegawa |
| Studio: | Ashi Productions |
| Network: | NTV |
| First: | 2 October 1991 |
| Last: | 23 December 1992 |
| Episodes: | 62+3 |
| Episode List: | List of Minky Momo 1991 episodes |
| Type: | ova |
| Minky Momo in The Bridge Over Dreams | |
| Director: | Kunihiko Yuyama |
| Studio: | Studio Junio |
| Released: | 23 May 1993 |
| Runtime: | 40 minutes |
| Type: | ova |
| Minky Momo in The Station of Your Memories | |
| Director: | Kunihiko Yuyama |
| Studio: | Studio Live |
| Released: | 22 June 1994 |
| Runtime: | 30 minutes |
| Type: | manga |
| Miracle Dream Minky Momo | |
| Author: | Yamabe Yoshina |
| Publisher: | Shogakukan |
| Magazine: | Shōgaku Ninensei |
| First: | April 2004 |
| Last: | March 2005 |
is a Japanese magical girl anime franchise by Ashi Productions. The original series ran between 1982 and 1983 on TV Tokyo[1] and inspired three OVAs between 1985 and 1987. A second television series, titled, ran on NTV 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 titled in Shogakukan's Shōgaku Ninensei magazine.
In 2006, writer Takeshi Shudo expressed interest in making a third Momo anime television series.[2] In 2009, Ashi Productions announced a new Momo production, but it has not yet surfaced, likely due to Shudo's death in 2010.[3]
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, football manager, veterinarian, 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, the task is left incomplete as Momo loses her magical powers and is soon thereafter killed by a collision with a truck full of toys. She is reincarnated as a baby, the real daughter of the couple on Earth.
The first anime television series, Magical Princess Minky Momo, premiered on March 18, 1982 and concluded on May 26, 1983 on NTV after 63 episodes. The series inspired a crossover short film with Studio Pierrot's Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel called that was released on June 15, 1985, attached to the latter's theatrical film. The following month, a Peter Pan-themed OVA named was released in Japan. On January 21, 1987, Ashi released an animated music video titled .The second season, she against Evil Shadow in the dream.[4]
A second television series, produced by Ashi Productions and sharing the same title as the original, premiered on NTV on October 2, 1991. After 38 episodes, the series changed its subtitle to and ended on December 23, 1992.
In 1984, Harmony Gold acquired the rights to the original Minky Momo anime television series and repackaged it into the 52-episode The Magical World of Gigi.[5] [6] The English dubbed version was broadcast in Australia on Network Ten, Malaysia on RTM1 and RTM2, Singapore, Kuwait, Zimbabwe, Trinidad and Tobago, Indonesia, Kenya, Brunei and Israel.[7] [8]
Despite international distribution, North American audiences initially only received the 1985 OVA, Yume no naka no Rondo. The English dub release was produced by Harmony Gold and distributed on VHS by Celebrity Home Entertainment in 1987, titled Gigi and the Fountain of Youth.[9] In 2015, William Winckler Productions released Harmony Gold's English dub of the original series in 13 compilation films through Amazon Instant Video.[10] [11] Crunchyroll licenses the original series under the title Fairy Princess Minky Momo.[12]
While aimed at young girls with the goal of selling toys, the original series attracted a considerable number of older male fans and alongside Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel, is credited as one of the originators of the lolicon otaku subculture.[13] [14] [15] 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 Takeshi Shudo explained that this was due to the toy sponsor Popy 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.[16] The episode, alongside the last, later inspired a Japanese urban legend linking the series to natural disasters.[17]
In 1993, Hiroshi Takada won JASRAC's International Award for his work on the first TV series.[18]
The original series ranked 70th in TV Asahi's 2005 poll of the most popular anime.[19]
These albums have songs from multiple shows. The applicable tracks are in bold.
Disc 2
. Kunihiko Yuyama. Animage Editorial department . Peach Book いつかきっと . first . アニメージュ文庫 . 1984-04-30 . . . ja . 4-19-669508-6 . 26 . 「激走ミンキーモモ」 . ja:「おもしろければ、何をやってもいい.これが「ミンキーモモ」を作っていく上での基本方針でした」.