RANSIE THE WITCH

The anime "Ransie the witch", based on Koi Ikeno's manga" Tokimeki tonight "(in Italian Batticuore nocturnal), was made in 1983 by director Hiroshi Sasagawa. The drawings are Toshio Okabe and the cartoon was produced by Toho Animation.
Ransie Lupescu is a teenager like many others, who is actually part of a slightly strange family. In fact the father (Boris) is a vampire and the mother a wolf woman (Schila), who in order to fulfill their dream of love have abandoned the Supreme Kingdom (ruled by Satan and inhabited by all sorts of infernal creatures), to live on earth.

The Lupescu family (which includes Ronnie and the Pag parrot) despite their bizarre habits (Boris for example sleeps in a coffin, but drinks tomato juice because he no longer remembers how to suck blood; and Schila turns into wolf whenever there is a full moon, becoming more hysterical than usual) is forced to keep the secret of her identity, as any human being who becomes aware of it should die according to the harsh laws of Satan. This is why the Lupescus live a secluded life, at least until the young Ransie starts high school. Here the girl meets the handsome and dark Paul, disinterested in everything except his mother and the box (sport in which he has what it takes to sell), and falls madly in love with him. This unexpected feeling gives sweet Ransie adventurous, funny days and above all a world of trouble; first of these is the rich and spoiled Lisa, daughter of Thomas Thomson, a big man as big as he is tender, who dreams of one day marrying the beautiful Ania (Paul's mother). Lisa is also in love with Paul Cabol, therefore in constant conflict with our Ransie (their constant brawls are really funny). Although Lisa is a completely grimace (and in some situations very treacherous) and you think up as much as you can to put a spoke in the wheel for Ransie, her traps turn against her, becoming a reason for so much laughter, which all in all, they break moments of otherwise excessive and monotonous romanticism. Only during her first fight with Lisa Ransie does she discover her powers (hitherto non-existent), which will allow her to transform into everything she bites (people, animals and things. Even if she is forbidden to transform into animated objects), and then return to his image with a simple sneeze. This will be cause for great joy and celebration for her parents (always intent on arguing): later the same joy will turn into concern when they discover that their sweet little girl has fallen in love with a human. The creatures of the underworld cannot marry humans, which is why the two oppose this sentiment. Above all, Schila intrudes on Ransie's love life, forcing poor Boris to stalk his daughter by stealth. He will try to make his wife think but without success, so he will be forced to indulge her (certainly also a little out of cowardice) and to suffer the harmful effects of light. But Boris understands the little girl's feelings well, so he tries to protect her and be a comfort to her. Schila, however, hinders the love of the two only because driven by her maternal love, believing she is doing the best. But she will change her mind when, one night with a full moon, after having turned into a werewolf, she pounces on Paul with the intent of killing him. Ransie steps in to save her beloved by receiving the deadly bite of her mother. Seeing her daughter lying helpless on the ground, Schila thinks she is going mad from pain, but fortunately everything will be resolved in the best way. Another antagonist will be Prince Aron, son of Satan, who fell madly in love with Ransie and who forso much hindering the young couple in many ways and abusing its magic.
Ransie and Paul can love each other freely only when the latter unintentionally discovers Ransie's secret (to save a child from certain death, she is forced to transform right before the boy's eyes). So to save Paul the Lupescu family must return to the Supreme Kingdom, but Paul who in the meantime finds himself in love with Ransie, unable to bear the idea of ​​losing her, decides to follow her into the macabre world. Where the two are captured from the ship of the condemned to be executed. Boris and Schila, strong in Paul's loyalty, beg Satan not to kill the two boys and to give them a second chance, guaranteeing their life. Thus the inflexible sovereign, after putting the young man to the test, leaves the lovers alive, intimating them not to set foot in his kingdom again. After that, for Ransie and Paul, the days go by happily despite Lisa's tireless presence. Until Boris (who was entrusted by Satan himself with the task of finding his firstborn lost in the earth and recognizable only thanks to a star-shaped skin spot under the armpit) discovers the star right under Paul's armpit, hence Paul is the lost Prince. Therefore the boy will be brought before Satan, who will show himself more than benevolent towards him. But right at the most beautiful, Paul will deny his kinship with Satan, claiming to have obtained that sign during a boxing match: you can imagine the disappointment of Satan and the Lupescus! Once back on land, the young man discovers from his mother that he had had that stain since birth. So yes concludes the cartoon with Paul who, punctually late for classes, is about to reveal the nature of the star to Ransie, but Lisa's interruption will drop the subject.
"Ransie the witch" is a very funny anime, which knows how to tackle very deep themes in an ironic way. These include the importance of accepting the other for what they are without any discrimination, or the importance of a united family (including a relationship of trust between parents and children and a mutual dialogue). Without forgetting the courage and altruism shown by Ransie on many occasions. As in the episode in which Ransie, in order to make pleasant the only day of vacation of the Giant Pierone (afflicted with love for Lisa), renounces his first date with Paul.
The manga was published in Japan in November 1982 by Shueisha's Ribon magazine. While in Italy the first volume was published in 2002 on the monthly magazine Shot of Star Comics, which recently ended with the special volume "Near a star".

by Helga Corpino

Ransie the witch is copyright © Koi Ikeno, Toho Animation and of the right holders, the names and images are used here for cognitive and informative purposes.