JUNGLE WA ITSUMO HALE NOCHI GUU
...oooooooooooookaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy...
Review by: Craig "Confused beyond all contemplation" Norris
Length: 26 episodes
Genre: Comedy, acid trip
Watched: 1-26, subbed
I didn�t know quite what to expect when I picked this up. I had heard it was a silly comedy in the same vein as Excel Saga, and having thoroughly enjoyed that I thought that this was worth a look. When I finished watching it, I had a dazed, deer-in-the-headlights expression on my face, amazed at how little sense the show made. After I thought about the show for a few days, it made even less sense. It was actually quite appalling to my well-educated mind just how nonsensical and random this show was.
But, for some reason, I was begging for more!
Plot synopsis: Hale lives in a small jungle community with his mother, Weda. He goes to school, plays video games, and leads a pretty normal life. That is, until Weda brings home an orphan she found in the jungle. Her name is Guu, and at first she seems like a normal little girl. However, it is not long before Hale finds out that there is much more behind this mysterious girl than he first thought. It takes even less time for him to find out that Guu�s main intent seems to be to make his life as miserable as possible.
Artwork: Unimpressive. Some of the characters, especially the young children, appear highly stylized, to the point where they look SD. The backgrounds are vibrantly colored, but sometimes ill-defined. That works well for jungle underbrush, but not for a schoolhouse. Sometimes, Guu suffers from what I call Powerpuff Syndrome, the symptom of which is a complete absence of hands. One benefit of the simplified animation is that it better prepares you for the exaggerated expressions and gesticulations of the various characters, which the show actually does quite well. The creature designs are unimaginative and crudely rendered, looking like rejected character sketches from the average Nickelodeon cartoon. While the animation is not for those with discerning taste, it should not be considered the focal point of the show.
Music: Light and mindless melodies float through the entirety of the series, which is actually a good thing. For some reason, I doubt Dies Irae would suit the mood when Hale is trying to prevent Guu from wreaking havoc. The music definitely gets the job done, but it was for the most part drowned out by my own laughter. WARNING: The opening will make you want to start a conga line, so watch it in the company of several friends.
Characters: The characters are very well-defined, which at times makes them predictable. With the exception being Guu. She is definitely the backbone that holds the show upright. She has a deadpan delivery and a malicious streak a mile long that acts as the main catalyst for all the hilarity that ensues. Add to that the fact that, within her stomach, is a fantastic realm that would make even Lewis Carrol scratch his head in bemusement. Hale is a normal ten year-old, unless he and Guu are together. Then, he becomes eternally stressed out and paranoid about what she�ll do. With every suggestive comment or motion by Guu, he suffers breakdowns of epic proportions, which are both sad and excruciatingly entertaining. He sometimes criticizes things he has no business 
criticizing, and when he does, Guu lets him know about it. Weda is a carefree person who exerts very little effort in raising Hale. She rarely lifts a finger around the house, leaving Hale to do all the cooking and cleaning. She enjoys drinking and sleeping, and can sometimes be oblivious to the happenings around her. Think Misato Katsuragi from Evangelion without all the emotional baggage. Clive is the school doctor who moves to the jungle from the city. He is lecherous and a womanizer when he first arrives, but he is one of the few characters who seems to grow a little bit during the course of the show. Nevertheless, his lechery is never fully suppressed, which is ample raw material for entertainment. Mari is Hale�s best friend at school. She is very energetic and always ready to help others with their problems. Throw in a large supporting cast including several eccentric classmates, a narcoleptic teacher, and a mayor with several afros worth of chest hair, and the result is a cast that never really runs out of reasons to be ridiculous.
Plot: For being a 26 episode series, the show focuses very little on plot. Which could be construed as an advantage, because it leaves more room for Guu to do funny things. As far as actual plot, the show focuses a lot on Weda and her relationship with her family, and her relationship with Clyde, past and present.
But let�s face it; the whole reason you keep watching is because of Guu, and the absolute hell she puts Hale through. When all is said and done, though, and Guu has had her fun, Hale always comes away with some sort of valuable life lesson, whether that�s what Guu intended or not. The lack of plot begins to show through towards the end, though, as the ending is very weak and leaves many hanging threads. The biggest of these threads is the all-important question: Who (or what) is Guu? By the end I was left knowing almost the same as when the series began, and was not at all satisfied. And there�s a many-legged cat that lives in Guu�s stomach. I have no idea what that has to do with the plot, but I just thought I�d mention it.
CHICKS!: This series is a rarity in that it goes for laughs without relying on cheap fanservice gags. Well, most of the time, anyway; there�s still the obligatory beach and hot springs episodes that define a complete anime. As a result, there aren�t many chicks to be had. Weda is pretty nice looking, 
though. Living in the jungle has kept her skin tanned and her figure well-defined, which she shows off by wearing a leopard print outfit that amounts to little more than a fuzzy bikini. Hale blames Clive for lusting after her, but I�d have to say that even the most loyal man would give her a look. Bel, who shows up halfway through, is worth mentioning because of her maid outfit, and the high potential for shoujo-ai between her and Weda. There are a few minor characters that register on my chickdar, but their appearances are too brief or uninspired to mention in detail. Suffice to say that those looking for a lot of scantily clad chicks should pass this series over and go watch some Hanaukyo Maid Tai.
Overall: I have never done LSD. However, from what I�ve heard it sounds a lot like what the average episode of Jungle Wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu is like. The main objective of every episode is to elicit laughter, which it does more often than not. The ending was very disappointing and uninformative, but luckily, from what I understand, the OAV released after this series ties up a lot of loose ends. But, if you enjoy a good laugh and are willing to forgive a few shortcomings in animation quality, I highly recommend this series. If you�re anything like me you�ll be totally confused, feel your brain fizzle like an alka-seltzer, and come crawling back for more.
IN A NUTSHELL
+ Guu is beyond description
+ Many moments of unparalleled hilarity
+ Very different
- Sub par animation
- Too many loose ends
Rating: 7.5/10
Similar titles: - This series is like nothing I have ever seen.
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