Oh! Sûpâ Miruku-chan

I have no real idea how to explain this show, but I think I like it. It totally defies description. I can't even explain how this show might have been conceived or written. There are definitely some strange people somewhere in Japan (not unlike here). But, it's so bizarre, I'm thinking of buying one of the DVD's. I wonder if the translation is a part of the charm, or if this show was equally obscure in Japanese. It's doesn't really matter. I just keep watching it thinking I'll figure it out eventually, but I kinda hope I never do. Perhaps it's best that I don't. I can't even figure out if the cultural references are real or not. Should rice cakes be chewy or crunchy? I think I'm going to go get some sushi or something.

I own the first two DVD's of this series, and I have to say, it's one of my favorite anime series right now. When they brought this anime over to America for the first time, ADV realized they had two choices: make a dub with all the original Japanese references so that the die-hard purist anime fans will be happy, or change the references so that American audiences can understand it better. They decided to go with the former. Now, I understand that some of you are going, "Woo-hoo!" and in some cases, that would be justified. But not in this one. Super Milk-Chan just contains too many obscure Japanese references that it's not funny to Americans. There's no way around it: American culture is too different from Japanese culture to make for a smooth transition. I've seen the original dub. It just wasn't funny.

So then they made a second dub. They changed all of the references and replaced the Japanese live-action scenes with their own. And you know what? It was just funnier that way. Buy the DVD, but watch the second dub only. And I don't want to hear, "But it's not accurate to the original version!" Who cares? It's still funny and spontaneous and just so well done, and in the end, it's much more palatable and more enjoyable for American audiences.

Here is a show that's bound to confuse just about anybody. A show that breaks the boundaries of it's genre, and is a perfect example of a show that you either love or hate.

The plot: Milk Chan, a 5 year old "superhero" without super powers, lives with her useless (and often abused) robot Tetsuko, and an alcoholic slug named Hanage (name translates to "nose hair"). Oh, and the President (of well, everything) has her go on missions. Oh, and she's a foul mouthed, lazy, selfish brat.

Of course, the plot doesn't really matter. Much like "Ren and Stimpy", the show highly revolves around surreal situations and oddball humor. It also features random Japanese pop culture gags (i.e Riki Choshu), odd supporting characters (such as a homosexual landlord) odd one liners ("He who controls Ramen controls the universe",) odd catchphrases ("You Dumbass!") and...ah hell, the whole show is odd.

When it came to Adult Swim in 2004, it was largely hated, and is still largely hated today. When I look back though, I think it ticked off comedy fans because it was an anime, and ticked off anime fans because they wanted something more action oriented. However, those with some patience (and some time to spare) might find something oddly enduring about the anarchistic weirdness on display. .

Super Milk-Chan is a very odd anime which is also very funny if you like weird humor. The art style of the show jumps around to fit the different characters. And the jokes range from harmless to dirty to just plain strange. The characters a very unique and out there. The main art style is can be compared to the art style of the GameBoy Advance game Wario Ware Inc., Big bold outlines with bright colors and strange yet cute character designs. The animation is clean and looks nice as well. The English voice acting fits the show but I can't comment on the Japanese voice acting at the moment.

I'd recommend it to anyone that likes the cartoons on Adult Swim or any that likes strange anime humor.

I for one rather enjoy this show because it breaks the boundaries that America has placed on Anime. Such as all anime must be a fantasy with demons or magical playing cards or robots and super humans fighting each other. The point is that the Japanese are like any other race in the fact that they enjoy laughing to. So comedic anime (such as "Golden boy" or "Super Milk Chan") should be just as welcomed and appreciated as Fantasy, Sci-Fi, or Action.

The plot (if you would like to call it that) is silly and repetitive. Each episode is built in the same way, but every episode turns out to be individually funny. I also love that there is a show within a show (A mini soap-opera about a family of ants and their marital issues) with in the show. The characters are funny I love the president most of all.

I would also like to address the comparison between "Super Milk Chan" and "Power-puff girls". The only reasons that there are similarities between the two are because SMC is a parody of the Young Super Hero shows that seem to be sprouting up like weeds (Such as "Power Puff Girls" "Teen Titans" "Danny Phantom" "Totally Spies" and that "Max mystery" thing.) The mayor and The President make this even more apparent. But people are acting as though the PPG was the first show to have a Commander or Chief figure that sends his or her (In the case of "Captain Planet") force of superheroes or spies to solve a problem. This has been used since the days of "Charlie's Angels" or " The Justice League".

So if you are a person who likes silly, repetitive, and bizarre humor make sure you check out this anime. User rating 7/10