Bonobono is well... A manga for salarymans. For those who don't know theses terms, Salarymans in Japan are hard workers who don't have a lot of time to spare. Adapted from a 4-Koma series, Bonobono isn't a complex thriller or anything that'll make you question humanity, but hey, atleast it's a relaxing ride.
Our main character here is Bonobono, a blue otter who isn't a smart guy in any terms. Along with his friends, Araiguma the Raccon, known for being lazy and a tsukkomi, and Shimarisu the Chipmunk, a chipmunk with an absurd amount of sisters, live their daily lives and the woods. Nothing outta this world.
Episodes last for 5 minutes, they're mini SOL stories, and most of theses don't have a story line, but I think what makes theses worth it is the silly interactions with all the characters. They're not complex, but the main trio actually feels like a bunch of children just doing dumb stuff, which on a SOL series is actually a nice breath of fresh air from the usual "anime girls doing cute stuff".
The series doesn't have a complex humor, as I'm pretty sure the jokes are child-friendly. Talking about child-friendly, there's a lot of poop jokes over here, and all of theses fall flat, like a turd in a toilet. Humor provided by Araiguma's is either screaming or kicking, Bonobono is a airhead, and Shimarisu just says "Are you gonna bully me" a lot. I mean, A LOT. A few jokes are wholesome, others make you smile, and all the poop humor is... poop humor.
OST is relaxing, as all of theses soundtracks give serious Math Rock vibes. The series doesn't have a OP, ED isn't really memorable, and the animation on ED feels like a children's story book.
There isn't much to say about this series. Bonobono is a cult-hit in Japan, but western viewers aren't much familiar to this series. The series isn't made for average anime-fans, as this is something that Nick Jr. or Discovery Kids could easily air. I'd say give it a watch if you're stressed, or just want a relaxing SOL series with no anime girls, no ecchi, no romance, just Bonobono.
Final rating: 6.5/10