Dr. Slump

I have been curious about this version of Dr. Slump since I watched the first op when I was still a kid. I had already read the manga, and at first I thought the change in character design of a few characters in this version was weird, especially Arale's... Honestly, Arale having dark brown hair instead of her iconic purple hair is the only change that still bugs me a bit in this version. Much later I learned that this version didn't seem to be very popular... But after I started watching it and now that I finished it I can say for sure: this ... is pure, unadultered Dr. Slump!

• Story - 6/10

Well, Dr. Slump is not well known for its complex plot. It doesn't really have a story. As a gag/comedy anime that is totally character-driven, the series is pretty episodic with a few short arcs here and there. We basically see the characters, mostly Arale and the chosen lucky ones of the episode, getting into weird, funny and WTF situations. If very dumb humor and poop jokes make you laugh, you're gonna enjoy this show! On another note, if you're a Dragon Ball fan, the longest arc in this version happens between episodes 56~59, which is basically an extended version of that Dragon Ball episode where Goku arrives in Penguin Village in the middle of General Blue's arc. I really enjoyed to see Goku interacting with Arale and other Dr. Slump characters for a little longer!

• Characters - 10/10

Dr. Slump shines the most when it comes to its characters. Who doesn't love a robot girl who has absolute no filter, no common sense and no shame!? That's Arale in all her glory. Then we have Senbei Norimaki, the scientist who created Arale. He's a bit of a pervert, but not one of the worst ones; There is Gatchan, the... alien? Angel? That was born from a dinosaur egg and can eat ANYTHING; Then there are Arale's classmates: Akane Kimidori, a tomboy, delinquent girl who in this version has red hair; Taro Soramame, that instead of having a pompadour, in this version has bleached hair (understandable since in the 90s in Japan, a young man with bleached hair was seen as a delinquent); Pisuke Soramame, Taro's younger brother, who is... very short; And, of course, miss Midori, the teacher in Arale's school, and the love of Senbei's life. These characters are the main cast, but as the episodes pass we get to see more regular characters, like a pair of aliens with literal butt-heads; Suppaman, who is a parody of Superman; a delinquent wannabe 5 year old girl; a very unusual Chinese family... It's a very interesting cast.

• Art/Aniamtion - 8/10

It's very 90s! Everything, from animation and art style to remade character designs, is very, very 90s. If you like 90s anime, I don't think you'll dislike anything here. It's not a masterpiece of animation but it was a job well done from a time when Toei still animated most things decently.

• Sound/OST - 5/10

The OST is very forgettable. It does its work but it's nothing remarkable, not something you'd want to listen later, separated from the anime. The only song I really like is the 1st opening theme. 2nd one is alright, but the 3rd (and last) one is very annoying.

• Enjoyment - 6~9/10

It's a very episodic series with focus on multiple characters and situations, inevitably some episodes will be more enjoyable than others. There wasn't any episode that i thought that was bad, but there were a few that I thought that were less funny than usual. It's a fun series overall and it can be a good introduction for someone who's not familiar with Dr. Slump. And if you are familiar with the series, with either the manga or the 80s anime, I'm sure you can also enjoy the 90s version if you accept the changes in character designs!