Afro-Ken

Afro-Ken is certainly a weird little OVA; it's not really about anything in particular, and yet still manages to be entertaining. Based on a line of toys by the people who brought you Hello Kitty, Afro-Ken is about a cute dog with an afro and all of his friends, most of whom are also cute dogs with afros. The "story" introduces the different dogs and features silly little elements of their lives... and that's it. It's not really a story at all, but it does what it needs to do: look cute and advertise toys.

And look cute and advertise toys it does. Afro-Ken covers dozens ... of unique character designs, but features little else in the way of characterization. On that note is the way these characters appear: the entire OVA is done in 3-D, but rather than going for a more realistic look, the animators appropriately chose a simplistic, silly style. While not particularly remarkable, (the movement of the dogs is often choppy) again, it does what it has to.

That's not to say that Afro-Ken is without it's merits. The first lies in the music: the one prominent song (used for both the opening and closing) is fun and extremely catchy, with silly lyrics such as "there is a dog with a big afro / that follows me around wherever I go / my daddy says it don't exist / but I can see it in the sky and even in my rice bowl dish". You gotta love it.

The other good point of Afro-Ken? It is dang fun. You can't help but crack up at the jokes or "awww" at the cute little dogs with crazy hairstyles and their antics (my personal favorite is probably Afro-Ken swimming across a photo of the Statue of Liberty). As a matter of fact, this is one of the only anime that my three siblings and I all enjoyed, and it left us all wanting Afro-Kens of our own. It's certainly a pointless experience, but it's one of those shows that satisfies your need for the bizarre and the cute all at once, without confusing you or making you feel like you need more. And at one episode of less than thirty minutes, how can you deprive yourself of that?

One of the best anime out there. Truly a masterpiece.

I didn't know that Afro Ken lived back in the stone age. Didn't he go extinct? It's really a good documentary. I can recommend it.

10/10 Would watch again.

Just for the song.

I laughed at that one joke for 4 minutes. And I just couldn't stop.

... To think that I only discovered it by accident.

But I am happy I did.

I think I will make an afro on my head. Yeah!

Afro Ken did nothing wrong. So why did they cut his hair? That's animal abuse.

It's just such a hidden gem

ROFL ROFL ROFL. This series is sooooo random XD
It's about 30 minutes of a dog with an afro and random stuff happens. Really, even though it's a kids anime, it's epic. It's in 3D animation, also known as CG. Really, there's not really anything to predict what comes next. There is also a short part where the creator of Afro-Ken talks about Afro-Ken. It's really cute and funny at the same time. I really reccomend watching this.
Thanks for reading!

(2022 UPDATE)

Original:

Afro-Ken is a masterpiece but I can't quite put it into words... The sheer bliss I felt with every passing second was not only astounding but transcendent. Think to the greatest moment in your life, maybe its your child's birth, your wedding or perhaps the day you graduated college, now imagine something 10 times better. That's Afro-Ken.

This show has changed my life and I'm sure it will change yours. A single 30 minute OVA that began to define every moment of my life. Every scene in Afro-Ken has given me clarity on at least a dozen events in my life. That is not a ... joke. I mean it. This show has consumed my life.

I cannot see or do anything without automatically comparing it to Afro-Ken himself or the events of Afro-Ken.

Truly the greatest anime of all time. But I warn you, once you watch Afro-Ken you will never be the same again. You will try to glue wigs onto dogs, you will leave your wife, you start anew, you will discover the fourth dimension, you will become one with the universe, you will transcend Monad, you will change the course of history and do everything within your boundless power but do not fear. For that is the Afro-Ken experience.

Update:

Since my last Afro-Ken review, my life has been through too many changes to count. Each and every one of these changes had some correlation to Afro-Ken's influence on my psyche.

The last change I recall was when I left my second wife to spend more time thinking about Afro-Ken. She told me "But you already left your job to spend more time with Afro-Ken, isn't that more than enough?" all I could do was laugh. Laugh at the assertion that you can ever spend enough time with Afro-Ken. Laugh at someone who I once respected questioning my dear Afro-Ken. After this conversation I put my shoes on and left the house. I walked eastward for hours. I watched the evening go by. I watched the sunrise. I watched the leaves turn. I watched the grass grow. But then I stopped. I had been walking for over 3 weeks without a single break to watch Afro-Ken. I wept. I prayed to my beloved Afro-Ken. I drank from the soil. I bashed my head on the concrete. I bled tainted blood. I puked an empty stomache to make myself feel pain. All because i was away from Afro-Ken for too long. After that day I made a vow. That vow was to never betray my lord and to experience Afro-Ken for the rest of my days. I had already given him every previous day, but the only thing even approaching enough is everything for the rest of time. I love Afro-Ken.

