Intro:
A tale of a boy in a jungle who meets a mysterious girl, surrounded by a bunch of quirky characters, struggling to have a normal day while uncovering his shadowy past. Despite being a comedy, the anime starts with a mystery and definitely has many mysteries throughout, with some very serious tones.
TL;DR: Highly recommended! Really over-the-top comedy with a good mix of mystery and heavy themes.
Plot Summary:
It really starts off as a boy-meets-girl story but quickly picks up its identity. Hare goes through a roller coaster of experiences from start to finish, constantly surrounded by the over-the-top people around him while uncovering mysteries with Guu, the jungle, and even his origins. Most of the time, it's just about seeing that Guu is not a menace to society.
Characters:
While there are three main characters, Hare is really the narrator. He's a 10-year-old boy who is a pushover, to put it mildly. Then there is Guu, an orphaned girl? though her backstory is more complex and shady (without getting into spoilers). Finally, there's Weda, Hare's mother, a drunkard, lazy, irresponsible woman who is very young and dumb and flawed and.. getting too much spoilers. Being a comedy, their development is somewhat stunted but still noticeable. You see them grow as much as possible for a 10-year-old, a being whose existence is out of this world, and a very young mother. They face real struggles, not just comedic ones, which show their different sides. Even Guu, who initially feels like an alien (both literally and metaphorically), becomes more human.
Side Characters:
This anime has some strong side characters from a comedic standpoint. While some are given more presence than others, there is definitely variety. My favorites are Marie, who is constantly in need of living an idealistic romantic life, and Bell, who is into yuri (enough said). Also, Clive is there; he probably is the only side character with some development. One blonde-dyed hair guy is named Gupta, which gave me a chuckle as an Indian.
Animation & Art Style:
Animation: Let's be real, I initially didn't want to watch this anime because its poster was very ugly. The animation is dated and hasn't aged well, but it adds to the comedic factor (i guess). However, sometimes it felt like laziness on the animators' part. While it never ruined my experience because of the comedy, it's something to note.
Art Style: I have to give credit for the unique art style. Because of their jungle setting, the characters stand out due to their skin tone, hair color, and clothes. You can tell some characters definitely moved into the jungle and are not native. Many are barefoot, which you rarely see, and their simple clothes stand out from modern anime characters.
Sound and Music:
Soundtrack: Guu! The opening is really catchy and i rarely skipped. However, it feels stereotypical in a way you'll understand once you listen. It's fun, energetic, and makes you want to dance, setting the tone for the series. The visuals are ugly, but the music is great.
BGM: The background music is serviceable but not memorable, except for emotional scenes.
Endings: I don't remember much, so they are definitely skippable.
Voice Acting: Guu had the toughest part, delivering punchlines and deadpan, mischievous remarks. Watanabe Naoko-san did an amazing job.
Hare, constantly complaining, was voiced well by Aikawa Rikako-san, who also did many original Pokémon voices.
Matsuoka Yuki-san, who voiced Mari, brought her ideal romantic fantasies to life excellently.
Some side characters were annoying, but they were meant to be, making the overall voice acting good.
Themes & Messages:
I don't think this anime is trying to deliver deep messages; it's more about having fun at Hare and Guu's expense. However, it does have heavy themes, both upfront like minor child neglect and darker subtexts like child grooming. These themes can make you question some characters' actions, potentially rendering them irredeemable. This shounen anime from 2001 hits hard when it addresses these themes.
Enjoyment:
I loved it! Any criticisms I had were minor setbacks. The experience was that good. I constantly felt the urge to binge-watch, enjoying the characters, comedy, plot progression, and mysteries. I will definitely re-watch this many times and plan to read the manga because it was that good!
Conclusion:
Why are you wasting time reading this? Just go watch it already! Definitely recommended.
