Fancy Lala Volume 1 A Star Is Born (Episodes 1-5)
Released by: Bandai
Number of Episodes: 26
Distributor's Rating: 7+
Synopsis: Fancy Lala tells the tale of a young girl named Miho who dreams of becoming an idol so she can live the life of the famous. One day, she meets two fairy dinosaurs who give her a magic pen with which she can draw clothing for herself and allows her to transform into Lala, a fifteen year old version of herself who is soon turned into a star by a small modeling agency. Miho must now deal with the intricacies of living a double life as both herself and as Lala.
Violence: None other than playful fighting fairy dinosaurs.
Language: No offensive language.
Nudity/Sex: None.
Religious Content: None.
Anime Style: Animation is well done. It reminded me very much of Chance Pop Session but a little smoother. Both the foreground and background objects are drawn so that they are readily recognizable and have just enough detail so that they don’t look too fake.
This is a magical girl story with a twist. Miho doesn't go around fighting evil doers or space monsters, but learns lessons about what it means to be grown up. Everyone wishes at some point in their lives that they could be just a little bit older so that they can do things they aren't allowed to at a younger age. Miho is given that chance and must face this opportunity with her still intact 10 year old mentality. Some of the funnier aspects of the show deal with her trying to live her double life as Lala and Miho in a short time span.
I appreciate the showing of a close family in this series. While mother works hard outside the home, she appears to devote quality time with her husband and children. The father is shown as very caring to his daughters, taking time to share in their interests.
I shared this first volume with my 14 year old daughter and she enjoyed it very much. I have purchased the remaining 5 volumes (a six volume set in all) and will share my impressions and/or warnings in the future.