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Hime-chan is based on a manga that ran in Ribon around 1992. Hime-chan
is a "tomboyish" girl who likes sports and other "boyish" things. Her
twin from the parallel magic world, which is not that nice a place, is slated
to become princess if she can pass a test. She gives Himeko a ribbon
that can transform her into any other person for a limited time. Himeko's
impulsive and mischievious attitude tends to cause a lot of probems as
she uses the powers for her own whims rather than for helping people
or anything sappy like that. Also, the adults from
the magical world are paranoid and deceitful, they lie to, manipulate, and
use people in the everyday world for their own ends.
Hime-chan is also a story about love and romance between two kids in their late childhood / early teens (Himeko has her 13th birthday in the show). There are some very touching or sad moments as well as angst that is expected of such a story. In many ways, this is a reflection of growing up in Japan. The lack of positive adult role models forces children to rely on each other for virtually everything -- love, friendship, compassion, experience, memories. 1992 was a year where several far-reaching public scandals and instances of corruption were discovered, so public distrust of officials was at an all-time high. This is best expressed by the attitude and actions of the adults in the story, especially those from the parallel world. Fortunately, it does not go down the cynical path that is all to common in stories of this nature, it is a "bright" show that is full of hope and potential. The middle episodes in the show do suffer from a preponderance of flashbacks, though. |