Sally the Witch
| Sally the Witch | |
|
Sally, the Witch (Mahōtsukai Sally) in 1966 | |
| 魔法使いサリー (Mahōtsukai Sarī) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Magical girl, Comedy |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Mitsuteru Yokoyama |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| Demographic | Shōjo |
| Magazine | Ribon |
| Original run | July 1966 – 1967 |
| Volumes | 1 |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by |
Toshio Katsuta Hiroshi Ikeda |
| Studio | Toei Animation |
| Network | NET (later TV Asahi) |
| Original run | 5 December 1966 – 30 December 1968 |
| Episodes | 109 |
| Anime television series | |
| Sally the Witch 2 | |
| Directed by | Osamu Kasai |
| Studio | Toei Animation |
| Network | TV Asahi |
| Original run | 9 October 1989 – 23 September 1991 |
| Episodes | 88 |
| Anime film | |
| Directed by | Osamu Kasai |
| Studio | Toei Animation |
| Released | 10 March 1990 |
| Runtime | 27 minutes |
Sally the Witch (魔法使いサリー Mahōtsukai Sarī) is the first anime magical girl of what eventually become a genre in Japan. Due to its characteristics, may be considered the first anime shōjo as well.[1]
Story
Sally is the witch princess of the Magic Kingdom who longs to visit the mortal realm — presumably to make friends of her own age. One day, by mistake Sally teleports to the "mid world" (Earth), where she uses her magic to fend off a couple of burglars menacing two schoolgirls. Immediately befriended by her new acquaintances — tomboyish Yoshiko Hanamura (known affectionately as "Yotchan") and girly Sumire Kasugano — Sally decides to stay on indefinitely, leading to mischief. As with Samantha Stevens in Bewitched, Sally tries to keep her supernatural abilities secret, assuming the role of a human child.
In the final episode, Sally's grandma informs her she must return to the Magic Kingdom. Before leaving, Sally tries to tell her friends about her origins, but no one will believe her. Then her elementary school catches on fire, and Sally uses her magic to put it out. Her powers thus exposed, Sally's time to leave has finally come. She waves farewell to her friends, and returns to the Magic Kingdom.
Being so popular in Japan, mostly the same way as classic Hanna-Barbera characters are in America, a second series was produced 20 years later. The second series continues a few years after the original ending, and finishes with the Original video animation Sally the Witch: Mother's Love is Eternal, in which, at the end, Sally finally becomes the ruler Queen of the Magic Kingdom, but worries about leaving her friends behind.
Characters
Names are in Western order, with the family name after the given name.
- Sally Yumeno (夢野サリー Yumeno Sarī) – the main character of the series. Sally is the daughter of the King, and therefore princess of the Magic Kingdom. Yumeno means "dream field" but is a homophone to "of a dream" in Japanese; her full name, spoken in the Japanese name order, sounds similar to "Sally of dreams".
- Yoshiko Hanamura (花村よし子 Hanamura Yoshiko) – one of Sally's best friends in the mortal realm. Yoshiko is a tomboy. Sally usually refers to her as "Yotchan."
- Sumire Kasugano (春日野すみれ Kasugano Sumire) – another of Sally's human friends.
- Kabu (カブ) - Sally's magical, shape-changing assistant. Assuming the form of a five-year-old boy, Kabu poses as Sally's younger brother.
- The Hanamura Triplets: Tonkichi (花村トン吉 Hanamura Tonkichi), Chinpei (花村チン平 Hanamura Chinpei), and Kanta (花村カン太 Hanamura Kanta) – Yoshiko's kid brothers. Incorrigible boys adept at landing themselves in trouble.
- Poron (ポロン) – A little witch girl who appears in the later part of series. Saucy, selfish and rather lovable, she frequently casts spells she can't reverse, such as shrinking herself down to mouse-size, then being unable to "grow up."
- Daimaō (大魔王 Great Magical King) – Sally's grandfather. An original character to the anime.
- Sally's Dad (サリーのパパ Sarī no Papa) – the ruler of the Magic Kingdom. A pompous blowhard who dislikes humanity on principle, he nonetheless has a good heart where his daughter is concerned (a quality shared with Endora from Bewitched.)
