The current logo
The Licca-chan franchise is a Japanese doll line by Takara. Introduced in 1967, Licca-chan is the most popular fashion doll in Japan.
The franchise stars eleven year old Licca Kayama, an ordinary elementary school girl. Unlike most fashion dolls at the time, the franchise has a backstory and the characters have in-depth characterization. Licca likes Anne of Green Gables, A Little Princess, and Doraemon.
Compare to Barbie, a similarly popular doll in its home country of America, and the Jenny line of dolls which are also from Japan.
Licca-chan contains examples of:
- Animated Adaptation: 1998's Super Doll★Licca-chan is based on the toys and was made to go with a new line of toys.
- Barely-Changed Dub Name: Despite being a Japanese toy line that
keeps to Japan, a few licensed games have been localized under the title Lovely Lisa. In the 1970s, there was an attempt to localize the toys as Pretty Lisa. - Blue Blood: According to the mythos, Pierre's family, the Miramontes, were medieval royalty.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome:
- In 1972, Licca had a glamorous older sister named Rie, who was a flight attendant. In 1974, she was taken off the market shortly after Licca's younger twin sisters were introduced and hasn't been mentioned since.
- Several other characters as well, though they do occasionally get reprints.
- Disappeared Dad: Licca's father Pierre didn't have a doll until 1989, while his wife Orie got her first doll over 15 years earlier. Handwaved since his bio states he is an Elegant Classical Musician that traveled a good deal, and when his doll was introduced, his bio is updated to say he wanted to do more local concerts in Japan.
- Dub Name Change: A Licca-chan Nintendo DS game was released internationally as Lovely Lisa. Its sequel was released as Lovely Lisa and Friends.
- Granny Classic: Licca's grandmother Yoko, who also runs a pastry/flower shop. Also a Cool Old Lady.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Licca is a sweet little girl whose hair is sometimes depicted as somewhere between golden blonde, light blonde, and light brown. Other times, especially the older dolls, she has dark brown hair.
- Inconsistent Coloring: Is Licca's hair blonde or brown? In what shade?
- Massive Numbered Siblings: Licca has five younger siblings, kindergarten-aged twin sisters, and three baby triplets. She also used to have an older sister in the early '70s named Rie before she got retconned away.
- Occidental Otaku: Pierre. He loves Japanese culture so much he legally changed his last name to Kayama.
- Pink Is Feminine: Many of Licca's dolls come in predominantly pink outfits.
- Precious Puppies: Pudding, Licca's dog.
- Protagonist and Friends: Lovely Lisa and Friends, the international name for one of the Licensed Games.
- Stock Foreign Name: Licca's French father is named Pierre.
- Spell My Name With An S: The official spelling is "Licca", however she's been referred to by the more common "Rika" as well.
