Shirotan: Shirotan ga Ippai!

Shirotan is one of those young kids shows that you may come across on the web purely by chance; and although it may not have much to offer as an adult, makes you question why you enjoy it so much.

Similar to the Sanrio or SanX characters, these cute seal mascots captivate the audience with their lovable and somewhat harmless designs. They all look very cue, and support their own unique look.

Each minute-long episode centers around one of these white seals; Shirotan, and his encounters with new seal friends he makes while on his adventures.

It is clearly a show aimed at toddlers and small children ... as the stories leave little to be desired, and often follow a repetitive and recurring formula in which Shirotan finds a friend (often another seal character, like a moon-rabbit Seal, or a pinecone seal), and friendly seal interactions ensue.

There is not much to say about these interactions, as they are often short and unproductive, as we never see the characters again. The episode stories are usually so simple that I can only seem to describe them as "nothingness", and I would very much like to rename the series to "Shirotan Does Things".

Despite this, because I personally am interested in cute and lovable animal characters - being a fan of Sanrio, SanX and the Pusheen comics, I find Shirotan Ga Ippai to be calming and refreshing.

The style of the show, although including very little animation, is clean and colourful. Sound design, although minimal is sweet and quiet. The voice acting is adorable and the overall ambiance of the show is something unique. Shirotan Ga Ippai is something which I found to be relaxing to watch. The minute episodes are great for those with a short attention span, and even if you do not understand the Japanese, you can still follow the story.

Overall, I give this show a 7 - summing Shirotan Ga Ippai up with "it is what it is" - and for a toddler's TV program about a sweet seal going on adventures to find friends, it has good morals and teaches young children about kindness.