The Winx Club

[Mew Ringo]

Ah, this fantasy show was a HUUUUUGE part of my childhood. It actually got me into anime (looooong story). If you've never seen this amazing Italian production (which has TWO excellent English dubs), I highly advise you do.

Let's see...

The story starts out with ordinary teenager, Bloom Peters riding to the park on her new birthday bicycle, with her bunny, Kiko. While at the park, Bloom comes across a strange blond-haired girl with odd clothing, who appears to be battling an ogre and dozens of scarlet crab-like monsters. With unusual boldness, Bloom stands forward and threatens the ogre. He then sends the crab-like creatures at her, causing Bloom to hold her hands up and shout, "Get away from me!" A bubble-like force field appears between her and the creatures. The blond-haired beauty points her staff once more at the ogre, causing him to make an escape portal & the girl to faint out of pure exhaustion. Frightened, Bloom takes the mysterious girl home with her.

The next day, Bloom awakes, thinking it had all been a dream. Unfortunately, her Mother announces that there's a guest on the couch. Not wanting to disturb the girl (and to give herself more time to think), Bloom gets ready for the day without waking her. When in the kitchen with her parents, the sunshine-haired girl enters, announcing, "You've got major Winx, girl!" Bloom gets the shock of learning Stella is a fairy princess from another WORLD and that herself holds a power called 'Winx' that she never knew she'd possessed before.

Stella quickly becomes her best friend, and invites Bloom to attend the best fairy school in the universe, Alfea, with her to begin her training. After some long convincing, Bloom is allowed to go. When arriving, Bloom first poses as another girl that couldn't make it to the school as she not be on the student list. She meets her 4 dormmates (who become her intimate friends immediately)- Stella (obviously)- a fashion loving princess with the power over the sun and moon, Musa- a tomboyish girl (also a princess, depending on what version you're watching) with control over music, Tecna- a computer nerd with powers relating to all technology, and Flora- a shy and caring girl with flowers and plants as her magic. They later name themselves a club, which unsurprising is called 'The Winx Club'.

She also meets the guys of the neighboring all-guys' school, and the witches of Cloud Tower, a rivaling school where witches practice the evil dark arts. More specific, a band of three witches- Icy, Darcy, and Stormy (named' Trix'), which each hold the power of Ice, Darkness and Storms respectively. The trio immediately holds a grudge against fairies- particularly the Winx Club. Icy, Darcy and Stormy take the role of the main villains of the first season; their main goal is to crush the Winx Club's attempts at every turn, and they dream of being rulers of the universe.

The show's plot of the first season mainly consists of Bloom finding more about her unusually strong powers (which turn out to be the Dragon Fire, the last of it's kind), Bloom's origin- the dead planet, Sparks, battles between the Winx Club & the Trix, budding romances, and the growing friendship between the girls. To really break it down, the plot is similar to that of a Harry Potter with girls.


There are currently four seasons, the first three which contain the Trix and the Winx Club. In the second season, the Winx Club earns another member, the mysterious African-American girl of the name Layla (Ashia in some versions), the Trix team up with a villain of the name Lord Darkar, and the girls earn a power-up. In the third season, the Trix team up with an escaped prisoner, Lord B(/V)altor, the goth-like maniac who killed Bloom's parents, and the girls earn their (what is believed in that time to be) final fairy form. The mysterious fourth season has just began airing in Italy, consists of all the girls becoming fairy-godmothers and earning their final final form.

There are also two movies, one dubbed into English by Europe, one not currently dubbed.

For more information on anything, please check Wikipedia for general info about everything ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winx_Club ) , the recently updated official European site for games, info, forums and fun ( www.winxclub.com ), and 4kidsTV's official American website for information, games, forums and info on local listings ( www.4kids.tv/show/winx-club )


First episode (American) part 1 of 2- www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkkYeq5yx4c
First Episode (A) P 1 of 2-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_l2XHQvEks

First episode (English, European) Part 1 of 3- www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOzgAnytVJ8
First episode Part 2- www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYtucwZFgtQ
First Ep part 3- www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3PVWIpmrsE

Okiez- now that I just took literally 2 hrs typing that- Discussion! You would have noooo idea how happi I'd be to find a fellow fan. ^^

[ღ†Aokii†ღ]

*raises hand* Well I do like it, duno if I would be considered a fan but I think it's fun. Though I never got to see much of it I thought it was cute. Haven't thought about it in a few years but I kind of want to re-watch everything ya know. I might have to go find that movie though, that otta be fun!

