Taking a break from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, Souta Tawara returns to his hometown in Kagawa. Though his parents are no longer around, his former home and family-owned udon restaurant reminds him of the times his family was still together. Reminiscing about his childhood, Souta enters the udon restaurant and discovers a grimy young boy sleeping.
At first, Souta thinks nothing of the chance encounter and provides the boy with food and clothing. However, to his surprise, the boy suddenly sprouts a furry pair of ears and a tail! Souta soon learns that the nameless boy is actually the rumored shapeshifting tanuki that has been inhabiting Kagawa for many years. Thinking that the boy has been living a lonely life, he decides to take him in and name him Poko.
Udon no Kuni no Kiniro Kemari follows the heartwarming relationship between Souta and Poko, and through the time they spend together, Souta recalls his own past, the place he left behind for the city, and the relationship he had with his father.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Nenhum episódio encontrado.
Comentários
wyvernwings
The story of Souta and Poco is, to say the least, heartwarming. Over the course of twelve episodes, the relationship between the two unlikely pair, a web designer and a shape-shifting tanuki, unfolds as they interact with other characters from both rural and urban environments. The general message conveyed is that of familial love and bonds; however, this does not only pertain to conventional families but found ones, too. Though the plot lacks complexity, aside from the occasional drama that comes with exertion and exhaustion on Poco's part (as maintaining a human form is demanding), the story is compelling and certainly draws the viewer inwith its music (most notably the fun op and soothing ed), its gentle art style, and its well-crafted simplicity. Poco's charm captivated me immediately (just look at those eyes!) and my affection toward him only grew with each episode and his childish antics. Overall, each episode brought a smile to my face, even though there certainly were moments where the story brought tears to my eyes, and the end was satisfying, albeit a bit heart-wrenching.
If you enjoyed series like Barakamon or Usagi Drop, you'll probably find yourself falling in love with this one, too.
~This is my first review, but I plan on writing more in the future.~
Salad
One word is all you need to change the path you lead. The detrimental choices of life is but a commodity that leads you to a whole. Here we follow a Web designer named Souta Tawara, who, after his father’s death, visits his childhood prefecture of Kagawa, the home of Udon noodles, which funnily enough doesn't play a part in the body of the story, but to an extent remains part of the overaching plot. He soon meets and houses a young “boy”, and the story begins from here. Considering this is a Slice of Life anime, story isn’t something of total necessity, however thereis a fair supernatural backdrop of Poco being a Tanuki which was something I liked during the early stages, however as I delved into the series, I don’t particularly believe that it was something of true value, as the whole scenario hardly plays a part during the series, but I assume it was something added to differentiate this series from others that are within the same regime. Regardless, I felt it could have been improved, but it didn’t hurt the series either, so don’t assume as such in order to have incentive to avoid the series. Other than that, the story is bare bones SoL, so you shouldn’t expect much here.
The characters is where this genre truly shines, and I feel this series does a fairly good overall of portraying them. All characters I feel from the cast felt refreshing and unique, and most importantly memorable due to those features. Although there are some generic tropes re-used here and there with them, but I feel they still do the extra than your bare average series. Character development is also very much vocal for its positive aspects. The ones most affected, as you would expect are the main two, Souta and Poco. For Souta, he became a person that didn’t want you shoulder responsibility, to something a parent would dream for. Poco, on the other hand, becomes human in personality. I really love Nakajima’s character, and I’m not sure if this is intended, but I feel he is, what Souta couldn’t become. He inherited his father, whilst Souta couldn’t. He did it before he could regret. If this was intended, kudos! One character that stood from other background characters for me was Rinko; Souta’s sister. I enjoyed her transition from being a quirky and lazy woman to one that makes the effort, as she become pregnant, she speaks for many people in real life that change to accommodate their later family. There are other background characters, who whilst don’t develop per se, they continue to show up throughout the series, and just assist our main characters, as you would expect from an SoL.
