is a Japanese magical-girl anime franchise by Ashi Productions. The original series ran between 1982 and 1983 on TV Tokyo and inspired three OVAs between 1985 and 1987. A second television series, titled , ran on NTV between 1991 and 1992, and like the original, it spawned home video follow-ups. A third Momo series began in 2004, this time as a manga known as in Shogakukan's Shōgaku Ninensei magazine.
In 2006, series writer Takeshi Shudo expressed interest in making a third Momo anime series. In 2009, Ashi Productions, then known as Production Reed, announced a new Momo production, but it has not yet surfaced, likely due to Shudo's passing in 2010.
Media
First anime
Magical Princess Minky Momo is a Japanese anime television series produced by Ashi Productions that premiered on March 18, 1982 and concluded on May 26, 1983 on NTV after 63 episodes. The series inspired a crossover short film with Studio Pierrot's Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel called that was released on June 15, 1985, attached to the latter's theatrical film. The following month, a Peter Pan themed OVA named was released in Japan. On January 21, 1987 Ashi released the animated music video.
Plot
Momo is a princess of , "the land of dreams in the sky". Fenarinarsa is a dwelling place for fairy tale characters. It was in danger of leaving Earth's orbit and disappearing, because people on the planet lost their dreams and hopes. The king and queen of Fenarinarsa sent their daughter Momo to Earth to help the people regain them. Momo became the daughter of a young childless couple, accompanied by three followers with the appearance of a dog (Sindbook), a monkey (Mocha) and a bird (Pipil). On Earth, Momo takes the appearance of a teenage girl. To help the planet regain its hopes and dreams, Momo transforms into an adult version of herself, with an occupation tailored to fit the situation (airline stewardess, police officer, football manager, veterinarian, and many more). Each time Momo succeeds in bringing happiness to the person affected, the Fenarinarsa crown shines. When it shines four times, a jewel appears in the crown. Once twelve jewels appear, Fenarinarsa will return to Earth.
Later in the series, however, the task is left incomplete as she loses her magical powers and is soon thereafter killed by a collision with a truck full of toys. She is reincarnated as a baby, the real daughter of the couple on Earth. Now she has her own dream to realize. She also has a pink lizard named Kadzilla who helps her and her allies defeat an evil shadow who had been the source of the troubles of the people she had helped.
International releases
In 1984, Harmony Gold acquired the rights to the original Minky Momo series and repackaged it into the 52-episode The Magical World of Gigi. The English dubbed version was broadcast in Australia on Network Ten, Malaysia on RTM1 and RTM2, Singapore, Kuwait, Zimbabwe, Trinidad and Tobago, Indonesia, Kenya, Brunei and Israel. Gigi branded productions also aired in Brazil, China, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Russia and the Philippines, in local languages.
Despite international distribution, North American audiences initially only received the 1985 OVA, Yume no naka no Rondo. The English dubbed release was produced by Harmony Gold and distributed on VHS by Celebrity Home Entertainment in 1987, titled Gigi and the Fountain of Youth. Rebecca Forstadt (under the pseudonym Reba West) played Gigi (Momo) in this dub. Jehan (Gigi) Agrama sang the title song in the English and Italian versions. Like most English language anime during its time, it was heavily edited, with an altered plot, rewritten dialogue, and a changed soundtrack (all of the original Japanese vocal songs were replaced with new English songs). In 2015, William Winckler Productions released Harmony Gold's English dub of the original series in 13 compilation films through Amazon Instant Video.
Second anime
A second television series, produced by Ashi Productions and sharing the same title as the original, premiered on NTV on October 2, 1991. After 38 episodes, the series title changed to and concluded on December 23, 1992 after a total of 62 episodes. Three additional episodes were later released on home video. This series inspired the 1993 OVA , and its followup the year after, . The two starred an older Momo who was no longer a magical girl.
