The current logo
The Licca-chan franchise is a Japanese doll line by Takara. Introduced in 1967, Licca-chan is the most popular fashion doll in Japan.
The franchise stars eleven-year old Licca Kayama, an ordinary elementary school girl. Unlike most fashion dolls at the time, the franchise has a backstory and the characters have in-depth characterization. Licca likes Anne of Green Gables, A Little Princess, and Doraemon.
Compare to Barbie, a similarly popular doll in its home country of America, and the Jenny line of dolls which are also from Japan.
Licca-chan contains examples of:
- Animated Adaptation: 1998's Super Doll★Licca-chan is based on the toys and was made to go with a new line of toys.
- Barely Changed Dub Name: Despite being a Japanese toy line that
keeps to Japan, a few licensed games have been localized under the title Lovely Lisa. In the 1970s, there was an attempt to localize the toys as Pretty Lisa. - Blue Blood: According to the mythos, Pierre's family, the Miramontes, were medieval royalty.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome:
- In 1972, Licca had a glamorous older sister named Rie, who was a flight attendant. In 1974, she was taken off the market shortly after Licca's younger twin sisters were introduced and hasn't been mentioned since.
- Several other characters as well, though they do occasionally get reprints.
- Disappeared Dad: Licca's father Pierre didn't have a doll until 1989, while his wife Orie got her first doll over 15 years earlier. Handwaved since his bio states he is an Elegant Classical Musician that traveled a good deal, and when his doll was introduced, his bio is updated to say he wanted to do more local concerts in Japan.
- Dub Name Change: A Licca-chan Nintendo DS game was released internationally as Lovely Lisa. Its sequel was released as Lovely Lisa and Friends.
- Granny Classic: Licca's grandmother Yoko, who also runs a pastry/flower shop. Also a Cool Old Lady.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Licca is a sweet little girl whose hair is sometimes depicted as somewhere between golden blonde, light blonde, and light brown. Other times, especially in the older dolls, she has dark brown hair.
- Inconsistent Coloring: Is Licca's hair blonde or brown? In what shade?
- Inconsistent Spelling: The official spelling is "Licca", however she's been referred to by the more common "Rika" as well.
- Massive Numbered Siblings: Licca has five younger siblings: kindergarten-aged twin sisters, and three baby triplets. She also used to have an older sister in the early '70s named Rie before she got retconned away.
- Occidental Otaku: Pierre. He loves Japanese culture so much he legally changed his last name to Kayama.
- Pink Is Feminine: Many of Licca's dolls come in predominantly pink outfits.
- Precious Puppies: Pudding, Licca's dog.
- Protagonist and Friends: Lovely Lisa and Friends, the international name for one of the Licensed Games.
- Stock Foreign Name: Licca's French father is named Pierre.