Hime-chan no Ribon

S

Sakunyuusha

New Member
Jan 27, 2008
1,855
3
0
Has anyone seen this show before? How good would you say it was?

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

Here's a group who presumably took the DVDs and ripped them, providing all 61 episodes raw in a 15-gigabyte package.

Here is the plot summary as explained on the English-language Wikipedia:[hide]
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.
Click to expand...
[/hide]

Here is a trailer for the series with English subtitles.

Here is the OP on Youtube. Yes, that is the famous boy band SMAP you hear singing the song. lol Here's the original OP which was later edited to the one you saw before.
 
Yes, albeit some time ago.

This series is really a world apart from the atypical 'magical girl' genre, as it is more focused on the character's imperfections and interactions with Himeko. The heroine is therefore far easier to relate too, rather than the 'without-fault' variants which populates this genre in more modern incarnations.

If you enjoy works from Studio Ghibli, then I would say this is well worth your time. (Keep an eye out for Kobayashi Daichi, he will surely keep you entertained.)

I know this is hardly a concrete endorsement or detailed review; but I personally enjoyed this series.:joker:
 
I'm through Episode 5 right now and have thoroughly enjoyed the program thus far. But I am still not without my original reservations. Can the show keep me entertained for 61 whole episodes? Will the premise not feel tired? We'll have to see.
 
Any series with more than ~26 episodes has to work hard to retain the viewers. Of course there are exceptions to this, as series like Death Note and Full Metal Alchemist have proved.

I can't specifically account for your preferences, but if you enjoy a change to the stereotypical 'save the world' magical girl format and are interested in character development, I'd say you will see this series through until the end.
 
Well, I'm through Episode 19 and I'm really enjoying the series. However, they've already dealt with pretty much every problem I foresaw for Himeko, and that leaves me wondering how they're going to sustain this level of suspense and drama for another 40-odd episodes.

As for what I've seen ...
[hide]I just watched the Valentine's Day episode. The biggest plot event prior to this was Himeko's death by semi-truck. ;_;[/hide]
 
I think you may be surprised by some of the later episodes, so hang in there.

Not really a spoiler - See if you notice a certain demon-dog cameo in episode 44 (It is about Kimodameshi, so I'm sure you can see where this is going.)

Sorry of my short responses - It's just difficult to avoid spoilers within the series to illustrate what happens later on. I'll be glad when you finish watching the series; as I can truly bring out the highlights of the series without spoiling your viewing experience.
 
I watched this years ago, but I recently found a better quality torrent of this series. IMO, it's really good for an old-school magical girl series.

I guess by now the OP is probably done watching it... but hey, it's a good show.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom