Modena exhibition explores magical girl anime and sticker albums

The Museo della Figurina in Modena presents "Parimpampùm", a small exhibition section dedicated to magical girl anime from the 1980s and 1990s, including Creamy, Magica magica Emi, Sandy dai mille colori, Bia la sfida della magia, and Sailor Moon. Curated by Francesca Fontana and Thelma Gramolelli, the show focuses on sticker albums produced by Panini and other publishers like Merlin, alongside rare merchandise from Japan, such as a Lalabel album never released in Italy. The exhibition contextualizes these characters within Japan's rigid society and the early stages of female emancipation, portraying them as icons of femininity with superpowers who undergo initiatory journeys, breaking free from male dominance. By the 1990s, Sailor Moon introduced a blend of magic and girl power, while US producers like those behind Jem and Lady Lovely Locks created cartoons based on existing doll lines. A separate display features early 20th-century women's magazines, whose editors were mostly women advocating education, offering a historical counterpoint.