What I also really enjoyed about this series is all of the visual imagery, especially during the introductory episodes. I felt it did a good job for rural Japan. But its key purpose I feel was to reflect the emotions of the characters. There was a scene where the sky went dark to represent the darkness in the heart of Souta, but it cleared up, as he found someone he can finally cherish in his life. He and Poco are alike in that approach, as Poco has lived for 1000 years under the same loneliness. However, this series delivers a touching, bubbly bonding of the two, which makes you forget the dark connotations underlying their origin. One complaint I have however is how perfect they can be together, in a sense it can be unrealistic at times, but who cares right when you have the “kawaii”.
Something I didn’t like was the structure of this series as it honestly felt out of place. To put it in retrospect, the beginning and the latter parts of the show had a serious tone, however their transition into your typical SoL or out of it, which was the body of the show felt almost incoherent. I could piece those two jigsaws of a puzzle and they would fit with each other, but they don’t fit how they are currently locked. However, tying up some loose ends of the series made it soothing to watch as I slowly got used to it. I feel like this anime, similar to many others, suffers from the lack of episodes provided to it. Had it been 24/25, it would have made for better pacing.
Artwork for this series is clean and simple, as it should be, there’s nothing truly too melodramatic about a slice of life. I liked the use of the white outline as a colour of purity, which sums up this series whole. OST is also befitting the series, as they use violin/piano/acoustic guitar for light sounds which complement the scene, but never take your attention away from it. The opening, conveys a feeling of brightness, whilst the ending chooses slow tempo to again follow suit with the simplicity aspect.
Overall, I feel this anime is worth giving a shot, as it exhibits the tranquilising yet loving father-son relationship between Poco and Souta, loving characters and beautiful visuals. Aside from that, it has a mild overarching plot which I believe is hardly worth mentioning, however doesn't interfere with your viewing experience.
gagan5867
Have you guys seen barakamon or Amama to Inazuma? If you have and liked them you will surely like Udon no kuni. This is the cheerful anime of this season. Getting straight to the point the anime doesn't really have an elaborate story line. One thing great about that is this anime feels complete this season alone, so no waiting for a new season and wondering if it will ever be made. Udon no Kuni no Kiniro Kemari is about a guy called Souta and his chance encounter with Poco who turns out to be a shape-shifting tanuki. The story progresses with Souta remembering things abouthis past (regrets and stuff) and gaining acceptance about the same and understanding them better thanks to Poco. Souta nad Poco develop kind of a father son relationship which helps Souta understand his father better which again is an important premise of this story, that is, Souta's relationship with his father.
Udon no kuni is a really cute anime which does the job of absolutely soothing you. Now talking about art, music and other also important aspects while reviewing an anime I would say the voice actors definitely suite the character designs and the art is just easy on the eyes. Not too much detail and not too little to make it look like a cheap production. Music that goes time to time with the episode add to the emotions that the episodes try to convey so that is definitely well done.
All in all this is the anime one should if they do not want to worry about continuations and just feel cheerful. That ends my review. Thank you
Dcat682
I spent all night binge watching Udon no Kuni no Kiniro Kemari and now I'm flat out frustrated. The anime kept me entertained for the majority of the series, but then episode 10 comes around making Poco as a character irrelevant. He was simply a plot device personified and then thrown out at the end. Why so much character building over something that apparently is insignificant to the actual story. The story could have easily been told in one episode without Poco without frustrating me to the point of pulling my hair out. I really enjoyed the series until the last episode when itfelt like I were given two middle fingers from the writer. We were given 11 episodes of build up for what felt like a Neon Genesis Evangellion ending.
Poco had a massive growing experience learning as things progressed making me fall in love with him again and again only for the ending to tear all sense of knowledge and experience he had from the 11 previous episodes away.
