HataR Kids Myham Group: A thorough evaluation of the appeal and educational value of children's animation

HataRakdos My Hamster Group - Hamster's adventures chasing work and dreams

"Hataraku Kids: My Ham Group" is an anime series that aired on TV Asahi and BS Asahi from October 7, 2007 to October 5, 2008. This is a fantasy action anime about hamsters, who are usually kept as pets, using their special skills to solve various missions. The original story is by Todo Izumi, the series director is Imazawa Tetsuo, and it is produced by TV Asahi and Toei Animation. It consists of 50 episodes, each 30 minutes long, and is loved by a wide range of people, from children to adults.

story

"My Ham" is an abbreviation of Meister Hamster, a special title given to hamsters who have passed the Meister exam. With the power of their Meister badges, they can speak human language and transform into "My Ham". They operate unnoticed in the city and work hard at various jobs, with a very wide range of activities and amazing performance. When the incident is resolved, they return to their hamster house as if nothing had happened and can be seen munching on sunflower seeds. Only their owners know that they are "My Hams", and humans who are unaware of their accomplishments simply call them "cute". However, they spare no effort to hone their skills day and night. This is a fantasy animation in which children's pet hamsters teach them the value of work and sometimes make their dreams come true.

Commentary

"Hataraku Kids: My Ham Group" is a non-stop "workman" action anime in which pet hamsters solve missions by displaying their special skills. The story centers around a hamster, who always ranks highly in pet popularity surveys, and tells a heartwarming story about the emotional exchange between animals and humans. Recently, specialists (Meisters) with special skills have become popular among children, and are attracting attention in work experience classes at school. In this work, a hamster with special skills becomes "My Ham" and solves difficult problems one after another. This fantasy animation teaches children the value of work through their pet hamsters, and sometimes makes their dreams come true.

cast

The voice actors for the main characters are as follows:

• Gaudi: Masako Nozawa
• Sylvie: Chiemi Chiba
• Jean: Yuka Komatsu
• Alec: Abs Zennosuke
• Steve: Akira Nagata
• Boss: Masami Kikuchi
• Kite: Suzuki Masahito
• Mizuki: Ai Maeda
• Marina: Taeko Kawada
• Daisuke: Yukino Satsuki
• Keisuke: Ryotaro Okiayu
• Masami: Kikuko Inoue
• Daiki: Daisuke Kusunoki
• Satsuki: Kumagai Nina
• Chief: Chafurin

Main Staff

The main staff involved in the production are as follows:

• Producers: Jun Kaji (TV Asahi), Hiromi Seki (Toei Animation), Gyarmat Bogdan (Toei Animation)
• Original author: Izumi Toudou
• Series Director: Tetsuo Imazawa
• Series Composition: Yamada Takashi
• Character design: Naoyoshi Yamamuro
• Animation director: Takashi Nashizawa
• Color design: Kunio Tsujita
• Art: Honda Takashi
• Music: Yoshiaki Inomata
• Production Manager: Yasuhiko Nukaga
• Production cooperation: Toei
• Produced by: TV Asahi, Toei Animation

Main Characters

Details of the main characters are as follows:

Gaudi

He is a hamster who is good at building houses and making things, and is also a fast runner. His dream is to become a Grand Meister like his father Garnier. He is a passionate and proactive person with a strong sense of justice, and cannot tolerate bad people. He is a typical Edokko who will go straight for what he believes in, but he can also be a bit clumsy, and sometimes he makes mistakes or gets ahead of himself and ends up failing. His owner is Kaito, a fourth-grader in elementary school, who is impatient with Kaito's passiveness, worries about him, and feels that he has to look after him.

Sylvie

She is good at making sweets and cakes, and knows 1000 different recipes. She can make other animals listen to her requests by feeding them the cakes she makes. She is very cute, and is an idol to everyone. Even in times of trouble, she comes up with ideas and turns them into opportunities. Although she sometimes argues with the intelligent, simple, and active Gaudi, they actually get along quite well. Her owner is Mizuki, a classmate of Kaito's, and she is good friends with the outgoing Mizuki, and they are always chatting away.

Jean

He is a skilled doctor. He heals injured animals and is always mindful of everyone's health. He is also a genius and can use computers fluently, planning various operations, analyzing situations, giving instructions to everyone, and making the impossible possible. He is also the oldest member of the Myham group and monitors the Meister exams. His owner is Marina, Kaito's classmate and the most beautiful girl at Hoshihama Elementary School. Although his personality is the polar opposite of Marina's, they get along well.

Steve

He can control any radio-controlled vehicle, including helicopters, yachts, cars, and motorcycles, and his techniques are top-notch. He takes everyone to their destination safely and reliably. He has a cool, taciturn personality and doesn't show much emotion, so his actions are sometimes misunderstood, which sometimes puts him at odds with the passionate Gaudi. His owner is Daisuke, a radio-controlled vehicle enthusiast, who is the son of a wealthy company president and owns many radio-controlled vehicles.

