Search - All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku on DVD

The cutest cat-girl of them all?

Strategos | In Space above Planet Earth | 09/27/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"By now any serious anime fan should be familiar with the Japanese cat-girl stereotype. A hyper-active, supercute, super-girl. I'm not sure where this idea started, but I can tell you one thing. One of the best examples of the genre I have ever seen is this OVA. What makes it a classic? Is it the perfectly insane (perfectly hilarious?) mad-scientist father? The crazed mother who is alternately a business woman fanatic that would remind you a military commander (with a hilarious over-the-top personality) and (can you believe it?) a super-sweet, delicate as lace angel obsessed with her son's welfare? Or perhaps it's the ridiculous fights and explosions through the series which never result in anyone getting killed (or even seriously injured) despite what looks like hundreds of millions of dollars of property destruction? Or could it be the heavy-artilary carrying duo henchwomen or the super-aggressive (pint-sized) android, all of whom are all obsessed with destroying the main character in some wild scheme? Na.



What really makes this series is the main character. Nuku Nuku is undoubtedly one of the greatest characters in the whole history of anime. She's a super-powered android in the shape of a beautiful teen-ager with the brain of a cat. All things considered, she's almost impossible not to love. Her look is very attractive, yet very sincere. She's cute and extroverted and silly, yet fiercely loyal and self-sacrificing. She only wants to use her super-powers for good (not to show off), and yet finds herself unwittingly part of battles of mass destruction. She considers her creator and his son to be her family, and loves them dearly. Ultimately it's the pure heart of her character that makes her so compelling, and the reason why everyone loves her.



You could watch this dvd in English, but that would be a crime. The Japanese language track features some of the finest voice-acting you will ever find. Everyone does a great job, but the voice actress who plays Nuku Nuku is PERFECT. In fact I'd go so far as to say that this series would be greatly diminished without her voice acting, as it truly is spectacular.



I should also mention that this series has great artwork (especially considering when it was made), and a great soundtrack as well (I never get tired of the first opening theme).



This is not only one of the best OVAs ever, it's also an anime classic. If wacky Japanese comedies aren't normally your style you may want to just rent this one. If on the other hand, you've been searching far and wide for a anime comedy featuring a super-powered, super-likable cat girl with a heart of gold, you've hit the jackpot."

Purrrrrrrfect!

Michelle Klein-Hass | Maneki City...oops, I mean Panorama City, CA USA | 02/14/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Gotta love Nuku Nuku-chan. This is by far the best of the three animated series featuring the perky, genki andro-robot grrl with a kitty brain and the strength of The Terminator. You meet her creator, Natsume Kyusaku, and his son Natsume Ryunosuke, as they are fleeing from his ex-wife Mishima Akiko's Office Lady hit squad. Nuku Nuku is created out of the consequences of the chase.During the rest of this six-episode Original Animation Video series, you watch Nuku Nuku deal with the weirdnesses of being a human being. You also see Kyusaku and Akiko alternately fighting each other and trying to put their relationship back together. And you see the strong bond that develops between little but wise beyond his years Ryunosuke and his cybernetic big sister Nuku Nuku. The DVD version doesn't have much in the way of extras, but remember that this was created in 1992, long before the era of producing extras for future video releases. It does have an amusing Macintosh-like interface that will put a smile on the Mac fans among us. The dub isn't too bad, although giving Kyusaku a Texas drawl is as weird as Billy Bob Thornton doing the voice of the itinerant Shinto priest in "Princess Mononoke." However, you must watch it at least once subtitled, because the vocal performances of the Japanese Seiyuu are amazing, especially Hayashibara Megumi in the title role. Hayashibara-san is the Mel Blanc of Japan...she's the most ubiquitous vocal actor in Anime's golden age, and she gives a great performance here. A lesser voice actress would have just played Nuku Nuku as a bubbly, genki little flibbertygibbet. Hayashibara-san's performance gives the character depth and subtlety. The other performers rise to her example.The video transfer is a bit messy, but it's understandable considering they probably were working from analog sources rather than digital sources. Get this before ADV Films decides to consign this to remainder hell. This is not the most well-known series but it's damn good. And look out for Cat Girl Nuku Nuku TV, the first DVD of which will be released the beginning of March 2004. Nuku Nuku DASH!, the second NN OAV, is available now, but it pales in comparison to this, the original. Curl up, get cozy (which is what Nuku Nuku actually means in Japanese) and bask in the warm glow of this must-see DVD. Purrrrrr...=^_^="

Cat owners will want custody of this one

iwakura | Shinto Shrine | 10/30/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is volume 1 of 3.In essence, this is a child custody battle story marketed as a cute cat girl story. The blending of the two make it quite exceptional:Papa-san and Mama-san split up. Papa-san runs away with his son taking with his android prototype project. In the resulting shoot-out, their recently adopted stray cat gets killed. Papa-san modifies the android, and the result is an older sister for his son; All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku.The rest of the story is how Nuku Nuku adapts to her new surroundings (pretending to be human) while deep down she is really a cat, at least at first... Providing situations is Mama-san, a powerful business exec scheming to steal back her son and the android unit.Lots of laughs, cat humor, destroyed buildings, but the under-lying relationships make this comedy anime plus. Most people should enjoy this one. Virtually all cat lovers will!"

Nuku Nuku is great!

Dave | USA | 12/03/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

""A heartwarming story about a boy and his cat....and a major military weapons manufacturer" as the preview says. This a two thumbs up movie, and so are the the other two. I strongly reccomend this as a first choice to any anime fan!"