Let's abandon space wars and evil aliens this week to go for something completely different. The watchword of this week's column is 'flowers' because the 80s anime we're going to talk about is Sandy of a thousand colors. We are in 1987 when this anime produced by Pierrot study and aired in Japan on Nippon Television the year before. The protagonist once again is a wizard - protagonists to whom we now know how much Japan was fond of in those years - who receives fantastic powers from two goblins from another planet. These are the conditions for the start of numerous adventures.
Sandy with a thousand colors: the texture
The meeting with Pico and Paco and the magical gift
The protagonist of the anime is Sandy, a 10-year-old daughter of two florists. He has a great passion for drawing, so much so that when he grows up he dreams of becoming a mangaka. His life changes when he meets two goblins, Pico and Paco, arrived from Floreland. By chance they witness the heroic gesture of the little girl who does everything to protect a Dandelion that is about to be crushed; so they understand that she is the child they were looking for. They give her a special gift: a magic wand thanks to which he will be able to materialize whatever he wishes, just draw it. However, there are two rules to remember: each spell lasts a limited time at the end of which what has been created will disappear and everything can be created, and therefore materialize, only once. This means that Sandy won't be able to draw the same thing twice.
Mrs. Trudi and the fight against flowers
The very first episodes of Sandy of a thousand colors to introduce us to all the hilarious characters from the animated series. We know Sandy's parents, a great dad who is passionate about flowers and a mother who is a great dreamer and lover of drawing. We know Roby, a clerk at Sandy's parents' flower shop for whom the child has a soft spot; and we know the Mrs. Trudiallergic to flowers and therefore eager to destroy them all. He will be Sandy's antagonist. However, it is with her that the protagonist will often have to deal but, thanks to her magic, she will always be able to escape it. In the third episode we are also introduced to Sandy's nice paternal grandfather, Caesar: an elderly man with a long beard but so athletic and adventurous, to the point of wanting to convince his son to abandon the way of flowers to be an explorer with him. He will not be able to convince him, on the other hand in many episodes he will involve his niece and his friend Ciccio to follow him in his exploits and adventures.
The secret of Mrs. Trudi and the sudden snow
It will be necessary to reach the 20th episode to understand why Mrs. Trudi hates flowers so much and has also become allergic to them. In the past she had given a bouquet of roses she cultivated to her great love but a bee hidden among them stung him on the face. He left her without thinking twice and she has hated flowers ever since. Trying to find a new love for her, Sandy will make a big mess that will eventually serve to make peace with Mrs. Trudi.
Sandy's adventures go on among various unexpected events for about twenty episodes during which the protagonist always manages to solve the hitches thanks to her tulip-shaped wand. Arriving at the 24th and penultimate episode, however, things change. The protagonist notices that his magic starts to have problems and gradually lose effectiveness. However, everyone is alarmed by the fact that in the height of summer it starts to snow. What is happening?
The end
I am Pico and Paco to reveal it: Fiorelandia is in grave danger and that's why Sandy's magic no longer takes effect. The two goblins have to go back to their dimension but the girl doesn't want to abandon them. He then decides to follow them: on a notebook he draws a door which is then crossed by all three. Left on the ground and with the portal clearly visible, the notebook attracts the attention of all the members of the family who come like this sucked into the portal, including Mrs. Trudi! Arriving in Fiorelandia, Sandy learns from the leader of the goblins that their princess has fallen asleep to cause all the problems. From what moment the sun was darkened, the snow and frost arrived, the flowers withered and Fiorelandia became the land of frost. To wake her up she will need a 'silver drop' which is on a mountain. It will be Sandy, with the help of all family and friends, to find her, wake up the princess and restore Fiorelandia to its splendor.
Sandy of a thousand colors: curiosities
Those differences with the other sorceresses of Studio Pierrot
With Sandy of a thousand colors we are back in the world of the 80s wizards. In fact, we find ourselves in that group of girls with unique but essentially similar skills created by Pierrot study. So after Creamy, Evelyn, Magica Emy, comes the latest creation of the Studio, also with an inevitable 'y' in the name: Sandy! However, the team still lacks a wizard, Fancy Lala, who will arrive quite a few years later, in the late 90s. The five girls with magical powers resemble each other in many ways: a simple family, often shop managers; the presence of a charming boy (also very similar in appearance) with whom the protagonist is in love; the help of goblins, magical creatures from which the powers given to the protagonist come. In Sandy of a thousand colors, however, there are two substantial differences. The first is that Sandy, at the end of the story, will be able to keep her powers (which does not happen for the others); the second is that the protagonist does not transform into a young adult, as happens for the wizards who anticipate her, but remains a 10-year-old girl.
A more childlike tone
The absence of a transformation into a more adult and attractive version of the protagonist at the time of the various spells, inevitably eliminates that mischievous touch present in the other souls of this 'saga' by Studio Pierrot. Sandy is and remains a child and if you add to this the element of the design, the anime clearly turns out perfectly suitable for an audience made up of children. The tone is more childish than the protagonists who preceded it and in which even the romantic aspect is more developed.
The abbreviation
The cheerful theme song of Sandy with a thousand colors, broadcast by Mediaset, on Italia 1, in 1987, is sung by Cristina D'Avena.
The characters
Sandy - She is the protagonist, a 10-year-old girl who dreams of becoming a comic artist.
Pico and Paco - Goblins from Flower Land that give Sandy magical powers.
Maura - Mother of the protagonist, she runs the Flower Shop flower shop with her husband.
Maurizio - Father of the protagonist.
Caesar - Sandy's grandfather and likeable adventurer
Roby - Clerk at Sandy's parents' flower shop that Sandy's in love with.
Ciccio - Roby's brother and Sandy's best friend
Mrs. Trudy - Rich lady allergic to flowers, she will often be Sandy's antagonist until the final change
Carmelo - Ms Trudi's butler and always by her side.
Sandy With a Thousand Colors (5 DVDs) 344,90 EUR Buy on Amazon
You want to relive the stories of others 80s anime? We got excited with the story of Pollyanna, we took a blast from the past with Ryu the cave boy, between Sorgenti Maledette with Ranma 1 / 2, in the witch magic contest Bia. We went to a dystopian future with Conan and we are passionate about the sporting challenges of Holly and Benji, Lotti e Mila and Shiro. But also a lot, more!
Sandy anime tag with a thousand colors Sandy with a thousand colors: the 'different' wizard from Studio Pierrot
