pglover - 2013-08-04 09:00:53

Sergeant Frog doesn't get nearly as much attention as it deserves, especially here in North America. I mean, sure, it's popular among anime fans, but it could appeal to more people, although they may not get the many japanese culture references that are thrown at them. While I technically have not finished the show, (as in Japan it's still airing,) I still think I can review what I have seen of the show, as there really is no over-arcing storyline, and things are very formulaic and episodic.

Like I just stated, this show is very formulaic, but that is by no means a bad thing, because the formulaic, episodic nature ties in well with the pop-culture influenced comedy style this show uses. The show follows a group of 5 frog-like aliens who come to Earth to take over, but instead find themselves failing at everything they try. In each episode, the leader of the group, Sergeant Keroro, comes up some new scheme, the group attempt to kill all the humans, which they refer to as "Pekoponians," or take over the world, but something always seems to get in their way. What I love is how stupid this show this sounds at first. I mean, who would want to watch a show about a frog thingy that fails at doing everything he tries and is obsessed with Gundam models? The reason this show doesn't suck because of this is because of how well executed the comedy is. The interactions between the frogs and the people that own the house in which they reside result in a combination of different comedy styles, from slapstick to puns. I found myself laughing quite a few times in each episode. After season two, though, the comedy starts to get a bit overused, and things get boring. For story, this show gets an 7.

The animation is pretty freaking good. While nothing is super exceptional, the show does a really good job of parodying other styles. At it's core, the show has a very simplistic style, with cute characters and rounded images. There weren't any scenes where I just said "Woah" at the animation, with my eyes wide open and my mind being blown, but what can you expect from a comedy like Sergeant Frog? It never goes below average, and there wasn't much wrong with it. Animation gets a 7.

This show actually has one of my favorite dubs of all time. I consider Todd Haberkorn's work voicing Keroro to be some of his best, along with the voice he provided for Death the Kid in Soul Eater, and Chris Sabat fits Corporal Giroro perfectly. The other 3 frogs, Tamama, Kululu, and Dororo, all are voiced quite well, but I think that Keroro and Giroro were done the best. The soundtrack wasn't bad, but there weren't any tracks that I can pick out and say that they were awesome. As for the openings and endings, the first opening for the series can get stuck in your head and never leave. Ever. I also like the ending that is known to most as "The Drawing Song," because of how calming it is, while keeping some comedy to make you want to watch the next episode. Sound gets an 8.

The characters are the strongest point in this show. First off, we have the lazy, unintelligent Keroro, who, for some stupid reason, was chosen to lead his platoon. There's also Tamama, the strange bipolar, bisexual little guy that acts as the little kid to the rest of the frogs, symbolized by his tadpole tail. He switches from a cute, babyish personalty to a hot-tempered, rage at the snap of a finger, and it stays pretty funny throughout the show. Giroro is a grumpy war veteran who is obsessed with weapons and battle tactics. He does show a soft side though, by taking care of a cat and having a secret crush on the teenage girl who uses the frogs, particularly Keroro, as slaves in her house, Natsumi Hinata. Natsumi has a brother named Fuyuki, who unlike the hot-tempered, bossy Natsumi, is a very reserved, introverted sci-fi geek, who is ecstatic when he finds that alien frogs are living in his house. Kululu is everyone's favorite troll, who develops of of the technology for the rest of the frogs, however his true intentions are actually never revealed when he makes them, and they always have some sort of feature that affects the frogs more than the enemy. He hates all acts of kindness, and is really, really twisted. Finally, we have Dororo, the silent ninja. He is the frog that every character seems to forget exists, and avoids having any association with the platoon, although he ends up in their twisted schemes for some reason or another most of the time. What I like about the characters in Sergeant Frog is that they don't all fit into cardboard architypes. While architypes aren't necessarily bad, it's always nice to see a unique personality. Even the characters who many would consider to be copy-pasted from other shows at first glance have their own quirks and differences that set them apart from the norm. You fall in love so much with these guys that at the end of season two, you will shed some tears. I guarantee it, (and people who have seen the series will know why). The characters get a 9.

I enjoyed this show a lot, actually! While I don't have any desires to rewatch it in the near future, I think that It's at least worth a try for anyone! I recommend streaming a few episodes, and if you do like it, then either keep streaming it or buy it for a good price! I was a bit disappointed with the third season of the show, not because it was necessarily bad, but because the comedy starts getting old, but the first two seasons, the first 50 or so episodes, are awesome! This a good show to have seen, whether you watch it with your friends, or by yourself. Enjoyment gets an 8, as well as the overall score for the series. When you have the time, go check it out. You most likely will like what you see.