Pingu in the City

In 1986, the “Pingu” animated children’s program began in its home country of Switzerland. The cartoon quickly became a worldwide hit because of its unique, universal method of storytelling and simple humor that entertained all ages. There were two countries in particular where “Pingu” became a massive hit: the United Kingdom and Japan. The United Kingdom-based company HIT Entertainment purchased the rights to “Pingu” for a whopping £15.9 million after production on the Swiss version was stopped in 2000. They used their investment to produce more episodes of the series from the years of 2003 to 2006.

Both the Swiss and British versions of “Pingu” were ... massive hits in Japan; if one searches “Pingu” on eBay, all sorts of exclusive merchandise, books, toys, and even Game Boy and DS games that were only released in Japan pop up. As the series has continued to thrive in Japan even without new episodes being made, it would make sense that a Japanese company would want to invest in producing new episodes for the franchise.

Enter Polygon Pictures. Instead of continuing the original series, they decided to completely change up the formula and reboot “Pingu” for a new generation with “Pingu in the City”. Not only is the series now computer-animated, but Pingu’s family has been moved from their classic setting of the South Pole into “the city”, where new adventures await for the always curious Pingu. But does such a drastic change work with “Pingu”?

Let me explain a bit about my history with “Pingu”. I remember watching the original show when I was younger and enjoying it, primarily because it was weird that channels aimed at running educational drivel would often put it on their schedule. Let’s face it: you can’t learn much from “Pingu”, but you’ll have a good time. The reason every country hopped on board with airing the show at one point is because of the unique storytelling method I mentioned earlier: the characters, instead of having real spoken dialogue or a narrator explaining the story, communicate through a made-up language known as “Penguinese”. In this sense, “Pingu” is educational, as it teaches children not only how to interpret a story through visuals, but how to read body language and vocal emotion to tell how others are feeling.

The first night I started taking antidepressants after getting out of the hospital and feeling shitty about life in general, I randomly stumbled across the original “Pingu” on YouTube again, and it honestly made me the happiest I’d been in a long time.

The feeling was only temporary, and something I’ve been chasing ever since. As such, I was understandably very excited by the news of this new “Pingu in the City” reboot. At the same time, I was a bit worried about the ways a different production team and changing the classic formula could go wrong. Another show from my childhood, “Max and Ruby”, was revived under a different production team who altered several aspects of the original. Max, who originally spoke in humorous one-word exclamations, now spoke full sentences, while Max and Ruby’s parents made random appearances seemingly in an effort to be “politically correct”. It just didn’t feel right.

Thankfully, the production team of “Pingu in the City” is clearly very familiar with the original source material, as this reboot has all the charm and humor of the original. Pingu is the same accident-prone yet lovable penguin child he’s always been; the new setting of the big city gives plenty of new opportunities for the story that it’s never had before. The “Penguinese” language, including the classic battle cry of “Noot noot!”, has been left fully intact. Unlike other shows (*cough* Berserk 2017 *cough*), the shift to a new animation style is barely noticeable and actually seems to work to the show’s advantage.

Some might argue that “Pingu in the City” has a unique aspect over the original that really works in its favor; the setting is almost a utopia, where Pingu, a young child, doesn’t appear to go to school, and instead learns about the world around him through working at jobs with adults who are more than happy to help him learn. Kids in modern society don’t have the time to explore the world around them and learn what they like to do due to the amount of time they have to spend in school, which is a real shame. “Pingu in the City”’s utopia brings me a sense of joy, and a hope for a future with a reformed education system.

For all these reasons (and probably more that I'll wish I added later), “Pingu in the City” is more than a meme to me. From the first second of every episode, the show is full of a unique energy that immediately puts a smile on my face, even when nothing else seems to be going my way. I highly recommend the show for viewers of all ages, and hope that with the international licensing deals in progress (Sony has the rights to the show in North America, while Mattel has the rights in China) that every viewer possible will get to enjoy it. Ed Sheeran and Harry Styles both have Pingu tattoos due to their viewings of the original show as children. I hope ten to fifteen years from now another celebrity who’s popular with the kids will have a Pingu tattoo thanks to their viewing of “Pingu in the City” as a child.

