Hello Kitty – Stump Village, Volume One
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras: D Episodes: B-
The Hello Kitty franchise continues to grow
and several companies have already released DVD product. Now, Geneon has something brand new with the
first-ever Claymation version of the beloved character in action in Stump Village, Volume One, a
surprisingly charming set of five little stories that run about an hour. It will only make the fans and kids love her
and her friends al the more.
In a
market overcrowded by inferior product for children, sometimes cheaply made
animation (hand-drawn or computer) and badly-written work is too common. Sanrio, the owners of the character, have
decided to be smarter than that and make child-safe, classy programming that fans
and parents expect. This is sweet and
even funny, like making a town out of cookies or playing with food. Though simple, it allows for the child viewer
to have some peace of mind while watching and enjoying the adventures of these
characters. This could be their biggest
hit yet.
The 1.33
X 1 color image is pretty good and better than the hand-drawn animated one we
looked at a while ago. Though not the
most challenging stop-motion Claymation you might see, it is still clean,
seamless and pleasant. Detail is
slightly an issue, but this is very easy on the eyes. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is just fine for
a quiet production for children, with good clarity and the right tone for these
shows. The theme song is different for
this show than for the other animated series, but the way.
Like that
animated title we covered a while ago, I was also surprised with so much
merchandise and other potential for expanding the character, there were no
extras of any kind. This once again
could and should have been a golden opportunity to for fans to learn more about
the character and the world she inhabits, but you get what you get here and it
is enough to please fans and children for now.
- Nicholas Sheffo