Tl;Dr: Good build up; horrid end.
freckled
Poco's Udon World: Top 10 Anime Betrayals Before delving into my reasoning for my rating, let me first state that Udon no Kuni no Kiniro Kemari is honestly a delightful show, for the most part. But the ending of Poco has permanently coloured the entire series for me in a frustrating and less-than-flattering light. Most of the time if an anime has an unsatisfactory ending, I can still look back on my enjoyment of the journey. But Poco's ending left me feeling empty, like the journey had been pointless. Art: The series has a nice clean style which fits the slice of life tone. I liked thesoft rim lighting on all the characters which added a unique visual element to the series. Sometimes the way Poco's expressions were drawn were a little much (in a trying too hard kind of way) but for the most part he was very cute. The backgrounds weren't anything special, but they were soft and fit the style of the show very well.
Characters: The best part of this series hands down. All of the supportive cast felt multidimensional and were enjoyable to watch. Souta and Poco were, of course, the highlight of the series. Seeing their relationship grow and Souta embrace this fatherly roll he suddenly found himself it was heart warming. Which made the ending that much more bitter for me.
Story: This is ultimately why I gave this show a 6. It would of easily been an 8 for me if not for the last episode. Without spoiling anything directly, the show essentially throws away all the character growth that had been developed throughout the whole show. Since that growth was the focal point of the series, I can't look at the previous episodes without it feeling tainted. The characters reactions all felt so empty and the moral felt cheap. If literally any of the characters showed a level of grief or serious sadness, I would of probably given the show at least a 7.
I know my reaction is much harsher than others, and you very well may not mind the ending at all unlike me. But Poco's Udon World was a show I was watching as a feel good pick-me-up and the ending felt like a rug being pulled out from under me.
I still love Gaogao-chan though. Gao Gao!
psychedoll
I don't really write reviews. But somehow, I felt attached to this anime in a spiritual, emotional level. Things I like about this anime: 1. Primarily, I was visually captivated, I found the art very simple and cute. The closest thing I can compare it to is a warm glass of milk. Makes you feel at home. 2. It stimulates your emotions, a wide variety of emotions. Melancholy, joy, and others in between. At just the right amount, nothing exaggerated, nothing lacking, for me, at least. 3. Makes you think about the past, present, and future. "What was I like back then?", "Who am I? What amI doing with my life?" and "Where am I heading? What do I want to get out of this life?"
4. Relationships were presented honestly/realistically. Well, except for the fact that this falls under the supernatural genre. It shows father-child, mother-child, child-child, brother-sister, relationships, friendships.... (ps I ship souta and nakajima jk) and all other significant ships.
Did not like:
It needs more episodes.
PS tried to pick out the most important features that I liked to keep it brief. May present it in a very positive light, but I guess that is how I FEEL about it.
Hope this helps?
Orangutan_Steve
wow, just wow. the characters are developed so well that when anything emotional comes up it has really substantial weight. I really enjoyed this show. I had expected it to just be a nice intermission between other shows I was watching, but this one stole my attention in a heartbeat. There are definitely some sad parts to this show, and I got pretty teary at points too. Not all out bawling like in Violet Evergarden for example but it was a different kind of sad then I'm used to. it's not tragic or painful. it comes from the skilled and well thought out storytelling ofthe show itself. 8/10 very good. definitely worth the watch, but be prepared for more than just a goofy story.
GabrielaWolff
Udon No Kuni No Kiniro Kemari exceeded my expectations. Reminds me of Barakamon(that is one of my favorite animes). The anime tells the story of a man who returns to the town where he was raised and, suddenly, find a cute and lost young boy, so he decides to stay in the city to take care of him. May sound a little silly, well, maybe it is, but that's what makes it so wonderful. It's a simple anime, but also so great that gives you a great sensation while watching it. It warms your heart and brings you a cozy sensation. The episodes I've seen brought mecalm. It doesn't seem to have a deep story, but every episode gives you an inexplicable happiness.
I've only watched 2 episodes till now and I feel like it won't let me down, but I can't antecipate myself. After watching some more episodes, I'll be back here to add more details.
Edit: So, I've watched all the episodes, what can I say? I loved it! It didn't disappoint me. Cute story, cute characters, calm anime. That's all I can say.