Pingu in the City is an amazing show with plenty of laughs. The characters are charming and the humor is top notch. The mimicking of the claymation stayed true to the original concept and the lack of dialogue makes this a universally appealing anime with no language barrier. Pingu in the City is very episodic and realistically you could watch any episode in any order back to back as there isn't any real overarching story. This is a simple kids show and a great one at that. Very little shows can capture the charming, carefree nature of children as well as this did. I personally ... felt this was masterfully done, the simplicity only adds to the overall genius of this show. This show has a variety of simple, easy to understand themes sprinkled throughout each episode and you could come out learning something even if it's a simple lesson it's important. This show isn't for everyone, being a kids show doesn't mean it won't appeal to adults (I mean I certainly enjoyed it) but there is a clear audience in mind and taking that into consideration this clearly not only nails it in that ballpark, it perfectly encapsulates everything a kids show should and ought to be. I highly recommend this show if you enjoy carefree wholesome kid shows that is fairly simple to grasp and understand. Kids will surely enjoy this show, some adults can come to like and appreciate this show as well. Truly a modern-day masterpiece that won't be forgotten. 10/10.

Pingu in the City's first weeks in MyAnimeList's database have been rather turbulent. We've got everything from obnoxious, unfunny kids giving it either extremely high or low scores and its occasional inclusion in the overall top 10 through spam-filled, rule-breaking 'reviews' to toxic discussions over its status as an "anime" given the lack of loud, spiky-haired boys and annoying copy/pasted teenaged girls with extremely large eyes among its characters.

Pingu in the City can be better described as a spin-off of sorts to the award-winning European animated series "Pingu". The Western version of this show features the titular Pingu's various stunts and misadventures in a South ... Pole village inhabited by anthropomorphic penguins. With its stopmotion-based clay animation, it quickly became a worldwide hit for its sometimes bizarre slapstick humor and the now-iconic "Penguinese" fictional language, which was as expressive and easy to understand as could possibly be. There was never any need for dubbing or subbing: Pingu's appeal was mostly visual and completely universal, allowing it to take over the world and reach the largest audience possible destroying any existing language barrier. Originally airing in most of the countries in the world over the course of two decades, it's safe to say that most readers must have watched at least one or two original Pingu shorts at some point in their lives. Pingu proved to be incredibly popular in Japan, where its original version is still running - a couple of JP-exclusive games were even released over there, too. Being aware of that is important to understand why popular 3D animation studio Polygon Pictures would start producing this new take on a series over 10 years since its final episode and clears most of the shadow of mystery that's apparently hanging over all of the "anime is only my hand-drawn Cambodian cartoons" manchildren's eyes.

Unfortunately, as is usual for sequels that dare enough to change a classic formula, some of what may have made the original Pingu series so charming may have been lost or dimmed in its transition to CGI animation. The computer graphics look nice, of course. Directed with a "claymation emulation" technique, the effort and care of the 3D artists really shows, meaning that animation is way more up-to-date and that impractical or otherwise impossible to animate ideas can potentially be explored in the next episodes of the show (we had flying vegetables and a tennis match until now). Who knows what they can come up with, right? Still, the simple, goofy stop motion animation was probably what sold the original Pingu to much of the audience.

The new urban setting may also have taken out some of the bizarreness factor which made Pingu so unique - vast ice deserts and dreamlike clay scenarios now give place to a colorful, bustling city (Tokyo reference? looks pretty European though). But sound design might have taken the sharpest blow of all of the aspects, sadly. Penguinese comes back, as expected, but with different voice actors. It's still neat and funny to listen, but then some very small details bother me - the show's signature catchphrase ("noot noot!") sounds too different and characters now vocalize almost uninterruptedly, contrasting with the sparsely and cleverly used grunts and mumbling let out by the hilariously moody penguins from the original show. Maybe the excessively talkative penguins are there to represent how life in the big city is all about communication or something like that?

With simple plotlines and characters, the show has got just what it needs to hook its primary audience in, but expect some very light surrealism and situations deserving of a sincere laugh (no matter your age!) if the original series writing formula is to be followed.

In conclusion, while Pingu in the City may not turn out to be as grand as the classic series, it will still certainly make for a harmless, quick and fun weekly watch for the next 20-something weeks or so. If anything, Pingu in the City is already one of the most influential anime of recent times for exposing how noxious and puerile the modern Western anime community can be.

This is meant to be a fair preview of NHK’s 2017 children’s anime “Pingu in the City.”
In this preview, I aim to provide credible information regarding this anime to those who might look into this show no further than reading the reviews on this page.