To really break it down, the plot is similar to that of a Harry Potter with girls.

OMG that is brilliant! and holy crap is that accurate!!!

*pounce* very nice article Ringo-tan!

edit: okay I love the Rai English one so much better! Stella's voice is a little odd but still it works.

[haruka]

I watched it some and found it really bright, fun, and interesting. I wouldn't call myself a fan, but I do like it. ^^

[Mew Silver]

God, I used to LOVE this show. I used to get up every Saturday morning at 8 o clock to watch it on 4kids. That is the only dub of theirs I ever liked xDD. I watched the first half of the first season, the first 3 episodes of the 2nd season, then I forgot until the end of the third, so I got all confused.

[=TORA=]

OMG! I totally forgot about Winx! I used to do the same thing as Mew Silver. But I only watched the first two seasons, and like most of the people above, I like it, but wouldn't consider myself a fan.

[Patty-cake ☼]

Lol there are a lot of nonfans. x3
I was a big fan for a while. Me and my sister did the whole "i'm bloom and you're flora" thing. However like most of you i got confused and gave up, but boy did i love the whole idea of it! 83

[ღ†Aokii†ღ]

It was a good idea -and I sped two days watching the first season- XD I was really into it too when I was young (wow sounding old much Xp) I found a file of an OC for Winx I never knew I had, it's primitive but interesting. I never saw many of the episode and those I did were the same one's over and over again! Never saw but three eps of the second season and by then I was out of the hype for it.
Like Patty-chan I liked the idea of it and it has so much charm that you can't help but like it! After watching the first season I want to make up a few OC's, now what I will do with them once created....who knows -probably make them into characters for my book like I'm doing with my hundreds of Mew Mew's XD-
and YEA to the nonfans XDDD sorry I just had to!

[Patty-cake ☼]

Lol xD
Actually making an OC sounds like a good idea! *runs off to get started.*

[ღ†Aokii†ღ]

XD it's fun to make OC's evenifyouneverreallyusethem >.> but right now I have more red fountain boys than Winx or Witches XD thought that will probably change shortly!!! -and of course one girl had wolf ears and a tail-

Oh yea if anyone watches the last 2 episode of the first season, at one point you'll see a girl with cat ears and a tail XDDD so I think I'm good with that ^-^ anywho off to crate more characters *shot*

And I leave you with this:
Kar: *leans down by Anima's side and takes her hand* I'm here!
Anima: K-Kar?
Kar: you'll be alright, you took a nasty fall and-
Anima: KAR!
Kar: What?
Anima: will you get OFF my tail!!
Me: XDDDDD

ktksbai!

[Mew Shokora]

okay, okay you caught me. Winx was the only reason i ad for watching 4kids after TMM was taen down. And YES i am sorta secretly a fan. Me and my sisters did that thing when you decide who you wanna "be". i somehow ended up being Stella, even though we're opposites. I like, anticipated stuff, it's like the soaps.

I was like: OMJ!SKYE ISH BRANDON AND VICE VERSA?! ARE YOU SERIOUS!!!

Just like the soap operas. my big sister was Bloom/Flora and litle sib was Musca/Techna. I was, for quite a long time, in love with Brandon (REAL Brandon XD)

Thanx for bringing that up it was fun to talk about ^^

[Mew Kyandii]

Oh god I remember this xD Yeah it started at 8 here and I had to leave at around 8:25 so I missed the last five minutes of absolutely every single episode. It was kind of my introduction to anime as well >.>

[Tuzi]

I'm kind of bringing a dead thread back to life, eh?
I was just lurking around, and I saw this ^_^

I would get up at 8 every Saturday to watch it
And then I would get up at 9 every Sunday to watch "Mew Mew Power"

Yeahh, I liked it as much as I loved Mew Mew Power xD
But I stopped watching after they started with that second transformation thingy they started doing with their butterfly-like wings... I got too confused after that

[ღ†Aokii†ღ]

<sup>We like bringing the dead back to life...erm wrong connotation XD
lolz what a coincidence I just started watching Season 2 yesterday! And they have like...4(?) seasons now. And yes it is a bit confusing but I blame 4kids for that. T-T

Who's your fav? honestly I like Techna and Layla the best Musa and Flora are pretty neat too!</sup>

[Tuzi]

I loved Flora <3
I also liked Bloom, but my favourite character is never the main character because I feel that they get too much love

..... Don't look at me like that, I'm not weird. >_>