The art style is great, simple, without exaggerations! The characters's design is also great(btw, I love the shark's tooths of Souta's best friend, Nakajima). The scenery is nice, it's not extraordinary(nothing that would make me give a lower rate to whis great anime)
The characters are great! Poko is a really cute little boy(that's actually a tanuki), Souta is a good guy, you can see that he really loves Poko, and Nakajima is that stupid character that you like, cause you know he's good, but he just pretend to be tough(Oh, and I love the shark tooths!).
The anime garanteed me good laughs, made me happy while watching every episode, and, as a Slice of Life lover, I'll give a 10/10. If you like that kind of anime or if you're feeling sad/down, watch it and you'll understand why I liked it so much!
WolfCladInBlack
Okay, I don't exactly remember how long it has been since I wrote my last anime review; so I guess I'll resume the same with this one. It's only been 10 episodes, 2 more to go till the series meets its end; but still... I'd like to be frank in here. Poco's Udon World is something you don't get to come across everyday. It is one of those slice of life anime which I would refer to as 'Calm' and 'Beautiful'. The feature that distinguishes this particular anime from most others of the similar genre is that it is actually 'KAWAII' and 'HONEST'. This very series which dealswith the life of an ambitious web-designer who abandons his place and family business and migrates to a bigger city in search of opportunity.
The story line isn't anything extraordinary although the part where he encounters this 'Tanuki' or 'Raccoon' which has supernatural ability to transform into a human is something we don't come across everyday. This inclusion of this main character named Poco, actually has made this anime worth watching, provided the cute voice casting of this 'KID' and the innocence reflected thus.
All I'd say that this is one of those perfect anime one can watch without any hesitation or reluctance after having a hard day outside.
A perfect anime for relaxation and tranquility; perfect for watchers of all ages; although it has been rated PG 13 or older.
From me, it is a must watch. YES! I am recommending this, although I fail to get it why it has been underrated.... anyway, have fun watching this, people....
THIS ANIME WILL SURELY MAKE ANYONE SMILE
one of the best, in fact the best anime of Fall 2016 in my opinion.
Snowpuff
High ratings guys. but Story: 9.5 I mean this anime is a heartstring puller, it has a lot of feels in it, and sometimes you will go like "AWW THATS SO CUTEEEE" kinda anime. This anime revolves around a tanuki and an adult that kinda goes through a family like story, trying to hide from everyone that poco is the tanuki. The reason i did not give it a ten was the sort of rushed ending.. but you know. MAN THIS STUFF IS GOOD. Art: 10 Look at the cover art. its beautiful, the animation is flowy as well. Sound: It was not memorable as an OST but OPand ED definitelyare good.
Character: 10
Cute, fluffy, clumsy, emotional, what more can you really ask?
Enjoyment / Overall: 10
Despite the rushed ending, it was quite sad and stuff, but the emotional train this anime will take you on is absolutely heartwarming. There were comical parts and a relatively slow plot, but it was a thing to wait for.
Recommendation: WATCH IT
PixelBrush
I went in expecting another generic food anime, alongside some shape-shifter shenanigans, but instead I discovered the most heartwarming slice of life anime I've ever seen. Poco is plain adorable, and the story develops surprisingly naturally, considering the supernatural circumstances. I wish there was more to this story, but unless I read the Manga, I doubt I'll find anything more. Highly recommend it to anyone who wants to feel the need to get up and hug their loved ones. The Art style is simply incredible too, always having this radiant warmth to it, like the pastel drawings of a child, similar to Studio Ghiblis Ponyo.
PyraXadon
People tend to leave behind unfinished business in life, only to realize that what we leave behind can never be resolved once we've mustered up the courage to face our problems. So what do we do then? Well, we move on forward, come to terms with our own problems, and smile to what we do have. Story: Tawara Souta is a web designer from the Kagawa Prefecture who moved to Tokyo many years back in order to pursue his dreams after a fall out with his father. After hearing that his father had passed away, he returns back to the placeof his birth and the now empty udon shop that his father ran to clean out the place. After finding a strange tanuki boy in a pot, he embarks on a journey to rediscover the life he left behind and come to terms with his relationship with his family.