Story 6/10:
As the newest season of a mainly episodic series with little to no overarching plot, Pingu in the City is by no means groundbreaking. With that being said, the 6 episodes of this season that have aired are far from bad. The stories are predictable and follow traditional themes of children’s storytelling, but there is a uniting theme ... of “work” at the core of every episode. This can be broken up into sub-themes such as (but not limited to): helping, responsibility, and making the most of an unsavory situation. One positive aspect of the Pingu series that lends itself towards effective storytelling is its gibberish dialogue, which cuts out almost all exposition. At only seven minutes per episode, there is little to complain about here. For a children’s show, “Pingu in the City” is fantastic, but when compared with something intended for an older audience, the story of this show will obviously come-of as nubile and generic.

Art 8/10:
Despite the switch from the claymation of previous seasons to the computer-animation of this one, the art style of the Pingu series has always been good. The simplistic character designs of the previous seasons are still around, only now, their forms are a tad more consistent. The splendid texture work on the characters, objects, and buildings makes for a very convincing replication of original show’s soft clay aesthetic. While not exactly inventive, the shot composition is very nice, and the lighting looks quite realistic. Despite the constant technological advancements that are made regarding the visual fidelity of CG, the lighting and textures in this show cannot match the real shadows and actual clay of the claymated original. One benefit of the switch to CG is the spike in animation fluidity and consistency, making “action” scenes more convincing. If “Pingu in the City” was claymated like the original, while also using the artistic technique on display in these past six episodes, I’d give it a 10/10 in this category. Even though this is not the case, I feel that an 8/10 is a valid score for how well they were able to replicate the charming claymation of the original using a digital medium.

Sound 7/10:
One of the Pingu series’ main appeals is its gibberish dialogue, and in “Pingu in the City” this is still the case. The voice actors flesh out the characters quite well, even though the words they’re speaking have no specific meaning. The OP and ED are short, cheery, and pleasing to the ear. The sound effects serve their intended purposes very well; I personally found the slapping sounds that accompany the movement of feet and flippers to be very cute. The background instrumentals are relaxing, and the overall soundtrack seems to be filled with a wide expanse of different songs that fit the tone of every scene in which they are used.

Characters 5/10:
The characters presented so far are serviceable, but the only one with a discernable name is the main character, Pingu. After minimal research, I found out that there are only 12 other named characters in the series, including “Papa,” “Mama,” and his sister, Pinga. One might take this as a bad sign, but for the sake of this show’s interests, names aren’t really needed. Traditional family stereotypes tell us who Pingu’s mother is and who Pingu’s father is; there is no need to for exposition. So far, the only one of these characters with ample screen time has been Pingu. As a mostly episodic anime, there doesn’t seem to be any significant character growth or deterioration from episode to episode. At the end of episode 3 however, Pingu seems to have grown into a more responsible person, so there is the possibility that his character will change with time.

Enjoyment 8/10:
I’ve enjoyed this anime far more than I had originally expected, which is why I’ve written such a dead serious review; I want to give an honest opinion for those who are drowning in this sea of memes. Pingu in the City makes for a satisfying weekly reprieve from the more violent and depressing anime that I usually consume. With 26 episodes at only 7 minutes an episode, this anime is easily consumable and doesn’t demand the commitment that a normal anime might demand in order to get anything out of it. The hypersexual, overly violent, and needlessly cutesy aspects of modern anime which usually drive people away from this medium are not present here. I can say with certainty that this show is for everyone.

Overall Rating: 7/10

Despite the lengths to which I have gone for the sake of this show, I am not an avid fan Pengu. I’ve only seen a few episodes of the original seasons, and that was only for the sake of comparison in this review. I’m just a guy who saw a charming, fun show being overtaken by a meme, and felt the need to do right by said show.

In deeming this a preview, this review will most likely be removed upon this series’ completion, and I’m ok with that; I can write a full review when that day arrives.

Review in brief:

Pingu’s surprise anime reboot, while a resounding hit with pre-established fans of the European claymation series, is difficult to recommend to newcomers despite being fairly entertaining in its own right. Though this short series provides simple fun, it’s a definitive step down from the older claymation seasons. That said, if you’re already a fan you’ll probably like Pingu in the City just fine.

