Roxy Gran Gala Doll

Searching on eBay, I found the Roxy “Gran Gala delle Principesse Fatate” doll formerly on auction. She’s part of one of the many new toy and doll lines that have been released recently. Doesn’t she look gorgeous? I love what they did to her hair in this picture. Bellissimo!

I also saw the Bloom doll from this line. (The auction lasts for another seven days. The photo’s a bit askew, so I decided not to show it.)

Source:
Piero Collectibles (an eBay store)

Episode Twenty-Four’s Heartwrenching Ending *MEGA SPOILERS*

All eyes were on Bloom. Many fans believed she would die in episode twenty-four. But I thought there had to be a reason why Rainbow spotlighted Layla at the end of episode twenty-three, and I guessed trouble would come her way. It did.

Nabu really shines in this episode. He finishes off Duman single-handedly (perhaps not, based on episode twenty-five’s preview), then exhausts his energy and magic to save the Fairies of Earth from the Wizards’ dark portal. Layla watches the light slowly disappear from his eyes.

So Nabu dies. His friends give him a “funeral” by turning him and his staff into flowers. Winx Club has finally done it: they’ve killed a main character. But why did Layla have to suffer? Why put her through the torture of getting engaged and losing her man so soon afterward? Why do that to any of the Winx? Has Rainbow gone to the dark side?

And has one of this season’s rumors come true? Will Layla be replaced by Roxy? At the end of the episode, Layla joins the Earth Fairies in their revenge. Not surprising, really.

One more question: where does the last gift of destiny come into play? The Ether Fairies said something like, “la morte di una persona” (a person’s death). Near the end of the episode, we see a wilted flower brought back to life. Flowers, again? Could there be a significance? Is Nabu truly dead forever, or do the Winx have a way to revive him? Remember, Bloom did use her healing magic in season two to save Sky. If there’s a way, our favorite fairies will find it.

Two episodes remain. Now, we can really say anything can happen!

Villain Makeovers

When I first saw Ogron in the first episode, “handsome” wasn’t an adjective I used to describe him. But now that the Wizards have supposedly joined the Winx and Roxy’s side, not only has Ogron’s face softened (which usually happens while he’s talking to Bloom ), but he’s become borderline…attractive. I guess it’s true: a change of heart works better than plastic surgery and skin creams.

Here’s a before-and-after. The first pic is from episode six, “Una Fata in Pericolo” (A Fairy in Danger); the second is from episode twenty-one, “La Caverna di Sibylla” (Sibylla’s Cave). Notice his face is less wrinkled and angular in picture two. His hair is also less ragged. (The truth is his look goes back and forth in episode twenty-two but is generally less grotesque than in past episodes.)

On the other side of the coin is Morgana the fairy queen. Lovely and Daphne-like in the first half of the season, she’d been drifting into “stuff of nightmares” territory for a few episodes and has since reverted in episode twenty-three, after—I’m assuming—calling off her vendetta. Here’s a before-and-after for her. Pic one, pre-vendetta, comes from episode thirteen, “L’Attacco degli Stregoni” (The Wizards’ Attack), and pic two, during the vendetta, comes from episode twenty-one again.

What caused her transformation? Was it evil…or was it just anger? You might even ask the same of Ogron; evildoers tend to be eternally mad. Then again, anger can even taint the heroes’ flawless faces. Here’s a screen cap of Musa from episode ten, “La Canzone di Musa” (Musa’s Song). She’s not ugly, but she’s at least had prettier moments.

In the end, presentation is everything. What does Rainbow want us to think about the characters? Unfortunately, “beautiful” equals good, “ugly” equals evil. Such is our world.

But, as they say, appearances can be deceiving. Have the Wizards really surrendered, or do they have a horrible trap waiting for the Winx in episode twenty-four?

It’s Official: Winx Sophiex

That’s right: Sophiex. Not Sofix, Soufix, Soffix, Sophix, or Solvix. It’s Sophiex. The official website referenced it in today’s Quiz Del Giorno: Con il dono del Sophiex le Winx sfidano Diana in… Not only does Sophiex break the supposed naming scheme, it also has nothing to do with the look of the transformation or anything related to fairies, magic, virtues (like love), etc. Well…almost. It’s derived from the name Sophie, right? Sophie comes from Greek name Sophia, which means “wisdom.” I guess Wisix wouldn’t have worked. Still, it seems like a random name, doesn’t it? I’d call it the strangest one in the entire series.

FAIL, Roxy…

Take a look at this screen cap from episode twenty-two, “La Torre Belata.”

