Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I bought my first Hamtaro DVD as a present for a friend who has a sweet tooth for cute little animals, and then got a copy to satisfy my own curiosity as an anime fan (plus the DVD was on special). I must say I enjoyed what I saw.
First of all, it IS cute, but not absolutely disgustingly cute - it's just a visual style that you quickly get used to.
Second, even though it is technically a "kids' show", it's not exactly mindless. Just as in more "mature" anime, there are story threads that continue through the series, the characters (while being stereotypes) have some complexity in their relationships, and, thanks to the normal human characters and good background art, there is a sense that the show takes place in (a nice part of) the real world, rather than some airy-fairy cartoon utopia.
Third, visually this show is superior to any US children's cartoon show I've seen recently, especially in the directing (i.e. frame composition & editing) and the painted backgrounds. And, finally, while I would have liked the option of Japanese language and subtitles, I think this DVD is that rare thing - a pretty good dub of a Japanese anime.
The great thing about Hamtaro is that, although it's for kids, it's not as "dumbed down" as some shows, which means that adults (parents and, er, *ahem* others) can enjoy it too, and parents don't have to worry about their kids being treated like morons.
The downside: with only three episodes per disc, you only get an hour for your money. Also, due to some quirk with the sound mixing, your ears may suffer from some fatigue after half an hour of Ham-Ham adventuring.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Hamtaro - Hamtaro and the Ham-Hams (Vol. 1) (2002)
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