A few weeks before that, I got a phone call. My doctor told me that I was going to die if I continued to eat exclusively Afro-Ken shaped pancakes. I told him that it was all I needed. He warned me of scurvy. I warned him of heresy. He hung up and contacted my psychiatrist. I later got a call from said psychiatrist. I did not answer. the only one my brain belongs to is my beloved Afro-Ken.

3 days prior to that, I saw a dog. It was a strange dog. Monochromatic colour scheme, no afro, made of meat and bones. I asked the owner about the dog, "What is up with this shitty fucking dog, please fucking tell me what the point of this useless piece of garbage is, he doesn't even have an afro. He is not funky in the slightest. Calling this funky is like calling a coathanger abortion done in a gas station bathroom clinical. I would love nothing more than seeing that dog rot in hell, with his skull wrought into the shape of my beloved Afro-Ken". She ran away for some reason. I do not know why nobody appreciates him like I do.

Anyways, long story short, I LOVE AFRO-KEN! It left an even more lasting impression on me than that time my family got killed via carpet bomb and my father uttering "you did this" right before he perished.

10/10

And who said that anime couldn't be art?
The superb, frustrating, rich, imaginative, absorbing, annoying, aggravating, repulsive movie that is Afro-Ken. This movie is a must watch for anyone, I have never, ever seen a movie like this.

This movie challenges the way we view modern cinema, the artistic value breaths down our neck as the intro of this cinematic masterpiece begins. If you have a appreciation for real art, I cant tell you how much you need to watch this.

This movie will bring you love, respect, life, music, soul, frustration and the inevitable death.

Overall all I have left to say is
-10/10-

This was an absolute masterpiece. I've seen this anime at least 10 times and every time I am blown away by the pure genius and creativity. It is truly an underrated anime that is more than what meets the eye. I love the interactive storyline that really helps the viewers stay engaged. The art is amazing and every character is drawn with a unique style that enhances their individuality. My favorite character was Broken. He was comical, relatable, and extremely clever. I would 10/10 recommend this anime with anyone who enjoyed other masterpieces like Your Name or A Silent Voice.

Basically, a very cute mockumentary about a dog with magical hair that changes shape and colour according to the dog's mood and likes. The OVAs were made for kids and for selling purposes only, so we shouldn't judge them very strictly. Despite their simplicity, they're fun to watch because of their originality and their catchy intro song.

Afro Ken is a Japanese character owned by San-X, the creators of Rilakkuma, Sentimental Circus and Sumikkogurashi, just the same way Sanrio owns Hello Kitty. Afro Ken translates literally as Afro Dog, but the Afro part is not because of its racial origin. It's because of the colourful afro ... hair of its default stage. Let's not forget that in the eighties and nineties afro hair was a symbol of coolness and disco music. There are so many Afro Ken variants that it's impossible not to like one of them. Afro Ken is a caring and easy going dog. Afro Ken is about finding the soft and colourful side of life.

One of the best anime out there. Truly a masterpiece.

I didn't know that Afro Ken lived back in the stone age. Didn't he go extinct? It's really a good documentary. I can recommend it.

10/10 Would watch again.

Just for the song.

I laughed at that one joke for 4 minutes. And I just couldn't stop.

... To think that I only discovered it by accident.

But I am happy I did.

I think I will make an afro on my head. Yeah!

Afro Ken did nothing wrong. So why did they cut his hair? That's animal abuse.

It's just such a hidden gem

I don't usually write reviews, but Afro-ken was such a life changing anime I felt the need to. It opens to a dog wandering in the forest, what a silly little fellow! But suddenly, that dog has an afro. I won't write much more about the plot, I don't want to spoil it, but this was easily a top 10 best anime for me. Unfortunately, this masterpiece is only 1 episode that runs 28 minutes and 35 seconds but it's safe to say that it was the best 28 minutes of my life. This anime was very good, and the theme song was quite the ... treat!

Hopefully you and all your friends will watch afro-ken!