History Manga / HimechanNoRibon

[[quoteright:764:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hime_chans_ribbon_3.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:764:All she wanted was to become ''alot'' [[GirlinessUpgrade more feminine]].]]

->''Parareru, Parareru, [[HelloInsertNameHere [insert name here] ]] ni naare!''

Himeko "Hime-chan" Nonohara is a magical TomboyWithAGirlyStreak of the cute witch type who can transform into anybody in the human world for one hour. This is due to her getting a magic ribbon from her alternate universe counterpart Erika, who just happens to be a princess in The Magical Kingdom. For one year, Himeko is allowed to use the ribbon as she sees fit because it is needed for Erika to study the human world. There are a few limitations, however:
* If she does not turn back to normal before the hour is up, she is stuck that way until she dies.
* The person into whom she transforms is still in existence.
* She needs to have some way of seeing herself in order for the magic to work.
* The ribbon only works on humans.
* No one is allowed to learn about the ribbon's power.
* You say the incantation backwards to reverse the transformation.
* Stopping Time really messes up the ribbon's internal timer.

Despite the rule that no one must know about her secret, Daichi Kobayashi (Himeko's eventual best friend), is the first one to find about it after a series of incidents she got involved with. However, if anyone finds out about it, they and everyone involved are under the threat of memory erasure. Which, while that would help Hikaru Hibino (Himeko's [[UnknownRival self-named rival]] for Daichi's affections) in some ways... if only someone could explain that to her so that she would stop almost discovering the secret.

The original manga was created by Megumi Mizusawa, and ran in ''Magazine/{{Ribon}}'' from 1990 to 1994. It received an anime adaptation in 1992 by NAS and Creator/StudioGallop, and ran for 61 episodes. It was the first of four Ribon anime adaptations to air back-to-back on Creator/TVTokyo's 6PM timeslot.

A remake manga entitled ''Hime-chan no Ribbon Colorful'' also ran in ''Ribon'' from 2009 to 2010, created by Shiho Komiyuno, who was also responsible for ''Ribon'''s adapation of ''[[Anime/PowerpuffGirlsZ Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z]]''. The setting was updated to modern day, and Pokota (the stuffed lion) was replaced by a shape changing Princess Erika (in the form of a cat).
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!!This series provides examples of:

* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: At least, Himeko and Hikaru do. Himeko is particularly oblivious to this.
* AnimalEyeSpy: Given that Sei Arisaka is from the Magical Kingdom, he has [[TheBeastmaster the ability to control animals]], and some of them are employed especially to spy on others.
* BathtubBonding: Himeko and Pokota do this when wondering what they will do with Daichi knowing Himeko's magical secret.
* TheBeastmaster: Sei can simply give any kind of order to animals, and they'll do it.
%%* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Hikaru, in the last episode.
* BerserkButton: Do ''not'' ever confuse Pokota with a cat. He is a '''lion'''!
* TheBet: Sei's driving force for trying to steal Himeko's ribbon was all over [[spoiler:a bowl of ramen]].
* BlandNameProduct: Beginning with the opening credits, even!
* {{Bokukko}}: Inverted. Daichi ''expects'' Himeko to refer to herself as "boku" due to her boyish appearance and behavior, but he is surprised when she uses the female-exclusive "[[UsefulNotes/JapanesePronouns atashi]]".
%%* CallingYourAttacks: SPECIAL HIMEKO KICK!
* CannotSpitItOut: Himeko goes normally through this, but keeps going worse as time goes by. She lampshades this about her crush on Kouichi at the start of the show.
%%* CantLiveWithThemCantLiveWithoutThem: Himeko, Daichi, Sei, Hikaru, and Erika - how badly really depends on which dynamic you're looking at.
* CastingGag: This is not the first time Michihiru Ikemizu voiced a [[Manga/UruseiYatsura grumpy middle-aged teacher]].
%%* ChristmasEpisode
%%* CovertPervert: Hime-chan and I-chan.
* CrashIntoHello: In Sei's first appearance, he gets accidentally hit by Himeko's schoolbag.
* CuteBruiser: Himeko is a terror on the soccer field.
* CutShort: The anime has an unusual count of ''61'' episodes. In-show evidences suggest it could have been more (at least 78), but it wounds up with a rushed and abrupt ending.
* DeathIsCheap: As it turns out, [[spoiler:death is a cheap way to escape the eternal consequences of ribbon misuse. Because while being stuck in a transformed form is permanent and can't be undone by any magic, apparently the same doesn't apply to death.]]
* DontTryThisAtHome: Variation. The original OP sequence was changed to remove shots of Himeko and Daichi double-riding on a bicycle, after parental complaints that the series was setting a bad example. This gets {{lampshade|Hanging}}d in the show - every time they ride together, they pass a guard that yells at them for it.
%%* DynamicEntry: "''Hime-chan KICK!!''"
* EmbarrassingDampSheets: Yumeko has a nightmare and wets her bed in the anime's 41th episode.
* FirstGirlWins: Applied to both Himeko and Daichi's romantic interests. No matter how hard Sei tries to win Himeko's heart, or how Hikaru tries to with Daichi's, they meet each other before any other plausible love interest combination appears.
* FirstNameBasis: It takes a while, but Himeko, Daichi, and Sei know each other on a first name basis as "friends".
* ForgottenPhlebotinum: The time-reversal magic would've been very useful on at least one occasion where Himeko completely forgets about it.
* GenderVocabularySlip: Himeko saying "I'm in the same middle school" leads to Daichi suddenly realize she's a girl -- she uses the female-only "atashi".
* GenkiGirl: Himeko's peers actually refer to her as a very "energetic girl".
* HairReboot: Partially with Erika. While it isn't immediate, upon returning to the Magical Kingdom, Erika's hair regains its original length gradually, going from Himeko's short boyish cut to her original length.
%%* HandBehindHead: Presented very frequently in the anime.
* HeKnowsTooMuch: Himeko's mother wrote a book. The events of the book were duplicated within the show against her. Please note that this is what leads to the earning of the growing/shrinking power.
* HeroicBystander: The driver who helped with rescuing [[spoiler:Shintaro from the gun-tooting kidnapper]]. As soon as Himeko and Daichi informs him about the incident, he instantly descides to help them out.
* HitMeDammit: Himeko says this to Daichi after they had a discussion about [[spoiler:Sei faking his (original) interest for her]], because she felt guilty about slapping him.
* ImportantHaircut: Erika gets one of these when she switches places with Himeko.
* IncredibleShrinkingMan: Himeko, once she acquires the ability to increase or decrease the size of things. Since she is trying to keep things secret, we don't see much of the [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever growth ability]].
* InstantFanClub: Some of the school's handsome students have fanclubs devoted to them, like Kouichi's and Daichi's. When Sei transfers to the school, he instantly gets a club as well on the first day... even if it meant Daichi's fan club breaking up that day because they all left to join Sei's fan club. However, Daichi's fan club reforms after he leaves.
* IntrepidReporter: Hikaru teams up with one of these in an attempt to expose Himeko's secret.
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Even though Himeko firstly loved her senpai, [[spoiler: she eventually found out that he loved her older sister, and that she reciprocated his feelings. She attempts to play matchmaker while transforming into them, and she succeeds.]]
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Sei went to the human's world with "evil" intentions [[spoiler: (a bet)]], but he eventually had a change of heart... even though his feelings for Himeko can mean ''trouble''.
