Search - Hamtaro - Hamtaro and the Ham-Hams (Vol. 1) on DVD

Great anime for kids, parents, and open-minded anime fans

Neil Ford | Sydney, Australia | 06/23/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I bought my first Hamtaro DVD as a present for a friend who has a sweet tooth for cute little animals, and then got a copy to satisfy my own curiosity as an anime fan (plus the DVD was on special). I must say I enjoyed what I saw.



First of all, it IS cute, but not absolutely disgustingly cute - it's just a visual style that you quickly get used to.



Second, even though it is technically a "kids' show", it's not exactly mindless. Just as in more "mature" anime, there are story threads that continue through the series, the characters (while being stereotypes) have some complexity in their relationships, and, thanks to the normal human characters and good background art, there is a sense that the show takes place in (a nice part of) the real world, rather than some airy-fairy cartoon utopia.



Third, visually this show is superior to any US children's cartoon show I've seen recently, especially in the directing (i.e. frame composition & editing) and the painted backgrounds. And, finally, while I would have liked the option of Japanese language and subtitles, I think this DVD is that rare thing - a pretty good dub of a Japanese anime.



The great thing about Hamtaro is that, although it's for kids, it's not as "dumbed down" as some shows, which means that adults (parents and, er, *ahem* others) can enjoy it too, and parents don't have to worry about their kids being treated like morons.



The downside: with only three episodes per disc, you only get an hour for your money. Also, due to some quirk with the sound mixing, your ears may suffer from some fatigue after half an hour of Ham-Ham adventuring."

Hamha, Ham fans!

Neil Ford | 09/13/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Hamha! I think the dvd really rocks. Its not just for pre-school because i'm 11 and i like it loads!!! It has got "Hamtaro"+"The Ham-Ham Clubhouse"+"Calling All Ham-Hams!" on it and is the must have for a ham-lover!"

GREAT!

Neil Ford | 05/08/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Okay, yeah, Im thirteen. But, I loved this little cartoon. I was stuck with my cousin and she was making me sooo mad I had to go burn off steam, so I flopped on the couch and turned on the Tv. I thought it would be stupid at first, but I was wrong. I highly reccommend hamtaro for anyone!"

A great anime

Neil Ford | 01/17/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Now, a lot of people may think this anime is "kiddy", but it is NOT. I am 12, and I still think Hamtaro is very cute. In this DVD, you simply meet a lot of hamsters. If you like a good anime, or any cartoon, you should definitely get this DVD. Hamha!"