The appeal and reviews of "Little Village People": A big story from a small village

"Little Village People": A new type of short anime that will make you laugh out loud at your boring everyday life

■Overview of the work

"Little Village People" is a 15-episode short anime series that aired on MTV in 2008. It was directed by Seiichiro Omori, produced by Broadmarks and Flame Graphics, and produced by the Little Village People Production Committee (Daiichikosho, MTV JAPAN, Sony Music Communications, Dream Ranch). Although each episode is only 10 minutes long, it is full of humor and unique characters.

■ Story

The story is set in Penguin Village Hills, a provincial city known as the most boring city in the world. It depicts the daily lives of young people living in this town. Various incidents occur as Penguin Village Hills Cable TV's popular program "24 Hours a Day, 365 Days a Year TV" is broadcast throughout the town. The main characters get caught up in incidents through the program and learn a lesson each time.

A unique cast of characters appears in the story, including Michiro and Yuya, who dream of debuting as a band; A-ko, U-ko, and I-ko, who work part-time at the 24-hour restaurant "Disappointing Donkey's"; Ken, the son of a Shaolin monk, and his friend Shu. Their daily lives are boring and sometimes ridiculous, but that actually makes them laugh. And the presence of the mysterious host, Thunder Kamibukuro, adds color to the story.

■Character Introduction

• Thunder Paper Bag (voice: Junichi Suwabe)
  The host of Penguin Village Hills Cable TV's popular program "24 Hours 365 Days TV." A mysterious character, his true identity will be revealed as the story progresses.
• Michiro (voiced by Shota Seshita)
  A young man who dreams of making his debut in a band. He works hard on his musical career with his friend Yuya, but things aren't going as well as he hoped.
• Yuya (voice: Takehisa Takayama)
  A friend of Michiro's and a member of a band, the two of them pursue their dreams but are troubled by the gap between reality and reality.
• A-chan, U-chan, I-chan (voiced by Saori Ishikawa, Asuka Onishi, Kei Shindo)
  The trio work part-time at the 24-hour restaurant "Disappointing Donkey's." Their daily lives are just as tedious and humorous.
• Ken Kobayashi (voiced by Shinpei Iwai)
  The son of a Shaolin priest, he and his friend Zhou get caught up in various incidents, and his actions are often unpredictable, surprising those around him.
• Shutonichi (voiced by Eisuke Asakura)
  Ken's friend, he lives with him through the daily life of Penguin Village Hills. In contrast to Ken, he has a calm and rational personality.
• Yoshinori Kobayashi (voiced by Nobuo Tobita)
  Ken's father, the head priest of the Shaolin Temple. He is often troubled by his son's behavior, but keeps a warm eye on him.
• Yuji (voiced by Shu Kanichi)
  He is a resident of Penguin Village Hills and appears in various scenes. His presence also adds humor to the story.
• Narration (voice: Mika Yamamoto)
  The narrator helps move the story forward, and her voice adds depth to the story.

■ Production staff

• Director, Designer : Tanaka Hideyuki This is a new type of short anime created by Tanaka Hideyuki, the creator of "OH! Super Milk Chan." It features unique characters and a humorous story.
• Planning and production : Seiichi Matsumoto and Chisato Ganryu are in charge of planning and producing the work. The worldview they depict enhances the appeal of the work.
• Producer : Kazumasa Watanabe The producer in charge of the production of the series. He worked hard to maintain the quality of each episode.
• Screenwriter : Motoki Shiina was in charge of the scripts for each episode. He created stories filled with humor and moral lessons.
• Animation Director : Seiichiro Omori He was in charge of animation and was responsible for the visual aspects of each episode.
• Sound Director : Yoshikazu Iwanami is in charge of sound direction. The character voices and sound effects add excitement to the story.
• Sound effects : Koji Kasamatsu (Digital Circus)
  I was in charge of the sound effects, providing sound effects that further enhanced the humorous scenes.
• Music : DJ TASAKA
  He is in charge of the music for the series, with the background music and inserted songs adding color to the story.
• Editor : Kumio Konaga was in charge of editing. He worked hard to maintain the tempo of each episode.
• Editing studio : Megane★Film worked as an editing studio to improve the quality of the film.
• Sound production, sound studio : Jinnan Studio We were in charge of sound production and the sound studio. We provided high quality sound.
• Web production : Tomoyose Tsukasa, Enobi Keiko (Free creative expressionist ATORON)
  I was in charge of the web production and widely disseminated information about the work.
• Production cooperation : Flame Graphics participated as a production cooperation and supported the production of the work.
• Production company : Broadmarks participated as a production company and oversaw the production of the film.
• Produced by : Little Village People Production Committee (Daiichikosho, MTV JAPAN, Sony Music Communications, Dream Ranch)
  I participated as a member of the production committee and supported the production of the film.

■Broadcast information

"Little Village People" aired on MTV every Saturday from September 6 to December 13, 2008. It consists of 15 episodes, each short at 10 minutes, but packed with dense content.

■Subtitle

• #001 (2008/09/06)
• #002 (2008/09/13)
• #003 (2008/09/20)
• #004 (2008/09/27)
• #005 (2008/10/04)
• #006 (2008/10/11)
• #007 (2008/10/18)
• #008 (2008/10/25)
• #009 (2008/11/01)
• #010 (2008/11/08)
• #011 (2008/11/15)
• #012 (2008/11/22)
• #013 (2008/11/29)
• #014 (2008/12/06)
• #015 (2008/12/13)

■The appeal of the work

The biggest appeal of "Little Village People" is its humor and unique characters. The stories that make you laugh away the boring everyday life will bring a smile to your face to the viewers. Also, each episode depicts a different incident, so you can enjoy it without getting bored.

In particular, the popular Penguin Village Hills Cable TV program "24 Hours 365 Days TV" is at the center of the story, and you can't miss the developments in which the main characters get caught up in various incidents through this program. In addition, the presence of a mysterious host named Thunder Kamibukuro adds depth to the story.

■ Evaluation and recommendation

Although it is a short anime, "Little Village People" has gained many fans due to its rich content and humor. In particular, Hideyuki Tanaka's unique world view and unique characters are attractive. Also, each episode depicts a different incident, so you can enjoy it without getting bored.

This work is recommended for those who want to laugh away their boring daily lives and those who like unique characters. In addition, it is a must-see for those who like short anime and Hideyuki Tanaka's works. You will definitely smile while enjoying the ridiculous daily life of Penguin Village Hills.

■ Related works

Hideyuki Tanaka, the director of "Little Village People," has also worked on many other unique works. In particular, "OH! Super Milk Chan" is his signature work, and is attractive for its humorous story and characters. "The World of GOLDEN EGGS" and "Usavich" are also works filled with unique characters and humor. Be sure to check out these works as well.

■ Summary

"Little Village People" is a new type of short animation that will make you laugh out loud at your boring daily life. The humorous story woven by the unique characters will bring a smile to the viewers' faces. You're sure to smile as you enjoy the silly daily life of Penguin Village Hills. Please enjoy this work.