LEAVE IT TO PIYOKO
Ward, I’m worried about the eight year-old alien girl.
Review by: Craig “Gee, Wally” Norris
Length: 8 15-minute episodes
Genre: Comedy
Watched: All, subbed
DiGi Charat was quite an experience. Random and madcap humor is one of my favorite forms of entertainment, and I never cease to make time for it, even with my busy schedule. So, upon learning of this OAV, which opened another window into the zany world of Dejiko and friends (and enemies), I watched it immediately. And I was disappointed just as immediately.
Plot synopsis: This OAV focuses on Piyoko, leader of the Black Gema Gema and Dejiko’s biggest rival. It begins with Piyoko accidentally destroying part of her home planet, Analogue, and being forced to flee with her three caretakers. They decide to travel to Earth and attempt to capture Dejiko and ransom her back to DiGi Charat so that they can return to Analogue as celebrated (and rich) heroes. But, as so often happens in Akihabara, plans can get sidetracked.
Artwork: The artwork runs an even wider gamut than previous episodes of this franchise. The good artwork is really very good. The bad artwork permanently damaged my retinas. Of course, the artwork is part of the humor, and when it starts looking sloppy, that’s your cue to laugh. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work that way. However, at least the show can be credited with trying something different. Even if they did try it before.
Music: The DiGi Charat franchise is based around music, and this OAV is no different. Many of the songs on this soundtrack are ably performed by the boy band P-K-O, who consists of the voice actors for Piyoko’s three caretakers. They’re not too bad, in a their-music-is-catchy-even-though-they’re-probably-complete-and-total-tools kind of way. Their songs are all high-energy J-pop that is the class of that particular genre. If you just want to sit back and listen to a few toe-tapping tunes, the soundtrack should not disappoint.
Characters: Most of the character development in the previous DiGi Charat releases was almost totally incidental, which left the viewer free to enjoy the spastic humor. However, this OAV actually tries to develop characters, which seemed extremely out of character for a franchise that has based itself on great music and frantic comedy. The lead character, Piyoko, is an eight year-old girl from the planet Analogue who lives with her three male guardians. She’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer, and leads the Black Gema Gema with a mixture of cuteness, confidence, and incompetence. As Dejiko is associated with cats, so is Piyoko associated with pandas. Her caretakers are all officers in the Black Gema Gema: Rik Heisenberg, Ky Schweitzer, and Coo Erhard. Rik is the oldest, and also works as a veterinarian. He loves animals, and just about anything cute and furry. Ky is the “middle child,” and works as a dentist. He greatly values any compliments he receives from Piyoko, and seems to live for her affection. Coo is the youngest, and is also a physician. If one of Piyoko’s plans seems doomed to failure, he is the first one to say it. Still, he supports her and cares about her a great deal. Amaenbou is a small pink creature that Rik found on Earth. It speaks a very strangle language, and no one is quite sure exactly what it wants. Of course, Dejiko, Puchiko, Gema, and Rabi-En-Rose are around, but their presences are reduced to mere supporting roles. Quite a shame, since they’re apparently a lot funnier than Piyoko and her buddies.
Plot: The OAV is really just about being ridiculous, but it differs from the typical DiGi Charat formula in that it tries to have some sort of cohesive story, which is mainly composed of the Black Gema Gema trying to kidnap Dejiko. Also, the story is supplemented in a few cases by character back stories, not all of which are all that entertaining. Plot has no place in Akihabara. It is a wondrous place filled with funny faces, ridiculous comments, and naked blue men with onion heads. This OAV had far too few of these to deserve to stand alongside the previous installments of this continuity.
CHICKS!: Girls as young as the central characters in this OAV have no place in this section. And there are absolutely no other chicks to be had. Not even for a couple seconds. I don’t even recall seeing anything that remotely resembled a hot chick or any likeness thereof. Feh.
Overall: Well, I’m certainly glad this wasn’t very long, or I would have been even less pleased. Honestly, I can’t think of a good reason why this OAV had to be made other than trying to squeeze blood from a stone. It made me chuckle in spots, but not nearly as much as its predecessors. Thus, I cannot recommend this to anyone who isn’t a die-hard fan of everything DiGi Charat. And for those who are, don’t come crying to me when you get let down; you have been warned.
IN A NUTSHELL
+ A smattering of quality humor
+ A very nice soundtrack
- Everything else drags it down.
- A lot.
Rating: 4/10
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