First off, no, the series is not about udon. At least not completely. Poco's Udon World is one of those unexpected hits that comes out of left field to create an extremely touching story between the dynamics of family and those dear to people. The whole story revolves around its cast of characters and connecting to friends and family around them, even those who have disappeared. A parent's wishes for a child, the mental readiness to become a parent, and understanding the kind of tender love and care that people have for one another are just a small handful of the kinds of stories that we're presented with here. The story doesn't have much grip to them, as these themes are touched on just enough to become meaningful and not melodramatic, yet has the kind of takeaway that anyone could benefit from.
So for the main story, there's very little to complain about. The way it's written is so heartwarming that I couldn't stop smiling while on this emotional rollercoaster. Aside from that, there is something that deserves being talked about, and not in the good way. Each episode aside from the finale features a little short about the cartoon characters that Poco and other characters in the series know about. Now these shorts...are kind of strange. They were interesting at first because of how they were made, but as the main series gets deeper and deeper into its themes, these shorts felt...kind of jarring to watch. Probably because they had such a jarring shift in tone when compared to what the audience just watched, but I digress.
Despite its misleading title about a world of Udon, Poco's Udon World is a touching story about family and how tight bonds can be no matter how bad things left unsaid are. It hit me personally close to home, and I can always appreciate a series that manages to do that to me.
Overview:
+ Wonderful main story
+ Well-executed themes
- Aftercredits cartoons are jarring shifts in tone.
Characters: As expected, the characters for this emotionally packed anime each have a story to tell, and does it well without a shadow of a doubt.
First we have Tawara Souta, our main protagonist and pilgrim to this emotional journey. Having unfinished business with his father and a lot of pent up feelings about what happened so many years ago, Souta becomes an extremely meaningful character from start to finish. Each passing episode moves him closer to his growth as a person as he moves closer to the answers that he seeks, ultimately moving him in the right direction as to what it is he wants to do with his life. He's a well-made character with nicely paced character progression, which is always a plus in my book.
Then we have Poco, the innocent, adorable mascot of the series. As a tanuki posing as a small human boy, Poco comes into the series more as the conductor for the characters' growth and development. A lot of what he does is meant to instigate the progression for Souta and the rest of the cast, with an explained motive for doing so appearing only at the end of the series. He's not really that deep of a character aside from being and acting like a little kid, so the only explainable parts of his character are in his impact, not his character.
The rest of the cast vary from more important members of the side cast like Souta's sister, Rinko, his friend, Shinobu, and the best boss in the world, Hamada, or Dahama-san. The first two in particular are given drastically improved stories from the rest of the side cast and have stories that grow alongside Souta's own journey, thus adding new layers to the series's overall theme and message, which I find really nice. Other members of the side cast are there to give more vibrancy to the cast, and while they don't have that big of a role, were still nice to have nonetheless.
Overview:
+ Great characters overall
- Most side characters didn't play too big of a role
Art: Made by Lidenfilms, the art for Poco's Udon World is bright, light, and gentle, just like the series itself. The art style itself is very simple and the colors used are more towards the light spectrum, thus giving the happy look that the series embodies. It's well produced, simple, and overall has a very pleasant to look at appearance that aids in driving home the meaningful themes that the show talks about. A plus in my book.
Overview:
+ Good quality, simple artwork
Sound: The soundtrack for Poco's Udon World has a very interesting dynamic to it. BGM drives home the emotion of the scenes very well, and the OP and ED embody the two different feelings that someone watching may have when watching the show.
The OP, "SOS" by Weaver is a high energy rock song with heavy emphasis on keyboard on drum to nail the happy day to day moments that the show spends a good chunk of its runtime on. On the other hand, there's its ED, "Sweet Darwin" by GOODWARP, a somber and emotional piece that uses the smooth melodies of acoustic guitar and slow drums to hammer in the emotional messages that the show delivers. Both of these tracks are stellar, and I honestly couldn't have asked for better or more memorable songs.
