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Majokko Megu ChanMAJOKKO MEGU-CHAN 魔女っ子メグちゃん TOEI ANIMATION, 1974 -1975
Based on a successful manga by Tomo Inoue and Akio Narita, Toei Animation's Majokko Megu-Chan follows the experiences of a powerful (but accident-prone) young witch who comes to Earth as part of her initiation into larger society. The underlying plot is deceptively simple. Megu is a contender for the throne of the Witch World but knows very little of human relationships. Sent to Mid-World in her early teens, she is adopted by Mammi Kanzaki, a former witch who gave up her royal ambitions to wed a mortal. Under Mammis tutelage, Meg learns to control both her abilities and impulses in order to prove her worthiness for the crown. This Rite-of-Passage subtext was continued throughout the series. A free spirit in the purest sense of the word, Megu-chan discovers emotions shed never known existed loneliness, compassion, grief, love, desperation, and (perhaps most importantly) self-sacrifice. As the story progresses, she proves the nobility of her character through the various trials and tribulations of youth, evolving from a willful and rather selfish little girl into a kind, generous, loving young woman. She battles monsters, demons, and rival sorcerers (including her arch-nemesis, Non), but quickly realizes that her true enemy is the darker side of human nature. Megu's first weeks on Earth are something of a nightmare; family relationships are completely beyond her. She argues with her Father and squabbles constantly with her younger siblings, Rabi and Apo. She confronts Boss, the school bully, in an escalating battle of wills and gets into trouble with her teachers. She falls in love with the new boy and weeps in secret when he returns to his home country. In short, she behaves like any other girl her age (at least according to the prevailing social conventions of the mid-seventies). As with the mahou shoujo programs of the sixties, the main focus was on family and friendship; domestic disputes were normally handled with light-hearted humor. The atmosphere wasnt always quite so upbeat, however. Several observers have commented that the series dealt with subject matter considered too mature for young children. Complicated social issues such as domestic violence, substance abuse and extra-marital relationships were introduced via the supporting cast. Loss and mortality frequently underscored Megus hi-jinx like discordant notes in a classical aria. This was a major break with traditional juvenile animation in both Asia and the West (perhaps explaining why the series didnt find a European market until the early eighties). Another point of departure was the series subtle eroticism. While not as overtly sexualized as Cutie Honey, Majokko Megu-Chan was surprisingly voyeuristic for its period. Megu was frequently depicted in various states of undress and the series featured scenes which anticipated the rise of so-called fan service anime. Later "Kogaru" heroines would capitalize on Megus coy sexuality; it would, in fact, become a hallmark of the genre. Majokko Megu-Chan wasn't the first Magic-Girl cartoon, but it has been described as the first modern Shoujo anime. Initially overlooked as a minor effort due its relative obscurity throughout the seventies, it nonetheless formed a template on which many later scenarios were based. Significantly, many of the show's plot devices were recycled in the enormously successful Sailor Moon (Toei, 1992-2003), and echoes of Meg's tempestuous rivalries can be perceived in Seinen parodies such as the Project A-Ko franchise. The series gained some moderate recognition after it reached the European market (Bia, la Sfida Della Magia, Italy 1981; Megu la Petite Sorcire, France, 1992; Bia - Czarodziejskie Wyzwanie, Poland ), although in England and the States, it is still largely unknown outside usenet groups and anime bulletin boards. Be that as it may, the program's impact on Japanese popular culture cannot be underestimated: Megu-Chan's thematic descendents include the entire Majokko Shoujo genre, along with some degree of Bishoujo, Lolicon and Hentai material. Megu's effect on Japan's burgeoning Manga industry has yet to be documented, but considering the vast number of Shoujo titles currently available, it is safe to assume that Majokko Megu-Chan's animated adventures must have inspired at least a few of them.
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