Hime-chan no Ribbon

English Title: Hime-chan's Ribbon
Mangaka: Megumi Mizusawa
Pub. Date: 1991
# of Vols.: 10

TV Series: 1992 (61 Episodes)

Princess Erika travels down from the Magic World to the Human World in search of the girl who looks just like herself. She finds Nonohara Himeko, a very tomboyish girl. Himeko wishes she were a cute girl, and could open her eyes and find herself beautiful. Like her older sister, Aiko, a picture of femininity and everything Himeko thinks she herself should be. Erika flys down before her bedroom ribbon and explains that she is the princess of the Magic World and the next heir to the throne. Those inline for the throne must invent a useful magical item. Erika invented a ribbon that allows the wearer to transform into another human, and wants Himeko to try it out for the next year to prove if it's useful or not.

Himeko agrees and immediately uses it to transform into her sister, she'll find out the boy she likes, Hasekura, is in love with her sister and Aiko returns his feelings. The series goes through Himeko's growth and her growing into herself.

An interesting motif is the mirror. To transform Himko must use the ribbon and watch while standing in front of a mirror and say "Parallel. Parallel." then who she wants to change into. She can only transform for one hour and then must say the spell backwards to turn back, also while looking straight into a mirror. While the mirror reflects Himeko, her appearance while she is transformed mirrors not the person themself but Himeko's perception of them. For instance, Himeko transformed into her sister Aiko is both a parallel or other Aiko (the Aiko as seen through the eyes of Himeko), but also it is the side of Himeko that wants to be more of other people's ideal.

Note: Erika's broom named Chappy. This name could possibly be a reference back to an older series titled Mahoutsukai Chappy.

Magical Companion
Pokota-Himeko's stuffed lion

Magical Phrase
Parallel Parallel

Magical Items
Ribbon
Watch/bracelet