Papillon Rose started out as a metafiction joke on what was claimed to be the website for a new anime project Lingerie Fighter Papillon Rose. The website posted pictures of characters and a lyrics to opening and ending theme songs. Demand grew due to people finding the page and assuming it was for an actual series. Subsequently, an episode guide for the first series and manga was also made available, as well as a set of CD-ROMs containing a 2-minute animated promotional clip, eight tracks, system voice clips for computers, a Papillon Rose mahjong game, and two screen savers. The CDs were only made available for Comiket, and were not distributed outside Japan. The project homepage was redesigned and fake manga illustrations and notes from the fictional author were added. Amateur voice actors and singers were also contacted online to provide sample character voice clips for a handful of the villains and heroines. A 25-episode ONA series was promised in 2001 along with the release of an animated teaser trailer. Nothing other than the trailers were ever released online or elsewhere. On January 2002, a second season concept was introduced, named Lingerie Soldier Papillon Rose R, aiming to be released as an artbook on Comiket. On April 2004, a movie finale concept was introduced as well, named Lingerie Soldier Papillon Rose G. Subsequently, all of the project websites were either taken down or replaced with a blank page with the former content removed. There is no evidence that any fan-submitted material was ever used for either the OVA episode or the TV series. In the fall of 2014, a blog was opened featuring new artwork for what claimed to be a new version of the Papillon Rose series, a rebuild of the original idea as a film trilogy. A new website was opened a few days afterwards, advertising a Papillon Rose booth in the 2015 Comiket. A new doujinshi artbook was released together with two pencil boards, featuring new artwork for the characters and a similar storyline to the original incarnation of the web series.
''Lingerie Soldier Papillon Rose'' OVA 2003
Lingerie Soldier Papillon Rose was released as a single 24-minute OVA episode, produced by Echigoya. This one-episode OVA was distributed on VHS and DVD formats by Pink company and Office F&O in 2003. This OVA episode is included in the 2010 North American DVD release with the six-episode Papillon Rose: The New Season TV series.
''Papillon Rose: The New Season'' TV series (2006)
A six-episode TV series titled Papillon Rose: The New Season was broadcast in Japan in 2006. The TV series images and dialog are toned down considerably from the 2003 OVA. The TV series covers a time beginning a year after the ending of the OVA events and introduces new characters.
Plot Summary
We find the girls in town going about their lives without any memories of their past exploits or ability to transform. Tsubomi is approached by Rama, the cat, whom, at first, she does not understand. But the Earth, specifically the Tokyootaku district of Akiba, is under attack by a trio of powerful alien women along with their minions. The explosions around her restore her memories and she reassembles the rest of the Papillon team to defend the town. The Papillon team is reassembled and the enemies are won over by the team's magical-girl powers and their "charms".
North American Releases
In March 2010, Section23 Films announced plans to release the six-episode TV series and the OVA on DVD for North America on behalf of Maiden Japan. The collection was released on June 8, 2010, on a single DVD titled "Papillon Rose." This title was the first licensed by Maiden Japan for release in North America. It is in the Japanese language with English subtitles. In January 2014 the six episodes of the TV series and the single OVA episode were posted on the Anime Network website for online streaming.
Reception
The North American DVD release was reviewed by Chris Beveridge on the popular media blog and given an overall grade of B. He summarizes his review:
″Papillon Rose serves up just the right kind of parody of the Sailor Moon and magical girl world with this release. I do admittedly prefer the OVA more than the TV series because it's concise and has a much dirtier mindset to it. The TV series tones things down for obvious reason but it still has a good deal of fun and manages to get dirty in its own way. This was the kind of show where its reputation certainly it and you always fear it may not live up to expectations. With the broadcast version of the TV series here, that's a definitely downside. But for what we do get, it's a lot of fun and a good way to spend an evening watching pretty anime girls doling out justice in a slight smutty way with smiles on their faces. It's a title for discerning tastes, to say the least.″
