PJ Berri no Mogumogu Munyamunya

"PJ Berri no Mogumogu Munyamunya" is as basic as you can get: PJ works as a fortune teller at "Chop Chop Master Onion's" Cafe, but doesn't really do anything. He is usually asleep, dreaming about something that vaguely has anything to do with the customer's question, but somehow, he still manages to give them the perfect answer whenever he's accidentaly saying something out loud in the process of waking up. The customer gets happy and Parappa praises him. This is pretty much every episode of the show.

Parappa is more of a minor character in this show, not surprising when he is not even mentioned in ... the title. He does have two or three episodes (out of 20 episodes) dedicated entirely to him, and they are a treat to watch and usually more "slice of Life" based. A few of the Anime-exclusive characters, like Matt, Paula and Parappa's sister makes a few cameo appearances, but they are brief and without much (if any) dialogue. Pretty much every single character from the games can be seen in the background, especially in crowded scenes, so it becomes a game of "Where's Waldo" in many cases. Fun and rewarding to spot.

Now, how does it hold up to the original Parappa Anime? For starters, it's aimed at an older audience, airing a hour after midnight every Friday. It is still family friendly, but does not try to teach morals and features a lot more characters from the games than the first Anime adaption. It is clearly trying to hit the die-hard fans with strong feelings of nostalgia. There is absolutely no music to be found here though, except for a few uses of "King Kong Mushi Live Rap" in the background, which is exactly what the original Anime did too. The animation is also a lot more limited in "MoguMogu MunyaMunya", as characters hardly move, except for when they absolutely have to. You will see the characters standing still most of the time, with only their mouths moving. Last and not least, the running time. Each episode is only 90 seconds long, so what you get is very limited. Whenever a customer needs help, her/his request is solved in just 30 seconds or less. It feels very rushed at times, but is still satisfying to watch. No intro or ending song either, but I doubt anyone expected that for a short Anime.

All in all, I would recommend people to at least give this a try if they care for the little rapping pup at all. Watching the whole thing will only take you half an hour, and it will give at least some joy to the fans. It is more true to the tone of the games and it is fun watching PJ, Parappa and Chop Chop Master Onion interact with each others. Cameos from "old friends" will also add a lot to the experience if you are a fan of the franchise.