Hime-chan no Ribbon

[Talon87]

Here is the plot summary as explained on the English-language Wikipedia:The story is about Himeko Nonohara (野々原姫子 Nonohara Himeko), also known as Hime-chan (姫ちゃん), an energetic thirteen-year-old girl who frets over the fact that she is the biggest tomboy in the school. Himeko would like nothing more than to be a proper, feminine young lady, like her older sister Aiko, so that she could approach her secret crush, Hasekura.

One night, Himeko is unexpectedly approached by a girl, who is a near-mirror image of herself, floating outside of her bedroom window. She discovers that the girl is Princess Erika of the Magical Kingdom. Erika explains that people in the Magical Kingdom have an exact counterpart in the Human World and that, in order to prove herself worthy as a princess, she must give Himeko a magical item that she has created. Himeko is allowed the use of this item, a red hair ribbon, for one year to determine whether it is useful, and consequently, if Erika will inherit the crown.

The ribbon allows Himeko to transform into anyone in the Human World for one hour. If Himeko is unable to recite the magic incantation in reverse before the hour is up, she will be trapped in that person’s form for the rest of her life. She is unable to reveal the secret of the ribbon and the existence of the Magical Kingdom to anyone. If she does, her memory will be erased as punishment. Assisting her with this is her stuffed lion, Pokota, whom the ribbon brought to life. Erika will watch her in the Magic Kingdom through her crystal ball for one year, at which point the ribbon will be returned.

Here is a trailer for the series (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8avHZtPTDM&feature=related) with English subtitles.

The premise seems interesting to me, but at 61 episodes I am questioning whether I want to start it or not.

There is a group of raw rippers who recently (May 2010) uploaded the entire program. There is also a group of fansubbers who have been slowly working on this project since 2006; they are currently through Episode 21 but I haven't been able to get any of their torrents to work. So I may not even be able to watch this show, unless I want to pull another Pokemon and watch it raw. I mean, I imagine I could -- but it'd bother me to no end that I'm missing 10% of what's being said.

But man. The trailer makes this show seem so amazing (if aimed at teenage girls :oops: ^^;; ). I'd be all over this torrent if it were only 5 gigs instead of 15 and if this show were only 13 episodes instead of 61. As it is, though, I just don't know ... :cry:

Btw: the voice actress for the main character, Himeko? Guess who it is? :3 IT'S PIKACHU! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikue_%C5%8Ctani)

[Talon87]

I managed to find a new torrent provided by the group who does the subs, so I went ahead and started it last night. I also went ahead (against my reservations! :oops: ) and started the 15-gigabyte torrent for the raws.

The good news is, the show looks great! (Though I still have reservations about it being 61 episodes long! >_>)

The bad news is, I definitely need the subs. :cry: And seeing as they've only subbed through Episode 21 ... *sigh*

[Talon87]

In one calendar day, I watched eight episodes. In one metric (24-hr) day, I've watched eight episodes and counting -- I'm typing to you whilst listening to the OP from Episode 09. :)

The show is good. At least for me. :oops:

[Doppleganger]

It does look very nice, at least art-wise and has an interesting premise. But like you, I'm put off by the lack of subs. Though in my case it's completely debilitating.

[Talon87]

I'm through Episode 19. The show is wonderful. It has dealt with pretty much every device you could have tapped for being the how-the-series-will-end plot device. In that sense, it's both considerate of its viewers' intelligences and it wastes no time in addressing their predictions.

The show does a fairly good job of delivering its principal message of "Be proud of who you are. Love who you are. Hold tight to who you are. You may wish you were someone else for a moment or two, but it only lasts a moment."

That stated, like most shows of its era and with its source material, Hime-chan no Ribbon suffers from cardboard characters outside of its main two protagonists. My favorite character in the show, Princess Erika, is one such cardboard cut-out; and it's unfortunate that she is one, but the problem arises from the show's rather periodic storytelling. Each episode, Hime-chan encounters some new problem, uses the ribbon to address it, gets into trouble, Erika watches through her crystal ball and fears for Hime-chan's safety, and in the end Daichi comes and saves the day -or- Hime saves the day on her own but Daichi scolds her for her reckless use of the ribbon. It doesn't allow much of any room for character development for the side characters (Hime's friends, Hime's romantic rival, Erika's father, or Hime's family).

I guess the best way to describe this television show is to say of it, "It's a simple production with a spectacular premise." Simple animation, simple music, and simple writing accompany fantastical happenings. It isn't for people looking for a girl who rides around on a witch's broom while fighting off monsters or magical beings à la Cardcaptor Sakura or Magic Knight Rayearth.