Review in full:

Though this review is solely about Pingu in the City, it would be difficult to truly understand what’s right or wrong about it without looking back to its source. Originating from Switzerland in 1990, Pingu gained ... international acclaim as a children’s claymation series that made fantastic use of its medium to present zany yet touching short stories about the eponymous penguin. The international aspect was reinforced by how it told itself though expression rather than verbal dialogue, allowing characters to morph themselves to convey thoughts & emotion while having them speak “Penguinese”, a silly gibberish language that fit in perfectly with the typically light-hearted nature of the show. Japan was one of the many countries Pingu gained a following in, resulting in a CG anime reboot few saw coming but many became excited for.

This reboot is, in a word, alright. Many more descriptive words could be used, but they wouldn’t be completely honest. It’s unfitting in some ways, and yet it’s definitely still Pingu. It’s a little unspirited, yet specific aspects of it were certainly made with spirit. Lacking almost works, but in truth there’s no less going on here than there was before. It’s a whole product for sure, but you could say it’s missing just a couple screws that would have held the whole thing solid.

It starts with the production values. The use of CG does an average job of replicating the original claymation, though there is an initial effort to avoid the looser effects from the old show (they start making things a bit looser from the halfway point of the first season but it still isn't the same). At the same time a few odd bits of repeated animation & freeze frames are scattered about, and while giving Pingu transformation sequences was a cute touch it does wear its welcome. In essence, while it clearly looks like Pingu, it doesn’t hold the same expressiveness the original did, which means the plot can’t take advantage of the art style like it had before. At least the Penguinese functions the same and usually does its job well, even if it sounds somewhat different (I swear the chef penguin was made to sound the slightest bit French). There’s little noteworthy music to speak of though.

Pingu moving to the city gives the show a new setting but it isn't tapped into all that much. The environment and set pieces are interacted with in ways befitting an explorative children’s show, but nothing about it has to do with being in a city. Most of the jobs & activities Pingu partakes in could have taken place at his old village. Sure, the show can go on without the “city” aspect, but for what is essentially a look into a child’s exploration of his new home it results in many missed opportunities, especially as Pingu isn’t performing a new job every episode (in fact most of his jobs are recycled 2 times or more). The city itself also feels awfully generic in the end, though part of it is also how static it is from an artistic standpoint. If you put humans in this setting I’d almost think I was looking at Soviet Murmansk after 5 colors of pastel paint were evenly distributed.

The humor is pretty much in the same vein as the older Pingu episodes but it's not quite as quirky as the original due to its much more formulaic nature (Pingu observes job, gets job, does job, has job-related conflict, creatively resolves conflict or the episode ends before then). The show still has its moments, especially the first few episodes with the chef penguin (probably because Pingu does the silliest things to him, albeit unintentionally). Some episodes don't follow this formula (such as the racing and babysitting episodes) and they are usually more enjoyable as they actually explore things that fit the characters and the concept of children exploring rather than some random job Pingu gets a sudden interest in (which, again, could have worked fine if he didn’t repeat jobs so often). It honestly isn’t enough to give the show consistent charm. It’s almost frustrating to watch this season despite its occasionally down-to-earth episodes when it’s usually just one or two of the characters messing around with a job they were curious about for six minutes before the main joke happens and the credits roll. For the new viewer, they’ll likely find a couple episodes charming and simply see the rest as a standard kid’s show.

Fortunately the old characters that appear are themselves and the new ones fit in quite well. Pingu himself is a big part of what makes his show enjoyable; his impulsive & childish nature leads him into many crazy situations but he is also hardworking and well-meaning, so even if his approaches to problems are less-than orthodox he generally manages to solve them through genuine effort, even though he rarely takes an optimal path to it and it doesn’t always work out. His interactions with his little sister Pinga bring out both of Pingu’s sides in a strong way, further reinforcing his immature yet admirable character. Robby the Seal is like a foil to Pingu, usually fooling around and just looking for a good time, but he has a good chemistry with Pingu and they always find a way to help each other in the end. It’s a shame his appearances are limited and are mostly just in the later episodes. Most of the other characters have a few defining traits, which considering the limited screen-time they receive is enough to serve their roles and occasionally bring interesting moments to the table on their own accord. A little more expressive movement would have gone a long way towards having a consistently memorable cast though, and while there are definitely stand-out characters, the cast as a whole isn’t able to make the city come to life by themselves.

Verdict:

Pingu is back, but this season just isn’t quite the same. At times it has a genuine charm to it but when the majority of episodes can be chalked up to “standard fare” despite occasional quirks it’s time to take off the nostalgia goggles and be honest with what it is. I still found Pingu in the City enjoyable, but it’s not consistently good like Pingu was for me in the past.

