History Anime / HimeChenOtogiChikkuIdolLilpri

[[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/74658.jpg]]

Fairyland is in trouble. Its princesses and their respective worlds are disappearing, causing a ripple effect on Earth where their stories are popular. In order to save Fairyland, the Queen sends three "mapets" (magic animals), Sei, Dai, and Ryoku, to Earth with magic gems to find three girls who can become the "Super Miracle Idols," the princesses Literature/SnowWhite, Literature/{{Cinderella}}, and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaguya_Hime Kaguya-hime]]. Those "princesses" end up being three very ordinary little girls: Yukimori Ringo, Takashiro Leila, and Sasahara Natsuki. The gems transform them into {{older|AlterEgo}} [[MagicIdolSinger singing superstars]], and after their accidental debut at their favorite singer Wish's concert, they become known as "Little Princesses," or "[=LilPri=]" for short. Now they must use their songs to draw and collect Happiness Tones from humans in order to restore Fairyland.

The anime is based on Sega's trading card arcade game ''Lilpri - Yubi Puru Hime Chen!'', which lets players customize their own idol and sing, dance, and cast spells. On May 29, 2010, Crunchyroll began streaming the series under the inaccurate but cute title ''[[http://www.crunchyroll.com/library/Lilpri Spellbound! Magical Princess Lil'Pri]]''. There is also a manga that began running in February 2009 called simply "Lilpri", written by Mai Jinna, the game's character designer.

Not to be confused with ''Manga/HimeChanNoRibon''.

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!! This show provides examples of:

