Kappa Mikey: Lost in Transportation

Touted as “the first anime series made in the U.S.”, Kappa Mikey—which airs on Nicktoons and Nickolodeon—displays a mélange of styles and influences. When American actor Mikey Simon joins the fading Japanese television show LilyMu, the ratings begin to climb. Popular with fans (and therefore with the boss), awkward Mikey struggles to get along with his costars and fit into a new culture, chockfull of Japanese and anime stereotypes. Mikey is drawn in thick solid lines, while other characters mimic various anime styles, complete with stereotypical large eyes and wild hair. The standard anime tropes (super-deformity, giant sweat drops, etc.) hit more than miss, but the animation itself is generally poor, and the writing is mixed, with real moments of cleverness punctuated by puerile humor (two of the main characters are named “Guano” and “Gonard”). Two of the most enjoyable elements of the show are the cute dancing sushi appearing between scenes and the admittedly catchy theme song. Unrated, though suitable for 10-up, this English-language production compiles three episodes (two regular episodes, plus a “bonus” one), a DVD-ROM game, the Kappa Mikey music video, and instructions on how to draw Mikey. Already a minor hit, this is still optional, overall. Aud: P. (L. Martincik)