Phew, it’s hard to even know where to begin with explaining Patalliro to those who haven't seen it. It was absolutely ground-breaking for its time for being the first ever shounen-ai on Japanese TV. I would say it's a psychedelic adventure involving a Japanese, gay James Bond and a wacky, time-travelling prankster dictator who solve diamond thefts and other mysteries. It has all the charm of those really classic shoujo shows where all the tropes were established.
STORY: This show is weird and wacky but in the best possible way. You never know what’s going to happen especially because there are lots of unexpected sci-fi and supernatural elements that crop up, like witches and time travel. One thing we learn from Patalliro is that if you aren’t using your time-travelling abilities to hook up with past self then you’re clearly doing it wrong. The show is largely episodic with recurring plots like the Plasma-X robot family saga, diamond thefts or attempts on Patalliro’s life. Some of the standout episodes are the ones that focus on side characters, especially the ones involving Zachary (who’s a fabulous fortune teller that Patalliro torments) and of course, Robbie (which is my favourite episode of the series - *my heart breaks*). It’s a wild ride: there are trips to revolutionary France, gigantic chickens and acid-spewing dinosaurs but the characters and running gags keep the whole tone consistently comedic and entertaining.
At its core, Patalliro is a spy story (I think…) with most of the episodes revolving around clever plots to assassinate Patalliro or to steal his diamonds. The mysteries are usually solved by Patalliro himself who’s quite the sleuth but it’s Bancoran a.k.a. bishounen-killer that does most of the actual grunt work. That said, there are shenanigans and antics galore so it’s a gentle reminder not to take this too seriously - it's a gag anime after all. What makes comedy successful is a highly subjective thing but I’ve laughed many times at this show despite the fact that a lot of it’s comedic chops come from puns and references that non-Japanese people will struggle to understand. It's a niche style of comedy but it's more nuanced than just simple slapstick - there's a lot of wit there and I personally find it very funny.
CHARACTERS: All the things I found mildly off-putting became the things I ended up loving about this show - most notably Patalliro the main character himself. A character that shouldn’t work but ultimately does for several reasons:
1. If you find him annoying I wouldn’t blame you in the slightest, I did at first - but he’s also meant to be. It’s part of his character, it’s the impetus for a number of story lines and plot points. It makes sense with his upbringing and position.
2. What’s great about this show is that it has moments showing a much more endearing side to Patalliro that makes you start to like him and by the end of the series, you love the little weirdo and his bizarre antics. When it comes to the crunch, he’s a nice guy really and despite his selfish whims, he really does care. There are some genuinely touching moments that flesh out this typical gag anime character into someone more well-rounded.
3. Another reason that Patalliro as a character works is that he’s balanced and countered by the other characters in the show. His constant bickering with Bancoran and Maraich and their almost violent but playful disdain for Patalliro keeps him in check.
Bancoran is my absolute favourite part about this show. He’s so dashing. I’m a sucker for chivalry and even more so when the chivalry is in favour of boys' love. Some of the best escapades involve Bancoran and his bishounen-killer ways, bewitching every young attractive male and even the unattractive ones (I’m looking at you Patalliro). Not that I’m blaming them, who wouldn’t fall for Bancoran? Maraich getting violently jealous is always a fun gag and their romance was one of highlights of the series.
ART & MUSIC: While the aesthetics of Patalliro may be off-putting to some, for me - it’s probably its biggest selling point. The whole thing is gorgeous to look at as long as you’re open to old cel animation styles. Some of you will roll your eyes at this but to me, there’s a richness that you get when it’s all hand-drawn that’s so delightful to watch. It’s very stylised in both its backgrounds and character designs and I just love it - so much so that I’ve even bought a couple of the animation cels. The whole thing looks so stylish, like a mix of an Aubrey Beardsley painting and an Erte fashion drawing. The colour palette is a vibrant technicolor and while it’s not for everyone, it’s utterly eye-candy to me.
The OST might be called cheesy or dated...and it is - but it’s undeniably suited to the style of the show. It reminds me of those old-school detective shows like Charlie’s Angels or classic Bond films. I think it’s fun, vintage and charming. The pseudo-seventies porn music that starts every time Bancoran begins to seduce a bishounen is a particular highlight.
OVERALL: Honestly, I don’t have many problems with this anime. Of course, there are some episodes that are stronger than others but that’s the same for any series. The biggest problem with this anime is that for many people there are SO many deal breakers acting as barriers to general enjoyment: its art style is bizarre, the animation is very old, it involves shounen-ai romance, it’s full of Japanese puns, it’s weird and often very surreal. If you can get past all that, you’ll come to love it but I imagine that for most people, it’s just too much an oddball.
I’ve tried hard not to fanboy too much in this review but I think it’s very apparent that I’m obsessed. Hopefully, that will convince some of you to give this a try because it saddens me to see how under-watched and under-appreciated this anime is. As I’ve said, it’s hard to recommend: it’s weird, it’s old, it’s gay but for those of you willing to jump those hurdles, it’s enchanting and in my opinion, a really special show that's worth your time.
The biggest question Patalliro leaves us with is: Who really DID kill Cock Robin?!