* AdaptationDyeJob: Towards the original "Literature/SnowWhite" story. This may be the only anime besides ''Manga/{{Pretear}}'' where you can find a pink-haired Snow White.
* AllJustADream: Episode 22, where the girls and their friend Momoka dream about being {{Tokusatsu}} superheroes.
* AlphaBitch: The shoe designer Mio Ikari from episode 16 acts like one, complete with NoblewomansLaugh.
* AnachronismStew: There's not only episode 17's "Nin[[UsefulNotes/SubculturesInJapan gyaru]] Hime" (see CanonDisContinuity below), but in episode 24 we see pictures of some of Kaguya-hime's suitors facing a pterosaurus, a flying saucer and an army of mummies.
* TheAnimeOfTheGame
* BagOfHolding: Vivi's top hat.
* BeachEpisode: episode 17
* BigEater: All three of the mapets. In particular Dai.
* BishieSparkle: Used quite often with Wish. Episode 24 also had a few scenes like that with Natsuki.
* {{Bishonen}}: Wish, no wonder why he has so many fangirls in-universe.
* BlandNameProduct: In episode 25, there's a reporter who wears a watch made by "Soiko" (a pun on Seiko).
* ButNotTooForeign: Leila is half-Japanese, half-Italian.
* ByThePowerOfGrayskull: Both the game and the anime use the more traditional "magic words" method (''PRIPAL PREPAL PLILIN PUCCHI!'').
* CanonDiscontinuity: Even Japan knows that [[Literature/TheLittleMermaid "Ningyo Hime"]] isn't supposed to be "[[IncrediblyLamePun Ningyaru Hime]]" (In-universe, even Fairyland would know that). One would think she would magically change back to normal by the end. Nope, she's still a "ganguro" when our intrepid magical idol singers read the picture book.
* CanonForeigner: Partly invoked by the anime. "Wish" was created for the show, but "Chris" comes from the game. [[spoiler: In the anime, they're portrayed as the same character.]]
* ComicallyMissingThePoint: One-shot character Youichi in episode 33 misunderstands what Sayaka (another one shot character) means when she says she would like them to be "good friends".
* CowardlyLion: Mimiko in episode 19. Subverted at first; it ultimately takes Lilpri to help her realize there's nothing to be afraid of.
* CrazyPrepared: Again, Mimiko in episode 19.
* CuteClumsyGirl: Leila.
* DancingTheme: Not exactly an EndingTheme, but every time the girls become Lilpri, there's an accompanying 3D-rendered dance and song sequence. They are {{Idol Singer}}s, after all.
* EasyAmnesia: The main plot of episode 20.
* [[EmotionlessGirl Emotionless Boy]]: Wish, as pointed out in episode 6.
* EnslavedTongue: Episode 35. Whatever a [[ClingyMacGuffin clingy magic card]] attaches itself to is forced to lie or act against what they say.
* ExpositionFairy: Chris in the arcade game.
* {{Expy}}: There's not only Chris[[spoiler:/Wish]] (who looks like [[Literature/AliceInWonderland the White Rabbit]] [[spoiler: in rabbit form and like [[Manga/VampireKnight Zero]] in human form]]) and Natsuki (essentially [[Manga/LuckyStar Kagami]] with darker hair and a different eye color), but in episode 19 we also get [[LightNovel/{{Bakemonogatari}} Nadeko Sengoku]] look-alike Mimiko and a doll resembling Lilie from ''Anime/PrincessTutu''.
** Speaking of ''Anime/PrincessTutu'', in episode 24 one of Natsuki's suitors, Narushi Kizaki, clearly looks like he could be [[OneSceneWonder Femio]]'s long lost little brother, complete with the purple hair and [[SomethingAboutARose the rose]].
* FacelessMasses: This show seriously abuses this trope.
* FireBreathingDiner: In episode 19, Atsui-sensei's wife's curry turns everyone into one of these. Ryoku is the first to try it, and the girls and Saotome mistake his flame for a WillOTheWisp.
* ForHalloweenIAmGoingAsMyself: Played with in episode 31. Ringo, Leila, and Natsuki cosplay Lilpri (in their trademark outfits, the Princess Fairytale ones) for a costume contest. Of course, no one suspects they really are Lilpri since any fan of the group might cosplay them.
* GirlishPigtails: Natsuki
* GratuitousEnglish: Most of the Lilpri costume names are in English. Oh, and [[{{Squee}} Uisshuuuu~]]
* GratuitousItalian: Leila's father Marco and his assistant Tomaso in episode 18.
* GyaruGirl: The girls meet a mermaid in episode seventeen named Lili, who gets dropped into the human world. She sees some "gyaru" and immediately adopts the style, even returning to Fairyland in it.
* {{Henohenomoheji}}: The janitor's face in one of the ghost stories Saotome tells in episode 19.
** Episode 25 has it on the "Leila" part of the mapets' disguise.
* {{Homage}}: to the {{tokusatsu}} superhero genre in episode 22. The change card for this episode ("Petit Ranger") was even inspired by the ''Franchise/SuperSentaiSuperSentai'' series.
* InsistentTerminology
-->'''Dai:''' I'm not a squirrel. I'm a dormouse!
* IsItSomethingYouEat: The (amnesiac) mapets ask this about Lilpri in episode 20. It's also present in episode 32, where the girls think the "song's soul" is a kind of dumpling.
* {{Joshikousei}}: The change card Lilpri uses in episode 33, Cherry Sailor, is inspired by these.
* LethalChef: In episode two, to make up for eating all the apple pies Ringo's parents had made to sell the next day, the mapets try to bake some replacements. To describe the result, the customers say it's like your tongue explodes.
** Allegedly Atsui-sensei's wife. In episode 19, [[FireBreathingDiner her curry seemingly causes anyone who eats it to breathe fire]].
* LimitedWardrobe: Both played straight and subverted. As themselves, the girls wear the same clothes constantly (only changing for summertime), but as Lilpri, they get a new outfit every time they transform.
* TheLittleShopThatWasntThereYesterday: On episode 23.
* MacGuffin: The Ultimate Shine
* MagicalGirl
* MagicIdolSinger
* MeaningfulName: Each of the girls' names allude to the princess they are.
** ''Yukimori'' means "snow forest;" ''ringo'' means "apple", referring to the poisoned apple Snow White ate.
** ''Takashiro'', Leila's surname, means "tall castle", something Cinderella is sometimes associated with.
** ''Sasahara'' means "bamboo field," a reference to the bamboo forest where Kaguya-hime was found on Earth, and the "tsuki" in Natsuki's name means "moon" (Kaguya-hime came from the moon).
* MoonRabbit: Chris got to play this part in episode 24.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: In episode six, Sei has hired for the girls a dance teacher named [[Music/MichaelJackson Michael]], who sounds, acts, looks, and dances (a bit) like the beloved late pop star, his body and what he is wearing however are [[Franchise/LupinIII based on]] [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mj_lupin_409.jpg someone else]].
