Ojamajo Doremi

Did You Know?

• Bandai produced a toy line for Ojamajo Doremi, with Maki Takahashi as supervisor; a character was named after her in the show.
• During the first television season in Japan, merchandise grossed over $100 million.

Plot

Doremi Harukaze, a third-grade elementary schoolgirl in the fictional Japanese town of Misora, discovers that the owner of a magic shop, Majo Rika, is a witch. Because a curse transforms any witch whose identity is exposed by a human, Majo Rika becomes a witch frog. To restore her, Majo Rika makes Doremi her witch apprentice, granting her magic. Doremi must pass nine witch tests while keeping her identity secret. She is joined by her best friends Hazuki Fujiwara and Aiko Senoo, and later by her younger sister Pop Harukaze. Midway through, they encounter rival apprentice Onpu Segawa, who uses forbidden magic. After passing the final test, their identities are revealed; Onpu wipes memories to protect them but loses control. The girls give up their powers to save her from eternal sleep. In fourth grade, Doremi and the others sneak into the Witch World and witness the birth of a magical baby named Hana, the next queen candidate. Witch law requires them to care for Hana for a year, so they become apprentices again, raising Hana while managing the Maho-Do, now a gardening store, and helping her pass health examinations.

Characters

Doremi Harukaze is the main protagonist, a lively and kind-hearted girl who often calls herself the unluckiest girl in the world. She loves steak and the piano, though a childhood failure makes her conflicted about the instrument. Her spell is Pirika Pirilala Popolina Peperuto, and her theme color is pink. Hazuki Fujiwara is Doremi's childhood friend, a passive, gentle, and smart but shy girl from a rich family. She overcomes her fear of expressing opinions to her parents, plays violin and composes, and later attends Karen Girls High School. Her spell is Paipai Ponpoi Puwapuwa Puu, and her theme color is orange. Aiko Senoo is a transfer student from Osaka, a tomboyish, outgoing, and reliable girl good at sports. Her parents are divorced, and she wishes for them to reunite, which eventually happens. She plays harmonica and loves takoyaki. Her spell is Pameruku Raruku Laliloli Poppun, and her theme color is blue. Pop Harukaze is Doremi's younger sister who also becomes a witch apprentice.

Media

Ojamajo Doremi was produced by Toei Animation and ABC, airing on ANN stations from February 7, 1999, to January 30, 2000, replacing Yume no Crayon Oukoku. Direct sequels followed: Ojamajo Doremi #, Mōtto! Ojamajo Doremi, and Ojamajo Doremi Dokkān! until January 26, 2003, each with 49 to 51 episodes. A thirteen-episode OVA series, Ojamajo Doremi Na-i-sho, was released from June 26 to December 11, 2004, set during the third season. A 26-episode ONA, Ojamajo Doremi: Comedy Theater, streamed on Toei Animation's YouTube channel from March 23, 2019, featuring the characters as high school students. A five-episode spin-off, Ojamajo Doremi: Heartwarming Theater, was produced as a crowdfunding reward in 2020. An English dub of the pilot was commissioned from Ocean Productions. 4Kids Entertainment licensed the first season as Magical DoReMi, airing on 4Kids TV in 2005–2006, skipping episode 30. Remaining episodes were added to the 4Kids website on November 13, 2007, and reruns aired on The CW4Kids from April 24 to July 17, 2010. The dub streamed on Toei's YouTube channel from June 28 to September 21, 2025. A manga adaptation by Shizue Takanashi ran in Nakayoshi from 2000 to early 2003, compiled into four volumes by Kodansha.

Legacy

A collaboration event with the mobile puzzle game Puyopuyo!! Quest ran from November 15 to 25, 2019, adding Doremi, Hazuki, Aiko, Onpu, and Momoko as playable characters with original voice actors. In October 2020, Ojamajo Doremi partnered with BanG Dream! Girls Band Party! to promote the film Looking for Magical Doremi, with the band Hello, Happy World! receiving costumes based on the main characters and performing a cover of the first season's opening theme.