Ketakuma no DVD

Before I begin this review, it's worth noting that I am the first to review this title on MAL, and even the first to give it a score at all. It is my belief that every anime deserves at least one proper review, deserves to have its content engaged and reckoned with. No matter how obscure it is, and no matter how long ago it was made, an anime still represents the creative passion of its creators, the hopes and dreams of the team that made it, and as such, I will give this one a fair and honest accounting here. Ketakuma no DVD isa trippy little anime about a GIF keyboard character, as he gets into self-contained, single-episode antics, like dancing with his friends, hallucinating in a field, or setting himself ablaze in a winter landscape to keep his friends warm. It was pretty difficult to find a way for me to watch this, but since it's already so light on dialogue, I was able to rely on Japanese captions which I then translated using external translation tools. The story is little more than what I've already described, and the skits range from lighthearted and funny to bizarre and unnerving, which is an impressive range for such an ephemeral piece. If I had to make a point of comparison, for those of you who remember, this is like a Japanese ASDF Movie. Due to how funny many of the skits are, in an absurd kind of way, I'd say the story is the strongest aspect of this title. The art follows up behind as something that is both interesting and well-suited for the kind of comedy it wants to convey, but doesn't really stand out in ways beyond this. It is silly, simple, and at times creative, but it certainly isn't impressive on a technical level or anything. The sound receives a similar estimation from me, expressing that silly and simple vibe that is expressed throughout thew show. The music is a bit more skillful, filling its role as a lighthearted OST while also, at times, expanding into this strange, hallucinatory score for the sake of absurdity. As for the characters, the cast is fairly simple, and dominated by the titular character, Ketakuma. I wasn't able to get the names of the other characters, but the dog who appears pretty frequently is also a great addition. Overall, Ketakuma no DVD is an odd piece, from start to finish. Its very premise is rooted in an original character from a GIF keyboard, and the skits it decides to portray are so outlandish that one wonders how they brought together this strange creature of an anime. Overall, given how odd and fleeting this title is, some people will enjoy it and some won't. Even if I found it pretty funny, I still realize there's not a lot to really engage with here beyond a series of absurdist shorts. As such, I think a 5 is a fair score.