Side note:

The second season addressed most of the points made in this review and is overall a much better showing. I could recommend the entire Pingu in the City series on account of the second season alone. The above review of the first season is untouched from before then though, and will remain as such because standalone all of its points still apply to its season. My review of the second season is also standalone, but in the context of it following this season of Pingu in the City versus this review following the claymation series.

Just imagine over several thousand of years had passed, the human race would have gone extinct ages ago, and the wildlife had taken control over once again, some form of life descended to earth, and discovered the Disney park, now wouldn't they think we human, the previous residents of earth were worshiping Micky mouse, regarding him as a mighty god? well, what would happen if they were to get a copy of the Pingu in the city series? now that would be something to be looking for, wouldn't it? but seriously guys, the series that emerged from our dark nature of memes, and gained most ... of its popularity from that is our focus for this review, I won't lie when I say, I picked up interest in this show just to take part of the meme community, and was greeted with a whole different experience when watching it.
This is going to be, an honest and an unbiased review of the series, “Pingu in the city”.

- Story (6/10):
The score in here varies from a person to another, I'm sure if someone else, younger than I am, would have given it a slightly higher score, but as for me, -the viewer, it felt like an easy 6 on the scale of ten, the story, while not completely dull, it follows our protagonist, a young male Penguin called, well, you guessed it, “Pingu”, that goes through his daily life, having fun sometimes, probably working hard in others, struggling like the average kids would. The story focuses more on his relationships with his family and friends, It's very wholesome and family friendly, and honestly, geared more towards a younger audience.

- Art (7/10):
Nothing very remarkable or outstanding, it's done all in CG, and surprisingly enough, taking in consideration the context, it's not that bad, you would typically see big-time shows screwing up the CG moments, but not this one. nothing is too overkill or anything, which really helps keep up the peaceful kind of atmosphere to the environment of the story.

- Sound (7/10):
Long have people complained about the lack of subtitles in this one, but honestly, why would you need any? the whole time, the characters are screaming nonsense, literally, some form of complex jibberish, and on fewer occasions, they would yield “Noot Noooot” very awkwardly, and yet, there is zero misunderstanding when it comes to following the characters' dialogs and interactions, the opening and ending are very, very simple, but do they stick to your memory that easy.

- Character (8/10):
What I really loved about this show, is how consistent the main cast is, who said only shows with lots of characters are successful? we don't see many familiar faces, because first, they are all penguins, and look similar to one another, and second, even though the city is so big, everyone seemed to know each other, outside of Pingu's family (which is one of 4 members), you have few of Pingu's friends and close relatives, and that's it. the show is typical, self-centered around Pingu, because, duh, he's the protagonist, but it's his everyday life that makes the cast wider by margins compared to the first episode.

- Enjoyment (7/10):
Trying to sum this one up, I'd say, I liked the show, I didn't love it nor did I hate it, simply had watched a decent show, where I didn't have a lot of things to complain about (which by the way would find me doing on even the most credible and popular well-written stories), if you overlooked the fact that it looks very childish, it's a really decent show to watch on your spare time.

- Overall (7/10):
Wow, even I am surprised that this lived up to be worth 7 out of 10 at this point, I'm not going to introduce a lot of people to this show, but for the ones who want something wholesome, here's your pick.

Pingu in the city is based on an older pingu which aired on 1990 to 2006. It was, at the time, the most enjoyable show I've ever watched when I was a child. Though granted, some of the details may have been lost in childish nostalgia but one thing is what I remembered from that old classic, I was anticipating each and every new episode in the morning whenever I get up. It's amazing to see that most of what I loved from the past still has been implemented in this show. All the characters I've come to know and love to the classic "noot-noot" ... sound, It's still all here. Now, I did say it still has most of what I loved from the old cartoon and that's because it manages to bring new elements to the plot that allows it to become much more endearing than in the
first iteration of this series. It's a great series if you want to relieve old memories when you were still a kid whilst creating new good ones when watching this show when you're older

As a child I grew up watching Pingu. Although, it was never my favorite, I did definitely enjoy it. After many years, I was surprised to find a reboot. I was crying. My childhood Anime!

Pingu in the city is an emotional masterpiece. From character design to the art and to the plot, everything is perfect. When I was watching the first few episodes, i didn't expect much. However, after episode 4, I realized it wasn't that this Anime was bad, it was different. Pingu is an original. Unlike other Anime out there that lure in hormonal teens with shirtless guys and short skirt girls, Pingu ... is different. It shows the daily life of people reflected in a penguin. Struggles that most people forget. Though this anime, we are reminded.