* LawyerFriendlyCameo: While this is played straight in the manga, the anime actually avoids it with the presence of boyband SMAP. That is, of course, because one of the band's members was voice acting in the show to begin with.
* LethalChef: Himeko's cookies make little girls cry.
* TheLittleShopThatWasntThereYesterday: [[spoiler:Sei's house (which was actually an abandoned loan) vanishes when he leaves.]]
* LivingToys: Pokota is one after Himeko gets the ribbon. Level 4 on the scale.
* MagicAIsMagicA: Most of the time it is, but [[LoopholeAbuse cheap loopholes]] get exploited on occasion.
* MagicalGirl: Of the CuteWitch type. A cute little girl who gains the ability to transform into anybody in the human world (for one hour) after gaining a magic hair ribbon.
* MagicalGirlQueenlinessTest: A variation. Erika created the ribbon, and Himeko must use it for one year to determine whether it is useful, and consequently, if Erika will prove herself worthy to inherit the crown.
%%* MagicalLand
* TheMasquerade: Nobody else is allowed to learn about what Himeko can do. Memory loss is an effective deterrent.
* MenDontCry: {{Gender Flip}}ped with Himeko, because of her tomboyishness, and only when other people are around.
* MistakenForGay: Yumeko is convinced that Erika is Himeko's girlfriend.
* MostWritersAreWriters: Himeko's mother, Hanako, is a writer who likes to take the real life ideas and use them in her stories.
* NewTransferStudent: Sei gets introduced as a newly transferred student in Himeko's class.
%%* NonHumanSidekick: Hime-chan's stuffed lion, Pokota. Also Erika's broom, Chappy.
%%* OffhandBackhand: Sei's first appearance.
%%* OneeSama: Aiko is Hime-chan's much-admired older sister.
%%* OneHeadTaller
* OnlySixFaces: It's lucky that everyone in the Magic Kingdom looks exactly like someone in the human world.
* PseudoRomanticFriendship: Himeko's and Erika's relationship is very much like this even though they spend a huge amount of time apart, saying they love each other, etc.
* PunnyName: The women in the Nonohara household have feminine names, since Hana(ko), Ai(ko), Hime(ko) and Yume(ko) mean "Flower", "Love", "Princess", and "Dream", respectively. The Japanese suffix "ko" serves to give a child a very feminine name, as well. It gets really ''ironic'' in [[{{Tomboy}} Himeko]]'s case.
* RecapEpisode: '''Six''' of them within the last seventeen episodes. They're all in pairs too, which makes getting through the last quarter of this anime [[EndingFatigue a chore]].
* TheRival: Hikaru Hibino wants to think of herself as one for Himeko, although she often [[UnknownRival doesn't acknowledge her]].
* SecretDiary: [[spoiler:Aiko finds Himeko's diary, and from it she finds that her sister had feelings for Hasekawa]].
* SecretKeeper: Daichi becomes the secret keeper for Himeko about her ability to magically transform after she had to do it in front of him to save somebody.
* SentimentalMusicCue: One of the piano pieces in the soundtrack is used this way.
* SheIsNotMyGirlfriend: Daichi to Himeko, and viceversa. It happens so many times due to many incidents [[spoiler: (though they feel something for each other as time passes by)]].
%%* ShoujoDemographic
* ShoutOut: A very Mickey Mouse-like plush appears in Yumeko's room in episode 41.
* TheShowMustGoOn: Himeko's magically-arranged [[spoiler:SMAP "appearance" at the school]].
* StableTimeLoop: When Himeko visits her future self, there is any consequence to the main plot's timeline.
* ThirdPersonPerson: Yumeko uses this because she is only a child. Although strictly speaking, she refers to herself as "Yume" rather than "Yumeko".
* TimeStandsStill: Himeko acquires this ability, with all its unexpected consequences.
* ToastOfTardiness: Complete with the toast, even! Inverted when Himeko has to go to school early, and everyone at her house panics and thinks that they all overslept.
* {{Tomboy}}: Himeko acts more as a boy than a girl, for the surprise of [[GirlyGirl Erika]], who is her magical AlternateUniverse self. Her name even gives an ironic layer to her character ("Hime" means "princess", and "ko" is a suffix that Japanese use to give a girl a more feminine name). However, as the plot goes on, Himeko shows more aspects of a TomboyWithAGirlyStreak, than just a mere tomboy.
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl:
** Himeko is an impulsive GenkiGirl who is good at sports and has BoyishShortHair. Her AlternateUniverse counterpart Erika is a near-mirror image of Himeko, except that she is a long-haired girly princess.
** Another foil to Himeko is her sister Aiko, a soft-spoken, domesticated girl who is considered very beautiful. Himeko would like to be more feminine like her.
* TransformationSequence: Visibly lacking in {{Fanservice}}.
* TransformationTrinket: The titular "ribbon". It, however, only works with the Earth's humans, as members of the Kingdom of Magic count as non-humans.
* TwinSwitch: Himeko and Erika pull this off after Himeko [[spoiler:gets stuck as Hikaru Hibino for a brief period of time]].
* TwinTelepathy: Erika and Himeko share a bit of this.
* UglyGuyHotWife: Played straight with Gori-sensei's beautiful wife in the manga. The anime, however, averts this.
%%* VerbalTic: Chappy the Broom's "*swish*swish*".
* WouldntHitAGirl: Daichi doesn't want to hit Himeko after she apologizes for the first big fight they both had.
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-->''Lulerapa, lulerapa, moto no sugata ni naare!''
----

