Anime Rebirth

Review - Jungle Book: Shounen Mowgli

Review by Roriconfan

Prologue
Another series that time forgot. Although quite simple in our days, the Jungle Book is a very good children’s story. Based on a book, it describes the life of a human boy, raised by wolves.

Animation & Sound: 5
Bad! As much as I liked the series, they will seem very simple if you haven’t been raised with old titles. Normal character figures and backgrounds are uninteresting in our era of emos and anti-heroes. Music themes and voice acting were mediocre.

Story: 6
Although it appears as a rip-off of the much similar Tarzan story, the Jungle Book has a much more interesting protagonist. The general story is great but it is ruined by the childishly simple way it is presented. But there are still some serious moments that stand out and others violent enough to make you forget it is just a silly story.

Characters: 6
Mowgli fights with cunningness instead of raw power and tries to befriend his enemies instead of kicking the hell out of them. He has to prove himself to the wolf pack, manage to live on his own, defend against an evil tiger, accept his heritage as a human, prevent other humans from destroying the jungle, fall in love, explore, learn, mature. He is a great role model for children. Not some trendy nerd like Naruto or Ichigo.

Besides Mowgli, no other character is interesting. Most of the crew are talking animals, who think and act simple and two-dimensionally. I know that that’s how animals normally are but that makes them realistic and not interesting.

Value: 4
Really low. Who would watch again a rather simple children’s story in our days? Even the target audience will choose those fancy jutsus and bankais over this title.

Enjoyment: 7
If you bother watching it to the end, you will find it interesting most of the time. It has a simple pace but it is not boring.

Verdict
I regret to inform you that the patient has left us. But worry not, as his ideals keep living inside his descendants.