What's "The puffy Ami/Yumi show"?

[Lorien]

or is it "the PUPPY ami/yumi show" on Cartoon Network?

I just got a belated Christmas Card from an old animator buddy from Disney, and he said that he's working on it. I don't have cable and have no idea what the hell he's talking about; is this something on now, or is it in development? Can anyone fill me in before I talk to him again?

[Az]

1. Hi Hi Puffy Ami Yumi

Puffy Ami Yumi is a real J-Pop group. They are the band that performs the Teen Titans theme song. I don't have a real feel for the series yet. But it seems to be searching for a hook as yet. Its in the vein of the Milk Chan show which itself is a twisted take on old style shorts like Huckleberry Hound and such.

Think animated Sitcom with anime influences.

[Lorien]

2. God I feel old

"J-Pop"; Japanese pop?

Milk Chan? My friend is one of the foremost autorities on those older 'toons, like Huckleberry Hound, so I can see him working on something that was similar to that ( I met him on a Roger Rabbit project), but I don't know what Milk Chan is, either.

[Az]

3. Milk Chan oy

Don't worry I probably have you beat on the age thing.

Milk Chan is part of the new wave of surreal anime. Think Ren and Stimpy on crack instead of heroin. It plays on contrasts of expectations. Something as cute and innocent seeming as Milk behaving out of character drives the humor. It can actually catch you off guard.

[tomreedtoon]

4. Suggestion: record Cartoon Network's Adult Swim.

Whether you have Tivo, or just a VCR, you can catch many remarkable anime shows on Adult Swim (which is now a separate program service from Cartoon Network, like Nick at Nite is separate from Nickelodeon.)

If you want a look at your friend's project, just Google or Yahoo-search for "Puffy Ami Yumi" and you'll find web pages about it. (You'll also see pictures of the real-life Ami and Yumi, two very nice ladies who just don't speak a lot of English. The cartoon show uses English speakers for the character voices.)

Anyway, there are some good anime shows about. "Cowboy Bebop" was the most American-friendly one; it's kind of a tragic film noir romance, done as a space-going bounty hunter show, with great Japanese jazz music. You might also find "Big O," a giant-robot series set in a mysterious city that seems a lot like The Village from the 60's paranoia show "The Prisoner."

If you're more into romance, "Inuyasha," about a cross-time romance between a contemporary Japanese school girl and a warrior/nature spirit in ancient Japan, can really grow on you. These air at different times on CN's Adult Swim; check the online schedules on Yahoo if you don't have Tivo.

[cleofus1]

5. here they are

sort of like the old beatles saturday morning fair...but japanese...very rough anime style...