A large number of cartoons shown on TV in America are aimed at boys.  If you look at the most popular shows, Yu Gi Oh, Sonic X, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and even the live action Power Ranger franchise, you quickly realize that they all involve battles and fighting villains.  In Japan, there is a wider range of animated offerings, and one that is aimed at younger advances, females in particular, is Magical Meow Meow Taruto, about a magical cat who is actually a princess.  This cute show is now being released in region one by Bandai, with three episodes on this first DVD.

The legendary land of Ganache that is located in a different dimension ruled by cats.  This land was ruled by the kindly House of Kinka, a family that had magical powers.  The House of Byoh, rivals who possesed powers of deception, wanted to rule and so they started a civil war and defeated the Kinka.  As King of Ganache's castle was about to fall, he gave his newborn daughter to a royal retainer and told him to flee the land with the royal heir.  The retainer, mortally wounded, sets the princess afloat in a basket on a river that led into an alternate dimension where Ganache is just a legend.

Years later, Iori, his sister, and his cat Taruto move into a new neighborhood.  Taruto, like the other cats in this world looks human but with cat ears and a tail.  She stands about three feet tall, walks erect, and even wears clothes.  The special thing about Taruto though is the fact that she can use magic.  She's not very good, of course, and most of her spells backfire with comic results, but she tries to help Iori and his sister as much as she can.

The local cats notice that something is odd about Taruto.  Though she can't really preform any magic when they are watching, they start to suspect that she may be the legendary missing princess from mythical land Ganache.  Together with her newfound freinds, Taruto has many exciting and comical adventures.

These shows are episodic in nature, though there is a slight subplot about two groups looking for something or someone, obviously the missing princess.  Their intentions are not clear, but it is clear that when they find Taruto, her life will change forever.

This is a cute series, perfect for young children.  The shows have a good amount of humor, and there aren't any scary monsters or villains.  The closest the show comes to a villain is the pretty girl next door who thinks Taruto is a beautiful cat and wants to kidnap her.  She chases Taruto every episode, but never comes close to catching her.  Even if she did, she just wants to lavish attention on her.

Another supporting character is Kakipi, a mouse Taruto meets in the first episode.  She uses her magic to give him the ability of flight, and now he's the one who is totally convinced that she's the magic princess.

Overall a fun light series perfect for early elementary kids and younger.

Audio:

This disc offers a choice of an English dub or the original Japanese track both in stereo.  I viewed the show in both languages.  Both tracks are solid and work well.  A lot of the characters in the English track had high pitched voices that I didn't really care for, but younger viewers surely won't mind.  My eight year old didn't.  There wasn't any dropouts or hiss in either track, and they both fit the show well.

Video:

The full frame video looks very good.  The image is a tad soft, but not much.  The show's bright colors are dynamic and vivid, and the detail is fine.  Digital defects were almost nonexistent.  A nice looking disc.

Extras:

This disc also contains a textless opening and two sing along songs that are a mixture of live action and animated clips.  There are also trailers to three other shows aimed at the younger set.

Inside the DVD case is a window sticker of Taruto.

Final Thoughts:

A nice, light show that young kids will be sure to like.  The non-threatening plots are sure to be enjoyed by even the most timid children, and the comic elements make the show fun.  Recommended for younger viewers.