TV-Series
Description
Laala Manaka is the central protagonist of the anime series PriPara. She is an elementary school student at Paprika Private Academy, initially in the fifth grade and later advancing to the sixth grade. She lives with her parents and younger sister, Non, in a household that runs an Italian restaurant called Papa's Pasta. Her mother gave her the name Laala with the wish that she would always sing happily.
Laala has an extremely bright, cheerful, and energetic personality. She is relentlessly optimistic and almost always in high spirits. Her catchphrase is Capisce, a playful abbreviation of a polite affirmation. She is notably friendly and approaches everyone with warmth, making friends quickly and easily. She is also somewhat absentminded and accident-prone, frequently receiving violation tickets from the school's disciplinary committee for minor infractions such as running in the hallways or being too loud. At the start of the series, she is self-conscious about her naturally loud voice, feeling that it is a flaw, but she gradually learns to embrace it as a powerful tool for her idol performances.
Her initial motivation is simply a love for the world of PriPara, a magical theme park where girls can become idols. Although she admired idols from afar, she did not believe she could become one herself. Her journey begins when she finds a lost PriTicket bag belonging to the idol Mirei Minami and goes to return it, at which point her own PriTicket arrives and she is drawn into an impromptu audition. Her central motivation throughout the series is to bring happiness and courage to others through her singing, and to uphold the ideal that everyone can be friends and everyone can be an idol. She is driven by a strong desire to protect her friends and the world of PriPara from anything that would cause sadness or division.
Laala serves as the primary protagonist and the heart of the story. She is the founding member of the divine idol unit SoLaMi♡SMILE, alongside Mirei Minami and Sophy Hojo. This unit becomes one of the most prominent in PriPara. Throughout the series, she plays a key role in major events, including the competition for the Paradise Coord, the revival of the vocal doll Falulu, the resistance against the takeover of PriPara by Hibiki Shikyoin, and the quest to become a divine idol. In later seasons, she takes on an additional role as the adoptive mother figure to Jewlulu, a mysterious baby who is later revealed to be the goddess Jewlie.
Her key relationships include her close bond with Mirei, who is both her partner and strict disciplinarian, and her friendship with Sophy, whom she helps break out of her shell. She forms a strong friendship with the rival unit Dressing Pafé, especially with Sion Todo, Dorothy West, and Leona West, eventually collaborating with them as SoLaMi♡Dressing. She also develops a deep connection with the vocal doll Falulu, treating her as a precious friend and working to save her when she falls into a coma. Laala is particularly supportive of her younger sister Non, who later becomes an idol in her own right. Her relationship with the school principal, Gloria Ookanda, evolves from conflict to mutual understanding.
Throughout the series, Laala undergoes significant growth. She overcomes her initial insecurity about her loud voice and learns to use it with confidence. She matures from a carefree, impulsive child into a responsible leader who takes on great challenges for the sake of others. Her understanding of what it means to be an idol deepens, moving from simple admiration to a commitment to spreading joy and friendship. She also learns to balance her duties as an idol, a student, and a caretaker for Jewlulu.
Laala possesses several notable abilities. As a lovely-type idol, her performances are characterized by warmth and radiance. Her preferred fashion brand is Twinkle Ribbon. She has the legendary Prism Voice, a special quality in her singing that can touch people's hearts and inspire them, often manifesting in crucial moments. When she enters PriPara, her appearance transforms: her hair lengthens into long twin tails, and her height increases to match that of middle school students. She is also known for her remarkable ability to befriend almost anyone and to see the good in others, a quality that often resolves conflicts and brings people together.
Laala has an extremely bright, cheerful, and energetic personality. She is relentlessly optimistic and almost always in high spirits. Her catchphrase is Capisce, a playful abbreviation of a polite affirmation. She is notably friendly and approaches everyone with warmth, making friends quickly and easily. She is also somewhat absentminded and accident-prone, frequently receiving violation tickets from the school's disciplinary committee for minor infractions such as running in the hallways or being too loud. At the start of the series, she is self-conscious about her naturally loud voice, feeling that it is a flaw, but she gradually learns to embrace it as a powerful tool for her idol performances.
Her initial motivation is simply a love for the world of PriPara, a magical theme park where girls can become idols. Although she admired idols from afar, she did not believe she could become one herself. Her journey begins when she finds a lost PriTicket bag belonging to the idol Mirei Minami and goes to return it, at which point her own PriTicket arrives and she is drawn into an impromptu audition. Her central motivation throughout the series is to bring happiness and courage to others through her singing, and to uphold the ideal that everyone can be friends and everyone can be an idol. She is driven by a strong desire to protect her friends and the world of PriPara from anything that would cause sadness or division.
Laala serves as the primary protagonist and the heart of the story. She is the founding member of the divine idol unit SoLaMi♡SMILE, alongside Mirei Minami and Sophy Hojo. This unit becomes one of the most prominent in PriPara. Throughout the series, she plays a key role in major events, including the competition for the Paradise Coord, the revival of the vocal doll Falulu, the resistance against the takeover of PriPara by Hibiki Shikyoin, and the quest to become a divine idol. In later seasons, she takes on an additional role as the adoptive mother figure to Jewlulu, a mysterious baby who is later revealed to be the goddess Jewlie.
Her key relationships include her close bond with Mirei, who is both her partner and strict disciplinarian, and her friendship with Sophy, whom she helps break out of her shell. She forms a strong friendship with the rival unit Dressing Pafé, especially with Sion Todo, Dorothy West, and Leona West, eventually collaborating with them as SoLaMi♡Dressing. She also develops a deep connection with the vocal doll Falulu, treating her as a precious friend and working to save her when she falls into a coma. Laala is particularly supportive of her younger sister Non, who later becomes an idol in her own right. Her relationship with the school principal, Gloria Ookanda, evolves from conflict to mutual understanding.
Throughout the series, Laala undergoes significant growth. She overcomes her initial insecurity about her loud voice and learns to use it with confidence. She matures from a carefree, impulsive child into a responsible leader who takes on great challenges for the sake of others. Her understanding of what it means to be an idol deepens, moving from simple admiration to a commitment to spreading joy and friendship. She also learns to balance her duties as an idol, a student, and a caretaker for Jewlulu.
Laala possesses several notable abilities. As a lovely-type idol, her performances are characterized by warmth and radiance. Her preferred fashion brand is Twinkle Ribbon. She has the legendary Prism Voice, a special quality in her singing that can touch people's hearts and inspire them, often manifesting in crucial moments. When she enters PriPara, her appearance transforms: her hair lengthens into long twin tails, and her height increases to match that of middle school students. She is also known for her remarkable ability to befriend almost anyone and to see the good in others, a quality that often resolves conflicts and brings people together.