Licca the movie: Licca-chan to Yamaneko Hoshi no Tabi

Licca-chan to Yamaneko Hoshi no Tabi, or Licca and the Starry Journey of the Wildcat, was released in 1997 as a promotional film featuring Japan's iconic Licca-chan doll. Produced by studio Ajiado and directed by Gisaburō Sugii, the film sought to transition the character from a simple toy brand into a narrative-driven multimedia franchise. The project served as a strategic marketing tool to deepen the character's personality for a young audience, moving beyond the doll's standard aesthetic to ground her in an imaginative, fantasy-driven adventure.

The production reflects the mid-90s trend of creating direct-to-video featurettes to bolster toy brand loyalty. By collaborating with established animation talent like Sugii, the studio aimed for a polished, whimsical visual style that mirrored the charm of contemporary children's literature. While primarily intended for domestic audiences familiar with the decades-old doll line, the film is often studied by collectors as a transitional piece of media that helped define the 'Licca-chan' anime identity, distinct from her later, more modern television adaptations.