I’ve always enjoyed the music (OSTs) and art of the cute anime Ojamajo Doremi (Magical DoReMi), a fantasy magical girl anime by Toei Animation.
Today, I want to share with you this art of one of the girls – Onpu! Onpu Segawa appears in purple in the anime. She has a determined, graceful, and caring personality.
I made the art in Krita! Thank you for having a look. ^_^
Language Fact!
I used to think that ‘Ojamajo Doremi’ translates to ‘Magical Doremi’, since that is the title of the anime series in English. Knowing a bit more Japanese now, I learned that that is not the case!
Let’s break down the title “Ojamajo Doremi” (おジャ魔女どれみ) to understand its meaning:
おジャ – Oja
- The character お (O) is often used as an honorific or a polite prefix in Japanese.
- The term ジャ (ja) is a playful, colloquial version of the word 邪 (ja), which means “troublesome” or “mischievous.”
The term ジャ (ja) in the context of “Ojamajo” is derived from the kanji 邪, which carries meanings related to being “troublesome,” “mischievous,” or “evil.” Here’s an example to illustrate its meaning:
In Japanese folklore, 邪悪 (jaaku) is a word that combines 邪 (ja) meaning “wicked” or “troublesome,” and 悪 (aku) meaning “evil.” Together, 邪悪 (jaaku) translates to “wickedness” or “evil.” This shows how 邪 (ja) can imply troublesome or mischievous qualities.
In the title “Ojamajo”, the playful use of ジャ (ja) conveys the idea of the witches being mischievous or causing trouble in a light-hearted, endearing way.
魔女 – Majo
- 魔 (ma) means “magic” or “demon.”
- 女 (jo) means “woman.”
- Together, 魔女 (majo) means “witch.”
どれみ – Doremi
- どれみ (Doremi) refers to the musical notes “Do,” “Re,” and “Mi,” which are the first three notes in the solfège scale. In this context, it is used as a playful name for the main character.
So, if we put all of this together, “Ojamajo Doremi” translates to “Bothersome Witch Doremi” or “Mischievous Witch Doremi”. Referring to a magical girl who is playful and causes trouble. And that’s about right!