Mahou Tsukai Chappy is an early Magical Girl anime, aired in 1972 as the fifth installment in the Toei Animation / NET/TV Asahi "Majokko" (Witch Girl) pantheon. it's about Cute Witch Chappy who, becoming sick of the old customs of her people, leaves the Land of Magic for the human world with her little brother Jun and their pet Don-chan. Soon her family sees how much fun she has in the other realm that they decide to join her in her new home, facing normal life as much as they can without exposing their secrets. Essentially, it's a respray of Sally the Witch with a few tweaks.
Chappy is known for being the first witch to use a Magic Wand (actually a magical baton, given to her by her grandfather).note Her special chant is "Abura Mahariku Maharita Kabura". Chappy's closest human friends are tomboy Michiko and girly-girl Shizuko, much like her predecessor Sally's friends Yotchan and Sumire.
This anime provides examples of:
- Alternative Foreign Theme Song: The Italian dub has an original theme song. The Spanish dub aired in South America, however, adapts the original Japanese themes into the vernacular.
- Bittersweet Ending: Chappy's powers are revealed to her friends in the last episode. Their memories are erased, and Chappy's family has to move to another town.
- Burn the Witch!: Chappy and Jun's biggest fear is that this will happen if they're found out.
- The Cameo / Product Placement: One episode features a character watching Devilman (another Toei anime from 1972) on TV.
- Cool Car: Don-chan has one. A Running Gag involves Chappy's brother Jun always failing to hitch a ride.
- Cute Witch: Chappy, and Jun may count as a Rare Male Example.
- Driven to Suicide: In the final episode, after Chappy outs herself and her family as witches, they are forced to leave, and Chappy runs away to the beach, where, after standing there sadly for a few moments, she tries to drown herself. Fortunately her parents find her in time.
- Dub Name Change: In the abortive French dub from the early '90s, Jun's name is changed to Timmy and Don-chan became Domino. In Italian, Jun became Juno and Don-chan was Duncan.
- Expy: With a few tweaks, the entire series is an Expy of Sally the Witch, made for girls too young to remember the earlier series. It was, however, not nearly as popular, though some fans hold that Chappy was actually better. Chappy also has some darker themes not present in Sally, including the apparent attempted suicide of the title character in the final episode.
- Fish out of Water: For Chappy and her family, it's not easy to keep from using magic in public!
- Flying Broomstick: Chappy has one.
- Girlish Pigtails: Chappy
- Magic Wand: Chappy's tool of choice, which she pinched from her grandfather. As said above, she's the first one to use it.
- Magical Incantation: "Abura Mahariku Maharita Kabura"
- Magical Land: Where Chappy hails from.
- Muggle Foster Parents: Notably averted; Chappy is a rare Cute Witch who has her parents come with her to the human world.
- Non-Human Sidekick: Don-chan
- Passionate Sports Girl: An episode has Chappy befriending a sad and troubled older girl named Katie Klein who is a professional ice skater, but is losing her self-confidence after failing to pull a VERY difficult routine. note Chappy decides to help Katie regain her strength and finally nail the routine in time for a tournament. They succeed.
- Talking Animal: Don-chan is a talking panda, though he more closely resembles a raccoon.
- Tomboy: Michiko, Chappy's first friend on Earth.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: Michiko with both Shizuko and Chappy.
- Voluntary Shapeshifting: Jun's specific power.