Overall, pingu is heavily underrated, it NEEDS to be in the top 10 in any anime list, including MAL. However, that will never happen because people have poor tastes.

You may sit there, reading this review and others, thinking we're taking the mick. Well, it's no joke, or mistake. Pingu in the City is a remake of the children's show Pingu. This in and of itself allows a nostalgic experience, but the updated anmation is charming, modernised but not enough to be unrecognisable.

The short stories vary from episode to episode but each is equally charming. It's an anime that benefits and rides upon the coat-tails of nostalgia, gripping you in a blissful blanket of content feeling. Blissfully watching the cute antics of young Pingu as he plays with his friends.

The satisfaction is unending, and ... you end up blissed out, riding the action. The low effort subtitles that once and for all confirm Noot means Noot are extremely funny, adding another layer to the comedy in my opinion. Don't believe me or the other viewers? Give it a try, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

The stopmotion clay animation is a dying art. Pingu in the City immerses itself in the dying embers and emerges as the magnificent phoenix which it is. The incredible sound design is orgasmic and Pingu's voice actor is honestly top tier. The character arcs are incredible and the development of not only the main character but also the side characters is immeasureable. The enjoyment level I got from watching this is too high. I had to change my underwear multiple times while watching as the sweat got too concentrated around my crotch and butt areas. Overall it is honestly a masterpiece that will honestly probably ... never be topped.

Pingu's friends connects deeply with the consciousness of Pingu and catches a glimpse of memories that she retained but he forgot from their childhood. Pingu's friends sees how Pingu endured torturous experiments from Dr. Daddy and received a picture book called The Pingu and the Dingu , which was her one source of comfort, from a caretaker. Pingu and Pingu's friends caught their first glimpse of each other when she was being dragged into the lab, where she experienced painful experiments if a laser blowing a hole through her hand. A caretaker tries to take her book from her but Pingu fought back until ... the woman gave up.
After suffering from electroshock treatment, Pingu's friends helped her escape by breaking the window in her room and Pingu notes that was her first time experiencing the outside world and the environment confused her, as it was different. She tried eating a mouse and impulsively bit Pingu's friends’s hand when he tried to stop her but he soon realized she didn’t understand what he was saying. He tried thinking of a name for her; his first choice was ‘Oni’ but then thought of Pingu, although he said it wasn’t good either. She tried pronouncing ‘Pingu’ but couldn’t because of her speech impairment. Pingu's friends then suggested they go somewhere far away.
Pingu narrates she didn’t understand his words but knew his voice called to her, she saw things with them and walked with them, and all the moments they shared were fun. She was given a piece of candy by Pingu's friends which delighted her. Feeling comfortable around them she showed them the picture book before they were forced to hide from some guards who were tracking them.
The two later sat in front of a tree while Pingu's friends read the book, which he noted was sad because Pingu and dingu couldn’t get married. Pingu was curious what ‘marry’ meant, and he explained it was when two people who loved each other make a vow to be together forever. However, he thought it would mean the two would have to be human. She smiled at them and Pingu's friends suggested they keep walking but noticed she had a cut in her knee. He was surprised to see blue blood from her wound and licked it. She compared his knee position to a proposal based on the wedding page and asked Pingu's friends if this is marriage. He said once they get out of here because he wanted to be with her forever too and become her darling. She began crying and hugged Pingu's friends to what Pingu now believed those were tears of joy. The two realized they were sitting in front of a mistletoe tree but were then found by a group of soldiers, who knocked Pingu's friends unconscious and grabbed Pingu.
Since then, she has vowed to become human no matter what because she always believed she could do anything with them. After a collision with Daddy and hearing gaymer's words. Pingu agrees but stops herself when Pingu's friends mutters she was the them with the picture book from before. As she looks back at them with tears in her eyes.
Such an emotional masterpiece. Would watch it again and give it a 10/10 again if I could.

Anime takes a very interesting approach with its art style, the old clay animation style reminds you of the great works of Tim Burton. Because of this, its art style makes it stand out and unique from other types of anime. The characters are wonderful, they speak very few words but, the noises and sounds they make convey so much emotion with them. Overall, this reboot or continuation of the original pingu series is very much appreciated, i grew up with it as a child and i'm happy to see it so much more successful now. One small nitpick i have is that unfortunately, it's ... not that popular i found it hard to find a streaming platform of which to watch it completely or atleast none with questionable legality. One more change that i found odd to adapt to first is the longer episodes compared to original pingu episodes but, it only took a few episodes for me to adapt, this nitpick only applies to weird people like me anyways, other than that there's nothing wrong with the show itself that i can point out.