Overview:
+ Memorable OP and ED
+ Fitting music
Personal Enjoyment: Personally, I had no idea what to expect when I read the synopsis of this series. Like, when you read "Poco's Udon World", what exactly is one supposed to expect? Regardless, it came to me as a surprise, a pleasant surprise, when I knew exactly what I was getting into, and I honestly couldn't have wished for anything better than what we got. It was a touching story that from start to finish, I couldn't stop smiling when watching it. Even got me a little teary-eyed at the end, and I don't cry easy.
Did I like this series?
Yes. Oh yes. It's a series I fell in love with incredibly quickly, and I do not regret a single moment of it. I laugh, I smiled, and I enjoyed myself. And from something like this, that's all I could ever want.
What didn't I like about this series?
It ended. Good god, I wanted more touching moments.
Would I recommend this series?
If you're looking for a well-written story with emotion without melodrama, or you're a fan of heartwarming stories like this, then I'd say give Poco's Udon World a try. Honestly, I cannot sing higher praises about this show. It's just a nice, sweet little adventure that's fun to see, and touching to watch.
ChelseaBlue2004
Where do I start with Udon no Kuni no Kiniro Kemari, most would say its a bit of a rip off of Usagi Drop, Barakamon and Amaama to Inazuma. But its so much more than that and as a 30+ male this show hit me right in the gut and I loved it! The story of Tawara Souta a 30 year old web designer who has to deal with the death of his father and has to return home to the country and deal with affairs there, but is surprised to meet Poco, small child he finds in the kitchen of his father's run down udonshop. It gets even weirder when we find out Poco is no ordinary child but a shape shifting Tanuki (Japanese Raccoon-Dog of legend). Its there where we then begin their 12 episode journey of discovery, love, reminiscing about the past, and finding out where you belong. Its soo cute sometimes it hurts and the shows are light and relaxing. Something I know the fans of Amaama to Inazuma also experienced.
I found myself in Souta's shoes having lost my father to cancer at 28 years old, lacking a bit of direction, but what the show overall message conveys is actually true "that no matter where they are family will always be with you" and Poco's role is to help Souta realize that. The very last episode is especially a tearjerker so be ready.
I would recommend this anime to anyone who has lost a parent and to anyone lacking any direction in their lives as it does make you think about how you got to where you are. Great Story, lotsa feels at the end! 10/10
H1r0gen
Frankly i enjoyed this anime a lot. After a hard day of work there is nothing better to relax your mind. But i can't give it a higher score then 6/10 because that is a realistic score for this anime. Watching Udon no Kuni episode by episode every week made it more interesting and made it not getting boring, but i think bench watching this anime it will get boring fast. If you like a classic Slice of Life anime you should probably watch this. Its easy going and enjoyable for a family and kids towatch. The seinen genre of this series i don't get it, i think there is nothing about this anime for it to have a seinen genre. It's more a shonen anime then a senine.
Story 6/10
The concept of the story is interesting. Japanese raccoon dog that has take form of a kid that follows and lives with the main character. But where the story fall short is that it's slow going, there is nothing interesting happening in it, just some random stuff that is leading to nowhere. I was really hoping to see some romance development between Souta Tawara and Sae Fujiyama to spice things up, but there was nothing not even a shred of romance. The story could be summed up in 2-3 episode and the rest is just some random stuff ( junk episodes ) that has nothing really to do with the story.
Art 5/10
The art is meant to be appealing to a younger generation of people. It's simple and bland. The only thing that it has going for it is cuteness, the whole anime is based on that.
Sound 5/10
There is nothing bad about the sound, but also there is nothing special about it neither. Voice acting was pretty good i guess. But there was no song or melody that was stuck in my mined.
Character 5/10
The characters are simple and easy to figure out what there all about. Except Souta Tawara there is no character development.
