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Information

Title (English) Mysterious Melmo

Title (Japanese) Fushigi na Merumo

Advertising
Fantasy Novel

Notes From a manga by Osamu TEZUKA, serialised in Shougaku Ichi Nen Sei, 1970-72.
LD Box 7 LD 651 min, 12 tape 50 min each. [Shoujo Anime List]

Classification shoujo

Synopsis The story is about a little girl named Melmo, who has some magical pills that can change her into an adult version of herself, or into various animals. Her transformations into animals are rather unique, however, because of the way that they happen. Melmo takes a couple of pills and retrogresses into a baby. Then she turns into a fetus and eventually a fertilized cell, which then redevelops into whatever animal she wants to be. She needs the pills to go through the reverse process and become a little kid again.
Merumo got into an accident and went to heaven. Her mom in heaven gave her a bottle of red and blue pills which could make her grow younger or older by ten years per pill. (HBV)

Review You know, there are a lot of really strange old anime out there Last night I watched an episode of an old 26 part anime called "Fushigina Melmo", aka, "Mysterious Melmo" or "Marvelous Melmo". It was broadcast in 1971-72, created by Ozamu Tezuka and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, who also did the story boards. It is currently in rebroadcast on the Japanese satellite channel, "Kids Station". The story is about a little girl named Melmo, who has some magical pills that can change her into an adult version of herself, or into various animals. Her transformations into animals are rather unique, however, because of the way that they happen. Melmo takes a couple of pills and retrogresses into a baby. Then she turns into a fetus and eventually a fertilized cell, which then redevelops into whatever animal she wants to be. She needs the pills to go through the reverse process and become a little kid again. "Mysterious Melmo" was obviously aimed at a kids audience at the time. The episode that I saw ( episode 6 ) had a strong and simple environmental message - Mankind's polluting of the environment was killing off all the animals and the remaining animals ran off to a deserted island where they could live in peace and love. ( How can you tell that this was an early 70's series ) Melmo, a funny little professor and a pilot crash land on the island, where they disturb the balance of nature when the pilot shoots a rabbit for food. The pilot then sees the island as a potential place where he can develop resorts and so on, but Melmo eventually stops him. But this episode wasn't really serious about this plot and in fact has some truly strange moments. For example, the professor has very long, protruding nose hairs that he regularly pulls out and examines in excruciating detail. Another thing concerns Melmo and her transformation to her adult self. When she transforms, she only has her little kids clothes to wear, so her short skirt becomes much shorter, and the audience is "treated" to a non-stop white panty show. This was brought out even more when the adult Melmo stopped the pilot's plot. After knocking away the pilot's gun and punching him to the ground, Melmo kept him there by repeatedly bouncing up and down on his head with her butt, her underwear in full view. ( Obviously, tastes in kid's humor in anime have changed a fair amount in the intervening 30 years since that show. ) So while I won't bother watching the rest of the repeats, it was certainly "educational" to see this episode. Dave Baranyi
For the time period of the show, considering that it was a TV series, the art of "Fushigina Melmo" is fairly good. The character designs are also typical of the time. The best way to describe the art style is to compare it to the first year of "Urusei Yatsura", but to also note that the art in "Fushigina Melmo" is subtly better. Dave Baranyi
This Tezuka classic is in my opinion the most important magical girl series of all time. The relatively short length of the series also make it easier to collect for those who are financially less well off. (HBV) Rating ***** (HBV)

Credits Dir: Osamu Tezuka, Yoshiyuki Tomino, Fusahito Nagaki
Des: Osamu Tezuka
Scr: Osamu Tezuka

Episodes 26

Release Jap:LD, Jap:VHS

TV Showing See the whole series for free? This series may be syndicated to regional cable, satellite or terrestial TV stations. For Europe click here.

Date 1971

Production Tezuka Pro, TBS

Broadcaster TBS

Animation

References & Help Look up the latest data on this title at:
Richard Llewellyn's Animated Divots, or
Anime News Network (see Encyclopedia section) ,
or in "The Anime Encyclopedia" (Clements & McCarthy, Stone Bridge Press, 2001).
Help & further information.

