What’s it about? Based on the popular mascot characters Tama and Friends, Uchitama?! follows cat Tama as he hangs out with the other cats and dogs in District 3.
Content Warning: CATS AND DOGS, LIVING TOGETHER, MASS HYSTERIA!
Do you like cute animal videos on Youtube? Then you’ll like this show.
Uchitama?! doesn’t have much of a story, per se. It’s a series of vignettes following Tama and crew as they romp around their neighborhood. There’s no imminent danger. Everyone is nice. Everyone is lovably cute. I want to join them in their carefree life.
There is no racism or sexism here. These animals do not understand the concept of hate. Time has no meaning as the first episode starts in spring before catapulting to fall by the third vignette. Everything is just nice.
Whereas shows that offer anthropomorphized animals tend to depict some chimerical character of “human but with animal tendencies,” Uchitama?! does not forget to treat its central cast as, first and foremost, adorable domesticated animals. Yes, they look human. They wear clothing that fits their personalities. This appearance, however, is strictly a mind’s-eye interpretation. The cats and dogs are, at their core, cartoonishly inoffensive animals who hang out at the local park.
For all the fluff this show offers, the characters are all distinct as merchandisable characters tend to be. Tama and Pochi are the relatively neutral every-cat and every-dog. Then you have the cat who likes to climb into tall places but can’t get down, the diva cat of the local cafe, the slightly clumsy pedigree dog, the tomboy cat, and the socially awkward bulldog. They’re all introduced in rapid succession to remind you “we’re all very cute and have our own quirks.” I love them all.
Even Nora, the stray cool cat, is a good cat despite his hardened perspectives on the world. Being the most mature cat, he is the sole character to break the interpretation that all of these characters are just being anthropomorphized in concept only. Yet I’m willing to let that go, because I’m sure cats secretly do have reading comprehension skills and they’re just not telling us.
There’s really nothing to flag here. At most there’s Bull, the bulldog, the only character to appear antagonistic, but even he turns out to be an adorable doggo with a slight chuuni streak.
Momo playfully hugs Koma in one scene in a fit of girlish affection, and the boys are constantly getting entangled with each other because they’re just cats wrestling with each other. It’s all just cute.
The only issue with this show, as with any slice-of-life program intended to elicit a sense of moe or “aww,” is that it lacks any real story or conflict.
It’s got a cat’s chance in hell it’ll be the most memorable or astounding title of the season, but it will be a nice show to put on each Thursday to decompress before the formal weekend arrives.
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