Enjoyment 8/10
As i sad in the heading i did enjoy this anime. It's a relaxing and well done for what it is. And i think if you like this Slice of Life genre of anime you will enjoy this anime as well.
lensaamiranda
When i first saw the promotional poster, i was like, Naru?? Handa?? Season 2?? But, no. It's Poco's Udon World, not Barakamon season 2. However, I think that this show is as charming as the latter. The storyline is simple, it's about a man, returning from Tokyo to his hometown after his father's death and encountering a 'child' sleeping in his family's long abandoned udon restaurant. After going through some circumstances, he decided to take care of the child. Initially, i thought that this show'll be focusing on Tawara's (the MC) struggles on reopening his restaurant, kinda like a cooking show. Instead, a stronger theme; love,is portrayed effectively through the simple storyline. Some of it includes: The consequences of behaving harshly in your youth, and the regret that comes later, first love and heartbreak (haha), keeping and cherishing memories, appreciating our parents...Even the first episode got me all teary. I really didn't expect to be hit by enormous amount of feels from this show. The comedy balances the feels, so we're all good *sniffs*
The animation is charming and elicited a sense of nostalgia (for me anyway) due to its realistic countryside portrayal, as an example. The character designs are simple and attractive, not too flashy or distorted. The characters themselves are likeable and has depth to them. Not only the main character is being developed, but the supporting ones as well. Aside from the MC's struggle and past being revealed, the other characters' struggles and dilemmas are also explored to a certain extent.
The seiyuus did a great job in portraying their characters,imo particularly Poco's seiyuu, because making those cute and crying sounds that at times will tug at your heartstrings can't be easy. The tracks used fit the events nicely and set the mood, and the OP and ED are also well-matched for this show. I especially like the ED cause it just fits so well with the feels.
I really enjoyed watching this show and i definitely recommend this to fans of Barakamon and those who love to watch a heartwarming story.
88expert
Before watching this anime: Well after the failure of the summer anime known as amaama to inazuma (sweetness and lightning). I need a slice of life that can fix the void from that failure... Oh how about this one. After watching this anime: GOD DAMN THE FEELS Story: Take barakamon and add a fantasy twist with a raccoon. You would get this really. I just love how poco is slowly but surely changing souta lives around by using the flashback at the end of the episode showing how much his father loves him and you are not alone. A good slice of life endure you to it's world. Buta great slice of life changes the life of the characters and the perspective of your life and it does deliver.
Art and animation: The oil paint/ watercolor and crayon really suit this kind of setting as the show bring a new type of art style into anime as it felt is going to kid orientated but is a great refreshment to the seinen genre
OP/ ED and OST: The opening bring you into the story of the world looking at visual seeing souta lives being split a part as his father totally reject his career choices and poco reminds him that his not alone and the lyrics of the song make me want to press the replay button over and over again. While ending theme tells about much the family care about souta telling him not to cry but to be happy as there is a bright future. The OST is a suiting guitar country lay back music which does suit the type of show where we are in a rural setting.
Characters: You all know I have to talk about poco first. Poco is just amazing just amazing. There's a reason why I would place Poco being the best male character in 2016. Not all might from boku no hero academia, not sakamoto from sakamoto desu ga, not Satou from Ajin but Poco .The way he bring Souta understanding that his parents love him by using some flashback is a great message not to Souta alone but to us to talk to your parents... They'll understand your career choice and will support it if they truly love their child. Although Souta father disagree at first (Like typical asian parent) he soon realize how proud he is to Souta. I'm glad Poco not only change Souta lives around but the other characters as well. Like, Rinko(Souta older sister) as she knows how to be a proper mother when her child come or Nakajima (Souta childhood friend) which at the start hated his father as well like Souta but with the power of Poco, He is able to see how much his father truly love him. The other characters did play an important role in the show. For example, shunsuke (the mung), the badass grandma that teaches poco how to shoot watermelon seeds like a machine gun, Rinko , Nakajima as they are all here to change Souta lives slowly and at the end he did develop into a great father to poco. Nozomi (Souta childhood crush daughter) acts like an elder sister to poco where she does an important part in the show as she is the one who take care of Poco and play with him.
