StoryWrong hole! That’s the wrong hole!
If the above statement seems utterly harmless, then I
congratulate you on not being a filthy minded perv. For those who started
picturing lewd acts in your head, number one: seek help, and number two:
welcome to the world of Ebichu!
This anime follows the misadventures of a ten-dollar talking
hamster, her master, and those around her. However, do not expect a
family-friendly treat about a cutesy animal doing housework as this entire show
is about sex. Essentially the ‘plot’ plays out like a running commentary on the
master’s love life, either through Ebichu’s naïve ramblings or actual physical
representation.
Without a doubt, Ebichu’s greatest asset is its rude,
crude comedy. The fact that this series doesn’t tend to hold back makes it all
the more entertaining; it has no problems with nudity, sexual activity,
fetishism or… uhh… ‘adult toys’. The title character’s seeming innocence
combined with her misguided sense of ‘helping’, sets the scene perfectly for
some cringe-worthy humiliation, whether it’s Ebichu revealing to the world the
master’s ownership of a large green dildo or informing her mother about her
daughter’s nighttime activities.
Sadly, as there is a lot of wordplay, a large amount of the
humour could easily go over western audiences’ heads. Taking words and phrases
with double meanings so that seemingly harmless sentences take on an altogether
different meaning makes for a good laugh, but not so much if you don’t speak
the language. One scene comes to mind where Ebichu gets locked outside and
calls out to be let back in. While what she says is innocent enough (hurry, let
me in), it also translates as “Open your legs! Stick it in, please! Stick it
in, don’t tease me!” To those who don’t understand Japanese (or don’t have the
luxury of translation notes) the wit of this scene is lost as – depending on
how it’s subbed – either the innocence of her cries is lost, leaving the rodent
randomly yelling filth through the window, or utter confusion will set in as
you wonder why the master and Kaishounashi are getting turned on by a damp
hamster yelling for help.
Unfortunately, the biggest problem with Ebichu is
that it relies far too heavily on the same jokes and thus becomes worryingly
predictable. You know exactly what’s going to happen: our furry protagonist
will say or do something that will embarrass/piss off her master that will
result in a bump on the head, a blood stained wall and a lifeless furry lump
laying on the floor. As such, certain aspects of the show quickly start to feel
stale – the ‘Ebichuman’ mini-series was mildly amusing first time round, for
example, but not so much the second or third times.AnimationWith its bold outlines and bright colours
reminiscent of Roy Lihtenstein’s comic book style artworks, Ebichu boasts a graceful an- I’m sorry I can’t do it. This series looks like it’s been
drawn by a fourteen year old who thought it’d be fun to scribble some dirty
doodles all over their school desk with a brand new set of markers.SoundSplat! Splot! Splurt!
Fap Fap Fap!
Squeak squeak.
Uuuuuuhhhhnnn Aaaaahhh!
Thwack!
The array of sound effects certainly makes up for the
lacklustre animation by enhancing Ebichu’s slapstick nature. While the
same noises appear time and time again, it doesn’t seem too repetitive – though
Ebichu’s squeaky feet get seriously annoying after about two seconds. Sadly
these accompanying sounds make much more of an impact than the series’ opening
track: a nondescript and cheesy tune, which, while it contains apt lyrics for
the plot, sounds altogether too innocent for the crude content that follows.CharactersHalf cute, half irritating, Ebichu herself is a bit of an
enigma – in that I can’t work out if I want to hit her myself or give her a
piece of camembert. Her naivety regarding human sexual practice and what is and
isn’t appropriate to broadcast to others, is the series’ main source of humour.
Her frequent cock-ups regarding the master’s sex life make her regular beatings
wholly understandable if not supportable. At the same time her cutesy
appearance and adoration of food just makes her seem like a regular pet and
suddenly the hamster becomes a pitiable victim of domestic violence – anyone
have the phone number for the RSPCA?
Meanwhile, Ebichu’s owner portrays possibly the worst
example of women anywhere. Aside from her violent tendencies towards the
adorable creature, her utterly pathetic clinginess to Kaishounashi makes it
difficult to hold back the vomit. Quite why the stupid cow keeps subjecting
herself to his cheating ways and general bastardry is completely beyond me. The
only saving grace is that her disagreeable nature makes her inevitable
embarrassment all the more enjoyable to watch.
Cassie’s ‘Freak of the Week’ award goes to the bizarre
Maa-kun, who forms an unusual (and unhealthy) attachment to the title
character. As if his sudden fixation and fancy for the raunchy rodent weren’t
bad enough, seeing him then proceed to fantasise about her while rigorously
rogering his girlfriend brings about whole new, disturbing levels of wrongness.
I’m sorry, but when a guy’s sexual appetite only goes ballistic at the thought
of something small and furry – that doesn’t reside between his girlfriend’s
legs – it’s about time to give in and call the men in white coats.OverallI personally enjoyed Ebichu – even on a
second viewing – but that’s primarily because I have quite a filthy mind and
love crude humour. For those who don’t constantly find themselves sniggering at
farts, bums, or knob jokes, the series’ repetitive nature will be a
deal-breaker, especially since comedy is this show’s only real selling point.
However, if you have a spare few minutes and fancy a naughty giggle, then you
could do a lot worse than kicking back with a beer and watching this.
Screenshots
Add to list