A thorough review of the touching story of Hello Kitty and the duck Pekkle from Sanrio's World Masterpiece Theater!

Sanrio World Masterpiece Theater Hello Kitty's Puss in Boots / Pekkle the Ugly Duckling

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

character

■ Release date

July 2, 2008

■Release and sales

・Sold by Sanrio

■Frequencies

25 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 2

■Original Story

・Original work: Sanrio

■ Director

Director: Masao Kuroda

■ Production

・Produced by Sanrio

■Works

©'76, '85, '88, '89, '90, '92, '93, '96, '99, '14 SANRIO CO., LTD. TOKYO, JAPAN

■Explanation

An animated series in which Hello Kitty and other popular Sanrio characters play the protagonists of classic world stories. Includes "Hello Kitty's Puss in Boots," based on Perrault's original story, and "Pekkle the Ugly Duckling," based on Andersen's fairy tale. A DVD of classic animated fairy tales and folk tales from around the world, presented by Sanrio characters. This work includes "Hello Kitty's Puss in Boots" and "Pekkle the Ugly Duckling."

■ Main staff

・Original Story: Sanrio ・Director: Masao Kuroda ・Produced by: Sanrio

■Subtitle

・Episode 1: Hello Kitty's Puss in Boots (2008/07/02)
・Episode 2: Pekkle the Duckling and the Ugly Duckling (2008/07/02)

■ Related works

・Hello Kitty series

Review

The concept of Sanrio characters acting out classic world stories is an idea that is loved by a wide range of people, from children to adults. "Sanrio World Masterpiece Theater: Hello Kitty's Puss in Boots/Pekkle the Ugly Duckling" is a work that embodies this concept and was released as an OVA in 2008. This work is a two-part retelling of Perrault's "Puss in Boots" and Andersen's "The Ugly Duckling" using Sanrio characters.

Let's start by looking at "Puss in Boots." The story is about a poor man's son who is rescued by a cat and eventually marries a princess. Hello Kitty plays the role of the cat, and uses her cuteness and wisdom to move the story forward. The appearance of Sanrio characters lightens the serious atmosphere of the original, making it enjoyable for children. It is particularly striking how Hello Kitty's design matches the image of the cat in the original, making it visually appealing.

Next, let's talk about "Pekkle the Ugly Duckling." This story is a classic by Andersen about an ugly duckling who eventually transforms into a swan. Pekkle the duck appears as the main character, and the story depicts his process of growth and transformation. The inclusion of Sanrio characters further emphasizes the message of the original work, conveying to children the importance of "believing in yourself." Pekkle's design is also commendable for respecting the image of the original work while adding a touch of cuteness that is characteristic of Sanrio.

The greatest appeal of this work is that it combines the familiarity of Sanrio characters with the depth of classic world stories. Children can enjoy the stories of classic stories while feeling a sense of familiarity with Sanrio characters. Adults can also reaffirm the messages of the original works while discovering new sides to Sanrio characters. In this way, it is a work that appeals to a wide range of people.

Director Masao Kuroda's direction is also superb. He respects the atmosphere of the original work while bringing out the best in Sanrio's characters. In particular, the characters' expressions and movements are given great attention, which adds to their visual appeal. The music and backgrounds have also been chosen to bring out the atmosphere of the original work, resulting in a work with a sense of unity overall.

Another positive aspect of this work is that it uses the OVA format. OVAs offer more freedom than regular TV anime, allowing viewers to enjoy deeper stories and direction. This work also benefits from this and is able to bring out the full depth of the original work. Even though it is a short two-part series, each episode tells a different classic story, providing viewers with fresh surprises.

However, there are some areas for improvement in this work. Firstly, due to its short two-part structure, some parts of the original story are not fully depicted. In particular, in the case of "The Ugly Duckling," the message could have been emphasized more by depicting the protagonist's growth process and the reactions of those around him in more detail. Also, the appearance of Sanrio characters weakens the serious atmosphere of the original work in some parts. This is due to the difficulty of balancing the familiarity of Sanrio characters with the depth of the original work.

Nevertheless, this work can be appreciated as a new attempt to fuse Sanrio characters with the world's classic stories. It is a work that appeals to a wide range of people, from children to adults, and has a visually appealing content. In particular, the fact that you can discover new sides to the Sanrio characters is a major attraction. Director Masao Kuroda's direction is also superb, bringing out the charm of the Sanrio characters to the fullest while respecting the atmosphere of the original work.

Recommended

To enjoy this work, it is important to feel familiar with the Sanrio characters. It is especially recommended for those who like Sanrio characters such as Hello Kitty and Pekkle the duck. It will also be enjoyed by those who are interested in classic stories such as Perrault's "Puss in Boots" and Andersen's "The Ugly Duckling." It is also recommended for those who want to enjoy the OVA format and those who want to enjoy a deep story in a short amount of time.

When watching this work, you can enjoy it more if you know the original story beforehand. Also, you will discover something new if you pay attention to the design and direction of Sanrio's characters. Furthermore, you can feel the charm of the work even more by paying attention to the music and background and feeling the overall atmosphere.

Finally, after watching this film, you will likely become interested in other Sanrio works and other classic stories by Perrault and Andersen. In particular, you will gain a deeper understanding and enjoyment by reading other works in the Hello Kitty series and other fairy tales by Andersen. We hope you will use this film as an opportunity to rediscover the charm of Sanrio characters and the world's classic stories.