Penguin no Mondai
This is one weird show. The OP sequence is idiotically simplistic (the lyrics consist of a total of three words), yet somehow hypnotizing. We leap right into the fray, with Beckham in a school classroom. Where did he come from? Is he really a penguin? Why is he allowed to attend school? Those trivial issues are ignored as Beckham does the most stupid and unpredictable things imaginable--the sheer craziness is hilarious. Well, hilarious and/or having the effect of fingernails on a chalkboard; it's hard to say for certain which. Despite the ultra crude animation and simplistic, cutesy character designs, I don't think this was meant for children, not unless Japanese children are already familiar with concepts like "stalking". Five minutes of this stuff would have been about right for me, but this went on for eight. Still, I was pleasantly surprised by the laughs which I got out of something which I was certain would be childish and crude. I hope there are more episodes on the way.
Last updated Sunday, April 20 2008.
|
