"Mahô shôjo Lalabelle" (1980) TV series 1980-1981

User Rating:

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Seasons:

1

Release Date:

15 February 1980 (Japan)

Genre:

Animation | Family | Comedy | Fantasy

Plot:

Lalabelle, a witch from the land of magic, is coming to earth to stop evil wizard Biscus.

Plot Keywords:

Cat | Magic Wand | Witchcraft | Teenage Witch | Transformation

Cast

Mitsuko Horie	...	Lalabelle (49 episodes, 1980-1981)
Banjô Ginga	...	Biscus (49 episodes, 1980-1981)
Minori Matsushima	...	Toshiko 'Toko' Matsumiya (49 episodes, 1980-1981)
Keiko Miyazaki	...	Ume Tachibana (49 episodes, 1980-1981)
Shigeru Tsuji	...	Tsumoro Ochiba (49 episodes, 1980-1981)
Noriko Tsukase	...	Teruko 'Teko' Takemura (49 episodes, 1980-1981)
Jôji Yanami	...	Sakuzo Tachibana (49 episodes, 1980-1981)

Also Known As:

"Magical Girl Lalabelle" (International: English title)

Runtime:

24 min (49 episodes)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Certification:

Argentina:Atp

Company:

Toei Doga

Movie Connections:

Followed by Mahô shôjo Lalabelle: Umi ga yobu natsuyatsumi (1980)

Soundtrack:

Hello Lalabelle

Not as good at 30 as it was at 5

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This series is now available in bootleg DVD's in Mexico City. It's the Mexican dub which was broadcast on Channel 5 around 1985; where they get it from is a mystery... maybe someone taped all the episodes on BETA or VHS more than twenty years ago, for an unknown reason. a fan, or someone who thought that someday it would become a business opportunity? Last year I bought discs 1 and 12, the beginning and the end, and the episodes do have a decent video and audio quality (considering it's a TV broadcast from the 80's). As for the show itself, well, it doesn't live up to my childhood memories. MOst episodes are filler, with Lalabelle fighting Biscus and his silly plans, with obvious moral messages thrown in by the grandfather. Even the final episode is not as exciting as I remembered it, with both Lalabelle and Biscus finishing all the magic in their suitcases and becoming 'normal' humans. I guess it's always good to revisit the things that entertained you when you were growing up, but it's a shame that some of them don't live up to the memories...