- Sally's Mom (サリーのママ Sarī no Mama) – Queen of the Magic Kingdom. She's friendly, modest, a dutiful wife and a devoted mother, holding firmly the head the King. She appears to be always knitting. Her name was Cima (シーマ Shima) in the original manga.
Release
The first 17 episodes of the original 1960s TV series were filmed in black and white, and the remainder of the series was filmed in color, making it one of the earliest color anime. Black-and-white and color versions exist of the opening animation sequence.
A movie/TV special was made called Sally the Witch: Mother's Love is Eternal, which was the finale to the second series.
Episode list
- This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
| # | Title | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Here Comes the Cute Witch" "Kawaī Majo ga Yattekita" (かわいい魔女がやってきた) | December 5, 1966 | |
| 2 | "Sally's Caretaker" "Sarī no Orusuban" (サリーのお留守番) | December 12, 1966 | |
| 3 | "Here Comes Santa Claus" "Santakurōsu ga Yattekita" (サンタクロースがやってきた) | December 19, 1966 | |
| 4 | "The Superb Academy" "Suteki na Gakuen" (すてきな学園) | December 26, 1966 | |
| 5 | "The Kidnapping Group is a Great Excitement" "Yūkaidan wa Ōawate" (誘拐団は大あわて) | January 2, 1967 | |
| 6 | "The Ultra Grandmother" "Urutora Bāsan" (ウルトラ婆さん) | January 9, 1967 | |
| 7 | "Good Morning, Mr. Burgular" "Konnichiwa Dorobō-san" (こんにちは泥棒さん) | January 16, 1967 | |
| 8 | "The Magical Picnic" "Mahō no Pikunikku" (魔法のピクニック) | January 23, 1967 | |
| 9 | "Papa Is a Temperamental Person" "Papa wa Otenkiya" (パパはお天気や) | January 30, 1967 | |
| 10 | "Dreaming to Tomorrow" "Ashita ni Yume o" (あしたに夢を) | February 6, 1967 | |
| 11 | "Where Have Your Tears Gone?" "Namida-kun wa Doko ni iru" (涙くんはどこにいる) | February 13, 1967 | |
| 12 | "Prince of the Alley" "Yokochō no Ōji-sama" (横丁の王子様) | February 20, 1967 | |
| 13 | "A Malicious Test" "Ijiwaru Tesuto" (いじわるテスト) | February 27, 1967 | |
| 14 | "The Dream and the Specter" "Yume to Rūrei" (夢と幽霊) | March 6, 1967 | |
| 15 | "Number 0 Magical Subway" "Mahō no Chikatesu Zero Gōsen" (魔法の地下鉄０号線) | March 13, 1967 | |
| 16 | "The Troublesome Freeloader" "Yakkai na Isōrō" (やっかいな居候) | March 20, 1967 | |
| 17 | "Sally and the Princess" "Sarī to Ōjo" (サリーと王女) | March 27, 1967 | |
| 18 | "Papa is a Fake" "Papa wa Nisemono" (パパはにせもの) | April 3, 1967 | |
| 19 | "The Tomboy Drives" "Otenba Doraibu" (おてんばドライブ) | April 10, 1967 | |
| 20 | "Sunday's Gift" "Nichiyōbi no Okurimono" (日曜日のおくりもの) | April 17, 1967 | |
| 21 | "I Love my Mama" "Daisuki Mama" (大好きママ) | April 24, 1967 | |
| 22 | "The Cute Poppies" "Kawaī Popī" (かわいいポピー) | May 1, 1967 | |
| 23 | "Bow-wow Rebellion" "Wanwan Sōdō" (わんわん騒動) | May 8, 1967 | |
| 24 | "The Mysterious Specter Superintendent" "Nazo no Yūrei Kanchō" (謎の幽霊館) | May 15, 1967 | |
| 25 | "Grandfather's Birthday" "Ojīchama no Tanjōbi" (おじいちゃまの誕生日) | May 22, 1967 | |
| 26 | "The Magical Balloon Trip" "Mahō no Fūsen Ryokō" (魔法の風船旅行) | May 29, 1967 | |
| 27 | "The Cute Angel Comes Down" "Kawaī Tenshi ga Futtekita" (かわいい天使が降って来た) | June 5, 1967 | |
| 28 | "The Dreamful Ballerina" "Yume no Barerīna" (夢のバレリーナ) | June 12, 1967 | |
| 29 | "Implying Mistakes" "Shippai Darake" (失敗だらけ) | June 19, 1967 | |
| 30 | "The Mischievous School" "Itazura Gakkō" (いたずら学校) | June 26, 1967 | |
| 31 | "The Witch's Happiness" "Majo no Shiawase" (魔女のしあわせ) | July 3, 1967 | |
| 32 | "Sally of the Beach" "Umibe no Sarī" (海辺のサリー) | July 10, 1967 | |
| 33 | "Sally's Flower Bride" "Sarī no Hanayome-san" (サリーの花嫁さん) | July 17, 1967 | |
