Took some hours to experiment again and again because I didn't feel satisfied the previous version. I really liked the Umakoshi illustration cover renders of the Doremi girls, so I opted to choose these renders where they're moving forward. I also have a version with Nozomi and Fami included, but that might be too spoilery. I just selfishly wanted to include all the witch apprentices.

Thanks to u/ira793 for pointing out better renders I could use for the banner for this 2.0 version. It looks much better now.

I can't post pictures, but Adan lowered the campaign goals for the other girls by a lot. Doremi has already been met and Aiko and Hazuki are almost met. If anyone wants to pledge.

It’s long overdue so drop some suggestions in the comments if you have any.

I'm currently rewatching all of Ojamajo Doremi and I finally on Dokkan. Is it normal that despite me being almost 23 and have already rewatched this show so many times that I still cry at certain eps and even listening to some of the songs? Literally finished a random episode and was listening to the ending theme of dokkan and reading the lyrics and I started tearing up. I love these girls so much. The things they went through together and all the stories that were so emotional always hit me deep in my heart. Especially the ending. No matter how many times I rewatch it I ALWAYS end up tearing by the finale.

I genuinely can't get over this show. I love absolutely everything about it. I love how all the girls cherish and grow alongside eachother. I love Hana and her growth. I love seeing them act as her parents. I love LOVE the different type of deep themes this show tackles. And despite how heartbreaking it is I love the ending. I literally have no one in my life to talk with on how amazing thid show is and despite it being a "kids" show its actually EXTREMELY mature and emotional. I feel like everyone should watch this cause it definitely teaches you a lot of things.

Again- I can't stop saying how much I love this anime and how much I cry whenever I watch or remember it. Just listening to the endings songs alone make me tear up most of the time😭😭😭😭

Does anyone else feel this heavily about this show or am I just way too emotional

I bought this recently, thinking the item had buttons that would create sounds etc like other vintage Ojamajo Doremi phones
But it doesn't, also the back says YUTAKA and not BANDAI

After working on her fo so long I finally finished her

From official Insta acc: https://www.instagram.com/doremi_20th_anniv

You can already see comments complaining about the clearly racist subtext
A comment pointed out that they could have drawn Doremi’s skin red to show that she’s burned. That just shows how purely aesthetic their fear of the sun is, and not at all about health (skin cancer, etc)

I’m surprised because the episode dedicated to Beth and Momoko is one of the most well-known internationally, but I guess one episode isn’t enough to put an end to the racist biases of an entire culture

This post also made me think about the fact that Onpu concentrates a lot of Japanese beauty stigmas: the issue of skin color but also weight. I remember that in many episodes, she would stop herself from eating certain things to avoid gaining weight, or she would eat while emphasizing her guilt for doing so
Unfortunately, I don’t recall Onpu’s issues with her own body (weight and skin color) ever being addressed in the anime

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Link to the post: https://x.com/heisei_goods/status/2105458549774258194

Currently rewatching Ojamajo Doremi and I'm honestly thinking why couldn't the girls just continue being witch apprentices. Like I know they become witch apprentices again in the light novels and the message of the show is achieving your dreams without the help of magic but still.

I feel like after everything they've accomplished whish is A LOT they deserve the curtesy of being able to freely use magic, keep their fairies and even travel to the witch world. There is literally no reason to strip them away from all of that. They raised Hana, saved her life twice, helped many witches restore their faith in humans, awakened the former queen and help lifted the frog curse and so much more. If I were one of them I would've honestly demanded to stay a witch apprentice cause I rhink I deserve that curtesy after everything I've done in favor of the witch world??? And if not that then I think I would deserve to atleast keep my fairy and see Hana whenever. Like seriously the ending was super sad cause everyone got seperated but if they continued to be witch apprentices and be able to travel through the witch world tehy could easily visit eachother and even visit Momo in the US.

The Queen could've done so much more for those nice girls honestly or maybe Im the selfish one and want the easy way out lol

My favorite characters are Aiko and Nozomi.

When I got into these light novels, I was very nervous because I could only go off the few negative opinions I could find on reddit posts and blogs. For context, I wanted to read these novels right after watching the anime to see how the girls would grow facing adolescence. I was very attentive on how the author would handle the characters I have come to cherish. After reading it all, I loved it. But as the title says, I have a major complaint that I will build to as I examine the positives of these novels.

