Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles

I have been a fan of the comic since my grandfather read it to me as a child, and I was curious to see if this TV series would hold up to the spirit of the comic. I vote it does. The heart of the comic for me has been the emphasis on growth, understanding, friendship, and fighting as a last resort, and I feel this show kept those things. Where it differs (aside from the lead and setting) is that it is more silly in nature and more fast paced than the comic. If you are looking for a slow show to counter the glut of hyper children shows these days, this is *not* it. While some of the humor reflects humor found in the comic, some of it seems pulled right out of the Madacasgar movies. Some works some does not, but it's all child appropriate and is not built on bullying, rudeness, or disrespect. I also feel the lessons that it has in the stories are good for children. It deals with impulse control, consequences of actions and failure to recognize a serious situation. And all this is shown in a way that I think my children could learn from and relate to. It so shows the dangers about fantasizing about violence. There is a violent section at the start-where Usagi imagines himself killing bad guys. There is no blood, but it's clear what he is doing. The point of this is to show how juvinile his fantasy is and how much harm it can do in the real world if he clings to it. I feel that validates the scenes but I would say it makes this a show where parental guidence might be needed. But goign with the above - as with the comics-there's a strong emphasis on understanding when to fight and that what's truly important is to know when not to fight. I was very pleased to see that not all the monsters are presented as just simple things to hunt and take down. There has been a strong emphasis on not judging or making assumptions based on little facts or outward appearances.. Another aspect I really appreciate is that Usagi's disrespectful disrespectful and impulsive behavior is presented in a poor light. These actions are clearly shown to be character flaws and things he need improve and stop doing. They're not played off or glamorized or shown in a way that would suggest a child should emulate this behavior. As far as divirsity the monsters are taken largely from Japanese folklore and this is a very nice way to introduce children to the mythology and culture of Japan. It's a fantasy world built on the culture if Japan and works as such. And, there is a good balance between male and female relationships, which is good because Usagi has always had strong female characters, so it would have been disheartening if the women weren't well done. Aside from all that The voice actors do a good job, the story is fun, and as a parent I found it engaging and something I could watch and share with my kids Star deducted for loosing the calmer contemplation of the original comic and a lot of the culture.