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.
