The premise of the show is, of course, very simple. It centers around an abnormally round (and absolutely adorable) cat named Poyo and the family he lives with. We see them in weird mishaps in their daily lives, usually involving the ball of feline cuteness that is Poyo. Often friends and neighbors join in on the shenanigans, providing many a belly laugh... and honestly that is all there really is to the show.
That may not sound like much, but for a show with episodes that are 2-3 minutes long it is plenty of material. The simplicity of the plot works very well for the show; it stays consistently fun and never gets dragged out thanks to the short running time of the episodes. A strangely round cat might not seem like comedic gold, but the show pulls out a surprising amount of gags from this simple concept. Furthermore, these gags are actually cleaver and witty, rather than overly gimmicky as they are in lesser short series like Nyanpire or Recorder to Randoseru; not to mention well timed. Watching Poyo fail to do cat-like tasks as simple jumping onto a table or licking his belly because of his abnormally circular body will have you laughing, as well as gushing over how adorable he is.
The entire cast of the show is a lovable collection of walking gags. Moe, Poyo's owner, is a cheerful woman who takes things in stride to a ridiculous degree. An example of this is how she takes in Poyo after using him as a pillow when she passed out on the sidewalk. In contrast, her brother Hide is on the grouchy side, but his battle for dominance with Poyo is one of the funniest things about the show. Their father is a stern looking man with a gooey soft heart underneath his tough exterior. Kuro, the neighbor's cat, has a close relationship with Poyo... so close that he regularly humps Poyo, despite the fact they are both male. Hide's classmate friends are a guy who has a thing for Moe, and a girl who has a crush on hide and has a hard time managing her hyperactive dog. All the characters are used solely for comedic effect, there is not much else they can be with only 3 minutes per episode, but they certainly fill that role very well.
The effectiveness of the show is largely due to having veteran director Akitarou Daichi at its helm. Daichi is best known for wacky, good-hearted comedies (the morbid and emotionally devastating Now and Then, Here and There aside, of course), most notably Fruits Basket and Kodocha. Both those series displayed Daichi's skill as a comedic director, and Poyopoyo shows that his skill has not diminished a bit over the years. His sense of timing is keen as ever, he knows to drop the punch line at just the right time, and the humor never gets stale or tiresome.
Daichi also has a great visual sense, which makes good use of the shows obviously limited budget. The character designs and backgrounds are simple; very cute but not much in way of detail. Not to say it is lazy at all, it is clear effort was put into the charmingly simple look. Animation is pretty minimal, with plenty of shortcuts taken; though this is hardly a hindrance and even adds to the shows charm. Solid editing is the life-blood of this show, as scenes flow smoothly and naturally into one another in the short run time of each episode. The music is appropriately bubbly and simple, fitting the art like a glove. Notably, the short opening song, of which majority of the music is a variation of, is unbelievably adorable.
Obviously, Poyopoyo Kansatsu Nikki is not a monumental achievement on any level. It adheres to the comedic formula of pretty much every 2-3 minute short series. Director Daichi isn't really doing anything different from what he has done before; with shows that had more room to develop, no less. But damn if it isn't unbelievably adorable and undeniably charming. It won't blow your mind or anything of the sort, but it is a pleasant way to spend a few minutes of your day; and likely one of the best shows of its kind.
Oh, and if you were wondering how Poyo could sound so adorable, it is because seiyu Ikue Ootani has over a decade of playing cute as the ever-loved electric mouse Pokemon, Pikachu.
