Reviews

Apr 27, 2015
Preliminary (1/26 eps)
This is less of a review and more of a public service announcement that this anime has potential, has finished airing long ago, and still doesn't have it's deserved fansub. However, one episode got a fansub in 2011 and hasn't seen any updates from that person since. This review will be of that single episode.

So "Gamba no Bouken", or "Adventure of Gamba", is what appears to be - and probably is - a children's show. That guess comes from the type of dialogue that happens and the simple-mindedness of much of the cast - not to mention the simplistic art style and the fact that every main character is a talking mouse. This show, however, seems to have taken the mature-minded viewer into mind as-well though as there feels to be a dark underlying future to the plot, the show even presenting a wounded and bloody mouse in this episode. Of course that would be more mature in the way of violence, but I also see that violence as carrying psychological aspects into the cast of the series that will change them. Without even seeing the villain of the show yet, the mice already cower in fear to the mention of him, giving off a menacing atmosphere. The mice also are living around the human landscape, at least in this episode, and the humans also are presented in a dull and eerie fashion as if they live on a higher plane - not even acknowledging the existence of the mice. Even so, it's still clear they'd be a threat if they did notice, and the scanning of their flashlights around makes for another quite dark moment.

I did say before that the art style is simplistic, and I wouldn't take that statement back, but what I feel it makes up for that with is it's creative animation. It's somewhat clear that there isn't too big of a budget in this show, but even so the simplistic characters allow for a fair amount of good animation that is enjoyable to watch. The characters are yet also what I would consider simplistic in this episode, but they all feel as though they serve a specific role to a group mentality. The group all has the same goals and fears, and each member has to add their own skills to do what they're setting out for in the future (but that's just speculation since only the first episode is subbed). The characters do feel as though they could fit into a slot, like the main character could almost be of a shounen, but the dark atmosphere of the story already feels as though it's changing them by the end of this one episode - the shounen mouse maybe later being similar to a Rick of Walking Dead (while I personally don't like Rick - so not a great example). I see that the main mouse will end up taking on a leadership role and face tragedy along the way, forcing him to think in a more grim and realistic mindset - as in this episode he doesn't even know of the villain's race and how apparently deadly they are (according to other experienced mice).

Overall, this show has potential, and I'm already surprised how much I enjoyed this one episode. I expected that I wouldn't think much of it from the art style, but things look much more pleasant when you watch it in motion. The actors are also good and help in making the characters likable. Give this episode a shot and, if you like it, there'll another person who knows and wants another episode. Maybe one day when this show is then known enough it'll get a complete subbing job. Til then, I tap my pen.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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