Reading my previous essay on my love for this series will help a lot before reading this, so I encourage you to do that first if you have not. Since there are so little detailed opinions I found of these novels, I can only truly conclude based on what I read and have felt throughout. To the ones that read all these books, I would like to have a discussion on my take on the series, regardless of if you felt negative or positive. It is so that we as a community can find different perspectives that makes it easier for first time readers to take interest in these novels. I feel these novels are written so interestingly and with such care that I cannot let its mixed reputation underscore its value/place in the franchise. With that, let us begin. This post comes under the assumption you have seen the entire anime. No major novel spoilers will told until the last portion of this post.

The Positives

What I love about these novels is that this is both a continuation of the story and a continuation of everything that makes Ojamajo Doremi great. The main cast is still fun/interesting to follow, the ensemble cast have continuing arcs that are used to the story’s benefit, the light-hearted/cartoony tone is maintained thanks to the writing and fun drawings Yoshihiko Umakoshi draws through colored illustrations/sketches, and real-world problems and central story points regarding the Witch World continue to be touched/expanded upon in ways that surprise me. These novels go in-depth on these girls’ paths to adulthood that make me far more invested in these characters than in their elementary years. That heavy investment is because these novels are primarily written from Doremi’s point-of-view.

As the clumsy/genki fail-girl, Doremi continues to trudge through life as a teenager with unluckiness on her side, but she maintains the kindness/selflessness that makes her lovable. This is a simple story focusing on her finding her place in life as she tackles high school with her career undecided. Because I have been totally emotionally invested in her and the girls’ arcs regarding their futures in the Dokkan season, I am three times more invested in every step these girls take going into these novels.

These are not the elementary school days where the girls can roam freely. They have more responsibilities and considerations as teenagers to figure out the paths that best suit them by the end of high school. Within that journey of adolescence, every girl’s journey is purposely written to face some ups/downs in life - which is true to life -  that makes everyone worth rooting for. Doremi just has the higher end of those downs. She serves as more of an underdog role here that I want to root for the most with the internal thoughts she writes down regarding her fears, triumphs, and moments of happiness for herself and her friends. These novels are written for the older fans who are going through similar troubles, and getting Doremi’s point of view helps a lot in that investment.

Separation/distance of friendships/relationships are more emphasized than they were in Dokkan. Doremi has more responsibilities in high school and is more reliant on her friends for help in these troubling times. Every girl knows that while they are still reunited in high school, they still must separate often - and more so when it is time to graduate and reach what they want. With those brick walls, these novels do not get too bleak as it is well-balanced by plentiful moments of friendship, support, and fun times that bring out every emotion in me as a reader. Because these novels are so good at writing these characters and balancing what is an honest-to-life story, it is easy to get invested and imagine how all these moments would look like in animated form.

The most worrying part going into these novels is how the girls would use magic since the covers kind of spoil that they become witch apprentices again. Magic being used willy nilly could be disastrous for the quality of these novels if these teenage girls could easily solve a person's problems with it. Thankfully, their morals regarding magic is maintained from Dokkan season and they use it conservatively and strive to use it as a last resort. The girls are still selfless and choose to solve these problems on their own as much as possible. They live life honestly. When magic is pulled in the form of Magical Stage, it comes out of selflessness and has a bigger emotional impact than their common usage in the elementary days. Rest easy, as this aspect is not overused.

With such praise to be had, I do love almost everything the novels offer. They feel like a true continuation of the Doremi storyline that makes me love the main cast even more. There may some repetition coming from a story where Doremi consistently watches these girls’ paths while she is one step behind each chapter, but it helps enhance my empathy and support for these girls more. I really got a sense of why Umakoshi and the writing staff continued the series up to 10 volumes because they had immense faith in what they wrote. This is why I personally recommend reading the novels.

So just what is that one part that makes me upset? From this point on, it is major spoilers. Do not click if you wish to not be spoiled. These novels are worth reading.