A remake manga entitled ''Hime-chan no Ribbon Colorful'' also ran in ''Ribon'' from 2009 to 2010, created by Shiho Komiyuno, who was also responsible for ''Ribon'''s adapation of [[Anime/PowerpuffGirlsZ Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z]]. The setting was updated to modern day, and Pokota (the stuffed lion) was replaced by a shape changing Princess Erika (in the form of a cat).

A remake manga entitled ''Hime-chan no Ribbon Colorful'' also ran in ''Ribon'' from 2009 to 2010. The setting was updated to modern day, and Pokota (the stuffed lion) was replaced by a shape changing Princess Erika (in the form of a cat).

* PottyFailure: Yumeko has an accident and wets her bed in one episode of the anime.

[[caption-width-right:764:All she wanted was to become ''alot'' more feminine.]]

[[quoteright:268:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/himechanwitchribbon.PNG]]

Despite the rule that no one must know about her secret, Daichi Kobayashi (Himeko's eventual best friend), is the first one to find about it after a series of incidents she got involved with. However, if anyone finds out about it, they are under the threat of memory erasure for everyone involved. Which, while that would help Hikaru Hibino (Himeko's [[UnknownRival self-named rival]] for Daichi's affections) in some ways... if only someone could explain that to her so that she would stop almost discovering the secret.

The original manga was created by Megumi Mizusawa, and ran in ''Magazine/{{Ribon}}'' from 1990 to 1994. It received an anime adaptation in 1992 by Studio Gallop, and ran for 61 episodes.

The original manga was created by Megumi Mizusawa, and ran in ''Magazine/{{Ribon}}'' from 1990 to 1994. It received an anime adaptation in 1992 by Studip Gallop, and ran for 61 episodes.

* PantyShot: Averted. Not only are there no pantyshots for the audience when Himeko plays soccer in her school uniform, at one point one of the male players specifically says, "No, don't do it! We'll see your panties!"

* RomanticTwoGirlFriendship: Himeko's and Erika's relationship is very much like this even though they spend a huge amount of time apart, saying they love each other, etc.

The original manga received an anime adaptation in 1992, and ran for 61 episodes.

A remake manga entitled "''Hime-chan no Ribbon Colorful''" ran in Ribon, the same magazine where the original manga appeared, from 2009 to 2010. The setting was updated to modern day, and Pokota (the stuffed lion) was replaced by a shape changing Princess Erika (in the form of a cat).

%%* ZettaiRyouiki: Hime-chan is B-Class.

* EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses: Even though Erika is the princess of the Magic Kingdom, she still has to follow rules or she would face consequences.

* TheRival: Hikaru Hibino wants to think of herself as one for Himeko, although she often [[UnknownRival doesn't acknowledge her]].

%%* SecretKeeper: Daichi.

%%* MagicalGirl: Of the CuteWitch type.

* LateForSchool: Complete with the toast, even! Inverted when Himeko has to go to school early, and everyone at her house panics and thinks that they all overslept.

* RomanticTwoGirlFirendship: Himeko's and Erika's relationship is very much like this even though they spend a huge amount of time apart, saying they love each other, etc.

-->''Parareru, Parareru, [[HelloInsertNameHere [insert name here] ]] ni naare!''

* TechnologyMarchesOn: For viewers or readers who find out about this early-90s series in the 21st century, the technology that appears in it may look strange for them, like the frequent use of landphones and payphones, in an era where inalambric phones and cellphones exist.