Magical Nyan Nyan Taruto

Magical Meow Meow Taruto is an anime that, while clearly being aimed at a younger audience, still keeps a consistent storyline and has its dark moments.

Starting off quite innocently and without much substance, it soon evolves into a slice of life with a few fantasy and even action themes. Despite only having 12 episodes, a lot of the series is episodic and focuses on single stories within the episodes. However, Taruto's claims to be a princess finally hold weight at the end where the once story gathers some darker themes and introduces a final character.

While I wish Pie a La Mode had more screen-time, due ... to her backstory holding significant importance in the later story, her relation to Taruto still feels natural and makes sense due to the scenes shown earlier.

The character designs are cute and bright, with not just different eyes but also different facial shapes distinguishing them. The animation itself is quite off-model and the lines can be seen quite wobbly at times, but the art style is not to blame for this and I quite enjoy it.

The soundtrack is extremely pretty and well-made, suiting the feel of the show well. It has a mystical feel to it and makes the show feel more exciting.

The show is relaxing for the most part and easy to enjoy. While there are some sad or even dark scenes, the slice of life triumphs over the rest and most of the content shown is Taruto enjoying herself and practicing her magic.

Overall the show is a great watch even for adults. While it may be aimed at children, the cute characters and occasional serious themes are enjoyable for all ages.

This is definitely a show intended for kids, but I enjoyed it immensely. I got somewhat hypnotized by the unending cutesiness, and for some time after viewing an episode I would use cutesy words. The power of cute compelled me.

Taruto is a cat. However, she regards herself as the equal of any human, and so the viewer sees her as a cat-girl. This can be a little disorienting for the first episode, until one realizes that the humans without cat ears are actual humans, and the people with cat-ears are cats who think of themselves as human.

Taruto is very young and kittenish. She ... goes on innocent adventures that are suitable for viewing by audiences of all ages. This would be a great show to watch while babysitting boys and girls of less than eleven years of age.

Magical Nyan Nyan Taruto is a cute show. Cute is its raison d'être, and viewers should be warned to expect a kid's show with no real tension or storytelling merit. It is classic stuff- a secret princess, magic, and animals that can understand each other but not be understood by humans.

However, I've ended up watching it three times through by now. It's entertaining and cute fluff. As an entire genre has built up around adults watching cuteness for its own sake in the anime industry since Taruto was introduced, it may be worth considering for viewing by adults as well as children.

... Story: 4
Princesses & magic, as said before. The focus of the plot is the titular Taruto discovering she is capable of magic, and how this ties her to the mythical Kinka kingdom and the magical world of Ganache. (Ganache, by the way, is the first instance we hear of what will become a theme in naming conventions.) Taruto struggles with her love of Iori, her owner whom she intends to marry, and her apparent responsibilities as royalty in a lost Cat Kingdom. One rare moment of poignancy that deserves special mention is an episode divorced from the main story that deals with the journey of an Okinawan wild cat seeking to reach America.

Art: 6
The art in Magical Nyan Nyan Taruto is a vehicle for displaying the cuteness of the characters, and succeeds in this aspiration. The town Taruto & the other cats live in is reasonably illustrated, but nothing about the art or animation stands out. It is pretty but generic, lacking the popping visuals and attention to detail of KyoAni or the distinctiveness of a studio like Shaft. It is forgettable and pleasant, like the anime itself.

Sound: 6
Taruto's opening & closing are sugary-sweet, with the ed tune sounding as if it was sung by a kindergarten chorus. The dub is noteworthy for being surprisingly good, given what a low-profile show it is, and this is all to the good, since a decent un-subtitled version helps the series immeasurably with its primary demographic- little children.

Characters: 6
The characters presented are stereotypes, but they are lovable. Taruto & her owner Iori's interactions are heartwarming, and she has the prerequisite bossy proto-tsundere friend, and the refined proto-yamato nadeshiko friend as well. Watching the old fraud "sorcerer" was still amusing the third viewing through, and everyone fulfills their archetype well, even if there is nothing like character development or depth of character.

Enjoyment: 8
Magical Nyan Nyan Taruto is more than the sum of its parts, somehow contriving to be a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon despite being utterly generic and forgettable. I would highly recommend it as an introductory show for younger children, or as a tool for those who find themselves babysitting or otherwise tasked with the entertainment of children, but do not necessarily want to be bored themselves.

Overall:
There is nothing great about Magical Nyan Nyan Taruto, and it is apparent there was no attempt to make it great, but an effort was clearly put into producing a good children's anime. It is pleasant and fluffy in a manner similar to Bottle Fairy, but tries to have a story, albeit one only children will find compelling. I personally think Magical Nyan Nyan Taruto is worth watching for anyone who is a fan of cuteness and especially cats, although viewers should be cautioned not to expect more from the show than it actually is.

If you find yourself re-watching Disney as an adult, it's likely you'd enjoy watching this as well.