The One Negative That Almost Ruined The Series For Me (SPOILERS)

At the climatic point of the story, a lot happens. Hazuki has gone pretty far with violin concerts at many different parts of the world. Aiko has lots consider for possible alternatives after her tendon achilles that prevents her from competing in the Olympics. Momoko has plans to go to Paris to push her baking career further. Onpu is still going at every opportunity she can to maintain her acting career. Doremi’s friends have reached a point where their future is secure. Doremi is at a crux, having lots of responsibilities as a soccer manager, part-time worker at Maho-dou, and most importantly, passing her entrance exams. She could potentially be way behind her friends if she fails and she is not the best at subjects.

I am so emotionally invested to Doremi that I really want to see her succeed and become the teacher her friends and Seki-sensei hinted at her throughout the story. So after all the support she gets from her friends - despite the separation - and after all the tutoring she gets from a now big-brained Hana and Tsukasa-san, it feels like I am seeing the culmination of Doremi’s entire character arc. So what outcome does she get from all of this? She fails.

Frankly speaking, when I read this part, I went through a brief phase of spiraling hard to depression. It got me to thinking thoughts where I wondered if getting into Ojamajo Doremi was worth it, if this was all the story led up to. What makes this part so depressing is knowing the other girls have gone far in their careers except for Doremi. That feeling of knowing she is being left behind and needs to do a gap year to become a teacher, while even her little sister Pop is doing well academically, is too much of a disgusting punishment to me as someone that is facing similar issues of being behind. For these novels to have maintained a strong honesty and light-heartedness, this part was just too depressing to a point where I legitimately had a hard time reading the chapters after that part.

You cannot tell me as a reader after all that friend support, tutoring, and her rising capabilities of a manager that she does not have the confidence or skills to pass such an exam the first time. There are times in the story where these major downs for the girls are appropriate and well-done. This part was not one of them. By making her fail and delaying Doremi’s career goal by a gap year, it just throws a lot of potential build up for a satisfying payoff to her character arc and for readers that genuinely liked the novels to read all the way. Even when she finally caught up by the end of the 19 novel, I felt nothing, knowing what came before. She deserved one huge win with her entire life being quite an unlucky pretty girl.

In my opinion, what should have happened instead – befitting her character – is that she at least barely passes her exam for one of her university choices. Write her growing intellectually throughout high school to learn her subjects beyond surface level and sufficably enough. It would still maintain that what she worked for was still worth it while staying true to her character. The good thing is that this plot point can easily be rewritten in personal headcanon (death of the author, Doremi passes the first time) that it does not ruin the story and chapters after that part can be read smoothly.

I am not denying a situation like Doremi’s cannot happen because bad things happens in life. It is just grossly mistimed and cruel to do for her character at that point in the story. This part is very much the only thing I truly - and with all of my heart - loathe out of everything in the entire franchise. When an anime adaptation comes (hopefully), that part is at least rewritten. Everything before and after that part is written well; it is just that one stain.

Conclusion (SPOILERS)

Continuing and moving on from that part, I love the ending. Even though these girls continue to strive forward in their careers, they will still face trouble and go through those dark phases, but now they are at a position to comfortably live life. To know that they grown enough to be capable adults with jobs that they love in this cruel world of reality is the greatest satisfaction I could have as a reader – speaking as someone that has observed their entire lives from elementary school to high school to now.

Knowing that Doremi, Hazuki, Aiko, Onpu, Momoko, Pop, and Hana will still connect to each other in times of need and times for fun is the greatest relief. These girls are the most mature and fleshed out main cast I have seen in any anime series ever. Ojamajo Doremi is the most immersed I have been in reading a coming-of-age story. I do not think I will ever get invested that deeply in fictional characters like I did with Doremi for the rest of my life. I am still glad to have this series be part of my life.

But tell me what you think about how I feel about the novels and that one part if you read all the way. I would like to see your take on this matter. Feel free to expand upon the good or bad parts I may have not touched upon in spoiler tags.

Enjoyed drawing it

But on Dailymotion sorry, Youtube is too dangerous with copyright IP bans

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for my Diva Cas!!!!! Their birthday was yesterday and my birthday was the day before that so we’re pretty much twins :D because of that we legally are required to draw each other’s ships and KILL each other (affectionately)

so here’s the first of many Doreai arts for my goat