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Information
Title (English)	Mysterious Melmo
Title (Japanese)	Fushigi na Merumo
Advertising Fantasy Novel
Notes	From a manga by Osamu TEZUKA, serialised in Shougaku Ichi Nen Sei, 1970-72. LD Box 7 LD 651 min, 12 tape 50 min each. [Shoujo Anime List]
Classification	shoujo
Synopsis	The story is about a little girl named Melmo, who has some magical pills that can change her into an adult version of herself, or into various animals. Her transformations into animals are rather unique, however, because of the way that they happen. Melmo takes a couple of pills and retrogresses into a baby. Then she turns into a fetus and eventually a fertilized cell, which then redevelops into whatever animal she wants to be. She needs the pills to go through the reverse process and become a little kid again. Merumo got into an accident and went to heaven. Her mom in heaven gave her a bottle of red and blue pills which could make her grow younger or older by ten years per pill. (HBV)
Review	You know, there are a lot of really strange old anime out there Last night I watched an episode of an old 26 part anime called "Fushigina Melmo", aka, "Mysterious Melmo" or "Marvelous Melmo". It was broadcast in 1971-72, created by Ozamu Tezuka and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, who also did the story boards. It is currently in rebroadcast on the Japanese satellite channel, "Kids Station". The story is about a little girl named Melmo, who has some magical pills that can change her into an adult version of herself, or into various animals. Her transformations into animals are rather unique, however, because of the way that they happen. Melmo takes a couple of pills and retrogresses into a baby. Then she turns into a fetus and eventually a fertilized cell, which then redevelops into whatever animal she wants to be. She needs the pills to go through the reverse process and become a little kid again. "Mysterious Melmo" was obviously aimed at a kids audience at the time. The episode that I saw ( episode 6 ) had a strong and simple environmental message - Mankind's polluting of the environment was killing off all the animals and the remaining animals ran off to a deserted island where they could live in peace and love. ( How can you tell that this was an early 70's series ) Melmo, a funny little professor and a pilot crash land on the island, where they disturb the balance of nature when the pilot shoots a rabbit for food. The pilot then sees the island as a potential place where he can develop resorts and so on, but Melmo eventually stops him. But this episode wasn't really serious about this plot and in fact has some truly strange moments. For example, the professor has very long, protruding nose hairs that he regularly pulls out and examines in excruciating detail. Another thing concerns Melmo and her transformation to her adult self. When she transforms, she only has her little kids clothes to wear, so her short skirt becomes much shorter, and the audience is "treated" to a non-stop white panty show. This was brought out even more when the adult Melmo stopped the pilot's plot. After knocking away the pilot's gun and punching him to the ground, Melmo kept him there by repeatedly bouncing up and down on his head with her butt, her underwear in full view. ( Obviously, tastes in kid's humor in anime have changed a fair amount in the intervening 30 years since that show. ) So while I won't bother watching the rest of the repeats, it was certainly "educational" to see this episode. Dave Baranyi For the time period of the show, considering that it was a TV series, the art of "Fushigina Melmo" is fairly good. The character designs are also typical of the time. The best way to describe the art style is to compare it to the first year of "Urusei Yatsura", but to also note that the art in "Fushigina Melmo" is subtly better. Dave Baranyi This Tezuka classic is in my opinion the most important magical girl series of all time. The relatively short length of the series also make it easier to collect for those who are financially less well off. (HBV) Rating ***** (HBV)
Credits	Dir: Osamu Tezuka, Yoshiyuki Tomino, Fusahito Nagaki Des: Osamu Tezuka Scr: Osamu Tezuka
Episodes	26
Release	Jap:LD, Jap:VHS
TV Showing	See the whole series for free? This series may be syndicated to regional cable, satellite or terrestial TV stations. For Europe click here.
Date	1971
Production	Tezuka Pro, TBS
Broadcaster	TBS
Animation
References & Help	Look up the latest data on this title at: Richard Llewellyn's Animated Divots, or Anime News Network (see Encyclopedia section) , or in "The Anime Encyclopedia" (Clements & McCarthy, Stone Bridge Press, 2001). Help & further information.