When it comes to the anime market there are many genres that you see with some frequency. Science Fiction, Horror, Harem, Comedy, and Magical Girlfriend shows seem to reside near the top but another genre has thrived for quite some time. If you have an appreciation for endearing character designs, sweet situations, and sickeningly charming voice acting then you're most likely a fan of cute anime.

Shows like Bottle Faeries and Strawberry Marshmallow are perfect examples of the material you'll find in the cute genre. They each feature irrepressibly adorable characters and a wealth of laughs for the younger crowd. Now Bandai Entertainment enters that particular fray with latest series, Di Gi Charat. Well, that is to say, this new release is actually a sequel to the original Di Gi Charat known as Nyo!.

With a somewhat impressive runtime Di Gi Charat Nyo! actually offers over a hundred episodes of insanely cute goodness. Granted these are half episodes but that's still a feat no matter how you look at it. If you have been a fan of the series and are wondering where Nyo! fits into the fold you might be surprised to learn that this sequel is five OVA and a movie behind the original. Even more interesting is the fact that it's not technically a sequel but more of a redesign. For those of you not in the know, the original Di Gi Charat was little more than a promotional anime for the Gamers store in Akihabara. Therefore Nyo! now feels like a proper show and it's own entity when you look at it as a whole.

The series begins humbly with an adorable feline-looking spaceship flying through the cosmos. Dejiko, Puchiko, and Gema are riding on this particular ship and are bound for Earth. Their (well, Dejiko's) mission is to assist the premier catgirl become all the princess that she can be. It's her mother's wish after all. Unfortunately due to Dejiko's laziness her mother only filled the ship with enough fuel for a one-way trip to our little blue planet. She knew that the princess-to-be couldn't stay focused enough to see the training through so stranding her might have been the best bet.

Soon enough the ship crashes on Earth and the friends are separated. Puchiko winds up with some old folks in a Japanese confectioner's store and Dejiko runs into a couple of brothers who own a toy shop. They aren't apart for very long and Dejiko spends most of the time trying to find her friend. With her magic purse and mysterious cell phone she helps locate Puchiko though the brothers tag along as well.

With the cast in place Di Gi Charat beings to run with its formula of random events and sub-plots. After watching the series Hare + Guu I found myself scratching my head due to the design and weird stuff that kept happening left and right. After a couple of episodes from Nyo! I was having the same sensations. This is a series so detached from reality that it's not uncommon for people to be portrayed as blobs, talking dogs, crackers that dish out crackers, or freaks in costumes. This is a design that was lost on me though there are many that will appreciate it; especially the younger audiences.

Despite my reservations about the series and everything that flooded the screen there were many moments that made me chuckle. Dejiko has the ability to shoot laser beams from her eyes, one of the brothers she lives with tinkers with her magical toys, and there's a running gag involving Gema and the fact that people can't remember his name. Truth be told there are many elements in Di Gi Charat Nyo! that transcend the weirdness. Another feather in the show's cap is the inclusion of a rival for Dejiko in the form of another cute girl who transforms (changes) in a cardboard box to become a supervillain of sorts.

Di Gi Charat Nyo! is certainly not everyone's cup of tea. I approached the show looking forward to some cute antics and zany humor and for the most part this first volume delivered. It may just be a matter of personal taste but the screwy design and utterly random nature of the show was just too distracting for me to truly enjoy it. Younger audiences will most likely fall in love but anyone looking for substance will most likely be left wanting. However, if you appreciated the other Di Gi Charat animations you'll enjoy this incarnation.

Presented with a 1.33:1 aspect ratio Di Gi Charat Nyo! is a fine looking show. The main character designs are fantastic and endearing though the same can't be said about background characters. I suppose you could say the same thing about the environmental designs as well thanks to the frequent lack of detail. As far as the picture quality is concerned there truly is nothing to complain about. The video is free of noise, features solid colors, and does not suffer due to aliasing or compression. Everything is vibrant from start to finish and despite the full frame presentation this is a great looking transfer.

Di Gi Charat Nyo! comes with English and Japanese 2.0 stereo tracks as available languages. The quality of the dub for both is quite decent though the English featured a few voices that grated on my nerves at times. Therefore I felt the Japanese track was the superior of the two in that regard. As far as the technical quality is concerned both offer clean audio and a fine presence on the soundstage. Granted there is no directionality and the rear channels are ignored but these are stereo tracks and as such are limited.

Apart from a trio of trailers for other Bandai shows the only "extra" that you'll find here is the Ending Animation free of text.

Di Gi Charat Nyo! is a cute little show about cute little girls living in a cute little world. If you think you can stomach that and don't mind nonsensical anime with very little point then this may be a show for you. There is a certain endearing factor to it all but it's something that will appeal mostly to young girls (which is funny because it's rated 13+). Unless you fit that bill chances are good you'll find yourself bored, confused, and alienated within the first few episodes. I wanted to like this series but I just couldn't get into it.

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