| 34 | "The Treasure of the Sea" "Umi no Takaramono" (海の宝物) | July 24, 1967 | |
| 35 | "The Specter Girl" "Yūrei Shōjo" (幽霊少女) | July 31, 1967 | |
| 36 | "Handshaking the Lion" "Raion to Akushu" (ライオンと握手) | August 7, 1967 | |
| 37 | "Tokyo Manga Avenue" "Tokyō Manga Tōri" (東京マンガ通り) | August 14, 1967 | |
History and legacy
Sally the Witch was one of the first ongoing anime series produced.[2] The series was originally in black and white but due to its success, later episodes were produced in color. The anime series was produced and aired from 1966 to 1968 in Japan by Toei Animation. Unlike Yokoyama's Tetsujin 28-go, the series never received a U.S. broadcast, but was aired in other several countries under different names. In Italy (Sally la Maga), French-speaking Canada (Minifée), Poland (Sally Czarodziejka — based on the Italian version), México and South America (Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, and Peru) as La princesa Sally. Depending on the country, she's called Princess, Magician or Witch.
A second Sally the Witch anime, also made by Toei, aired for 88 episodes on Japanese TV from 1989 to 1991. It was released in French (Sally la Petite Sorcière), Italian (Un regno magico per Sally), Polish (Sally Czarownica), Spanish (Sally la Brujita) and Russian (Ведьма Салли). The 1989 series is a sequel to the original, in which an older Sally returns to the human world, reunites with her old friends, and embarks on a new round of magical adventures.
The main strength of Sally the Witch lays in its strong characterizations and detailed continuity. The basic storyline would be incorporated into many later magical girl tv anime shows and manga, particularly the concept of a magical princess relocating to the human world. Toei animation reutilized the same concept in Mahō Tsukai Chappy, 1972, and Majokko Megu-chan, 1974, but later become a recurrent basis for the magical girl theme, with later unrelated characters such as Sailor Moon, or even foreign productions such as Lolirock or Star vs. the Forces of Evil using the same base plot.
Other media
The first Sally manga series was drawn by Mitsuteru Yokoyama in 1966 and was, according to Yokoyama, inspired by the American sitcom, Bewitched (known in Japan as Oku-sama wa Majo, or The Miss is a Witch).[1][3] The manga was used as basis for the original anime series.
In popular culture
Author Robert Jay Lifton stated that Sally Yumeno "has long been one of the most popular of all manga and animation characters."[4] In December 1994 police found a pamphlet at the headquarters of Aum Shinrikyo which included a song called "Sarin the Magician," a parody of the theme song of Sally the Witch. Lifton said that Sally "was undoubtedly a prominent figure in the childhoods of leading Aum members."[4]
In 2015, the Japanese idol girl group Angerme released a new updated upbeat dance version of the original anime opening from the first series.
References
- 1 2 Patricia Duffield (October 2000). "Witches in Anime". Animerica Extra Vol 3, No.11. Retrieved 2011-10-15.
- ↑ (Japanese) "Kinema Junpō Bessatsu: Dōgaō vol.2: Super Majokko Taisen" (キネマ旬報別冊 動画王vol.2 スーパー魔女っ子大戦) Kinema Junpōsha, July 14, 1997. p. 21.
- ↑ (Japanese) "Super Majokko Taisen" p. 18-21 and 26.
- 1 2 Lifton, Robert Jay. Destroying the World to Save It: Aum Shinrikyo, Apocalyptic Violence, and the New Global Terrorism. Henry Holt and Company, 1999. First Edition. p. 185. ISBN 0-8050-5290-9.