A reboot no one expected from the last place anyone expected it from.

Pingu in the City is a reboot of the classic stop-motion clay animated children's comedy, Pingu, which was produced in Switzerland and later in Britain. A good deal of "90's kids" from the British Isles or other nations in the Commonwealth will remember growing up with Pingu on the television.

Pingu features the titular character getting into a number of wacky hijinks, mostly due to his youthful ignorance as he tries to be helpful to others. For the most part this unexpected Japanese reboot has kept the same spirit of the original show, something ... that can often be an issue for even the same studio rebooting/revisiting an older series that has not been worked on in a while, let alone an entirely different studio from an entirely different culture.

Due to the gibberish style the characters speak in and the lack of any real deeper plot beyond short-lived gags, there is no language-barrier that many children may struggle with watching anime.

Pingu in the City is a wonderful children's program that children, their parents, those with nostalgia from their childhoods and children at heart should be able to enjoy.

This anime is the number one anime that has ever been made. It is somehow a mix of a shonen, comedy, and psychological thriller. If any anime deserves an award of any kind, it is this masterpiece. Nothing can ever compare to it; not Deathnote, not Jojo's Bizarre Adventure- NOTHING.
The plot starts out with the main character, a rather naive and otherwise unknowing penguin by the name of Pingu. He is ridiculously powerful, and would be a boring "Mary Sue"-esque character if it weren't for his overwhelming timidness. His power comes from his mystical spell that only he ... can cast: the NOOT. Using it causes those around him to cower in fear of even the most basic of small penguins.

CHARACTER/STORY:
It is rather unusual for a main character be so NOOT-ingly strong; aside from shows like One-Punch Man, the main character being pseudo-omnipotent is not particularly good for user satisfcation. However, there is a significant cautionary side of Pingu, as he must pick and choose the instances where he uses the vast NOOT, as it only reigns death and destruction. He is and must be careful of where he causes death. Small penguins are not prosecutable in Pingunian law, but he has a conscience that he must obey.
The show is well known for its incredible character development, even across single episodes. For the sake of discussing an example, I will refer to the first episode, and as such will not contain any spoilers of the overarching villains in the story. (The first episode acts a pilot, only to set up the scene. The synopsis says much of what happens in it - though it is rich for analysis with visuals included.)
In the first episode, Pingu moves to a new and rather plain-looking city. However, the viewers quickly find that the city is overrun by monsters disguised as regular penguins. In the first episode, Pingu has a spell cast upon him that influences his actions, and he quickly is forced to use his insane raw magical ability to brew an otherwise unbrewable spell that would take his mystical powers away from him and give them to the as of yet unrevealed antagonist. Comically, his resistance causes the brew to become tainted, and instead of creating a power stealing bowl of tomato soup, he instead creates an anti-mind control potion. His raw NOOT energy combined with the fumes from the bowl allow him to escape the hands of the dastardly penguin. Though it's not stated, it is implied that the "chef" (i.e. monster in disguise) of the restaurant is slain for his failure to acquire the omnipotent penguin.
As Pingu leaves the restaurant, he becomes a changed penguin. No longer will he be the safe and sound penguin that he used to be in his prior town; now he must be wary of those who may attempt to seize his power. He must guard it so that these despicable souls do not get it. However, he knows that those helping these villains may end up ruthlessly slaughtered, and begins an internal psychological debate with himself about the ethics of remaining in a public area if he risks the world by potentially giving a villain the opportunity to seize his godlike NOOT.

ART/SOUND:
In a rebellion against traditional anime standards, Pingu in the City uses clay model animations that have been traced over by hand. They share some of the clay features, but retain the anime look we know and love. It is a novel shift from previous anime standards, and creates a visually and aesthetically pleasing frame to watch the journey of Pingu and his NOOT unfold.
The characters show incredible depth of expression. Pingu displays a huge number of emotions, and the art is so good at expressing his thoughts at any given moment that words are not even needed. In fact, throughout the entirety of the show, only one word is spoken: NOOT. There is much analysis that can be made of this, but it requires watching the entire several times to truly understand. It also involves spoilers, and I do not wish to spoil the wondrous journey of this forlorn penguin.
The sound track is absolutely incredible. I cannot go through my day without listening to the full OST several times. It is *that good.* The opening is quick and to the point, conveying the transition of the penguin. The viewer at first does not understand the implications and depth that the opening contains, but it becomes clearer and clearer as the story progresses. They begin to see the hidden meaning contained in the short time in which the masterpiece of the opening song plays.

