Winx Club
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| Winx Club | |
|---|---|
| File:Winx intertitle IT season 2.jpg The Italian title card for the series from season 2 until season 3. That of season 1 has the yellow-green, sightly smaller logo and no web address. The edited version made by 4Kids Entertainment in the United States - also shown in the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia - uses a different intro and title card. | |
| Genre | Contemporary fantasy |
| Created by | Iginio Straffi |
| Voices of | (The 7 major characters: Bloom, Stella, Flora, Musa, Tecna, Layla and Roxy. See the lists of minor characters and magical creatures for other voices.) (Italian language)
(English version by Cinélume)
(4Kids Entertainment edit) |
| Country of origin |  Italy |
| Original language | Italian |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 104 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | Approx. 22 min each |
| Original release | |
| Network | Rai Due |
| Release | 28 January 2004 – Present |
Winx Club is a 2004 Italian animated television series, created by Iginio Straffi and produced by Rainbow S.p.A.. The series is aimed toward children between the ages of six and sixteen[1] and has spawned an international franchise of toys, books, clothing, DVDs, as well as a CGI feature film.
It was revealed at the Licensing Expo 2008 in New York that there will be a second movie, slated to premiere in 2010[2].
Plot
Setting
The Realm of Magix
The Realm of Magix is an alternate universe where most of the series unfolds. It is also the name of a city in that universe. It is an enchanted and highly technologically-advanced universe of hospitable planets populated by fairies, witches, heroes, and monsters.
Transformation sequences
 |
This work inspired from a Japanese genre of magical girl has its own transformation sequences evolved over the seasons.
In the first season, everyone is endowed their fairy form. This basic form usually consists of a sparkling cropped top and a sparkling miniskirt or minishorts. However, some forms consist of sparkly dress or full piece suit (See Flora and Tecna's forms). Also, they usually, but not always, bear some sort of accessory on their arms such as wristbands, arm warmers or gloves. They also sometimes wear a matching hair ornament and their hair is occasionally tied while in this form. They also don boots or, most often, heeled shoes and sprout a pair of small, membranous, fluttering wings. It should be noted that Winx fairies cannot cover long distances and they are incapable of agile flight (see picture of the characters with their pixies).
In the second season, they get their Charmix. They earn their Charmix by getting in touch with their true selves. They still wear their Winx outfits but now they have a pin on their chest and a small purse that sits on the side of their skirt or shorts. However, in Flora's case, she has a shoulder bag and not a waist purse.
In the third season, they get their Enchantix. In their Enchantix form, the girls have ample wings, which enable them to fly higher and longer distances and cleave through strong windstorms, as well outfly predators and opponents. They also have a fairy dust vial, situated round their neck, usually suspended by a choker or chain, that contains and keeps sealed their fairy dust of healing and spell-breaking properties. An enchantix typically consists of above-the-elbow translucent gloves and barefoot sandals. They wear a very short dress or a small top with a miniskirt or minishort. Their hair grows longer and is elaborately arranged in loose tresses and high bunches; Tecna and Musa bear atypically different hairstyles. A fairy earns her Enchantix by saving someone from her home world, with a great sacrifice on her part (excluding Bloom and Tecna. Bloom willed herself into her enchantix and Tecna gave herself up for Layla's home planet, not her own realm, but she did save the lives of everyone on Andros). It should be noted that one does not actually have to be on ones home planet when doing this.
In the fourth season, all of the Winx move on to their Believix, entering a more advanced fairy stage with larger wings and additional powers,including the ability to make people believe in fairies. The way this form is earned, is by restoring magic to a place that had previously lost it. All 6 winx girls become Believix fairies at the same time by convincing Roxy, the last fairy of Earth, to acknowledge the existence of fairies and subsequently embrace her own being. In their believix form, they have three new types of wings with special powers. There is "Speedix" (Faster wings), Zoomix (Teleportation), and Tracix (Visions into the past). A believix outfit usually consists of a cropped top and a miniskirt or pants. The girls wear socks and boots and their hair is tied. They often wear fingerless gloves.
Alfea
The Alfea School for Fairies is a boarding school for fairies in training. All of the Winx girls met and reside here and have a close relationship with its headmistress, Ms. Faragonda. At Alfea, fairies learn to fight evil, help their planets, or, in many cases, become queens of their planets.
