POTEMAYO
The moral of the story? Don’t leave things in the fridge.
Review by: Craig “Open Box of Baking Soda” Norris
Length: 13 episodes
Genre: Comedy
Watched: All, subbed
Usually the cute mascot is relegated to a supporting role, consisting mainly of comic relief. However, this series elevates them to marquis status. The comedy is also elevated, as the two focal creatures spark many side-splitting moments throughout the course of this series. At the very least, they’re funnier than most of the other stuff that’s in your refrigerator.
Plot synopsis: One day before heading off to school, junior high school student Sunao Moriyama opens his refrigerator to get some milk, and finds a small creature that becomes instantly infatuated with him. He names this creature Potemayo, and begins bringing her to school with him. This represents a problem for Natsu Mikan, Sunao’s classmate who has a huge crush on him, and whom Potemayo is constantly jealous of. Things get even weirder with the arrival of another creature from Sunao’s refrigerator; and this one’s got a scythe.
Artwork: Overall the character designs are pretty bland and formulaic for school kids. This is not necessarily a problem, as the subject matter doesn’t exactly call for ornate and distinctive character designs. Backgrounds, however, are inexcusably horrid. They are flat, thickly lined, and are generally a discredit to every form of artistry. And, unlike some comedy series, I never gained the impression that it was done intentionally. Certainly, the artwork as a whole would ruin a series that is supposed to be taken seriously. Fortunately this one is not, so the substandard artwork is not too much of an obstacle.
Music: The music is mostly light melodies, keeping well with the mood of the series. The opening theme is an extremely cute j-pop number which quickly grew on me due to its energy. No other tracks from the series are particularly memorable, but they do plenty in a supporting role to keep pace with, and sometimes even enhance, the overall mood.
Characters: For a comedy series, the main character receives an extraordinary amount of depth, and even a few of the supporting characters are given an edge. Sunao is a very stoic boy who never seems to show any great emotion. He very rarely smiles and doesn’t seem to care about anything a great deal. His diet consists mainly of bread, and he lives alone for the most part, with occasional visits from his father. Potemayo is a very simplistic creature, whose main interests include food, Sunao, and occasionally peeing herself. She feels threatened by anyone who attempts to get close to Sunao, mainly Natsu. Natsu’s feelings for Sunao border on obsession, and she freezes up in hilarious ways whenever Sunao shows outward favor for her. Nene and Kyou are Natsu’s closest friends. Kyou is polite and always brings food for them, and Nene comes from a rich family, and sometimes says some very flippant things. Mudou and Hachisoba are classmates of Sunao. Mudou has an unhealthy obsession with Potemayo, which is constantly obstructed. Through a misunderstanding, Mudou becomes enslaved by Nene. Hachisoba is very gay for Mudou, and expresses deep sorrow for Mudou’s various misfortunes. Sunao’s father, who sporadically visits, is much more outgoing than his son, and often attempts to get Sunao to break out of his shell. This is often met with a punch in the face from Sunao. Easily the most entertaining character of the show is Guchuko, who appears to be the same type of creature as Potemayo, but differs from her in nearly every aspect. She is a loner with no apparent common sense. She cuts nearly everything in half with her scythe, but promptly repairs it with tape, which never ceases to be hilarious. She has two grub-looking things on the side of her head that shoot lasers from their mouths. Kyou becomes her principal caretaker, but Guchuko simply refuses to get very comfortable around anybody. The characters by themselves are nothing remarkable, but putting them all together results in very snappy interplay and some very funny moments.
Plot: As far as actual story goes, there’s really not much to be had. Most of the series focuses on the relationship between Sunao and Potemayo, and the silly things that Potemayo and Guchuko do. The last couple of episodes deal with Sunao, his relationship with his father, and the death of his mother, but not enough time is spent on that to consider it a key plot point. For the most part, this is a series where you don’t have to worry about following a central plot, and can feel free to enjoy the cute silliness.
CHICKS!: Most of the central characters are either junior high school students or chibi-like creatures from a refrigerator. Therefore the amount and quality of chicks to be had is understandably slim. If I had to pick one, I’d probably go with Kyou, since she seems to be the warmest and the most mature. Plus, she can apparently cook very well. By and large, however, there is a noticeable void in this department where the anime is concerned. Unless one-foot tall chibi creatures are your bag.
Overall: This series was cute and genuinely funny, and I had more fun watching this than any other series within the past year. Anyone seeking a few hours of clever and harmless fun should definitely consider picking this title up. You’ll never look at your fridge the same way again.
IN A NUTSHELL
+ Really cute
+ Really funny
+ Really original
- Backgrounds that make eyes bleed
Rating: 8/10
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