Alec

He is an expert at putting out fires and rescuing injured people. He is very strong and boasts of his strength. He is very courageous and fearlessly faces any dangerous place, and uses his strength to rescue everyone from trouble. He has a straightforward and good-natured personality, and is also a mood-maker who supports everyone behind the scenes. He lives with his wife (however, no one has seen Alec's wife yet), and he loves her very much, and when he exerts himself, he ends up shouting out his feelings for her. He frequents the fire station, is good friends with the chief, and receives side dishes from him in his lunch box, and always wants to help him.

boss

He is the boss of everyone, and to become a Meister, one must take and pass the Boss's test. When he receives notification of an incident, he decides whether the Meisters should get involved and issues the order to mobilize everyone. The Boss has a big secret. He has two Race Queen Meisters as his secretaries. Although they can be a bit of a joker, they are reliable and dependable in times of need. He remodeled the storehouse behind his retired man's house to create "Himawari Messe," which became the headquarters for the Meisters.

Kaito Yoshikawa

He is a fourth-grade boy who transferred to Hoshihama Elementary School. He is Gaudi's owner. He is indecisive, timid, and has a passive personality, and is always at the mercy of the proactive Gaudi and Mizuki. He is afraid of heights and water, and is not good at sports, but he is good at writing compositions and may become a writer like his father. He is kind-hearted and considerate of others, and wants to change himself in a new environment. He is also a bit of a lovesick person.

Longevity Mizuki

She is a fourth-grade girl at Hoshihama Elementary School. She is Silvie's owner. She speaks in the Kansai dialect. Although she looks cute, she is strong-willed and says what she wants to say clearly. She is active and has good athletic ability, and is a member of the futsal club, where she is active as a player. She is also good at swimming and is not afraid of high places, but on the other hand, she seems to be bad at cooking and household matters. In any case, she is very active and will not rest until she has tried something first. Therefore, she pulls Kaito along and gets him involved in various things.

Nikaido Marina

She is a fourth-grade girl at Hoshihama Elementary School. She is Jean's owner. She is graceful and very cute, so there are always a lot of love letters in her shoe locker at school. Kaito seems to be interested in Marina as well. She trusts the reliable Jean very much, and always asks Jean for advice when something happens. She is a bit shy, so she is always pulled along by Jean. Her parents have been married for 10 years and are very close.

Daisuke Ogami

He is a fourth-grade boy at Hoshihama Elementary School. He is Steve's owner. His family is rich, so he is always using things to lure his friends, and he is selfish and self-centered. However, he is actually lonely because his parents are never home. He is a little unmanly, and Steve doesn't like that about him.

Fire Chief

He is the chief of the fire station. He is good friends with Alec and they eat lunch together.

Retirement

He is often seen at the coffee shop run by Mizuki's parents. Steve thinks that the boss and the retired man are the same person.

Keisuke Yoshikawa

I'm Kaito's father. I'm working hard to become a novelist.

Masami Yoshikawa

Kaito's mother. She runs a beauty salon and supports her father, who aspires to be a novelist.

Longevity Daiki

He is Mizuki's father. He runs the coffee shop where everyone gathers.

Satsuki Kou

I'm Mizuki's mother. I run a coffee shop with my father. I love making sweets.

subtitle

The subtitles for each episode are as follows:

• Episode 1: The Carpenter's Star! The Birth of the Worker Hamster!! (2007/10/07)
• Episode 2: Doctor's Star! Rabbit Emergency Panic School!! (2007/10/14)
• Episode 3: Racer's Star! The Scratched Radio Control GP!! (2007/10/21)
• Episode 4: The Pastry Chef's Star! Futsal Reversal A La Mode!! (2007/10/28)
• Episode 5: Rescue Star! Baby Investigation!! (2007/11/04)
• Episode 6: The team's star! Escape from the trapped ship!! (2007/11/11)
• Episode 7: Adventurer's Planet! A No-Good Dad Survival!! (2007/11/18)
• Episode 8: Spy Planet! Find your prince charming!! (2007/11/25)
• Episode 9: Ninja Star! The Seven-Faced Grand Meister!! (2007/12/02)
• Episode 10: Star of Ramen! Iron Chef vs. Gekimen Meister!! (2007/12/09)
• Episode 11: Hunter's Star! Chase the Mysterious Million Yen Pet!! (2007/12/16)
• Episode 12: Christmas Star! Santa's Delivery Service Attacks!! (2007/12/23)
• Episode 13: The Playboy Planet! Roses are more beautiful than sunflowers!! (2008/01/06)
• Episode 14: Rival Stars! Formation!! Joyham Group? (2008/01/13)
• Episode 15: Toilet Planet! Hard at School!! (2008/01/20)
• Episode 16: The Star of Child Rearing! What's a Nanny?! (2008/01/27)
• Episode 17: Ghost Hunt Planet! Ghost Stories from Next Door!! (2008/02/03)
• Episode 18: The suspect! Alec didn't do it!! (2008/02/10)
• Episode 19: Fortune-telling Star! Five seconds before the Himawari Messe explosion!! (2008/02/17)
• Episode 20: The lucky star! Ham also gets lucky if he walks! (2008/02/24)
• Episode 21: Detective Star! Himawari ni Hoero!! (2008/03/02)
• Episode 22: The director's star! A super-filmed Hamdemy Award-winning blockbuster!! (2008/03/09)
• Episode 23: Soccer Stars! Fierce Battle at the World Ham Cup!! (2008/03/16)
• Episode 24: Manga artist's star! Space-time ninja debut!! (2008/03/23)
• Episode 25: Star of Speed! RC (Radio Control) Triathlon!! (2008/03/30)
• Episode 26: The Fallen Planet! More Playboy than Worker!! (2008/04/06)
• Episode 27: The Planet of Destruction and Rock! The Challenge of the Joyham Four Heavenly Kings!! (2008/04/13)
• Episode 28: Stars of the Future! We are the Mini-Ham Apprentice Kids!! (2008/04/20)
• Episode 29: Jealousy Star! No Good Dancing Queen!! (2008/04/27)
• Episode 30: The birth of a star! Old man samba makes the sports pop! (2008/05/04)
• Episode 31: A shining star of tears! A perfect handsome man's exile!! (2008/05/11)
• Episode 32: The Star of the China Expedition! Sylvie's Dad is a Kung Fu Master?! (2008/05/18)
• Episode 33: The Star of the Sidelong Glance! Save the Brilliant Female Impersonator!! (2008/05/25)
• Episode 34: The Star of Boxing! Show Us! Naniwa's Gutsy Punch!! (2008/06/01)
• Episode 35: The Legendary Star of the Strongest! Yankee Rescue VS Osu!! Special Training Boss (2008/06/08)
• Episode 36: The Star of the Secret Hot Springs! The Boss's True Identity Floating in the Steam!! (2008/06/15)
• Episode 37: The Transformation Planet! The Maihams make a shocking debut in the human world!! (2008/06/22)
• Episode 38: The Star of Happenings! Gaudi's Mother Recommends Matchmaking!! (2008/07/06)
• Episode 39: Unknown Planet! Hell to Heaven Time Travel!! (2008/07/13)
• Episode 40: Treasure Island Star! Summer Vacation Pirates' Great Sea Battle!! (2008/07/20)
• Episode 41: The Planet of Space Travel! Vegetable Planet SOS!! (2008/07/27)
• Episode 42: The Phantom Thief's Star! The Paris Sports Festival is Under Attack!! (2008/08/03)
• Episode 43: Sushi's Black Defeat! The Failed Meister's Final Revenge!! (2008/08/10)
• Episode 44: Star of the Tournament! Who is the strongest Maiham champion?! (2008/08/17)
• Episode 45: The Star of the Homework Revolution! Our Parent-Child Wars!! (2008/08/24)
• Episode 46: Charity's Stardust! Duo Hats Prevent Eviction?! (2008/08/31)
• Episode 47: The Final Battle Star! All Four Heavenly Kings Strike Back!! (2008/09/14)
• Episode 48: The Savior's Star! The Birth of Tokime Kids' Star Ham Team!! (2008/09/21)
• Episode 49: Betrayed Parent and Child Star! Father, Are You the Enemy?! (2008/09/28)
• Episode 50: The world is one planet! Work and play are eternal... (2008/10/05)

Theme songs and music

The opening and ending themes are as follows:

Opening Theme

• Title: Working Kids Myham Group
• Lyricist: Takafumi Iwasaki
• Composer: Takafumi Iwasaki
• Arrangement: Takafumi Iwasaki
• Sung by: Myham Group

Ending Theme

• Title: Become My Meister!
• Lyricist: Hideaki Takatori
• Composer: Hideaki Takatori
• Arrangement: Hiromasa Kagoshima
• Vocals: Kanako Miyamoto
• Chorus: Young Fresh

Ratings and Recommendations

"Hataraki Kids: My Ham Group" teaches children the value of work and the importance of chasing dreams, while also providing a heartwarming story for adults. The hamsters' humorous adventures are not only entertaining for children, but can also be enjoyed by the whole family. Each character has a rich personality, and the story development resonates deeply with viewers, making it an appealing series. Each episode also contains educational elements that broaden children's views and interests on careers by introducing different occupations and skills.

This is a great anime to watch with the whole family, and is highly recommended for families with small children. Through the hamsters' adventures, you can learn the importance of work and teamwork. Also, the diverse themes of each episode will continue to provide fresh surprises to viewers. In addition, the character songs and theme songs are also enjoyable, so it is also recommended for children who love music.

"Hataraku Kids: My Hamu Gumi" is a wonderful anime that not only fosters the dreams of children, but also inspires adults. Please watch it and experience its charm for yourself.