Himouto! Umaru-chan: Complete Collection

A Japanese comic strip inspired this thinly-plotted domestic/classroom comedy centering on sibling devotion. Umaru Doma is a much-admired schoolgirl—tall, fair, and well-mannered, with perfect grades. But to her junior-salaryman older brother and apartment-mate Taihei she's a churlish, slovenly, spoiled otaku-type. Frequently cosplaying as a hamster, the real Umaru is lazy and addicted to video games, junk food, and obnoxious impulses. In a clever touch, the heroine is drawn in caricatured "chibi" form when behaving badly, and the series features especially amusing segments about gamer culture and gadget fancies. Somewhat lost in the voiceover translation of this be-yourself farce is a recurring subplot about a classmate who is self-conscious about her “hillbilly” background and accent. Presenting all 12 episodes from 2015 in separate dual-language DVD and Blu-ray editions, rated TV-14, this amiable series is recommended. (C. Cassady)