The Tokyo Pig anime series, which debuted on the ABC Family Channel on Saturday September 14 at 10 a.m. ET/PT (see 'Tokyo Pig Anime on ABC Family'), features a ten-year-old protagonist with a pet pig, but this is one 'kid's' anime that may find favor with both children and older anime/manga fans. We've seen the first two episodes of this series, which was produced by SME (Sony Music Entertainment) in Japan and adapted for U.S. distribution by Hollywood powerhouse Miramax, and feel that it has both the style and imagination to make it of interest to older fans.
Fast-paced and brash, Tokyo Pig mixes traditional character design -- the noseless, orb-eyed hero Spencer (in the American version) hearkens back to the classic designs of Osamu Tezuka, the founding father of modern manga and anime -- with traditional manga line work, sweat beads, etc., the kind of visual exclamation points that will certainly endear the show to fans already familiar with the conventions of anime and (especially) manga. The weather lady, who comments on the proceedings like a one-woman Greek chorus, ties the show's disparate storylines together, while providing some eye candy for older viewers.