* NonHumanSidekick: The mapets Sei, Dai, and Ryoku, and [[Literature/AliceInWonderland White Rabbit]] {{Expy}} Chris/[[spoiler:Wish]].
* OneHitWonder: While Lilpri gets to sing various songs in-show, poor Wish only sings the same song everytime he's seen performing.
* [[TheOtherDarrin The Other Lilpri]]: This is actually what the anime versions are. In the original game, Ringo, Leila and Natsuki were voiced by Creator/ChihiroIshiguro, Creator/SatomiSato, and Creator/ShioriMikami, respectively (who of course, also sing the songs).
* PlotPants: Glaringly obvious inversion. Ringo, Leila, and Natsuki wear the exact same outfits every single day apparently, whether in school or not, rain or shine but when they transform into Lilpri they get a different outfit every time. The only exception being the Princess Fairytale card which they like well enough to use 5 or 6 times and their halloween costumes which are ... you guessed it, their Princess Fairytale card outfits.
* PortmanteauSeriesNickname: Right in the title (which is also the name of the original game) -- "[=LilPri=]" for "Little Princesses."
* PublicDomainSoundtrack: In the game, one of their songs is a techno-infused rendition of "Usagi no Dance" (The Rabbit Dance), a traditional Japanese nursery rhyme. A rendition by the Music/HelloProject version of Lilpri is later heard in episode 24.
* PunBasedTitle: ''Hime Chen'' is probably a pun on ''imechen'' (イメチェン), meaning "image change" or "makeover"
* ShoutOut / BrandX: In episode 28, Vivi finds a group of kids playing ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'', except the back of the cards is green instead of brown and the design is slightly different. And in episode 34, Leila imagines Natsuki wearing an outfit reminiscent of [[Manga/PrincessKnight Sapphire]]'s.
* ShowWithinAShow: Let's see... There's the comedy show and ''Close-Up Idol'' from episode 6, as well as all the shows introduced in episode 32 such as ''Mr. Monkeys'', ''Herahera'', ''[[Franchise/StarTrek Star Trick]]'', ''Easy Meals''...
* [[SingleMindedTwins Single-Minded Septuplets]]: Ringo's seven little brothers.
* SingleTargetSexuality: Vivi is apparently Chris-sexual.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Although "Leila" is the official English spelling of her name (which is also used on Crunchyroll's subs), there have been people who have referred to her as either "Reira" (based on the reading of her name in katakana), or "Layla". [[http://family.shogakukan.co.jp/lilpri-fan_cover/ This]] page for a Japanese Lilpri magazine shows "Leila" as being how her name is officially written in English.
** The first fansub group also misspelled Ryoku's name as "Ryo'''u'''ku" for some reason, and Crunchyroll once spelled Natsuki's last name as "Takahara".
* StatusQuoIsGod: In episode 25, three "[[Manga/DetectiveConan junior detectives]]" deduce that Ringo, Leila and Natsuki are in fact Lil' Pri (one of them even figures they use magic to transform, though he gets called out on it). Eventually however, their secret is safe [[spoiler:thanks to a disguise used by the mapets while the girls (as Lil' Pri) make it to their concert]].
* {{Squee}}: "OHHHH, UISSHUUUUUUUU!!!"
** This is later lampshaded in episode 26 when the girls teach the queen of Fairy Land to do the pose. She even has her own version ("OHHHHH, KURISUUUUUUUUUU!!!", referring to Chris, [[spoiler:who turns out to be the prince of Fairy Land and thus her son]])
* TemporalThemeNaming: Ringo's seven identical little brothers are named Getsu, Ka, Sui, Moku, Kin, Dou, and Nichi. Add ''youbi'' to each of those, and you've got the days of the week.
* ThemeTuneCameo: [=LilPri=]'s debut song is the show's theme song; also a bit funny because their magic mics make them sing it.
* ThisIsUnforgivable: Sei's response to the girls making fun of Snow White in episode 6.
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Ringo loves apple pie (she even sings about it in the opening theme), her seven little brothers love fried egg (as revealed in episode 7), Leila loves pumpkin soup and Natsuki loves pudding. Also, it's revealed later on that Chris/[[spoiler:Wish]] loves omelet rice, though it's a plot point unlike the other examples.
* TransformationSequence: Surprisingly short and not very detailed for a MagicalGirl series.
* TrueCompanions: To the point where [[WonderTwinPowers they never transform without each other]].
* {{Tsundere}}: Vivi, the cat-like ma-pet, as revealed in episode 28.
* VerbalTic: Dai ends his sentences with the oh-so-traditional "desu", while Sei ends his with "desu zo" and Vivi ends hers with "de chi". Also, each episode title ends with the princesses saying "pri".
* VisualPun:
** An unintentional example in episode 11. When Atsui-sensei mentions that his bride is a very big woman, Sei, Dai and Ryoku imagine a fire-breathing Franchise/{{Godzilla}}-esque {{Kaiju}} wearing a wedding veil, lipstick, and carrying a bouquet. In other words, a {{Bridezilla}}.
** Another example, this time very intentional, occurs in episode 38. At one point, Mr. Santarou says the number 9 ("ku"), [[InsistentTerminology refers to Dai as a squirrel]] ("risu"), and holds up a box ("masu"), to form "kurisumasu" (the Japanese pronounciation of the word "Christmas").
* WholePlotReference: Episode 24, a Natsuki-centered episode, is one towards ''[[Literature/TheTaleOfTheBambooCutter The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter]]'' (otherwise known as Kaguya-hime, which is the "fairy tale princess" Natsuki represents).
* [[WonderTwinPowers Wonder Triplet Powers]]: A "Secret Lilpri" segment in episode 37 reveals that the girls have to transform together (otherwise, it won't work), resulting in this trope.
** Inverted in the original arcade game, where they only transform individually; it will always be the one the player selects at the start of the game.
* WorldsMostBeautifulWoman: The girls are said to be this after transforming by several magic mirrors.
* YearInsideHourOutside / NarniaTime: In episode fourteen, the Queen brings the girls to Fairyland, and it's not until late that night that they realize no one back home knows where they are. They're promptly told by their tour guide, a fairy named Roo, that when they get back it'll be the same time they left.
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: There's, not only pink-haired Ringo, but also Natsuki, who has purple hair, though hers could count as stylized black hair.
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* ZettaiRyouiki Natsuki/Princess Kaguya has grade A (borderline S due to her snarky nature and twintails) when transformed using the Princess Fairytale card. She also has thighhigh boots when untransformed but then, she's just a kid.

