is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Min Ayahana. It was serialized in Shueisha's shōjo manga magazine Ribon from 1992 to 2000 and collected in 13 bound volumes. The series is loosely based on the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood and follows the adventures of a fumbling student magician named Chacha, who habitually wears a red hooded cloak.
A 74-episode anime television series based on the manga was produced by NAS and TV Tokyo and animated by Gallop. It was first broadcast on TV Tokyo from 7 January 1994 to 30 June 1995. This was followed by a sequel original video animation (OVA) series of three episodes released between 6 December 1995 and 6 March 1996. In 1998, Cartoon Network aired an English dub of the Akazukin Chacha anime in Southeast Asia and Mandarin-speaking countries. In the anime, Chacha seeks the truth about her family and defend the kingdom against its enemies.
Two new one-shot manga titled Akazukin Chacha N were published in the May 2011 and January 2012 issues of Cookie. Akazukin Chacha N became a monthly series published from 2012 to 2019. This version of the story takes place in modern-day Tokyo.
Story
Akazukin Chacha is the story of a young magical girl named Chacha. She lives in a cottage on Mochi-mochi Mountain with Seravy, her guardian and teacher, who is the world's greatest magician. Chacha is clumsy in casting her spells, frequently mistaking homonyms, such as summoning spiders ( in Japanese) instead of a cloud (also ). When she and her friends are in trouble, however, her spells do work. Living on the same mountain is a boy named Riiya, gifted with enormous strength, who comes from a family of werewolves. Far away from Mochi-mochi Mountain is Urizuri Mountain where Dorothy, a well known magician that has a past with Seravy, lives in a castle with her student, Shiine. Shiine is a young wizard, who is adept at casting spells and barriers, as well as transformations.
The storylines of the manga and the anime adaptation are markedly different: while the anime uses most of the same characters, the story of the first two seasons were invented for the television show. Most of the stories in the third season are based on the manga.
Story of the anime
At the beginning of the anime, when Chacha is about to begin school, Seravy gives her a pendant called the Princess Medallion, and a magical bracelet and ring to Riiya and Shiine respectively. The Princess Medallion enables Chacha to transform into the Magical Princess, who can defeat Daimaō's minions, when she shouts the phrase "Let Love, Courage and Hope -- Magical Princess Holy Up!". However, the transformation works only if the three of them get together.
In season one, Chacha, Shiine, and Riiya attend Urara School, named after their principal Urara. The three are in Banana Class with their teacher named Rascal-sensei who wields a whip and looks strict, but is actually very kind. In the same class is Kurozukin ("black-hooded") Yakko and Orin. Yakko admires Seravy deeply and even calls him Seravy-sama. Orin is a ninja of the Momonga Clan, and good at concealing herself. Orin is probably the most truthful character in the story, she develops a crush on Shiine when they first met. Later a selfish mermaid called Marin tags along because she is interested in Riiya.
In the second season, after Chacha's weapon, the Beauty Serene Arrow, was unable to beat one of Daimaō's minions, Access, the trio began to search for another, more powerful weapon called the Phoenix Sword or Wing Kris. As they do so, Chacha discovers that her parents are the King and Queen of their land. After encountering many obstacles, they find Phoenix Sword. They then begin their quest for the Bird Shield, the third weapon that the Magical Princess must acquire to defeat Daimaō's minions. At the end of this story arc, Chacha, Shiine, Riiya, Orin, Yakko, Marin, Dorothy, and Seravy together, as the eight Holy Warriors of Love, Courage, and Hope, get inside Daimaō's castle. They defeat Daimaō, after which the castle and the kingdom changes back to its original shape and color.