I'm a big fan of quality edutainment, so a show about a bunch of goofy designer angels making the animals of the world because God ran out of steam is a great idea to me. Despite the fantastical premise, there's a lot of fun scientific explanations as to why certain animals do or don't work. Who knew that the real reason we don't have unicorns is because the horn would cause them to suffer from osteoporosis? It's also really fun to try and figure out what animal the team is creating before it's finalized. There's one that I was sure would be an insect of some kind, but turned out to be quite different...! Well, perhaps not too different, but I was surprised by the result nonetheless.
Of course, I don't think the show would be as good without a strong cast, and the characters are really entertaining. They're not particularly deep, of course, but their personalities lend themselves really well to fun gags and interactions, and there are a few really good episode plotlines that barely have anything to do with just designing animals, like the vacation murder mystery. My favorite episodes would have to be the ones where the design team gets involved with designing creatures for Hell, just because Yokota is so much more pleasant as a client than God. It's hard to pick a favorite of the team because they're all really charming. I think in terms of personality I like Neptune the most because he's large and soft, but Pluto's got my favorite design aesthetic. I love animals that are weird and kind of horrifying, so of course I'd vibe with her. I really could keep going, though, because everyone has something I really like about them. The show's goofy without being mean-spirited, as well, which is a plus in my book.
As far as the production goes, the animation isn't super intricate but this isn't the kind of show that needs it, and the characters and animals always look really nice. The in-episode music serves its purpose well enough, and the OP and ED are really catchy. I have to admit that I like the animation for the ED a little better than the song, just because the picture book style is really cute.
It's hard to think of any real flaws to the show, honestly. It's not really a big, bombastic, award-winning type of show, but it's very fun and you're pretty much guaranteed to learn something new unless you're a hardcore evolutionary biologist. It's a cozy show that's definitely worth a watch, and since the manga's still going I really hope there's another season at some point. It's a series you could very easily show a kid who likes animals a lot, too. I'm not really sure how many people on this website are looking for something like that, but you know. I know I would've been all over this as a kid.
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