* ConspicuousCG: The Lilpri dance sequences; likely a reference to the game.

* EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses: And ''fairy tale'' princesses, for that matter.

* WholePlotReference: Episode 24, a Natsuki-centered episode, is one towards the original Tale of the Bamboo Cutter (otherwise known as Kaguya-hime, which is the "fairy tale princess" Natsuki represents).

* AdaptationDyeJob: Towards the original "Literature/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs" story. This may be the only anime besides ''Manga/{{Pretear}}'' where you can find a pink-haired Snow White.

* {{Homage}}: to the {{tokusatsu}} superhero genre in episode 22. The change card for this episode ("Petit Ranger") was even inspired by the SuperSentai series.

* AnachronismStew: There's not only episode 17's "Nin[[SubculturesInJapan gyaru]] Hime" (see CanonDisContinuity below), but in episode 24 we see pictures of some of Kaguya-hime's suitors facing a pterosaurus, a flying saucer and an army of mummies.

Fairyland is in trouble. Its princesses and their respective worlds are disappearing, causing a ripple effect on Earth where their stories are popular. In order to save Fairyland, the Queen sends three "mapets" (magic animals), Sei, Dai, and Ryoku, to Earth with magic gems to find three girls who can become the "Super Miracle Idols," the princesses Literature/SnowWhite, Literature/{{Cinderella}}, and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaguya_Hime Kaguya-hime]]. Those "princesses" end up being three very ordinary little girls: Yukimori Ringo, Takashiro Leila, and Sasahara Natsuki. The gems transform them into [[OlderAlterEgo older]] [[MagicIdolSinger singing superstars]], and after their accidental debut at their favorite singer Wish's concert, they become known as "Little Princesses," or "[=LilPri=]" for short. Now they must use their songs to draw and collect Happiness Tones from humans in order to restore Fairyland.

