Common Name: Udon no Kuni no Kiniro Kemari
Alternative Names: Poco's Udon World
Score: 7/10, 5/5
Length: 12 Episodes
Genre: Slice of Life
Summary: When Tawara Souta felt his family home in Kagawa Prefecture to pursue his dream job, he left a lot behind. When he returned home to settle his deceased father's affairs it became obvious that he lost more than he had anticipated. As feelings of shame and regret wash over him, Souta finds something he never expected in his father's old noodle shop. Sleeping inside a pot, he finds a tanuki disguised as young boy and a reason to stay in the home he abandoned years ago.
Review: I've noticed a rather large influx of anime that talk about the fun and hardships of parenting lately, and I absolutely don't mind. There's almost always a kind of thoughtful simplicity to these shows that make them deep and insightful to the adult audience but have enough comedy and fun to keep kids engaged too. What I like most about them though is how sweet and heartwarming they are by nature. It's a great kind of sub genre to sit back, enjoy, and let the day's stresses get washed away. So, following on the tail of Sweetness & Lightning, we are given another story about coming to terms with loss in the family. Unlike Sweetness & Lightning's message of healing needing time, however, we're given a tale about reaffirming a person's natural love for family and the places they called home.
Of course, realizing that kind of natural love exists can take some time.
Luckily for our protagonist, Tawara Souta, he's given something of a free pass from the depression and angst that might come from losing a family member in the form of a child to care for. Unlike the usual family tale though, we're given a supernatural twist to the parental genre, since the aforementioned child is actually a shape shifting tanuki who he has decided to name Poco. This little change to the genre's norm doesn't amount to much at first though. As far as Souta's concerned, he's become Poco's guardian which means not only teaching him how to live in the human world but also keeping his real identity a secret. Once their relationship is established, preferrably in the most adorable fashion possible, the show and all it's mysteries can set off. I say mystery because everything about Poco, aside from his undeniable love for Souta, is an unknown.
For all Souta knows, Poco's actually twice his age and just loves messing with people.
Even if that was the case, it honestly doesn't matter to the show. So long as Poco acts like a kid and functions as a healing force in Souta's life, the story would end the same way. All Poco does is speed up the process while giving Souta a reason to reconnect with the life he had nearly given up on. That means reconnecting with his best friend friend, Nakajima Shinobu, as well as being in closer proximity to his sister, both of whom have family issues of their own as well. So, following the old adage that "misery loves company" both Souta and the people close to him are forced to come to terms with their various complexes and hangups while they all help Souta care for Poco.
Honestly, if I didn't know better, I'd think Poco was some kind of magnet and a balm for people with family issues.
Oh, wait, that's exactly what he is.
While Udon no Kemari's story itself is a tad predictable and far from being considered novel, I can't deny that I kind of love it for that simplicity. Like I said before, this isn't one of those titles that's filled with drama or intrigue and action. It's something that you can watch while relaxing with your own family after a long day. It's got some deep and thoughtful moments for the adult audience and a lot of silly and fun moments for the kids. It's also worth mentioning that there's even a kid's show within this show called Gaogao-chan and the Blue Sky. The goal of this extra show is to rehash the events of each Udon no Kemari episode in a way that kids can digest better. So, from adult to young children, this is a show for everyone. Maybe it loses some focus along the way to account for the younger audience, but I personally think it makes it all the more endearing. For a show that cares so much about the idea of family, it's good to see it practicing what it preaches, turning a cartoon into a event the whole family can enjoy. If it can accomplish that, I don't think any of my usual points of interest really apply. So, if you're a family person or just a lonely sap like me, there's honestly no reason to not watch this show.