Cloudtower
Cloudtower is a boarding school for witches in training, and for most of Season 1, it was the residence for the Trix witches. At Cloudtower, the witches learn about witchcraft. In later episodes of season 1, the Trix took over Cloudtower and caused a disaster after they stole the Dragon's Flame from Bloom. Ms. Griffin is their headmistress. It is revealed in seasons 2 that she is friends with Ms. Faragonda, and in season 3, she, Saladin and Faragonda are in the Company of Light.
Redfountain
Redfountain is a boarding school for the specialists, one magical forest away from Alfea. It teaches fighting and the use of technology. In the Redfountain boys are taught how to go on dangerous missions and to fight for their respective planets. Redfountain and Alfea have a close relationship, and Miss Faragonda and Saladin have a long history that involves Bloom's past.
Characters
Winx Club
The Trix
The Trix are an evil trio of teenage witch sisters who attended the Cloudtower School for Witches (only in the first season, after which they got expelled), a school which used to rival Alfea. They are the enemies of the Winx Club. In the fourth season, as of episode 13, the Trix do not appear yet.
The Specialists
The Specialists are a group of students who attend an all-boys school near Alfea, the Redfountain School For Specialists. The following six Specialists have become the boyfriends of the Winx girls.
Merchandise and other media
In Singapore, bags, clothing and similar items are available. The dolls are the "third most popular dolls in the world" and merchandise sales are over 1 billion euros per year as of 2007.[3]
DVD Collection
In North America, the entire first season of the Winx Club, first released on 12 July 2005, was available as a five-disc collection until 2008. The first DVD of Season Two, "Layla and the Pixies", was released in 2007, and the second volume, "Battle for the Codex", came out in September 2007, and both are still available. The first DVD of Season Three, "The Princess Ball", was released on 27 January 2009[4], and the other half, Fire & Flame, will be released on 26 January 2010 [5].
In Latin America, the first season and second season are available in 16 DVDs (Dual audio English - Brazilian Portuguese) in Brazil, produced by PlayArte[6].
Theatrical Films
A CGI feature film, Winx Club - Il Segreto Del Regno Perduto (The Secret Of The Lost Kingdom), was announced in late 2006, and released in Italy on 30 November 2007. It was released on 22 February 2008 in Turkey, on 16 April 2008 in the Netherlands, and on 20 November 2008 in Singapore (as of current writing, its only market outside of Europe and also the only market to see it in English). The plot of the film revolves around Bloom's origins, and takes place after the events of the third season.[7] The official website of the movie covers several markets, with release dates and other information.
It was announced at the Licensing Show 2008 that a 2nd film would be released at Christmas 2010.
Theatre
In September 2005, the "Winx Power" musical show began in Italy.[8][9] After a successful tour in Italy, it also expanded to Belgium and the Netherlands, before expanding to Portugal in 2009. November 2008 also saw the launch of "Winx On Ice", an ice show starring Carolina Kostner.[10]
Video Games
Winx Club games have been released for the PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and PC. All Winx Club games are published by Konami.
There are currently 7 Winx Club games
- Winx Club (PC, PS2 & GBA)
- Winx Club: Join the Club (PSP)
- Winx Club: The Quest for the Codex (DS & GBA)
- Winx Club: Mission Enchantix (DS)
- Winx Club Secret Diary 2009 (DS)
- Dance Dance Revolution Winx Club (Wii)
See also
- List of Winx Club episodes
- List of minor Winx Club characters
- List of magical creatures in Winx Club
References
- ^ Rainbow S.p.A. "Winx Club". Retrieved 2006-11-15.
- ^ "Torna Winx Club: su RaiDue la quarta serie dei cartoni animati".
- ^ Winx Fairies Head To Cannes
- ^ Amazon.com: Winx Club - Princess Ball - Season 3, Part 1: Movies & TV
- ^ Amazon.com: Winx Club - Fire & Flame
- ^ [1]
- ^ Rainbow S.p.A. "FEATURE FILMS". Retrieved 2006-11-12.
- ^ Rainbow S.p.A. "Winx Power Music Show". Retrieved 2006-11-15.
- ^ Winx Club On Tour. "Winx Club On Tour". Retrieved 2006-11-15.
- ^ Winx On Ice. "Winx On Ice". Retrieved 2008-05-20.
External links
Official sites
- Official website Available in multiple languages including English edition currently for the United Kingdom
- Official website for the theatrical film Template:It icon Template:Nl icon Template:En icon
- Pixie Fun Template:It icon, Template:Nl icon Operated by Rainbow S.p.A.
Broadcaster websites
Databases