Enjoyment: Love it... I love the setting of it, I love the characters, I love the life lesson they place in there. I love how relatable Souta is to me having a parents that doesn't want to accept what type of job you want to do. I love the gao gao chan. At first glance I though was stupid they put it in but after all the tears shred in most episode it's totally needed as you need something to cheer you up after some sad episode. I also love the fact that the last episode came out on christmas and say "Hey, do you want a happy christmas?? Well too bad because we are going to make you cry this year". THE FEELS ON THE LAST EPISODE WAS TOO MUCH... THE FEELS... POCO COME BACK!!!
Also we got the explanation of the tanuki part even though the original sources material is still on-going. Am I'm right RE:ZERO??
Recommendation: Watch it. Is heart-warming, comforting and just a great show to watch. One of my favorite show of the fall season 2016 and also my pick for anime of the year along side with cheer danshi (another fantastic anime) .
Other recommendation include the obvious barakamon where they is a similar plot point without the fantasy part. Next, we have once again the wolf children ame and yuki where they share a similar twist where the kids are animal children but not raccoon but really wolf hence the tittle having wolf.
Average score of 9.8/10. Wow I never though another anime can beat cheer danshi which I gave it an average score of 9.6/10.
Thisisalladream
This anime is undeniably one of the cutest shows of the season with the shining star being poco himself who somehow manages to surpass his cuteness levels ever episode even when you think he has reached maximum cuteness levels. The story focuses on the theme of self-discovery as we follow souta deciding what to do with himself now that poco has entered his life. The show manages to touch the viewer and make them really feel for the characters in situations that aren't typically used. The real question I have is for myself as to why I have given it an 8 as there aren'tany flaws that really jump out at the viewer. Even the typical 'nothing really happens' excuse for this kind of genre isn't really present as we see the characters develop incredibly especially in the final episode (THE FEELS). I just feel that an 8 is correct as there was a point where I watched it if there was nothing else to watch. I wasn't actively anticipating the next episode and that seems like a problem for me so the 8 is justified. Other then that the show is truly heart-melting with likeable, realistic character (Hell even the tanuki acts like a child) and a wonderful conclusion I couldn't recommend Udon nokuni no kiniro krmari enough
Bubus1918
Hello everyone, this is my first review ever, and I hope it you'll like it. Udon no Kuni no Kiniro Kemari is an anime that really didn't looked like a lot at first. It reminds me of Barakamon, in both the situation and vibe, but the stories are quite different. What is great about this show, is how the story is just so enjoyable withouth having too much happening in every episodes. Each episodes make the main character remember more and more about his past, and this gives of a feeling of nostalgia. It made me remember when I was a kid and I also lived in thecountryside, and my relationship with my parents way back.
Another thing I really like about this anime is the art style. It looks like a painting, and it goes really well with the overall feeling of the anime. Combined with a great soundtrack, and you have kind of a slice of life anime, with just enough fantasy to make you dream.
I didn't really dislike anything about it, the rythm is great, not too fast nor too slow, and I'll recommend it if you just want to enjoy a bit of calm and cuteness if you ever feel blue, or if you just want to relax watching a great anime.
This is probably my favorite anime of this season.
I hope you liked my review, and that you found it helpfull !
Green_Gecko
Poco's Udon World is one of the best shows i have ever seen and i'm disappointed that it has gone largely unnoticed. I picked this show up on a whim about halfway through the Fall 2016 season after looking for something to watch on Crunchyroll. Don't let the title of the show fool you. Udon is certainly relevant to the story but Poco's Udon World is not a cooking anime, rather it is the tale of a man reliving memories of his childhood after he comes into contact with a Tanuki that can shape shift into a human child. Whilst trying to keep Poco's true formhidden our main protagonist stumbles upon all sorts of adventures that ultimately end up with him learning something about himself, remembering a fragment of his past or forming a bond with various people.
Basically, Poco's existence makes people happy and reminds them of when they were young. That is true for the characters in the show and for myself as well. Watching Poco's adorable interactions with people and the world around him put a massive grin on my face and reminded me of myself as a kid.
To sum up, definitely give this show a chance. If you're on the fence try watching the fantastic OP. And if you need further convincing, each episode ends with an episode of an in-universe show that features Gao-Gao, a guy in a lion costume, and his many friends.