OVERALL:
I simply cannot recommend this anime enough. It is well thought out - the plot, the music, the opening, EVERYTHING. No matter how much anime you have watched or what anime you've watched, this one is the one for you. I am sure that anyone lucky enough to behold the miracle that is Pingu in the City will be blessed for eternity.

Simply perfect, the story is captivating and makes you laugh and cry, the art is too good to be true, you can compare the art of the Beatles' com come togheter clip, the sounds are realistic and give you the feeling of being close to the pingu , the characters are very charismatic and intelligent, the pingu has his famous language that I am trying to decipher to this day, but I know that when he says amanamanam, I cry with emotion, all episodes have their characteristics, but the best is the last for sure , but I don't want to say the reason not ... to spoil the experience, I think they should make a pingu game, because this anime is PERFECT! I recommended to my mother, aunt, uncle, grandmother, dog, cat, parrot, blue macaw and rhino, my friends also recommend

This is the best anime to ever exist. Everything inside of this show just reminds me what living in Pingu in the City. Whenever MC says, "Noot Noot," it makes me cry- it's sad yet so happy at the same time.

Story: 10/10

It has one of the most obvious plots from its name; it is just Pingu, the MC, in a city. Watching the MC live inside of that city is just amazing, and that is why I rated it a 10/10 in every category. It is also extremely different from the first few seasons of Pingu, mainly because he used to live in a town ... in Antarctica, but it strays from the original because he lives in a city. I didn't make this section longer because I want you guys to see the story yourself.

Art: 10/10

The art inside of 'Pingu in the city' is a masterpiece in every scene; It's plain, and yet it is gorgeous at the same time. The reason I didn't rate this series art an 11/10 because the art that characters create in the anime is nothing past satisfactory; It is obvious and apparent in the anime. Although this one flaw is filled in with the wonderful art of the creators of said Pingu in the city. It is also very different from other anime because it has clay animation, which just adds to its uniqueness.

Sound:10/10

The opening of Pingu in the City is, by some people's opinions, the best anime opening. If you do not listen to 'Pingu in the City's opening for at least 25 hours a day, you have a psychotic condition. Not only is the opening of Pingu in the city amazing, so is the wonderful "Noot Noot" quote that I mentioned earlier in this review. The voice actors also exceeded my expectations by a long shot.

Character: 10/10

I don't think I even need to explain this one. Every single character from Pingu in the City is extremely above average and unique from different anime. Its uniqueness comes from each character being a penguin that doesn't speak. Others may think that the characters not speaking is a downside, but I think it's what makes it a 10/10. It would be better to go and watch it yourself to rate the characters, but for me, it's a 10/10.

Enjoyment: 10/10

Based on everything that has been stated before this, I believe it is self-explanatory why I rated this a 10/10. Now there's only one thing that I would rate better for enjoyment and that is Cory in the House, it is easily the best slice of life anime and I did enjoy it more but nothing can beat this now.

Overall: 10/10

Pingu in the city, where do I begin? Pingu in the city is the greatest anime in the history of anime. NOOT NOOT. Its story, art, sound, character, enjoyment make all other shows look awful. FMA Brotherhood doesn’t even compare to this show that was given to us by god himself. NOOT NOOT. I rewatched this show 13 times and it never got old. Hearing the constant NOOT NOOT makes my eyes water every time. The anime is very deceiving however as you may think it’s just a meme. In reality, it’s a heartwarming adventure that will make you cry by episode 2.

I mean...
Its Pingu mate.
Whats you expect?

This thing makes Monster look like fucking kindergarten, you feel me? Every episode grizzled with images of a war that haunt Pingu to the end of his miserable days. And to top it off, Pingu's dad is the greatest villain of all time. When he gets angry, Pingu knows he fucked up.

My favourite quote from the show is "BLLUFHGHFHHGFHF!!!!" from pingu's dad. It really shows off his rage and just how far he can push his humanity (as a penguin). When he bangs the table, the screen actually shakes and you can feel your heart beating as well



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All memes aside, its actually pretty good