Saru Getchu: On Air

I make it a point not to spoil anything in my review so it will be concise. I will also always preface my reviews with a quote from the show that spoils nothing.

"U kiki uki u ki ki ki" - Saru #1!

Saru Getchu: On Air is a TV series based on the Playstation franchise we know as Ape Escape in America. While being based on this series however this show takes many creative liberties with its story. It is not required nor do I feel the need to recommend playing the game series first but it is a good series nonetheless.

Story: 7

This is a ... kid's show and it is made readily apparent in the first few episodes but it is good enough that an adult can somewhat enjoy quite a few elements of this story. The plot is small as expected from a show of its size. The plot does however maintain a feeling of one big arc rather than being episodic in nature, which I personally like a lot. It is fairly fast paced and never goes into giant monologues, which is positive due to the fact that they can slow the pace.

Art: 7

I really do not care at all whether the art is good or not but I do have one thing to comment on. This show is completely CG which usually is not too pleasant on the eyes but surprisingly looks very calming and quite nice to look at.

Sound: 6

This show basically has one song that is played in three different ways. It is the opening as well as the song that the monkeys sing in their dialog. It is also put as background music for the show. And while it is a pretty catchy song, it can get kind of annoying by the end of the show.

Character: 6

This is the classic example of why kid's shows in general don't do as well on my rating list, as well as movies and short shows. The character development is very lax. The show seems to think you can develop a character by making them fulfill their quota of one speech a day of their stereotypical one-liner. It makes it hard to like any of the characters at all.

Enjoyment: 8

I had a wonderful time watching this. It has an interesting enough story, adds in some plot twists and then has some decent ideas for obstacles to overcome. Despite being nowhere near perfect, I watched this in one day and felt extremely satisfied. It is short enough as to not waste my time with its nonexistent character development and childish humor yet having a pretty compelling story. I am waiting anxiously for the opportunity to watch the second series.