The fairies are about to transform, so, of course, they shout, “Winx Believix!” Well, as you may noticed, Roxy gets a little excited and joins in. Two problems here: first, she doesn’t even have her Believix, and if she does, it’s not a real one; and second, as yet, she’s still not a Winx. What’s she doing then? Cheering for them?

On the other hand, this moment reminds me of the first time Layla used the “Magic Winx” trigger phrase. There was no fanfare—she just said it when the others did, and none of them caught it. A purposeful parallel, perhaps?

The Proposal

Rainbow tacked it on the end of episode twenty-three. It wasn’t as epic as Nabu’s proposal, and we can’t exactly say Brandon “popped the question” since he didn’t say anything, but judging by Stella’s wink afterward, I’d say it’s a “yes.” Good news! Maybe Brandon will finally be able to control himself around other girls, and Mitzi has to leave him alone now.

So let’s review: we have Bloom and Sky, Layla and Nabu, and Stella and Brandon planning weddings now. That’s half the group! Wow! I wonder if there are any more surprise proposals hidden in these last few episodes. Helia, we and Flora are waiting…

Roxy Fights Back

I’ve been wondering what kinds of spells a fairy of animals could possibly have, but Roxy had yet to show us what she can do. Now in episode twenty-two, she finally fought like a true fairy!

(If you know Italian and heard different names in this episode, feel free to correct me!)

“Manto Incantato” (Enchanted Mantle/Cloak)

A generic shield. Practical, functional. Nice name.

“Artiglio di Lupo” (Wolf Claw)

This one’s my favorite. Honestly, I expected an attack like this, only I’d imagined it would be a lion. A wolf makes more sense, though, since she seems to adore dogs. Doesn’t this spell remind you of Bloom’s Dragon Flame powers (when she uses them the way she used to)?

“Battito Simpatico” (Sympathetic Heartbeat/Pulse)

A taming spell that made these polar bears fight for her. The Winx face a lot of brutish animals on their adventures, so should Roxy still become a Winx, this power could come in handy. (I’d love to see her use it on Duman.)

No Name

I’m not sure if she had a name for this one. I thought I heard her say questo, which means “this,” so she may have just said, “Take this!” or something. Anyway, it looks like a regular energy beam. Never doubt the power of an old-fashioned shock to the system.

Not bad, Roxy. It’s nice to see the Winx back off and let her prove she can defend herself.

Winx Lovix (Episode Twenty-Two)

Well, no disagreement here. This one’s called Lovix. Since this transformation is designed for a snowy environment, there is thankfully more cloth this time. I know some of you weren’t pleased with the suspiciously skimpy “Sophix.” (Now what does love have to do with the bitter cold? I don’t know.) Even though I don’t like these random transformations, I have to admit it: these outfits are adorable. I’d wear them.

Here’s the video, uploaded by DreamingFaerie. Enjoy!

WorldScreen.com Claims Season Five is On the Way

We’ve heard from Michael of Michael’s Winx Club that a season five is in production. Now, an October 26^th article from World Screen seems to confirm this news. In the piece about Rainbow S.p.A., the writer says Winx Club is “now gearing up for a fifth season.” The article talks about how major players in children’s entertainment, like Rainbow and 4Kids, are surviving the global recession. Iginio Straffi is quoted saying, “We are probably still financially strong enough to maintain our pipeline of production.”

If these bits came from an interview, then season five is practically confirmed. This season, the Winx have been to Earth, to secret islands, and even inside Tecna’s computer. Who knows where Rainbow will send the Winx next!

No…Items…Ever!

Next episode, the Winx…and Roxy (>.<)…will face the fairy who lives in a snowy realm (if I heard correctly, her name is Aurora). That also means battling the elements. Of course, this is season four, so the Winx can’t just don normal snow gear like they did when they went to Domino and somehow be fine when they change into their fairy outfits. (Invisible heat spell.) No, we have to see another transformation: a Believix for arctic adventures. And yes, it doesn’t look like Roxy will be getting this one either. She’ll have to freeze.

Needless to say, I’m not liking this random, one-shot transformation thing. It negates one of the Winx’s best qualities: resourcefulness. You don’t have to use your wits when someone gives you exactly what you need to survive. Yet, in the previous three seasons, the Winx had little more than their magic training and still won the day. For example, remember S1, EP11, when they helped the undines? When Musa was pulled underwater, the others simply cast a light and an oxygen sphere spell and dove in. How about season two when the Specialists’ ship was down during the mission to save Bloom? Tecna became the ship’s computer! In S3, EP6, during another deep sea quest, Layla knew a spell that would allow the Winx to draw oxygen from the water. Where were the ether fairies and Alfea teachers with their magical Swiss army knives? Nowhere.

So this season, why does someone have to hold the girls’ hands (and for poor Roxy, I mean that literally)?