Are you weird and twisted? If so then you'll want to check out Haré + Guu. This peculiar anime harnesses the cuteness of Strawberry Marshmallow and mashes it together with the irreverent insanity of Excel Saga. Granted this particular series isn't quite off its rocker as Excel Saga but it's pretty darn close at times.

This bizarre little show ran for 26 episodes in Japan and was followed up shortly thereafter by two OVA's of the same name. The show takes place on a tropical island of sorts and stars two young characters named Haré and Guu. They live together in a village with a bunch of oddball people who fit right into the craziness of the series. Haré's mother is kind of a floozy, the village chieftain is a hairy weirdo, and Guu, well, she's not even human.

To be honest I don't really know what Guu is. After starting the show at the third volume and picking it up again with the fourth all I can gather is that she's an otherworldly being. Apart from being strange and all together mysterious she also has multiple stomachs which each exist as their own world. When she eats something like a person or shark it goes somewhere. I'm just not exactly sure where that is. She also has the ability to contort her body and stretch her arms this way and that. The funny part is among this cast of kookoos she fits right in and is widely accepted among her peers.

With the series being so episodic in nature there really isn't a lot of continuity from adventure to adventure. In the last volume Haré and Guu went fishing and caught more than they bargained for. Things got out of control when Guu was hit in the face by a volley ball and exacted her revenge on the culprit. The island went out on a hunt and Haré's mother, Weda, was attacked by a big bear. Fortunately Guu was there to transform into whatever she transformed into and defeat the beast. Everybody also went to the beach and an elderly woman chased around the school doctor due to a vision of her dead husband.

In the fourth volume the village kicks things off with a celebration and festival of sorts. All of the adults get drunk and the kids have a good time eating candy, but things get a little intense when there is an argument over who gets to spend time with Weda. The village elder stops the two men before blood is spilt and opens up a secret cavern where four contestants battle it out in a game show environment. The hilarious part is that Guu seems to have it out for Haré and at one point even breaks out a boxing glove which results in poor Haré getting a black eye.

In the next episode Haré and Guu are traveling to school one morning and walking through the jungle. A strange man in a hat interrupts them who is himself interrupted by a lady dressed in a black jacket. To two are the children of Weda's family live-in servants and want to surprise her with a visit. Things get insane when the two finally get to say hi, though in between the craziness we do learn a little bit about Weda's past which is nice. Surprisingly the continuity from this episode carries over into the next episode.

The servants are still kicking around and much to Haré's delight they actually make breakfast. The shadows from Weda's past do raise the question of Haré's father is. Come to think of it we haven't seen the guy, or at least I haven't because I have only seen this volume and the previous one. It is implied that Dr. Clive is the father, but never really spoken. We do learn that Weda was tossed out of her house because she was pregnant, and that's how she came to be living in the village.

In the final episode on the disc the sleepy school teacher assigns his students the task of writing a report on whatever they want. Naturally Haré has a hard time pinpointing what he wants to talk about, but lucky for him Guu is there to assist. In his quest he learns that Rebecca was raised by pokutes, which are the strange little creatures with semi-human faces and rabbit-like bodies.

For fans of Haré + Guu rest assured that another decent volume has come along and makes the series worth watching. Admittedly I have only been able to see the third and fourth volumes but the charm of the show has won me over. I didn't laugh as much in this volume as I did in the last one, but Guu is as hilarious as always. You do really need to have an appreciation for irreverent comedy in order to get into this show, but if you fit that bill this one is definitely worth a look.

Haré + Guu looks exceptionally good on DVD even though it's presented with a 1.33:1 full frame aspect ratio. The picture is very clean with only a few scenes where grain was noticeable, especially ones that took place at night. The visuals for this show are certainly unique and the animation matches perfectly, though it's not as fluid as one would hope.

With English and Japanese tracks the presentation for Haré + Guu is sadly in the form of 2.0 stereo. Not that a whacky comedy series like this one with limited music and sound effects needs to have a 5.1 surround set up, but it certainly would have been nice. For what they are both languages offer decent voiceovers though I found myself preferring the Japanese one more than the English.

Haré + Guu's fourth volume comes just like the third, loaded with some decent special features. Naturally you have trailers and clean animations as well as a production art gallery, but the translation notes and TV commercials are here as well. Another batch of English recording outtakes makes it onto this disc as well. It's easy to see that the American cast had a great time with this show and really care enough about the project to pull together better than norm bonus content.

While not every comedy series I check out does it for me, the genre has a place on my list as one of my favorites. Haré + Guu is quickly becoming one of those shows that is a real treat to watch. This volume keeps the laughs coming, though they aren't as strong as the third volume's in my opinion. The addition of Weda's servants and bits of character development are the selling points this time around. If you haven't checked this show out you will definitely want to if you want something fun and entertaining to watch.

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