Wayback Series - Super Doll Licca-chan

These are no mere action figures, they are fighting dolls.

Are you fond of playing your favorite Barbie dolls at home when you are a little girl? Well, you have to worry about that if you remember playing it... with magic. Welcome to the world of Super Doll Licca-chan. 

And a bonus for you: If you want to listen the OP theme of this anime, then you get yourself a earworm on it.

A favorite among the viewers since airing it on ABS-CBN years ago, it is a awesome anime series from Madhouse and ran on TV Tokyo from October 6th, 1998 to September 28th, 1999 (the feast day of St. Lorenzo Ruiz) with a grand total of 52 episodes that is directed by Gisaburō Sugii, who is the one who directed the Touch series and the movie, Night on the Galactic Railroad. The series is actually a original story inspired by Licca-chan, in which is Takara's long-selling and and the popular doll lineup made by the brainchild that is Miyako Maki, who is a former mangaka and designed to expand the regular dress-up doll series into a action figure line. But however, it did not remain in production for long, and the new figures were only a mild success at the time. Since the anime's release, it has been translated into Chinese, Italian, Portuguese, Malay, and yes Tagalog. The anime has been broadcasted on various stations internationally. That includes CTS in Taiwan, ATV & TVB in Hong Kong, Cartoon Network in Brazilian services and Latin America, and RaiDue in Italy. A movie (entitled Super Doll Licca-chan: Licca-chan Zettai Zetsumei! Doll Knights no Kiseki) is premiered on July 31st, 1999, about two months before the anime ended.

Left: Licca Koyama
Right: The Doll Knight Licca (in red jacket)

Licca Kayama is voiced by Yuka Kouno (this is her only role). A cheerful and energetic ordinary elementary school (in which is a Christian school) girl who is half-Japanese, half-French, as well as she is served as the series' protagonist. Believe it or not, her mom and her grandmother belonged to royalty of a place called Culture Fantasy, but little did Licca doesn't know that she is the princess of the Doll Kingdom. Years ago, her mom and her grand mother escaped from the clutches of Devaul, and thus she had a crush on Rui, her neighbor. The device called the 'Calling Ring', a pink bracelet, is given by her grandmother in which in case of her trouble and thus called Doll Licca, voiced by Tomo Sakurai (Shayla-Shayla in El Hazard, Hinowa in Gintama, and Chigusa Sakai in Sakugan no Shana) comes to the rescue. Doll Licca is or course, very noble, and never hesitated to take risks to protect the princess as well as her friends. She fights using her magical yo-yo called the 'Light Spinner'. 'Tururu Kururu Tureiro Kureira' is the magic spell to wake up Licca using the 'Calling Pendant'.

Left: Sumire Shinohara
Right: The Doll Knight Izumi (in green jacket)

Sumire Shinohara is voiced by Miyu Kawakami (Kinokino in Guru Guru Town Hanamaru-kun). She is Licca's classmate and best friend, and is characterized by her romance and her nobility. Sumire is usually spends imagining romantic scenes with Dai, ever since she had a crush on him (OH YOU XD). She receives a green bracelet in the second half of the series that can summon Doll Izumi, who is voiced by the legendary Michiko Neya (Melissa Mao in Full Metal Panic, Hungary in Axis Powers Hetalia and Shirin Bakhtiar in Mobile Suit Gundam 00). She is Doll Knight #2, and Doll Izumi wields a baton called the 'Light Circle' (not the actual baton that is used by majorettes) as a weapon to fight. The spell, 'Fururu Furora Gurine Guraine' is used to wake Doll Izumi using the Calling Choker. At start being animated actually, it does not know who is doing it, but ever since according to Nanae, only Franz (aka Licca's grandpa) could eventually invoke it. After a while it is discovered that Catherine (aka Licca's mysterious classmate) summons her a the whole time and then by Sumire. 

Left: Dai Takabayashi
Right: The Doll Knight Isamu (in blue jacket)

Dai Takabayashi is voiced by Yuko Mita (Neko-musume in Spooky Kitaro, Akemi Roppongi in Maison Ikkoku and Aladdin in Time Quest). Dai is or course Licca's classmate and a friend, who is actually yes, very naughty, aggressive and very restless. He always fights with her, but although Licca's really in love with Rui whenever Dai gets very jealous (Love triangle much?). When he was in trouble, Dai receives the blue bracelet to summon the third Doll Knight named Doll Isamu, who is voiced by Kentaro Ito (Renji Abarai in Bleach, Chōji Akimichi in Naruto and Shuhei Aizawa in Soul Link). In the middle part of the anime, he served in evil ways under the banner of the evil Devaul (voiced by Eiji Takemoto), but then he is rescued by Doll Licca and returned to fight of the good side under Dai's stewardship. In order to awake Doll Isamu, Dai uses the Calling Watch and used the spell, 'Tereso Terese Burune Buraine'. When in battle, Doll Isamu wields a buster sword called the 'Light Thunder', in which it ables to cut down enemies and shed energy projectiles. 

Nanae Kayama is voiced by Kazue Komiya (Kyoko Otowa in Ace o Nerae! and Suzukure Mibuno in Virgin Fleet). Years ago, she and her daughter fled to the human world, carrying a suitcase (inside of it are the three Doll Knights). Her pendant, ables to wake up Doll Licca, and it uses that power to protect her beloved granddaughter throughout the series. She is able to do anything for her daughter and of her granddaughter, and she is very kind and always had a good mood. She is Licca's grandmother, Yae's twin sister, wife of Franz and the mother of Orie. 

Left: Dr. Scarecrow (and his good but evil 'stache)
Right: Puru and Waya

Dr. Scarecrow is voiced by the late Rokuro Naya (Enchou-Sensei in Crayon Shin-chan). He is the Doll Kingdom's magician. Under orders from Devaul, his mission is to kidnap Licca, until on the halfway mark of the series, he is reformed to defend the princess. Sounds like a face-heel turn, mm? His assistants Puru and Waya, are respectively voiced by Atsuko Tanaka (Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell) and Kobuhei Hayashiya (Koutarou Matsudaira in Touch). These two of course are always following orders from Dr. Scarecrow in all circumstances, until in the second half of the series, they are reformed to protect Licca, in all possible means. 

Other voice actors that starred in the series including Ikue Ohtani, Junko Takeuchi, Keiji Fujiwara, Satsuki Yukino, and Urara Takano.

It's to fight against the evil Devaul with the Doll Knights in Super Doll Licca-chan! 

And to conclude my post, here is my favorite scene from the third episode, in which Doll Licca gives respect to the Blessed Virgin Mary on the occasion of her birth that is held on this day. Otanjoubi Omedeto, Maria-sama!

"To serve the Queen of Heaven is already to reign there, and to live under her commands is more than to govern." -St. John Mary Vianney