* CompletelyMissingThePoint: One-shot character Youichi in episode 33 misunderstands what Sayaka (another one shot character) means when she says she would like them to be "good friends".
* ConspicuousCGI: The Lilpri dance sequences; likely a reference to the game.

* EmotionlessBoy: Wish, as pointed out in episode 6.

* [[SingleMindedTwins Single Minded Septuplets]]: Ringo's seven little brothers.

* StatusQuoIsGod: In episode 25, three "[[Manga/DetectiveConan junior detectives]]" deduce that Ringo, Leila and Natsuki are in fact Lil' Pri (one of them even figures they use magic to transform, though he gets called out on it). Eventually however, their secret is safe [[spoiler:thanks to a disguise used by the mapets while the girls (as Lil' Pri) make it to their concert.]]

[[quoteright:167:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lilpri2_2475.jpg]]

* HelloProject: The three girls are voiced by three of the four members of S/Mileage (at least some of whom were previously members of Creator/ShugoChara Egg). Additionally, while they sing the Lilpri songs from the arcade game (and the second OP and ED) as Lilpri, the first ending theme is sung by S/Mileage as themselves.

* PublicDomainSoundtrack: In the game, one of their songs is a techno-infused rendition of "Usagi no Dance" (The Rabbit Dance), a traditional Japanese nursery rhyme. A rendition by the HelloProject version of Lilpri is later heard in episode 24.

* AdaptationDyeJob: Towards the original "Literature/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs" story. This may be the only anime besides ''{{Pretear}}'' where you can find a pink-haired Snow White.

* {{Expy}}: There's not only Chris[[spoiler:/Wish]] (who looks like [[Literature/AliceInWonderland the White Rabbit]] [[spoiler: in rabbit form and like [[Manga/VampireKnight Zero]] in human form]]) and Natsuki (essentially [[LuckyStar Kagami]] with darker hair and a different eye color), but in episode 19 we also get [[LightNovel/{{Bakemonogatari}} Nadeko Sengoku]] look-alike Mimiko and a doll resembling Lilie from ''Anime/PrincessTutu''.

* {{Dojikko}}: Leila

* [[EmotionlessGirl Emotionless Guy]]: Wish, as pointed out in episode 6.

* [[ExpositionFairy Exposition Rabbit]]: Chris in the arcade game.

* [[SubculturesInJapan Gyaru]]: The girls meet a mermaid in episode seventeen named Lili, who gets dropped into the human world. She sees some "gyaru" and immediately adopts the style, even returning to Fairyland in it.

* {{Expy}}: There's not only Chris[[spoiler:/Wish]] (who looks like [[Literature/AliceInWonderland the White Rabbit]] [[spoiler: in rabbit form and like [[VampireKnight Zero]] in human form]]) and Natsuki (essentially [[LuckyStar Kagami]] with darker hair and a different eye color), but in episode 19 we also get [[LightNovel/{{Bakemonogatari}} Nadeko Sengoku]] look-alike Mimiko and a doll resembling Lilie from ''Anime/PrincessTutu''.

* FireBreathingDiner: In episode 19, Atsui-sensei's wife's curry turns everyone into one of these. Ryoku is the first to try it, and the girls and Saotome mistake his flame for a [[GhostLights will-o'-the-wisp]].

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lilpri2_2475.jpg

* DetachedSleeves: Natsuki upon transforming with the Princess Fairytale card.

* ShoutOut / BrandX: In episode 28, Vivi finds a group of kids playing ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'', except the back of the cards is green instead of brown and the design is slightly different. And in episode 34, Leila imagines Natsuki wearing an outfit reminiscent of [[PrincessKnight Sapphire]]'s.

Not to be confused with ''[[HimechanNoRibon Hime-CHAN no Ribon]]''.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: In episode six, Sei has hired for the girls a dance teacher named [[MichaelJackson Michael]], who sounds, acts, looks, and dances (a bit) like the beloved late pop star, his body and what he is wearing however are [[Franchise/LupinIII based on]] [[http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mj_lupin_409.jpg someone else]].