I drink and watch anime

How to Keep a Mummy – Can’t title – Too cute

Irina

 

All parents have their quirks. Some insist on showing anyone we bring home all our baby pictures complete with running, extremely embarrassing commentary. Some seem completely impervious to the notion of privacy while others could compete in the guilt Olympics. All Sora’s dad does is leave him alone with his workaholic aunt while he travels the world in search of adventure and send him back various, potentially dangerous mythical souvenirs. It’s a pretty good deal when you think about it. So what will Sora do now that he’s just received the world’s most adorable and neediest mummy?

How To Keep a mummy isn’t so much a show as a fluffy soft ball of adorableness in anime form. I remember all your tweets and posts last season about just how cute this series is and yet, I was not prepared….

you are also not prepared

We anime fans (the English-speaking ones at least) have our own lexicon and sometimes words don’t mean the same thing for us as they do for everyone else…for instance “cute” usually comes with certain associations. Visually, those association are most likely Moe. Super rounded, slightly shiny character designs. Saturated but generally soft colors. Fluid backgrounds. In this regard, How to Keep a Mummy is much more reminiscent of your standard school setting slice of life.

Admittedly, there’s nothing particularly impressive in the production except for a particular aspect of the animation. Mii-kun and his mythical friends are all appropriately adorable in design. I would love plushies of all of them. However cute critters abound in anime. What sets these guys apart is how they move. The clumsy, small and hesitant movements all reminiscent of small animals and babies are just perfect. I had seen images of Mii-kun all over the place but the first time he slipped into a bowl of water I squealed. It’s something you really have to see for yourself but trust me, your heart will grow four sizes.

To me How to Keep a Mummy is pretty much the quintessential cute things doing cute stuff show. It’s a light comedic slice of life where every episode is designed to make you go awwww and smile rather than have you busting out laughing. It’s not as cathartic as Monster Girls for instance or as funny as Kobayashi. It a show that has a similar effect as watching a basket of puppies.

it simply doesn’t get better

In other words it’s the best.

I didn’t choose that puppy analogy randomly, this is clearly aimed at animal lovers of all kinds. One of the barriers I have had to truly enjoying Moe shows is that I don’t find children or teenage girls that cute. At least I don’t have a strong enough natural reaction to them that will make me enjoy an enjoy an entire series on that basis alone. I do however love animals in that blind unconditional way. I instinctively want to hug puppies and cuddle kitties. And for the first time, I found a show that truly and brilliantly exploits that bias.

This is not to say that How to Keep a Mummy is devoid of anything else. The quirky characters are pleasant and work well with each other to form a cozy group. The two leading human characters, Sora and Tazuki, are pretty well developed and their friendship is longingly explored.

great, now I’m hungry

However, without the adorable framing of Mii-kun and the adorable menagerie, there’s not enough left to fill an entire series. And that’s just fine by me. I can’t say I learned much or was plunged into deep thoughts watching this show. I can say I hugged my dog a lot and switched off my tv with a big dumb smile on my face.

If you have ever fallen down a rabbit hole of puppy or kitten videos, give Mii-kun a chance to charm you. If you like cute shows you’d be hard pressed to find cuter. If you enjoy some yummy and playful fanservice…. this is not the show for you. Unless of course you consider adorable pets fanservice in which case, consider yourself served!

Favorite character: Tazuki

What this anime taught me: all Soras look alike

The best things in life either make you fat, drunk or pregnant

Suggested drink: Cranberry cutie

 

Exit mobile version