Anime loves its afros. Take Afro Samurai and Keroro Gunso, for instance. Or even the stationery character, Afro-ken. All have out-there hair (Keroro often covers his in a helmet) and corresponding out-there fan bases. Maybe it’s because the afro is as fun to draw as it is to admire. Regardless, now you can add to their ranks Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo, the golden afro-ed vegetarian hero of the anime series sharing his name.

Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo is set in the year 300X. And evil tyrant, Czar Baldy-Bald IV has declared war on hairdos everywhere, deploying groups of soldiers known as “Hair Hunt” squads to shave the heads of the hair possessing populace, and citing the bald man’s cry of “skin is in” as justification. Thankfully a substantial road block lies in the path of Baldy-Bald’s evil agenda. Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo, with his giant golden afro, rampant body fur, and retractable nose (and armpit) hairs he wields like steel whips, has taken the job of “Bo-nafide Protector” of the populace. And, with his comrades Beauty (a young pink haired girl) and Don Patch (a “Sun-Fizz” like sun) he might just save the day, if he can stay focused on the task at hand.

Now, from the title and description you can probably tell that Bo-Bobo is of the gonzo anime genre, but you might not know exactly how crazy it is. Bo-bobo maintains a level of gonzo that rivals even Excel Saga (though, certainly less twisted). Anything and everything can happen within the space of the 26 minute episode (presented here un-cut). There are bears, animated boogers, cabbage transformations, cross-dressing, and a whole host of strangeness that has to be seen to be believed. If you’re not a fan of the gonzo, you might be scratching your head, but trust me, it’s absolutely hilarious.

The first four episodes of Bo-bobo depict the origins of Bo-Bobo, the state of the land, the back-stories of his compatriots, and a few minor skirmishes with hair hunt troops. One rather cool element of Bo-bobo is that each episode features a flash back section, handled via a transition to an animal filled theater where a flashback film is on display. These flashbacks, in accordance with the nature of the show, are absolutely bonkers. Fans of Japanese cinema will notice that each flashback film starts with a parody of the Toho, Toei, and Nikkatsu logos. It’s a nice common joke that surprisingly never feels forced or unnecessary.

Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo does has a few strange translation issues, primarily involving screen text and names of Japanese foods. Every character, when introduced, has a kanji name at the bottom of the screen. These are sometimes covered in the audible dialog, but more often than not are never translated. Regarding the food names, Dilly the “pickle” in the first episode is really a slice of takuwan, and the “churros” Don Patch sells in the second are really chikuwa (fishcake shaped like bamboo). Lastly, the tater tots in the fourth episode are curry pan. I can understand the decision to make the foods more palatable to the American audience, but I think that translating them straight would have been better. At least it would allow adventurous people to seek out new tasty treats.

The character designs of Bo-bobo are reminiscent of Dragonball and Pokemon (Beauty and Don Patch especially), with brightly colored hair and clothing, harsh angular facial lines, which stand out nicely against the softer forest and town backgrounds. Being that Bo-Bobo was originally published in Shonen Jump, this is not surpsing. To be honest, initially I found the look of Bo-bobo a bit off-putting, but after watching the first four episodes, I quite like it.

In closing, Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo surprised me. I figured it would be fun, but had no idea that it would be as hilarious as it turned out to be. It just has that certain strange humor that will delight adults and kids alike. I never caught its initial run on Cartoon Network, but now, having seen this DVD, I’ll be sure to catch its second season. Definitely check it out.

The DVD.

The second release from Illumitoon entertainment, Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo, maintains the same stunning video quality as their Beet The Vandel Buster. I certainly hope this is their standard. The colors and lines are very bright and very crisp. Very very nice.

The DVD has no Special Features to speak of, but provides both Japanese and English language audio tracks for your listening pleasure. There are subtitles, but they merely replicate the exact dialog spoken in the English track, so it’s not entirely a straight translation of the Japanese dialog. Furthermore, the subtitles are positioned always in the lower left hand corner, which, while looking cool, prove a little longer to read than normal subtitles (think the geometry of a right triangle, a longer diagonal line versus a shorter vertical).

A couple other strange issues arise on the disc, the first being a forced trailer for Bobobo-bo Bo-Bobo when you initially play the DVD. You cannot fast forward, exit to menu, or otherwise skip the trailer. The menu audio is also quite loud – much louder than the show itself. If you’ve just finished an episode, and go back to menu, you’re in for a start.

Minor DVD issues aside, the disc is quite nice. I mean, you’re going to be spending most of your time watching the show anyway. Great visual quality, great audio, and an exceedingly fun show. Make sure to check out Bobobo-bo Bo-Bobo.

About the Author

Chris Nelson has been a film fanatic since age six. A former film and English major, he is now a Software Engineer and contract Technical Writer living in the Silicon Valley.

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