Damekko Dōbutsu

Damekko Dōbutsu
だめっこどうぶつ
Genre	Comedy
Manga
Written by	Noriko Kuwata
Published by	Takeshobo
Magazine	Manga Life
Original run	November 2001 – 2003
Volumes	4
TV anime
Directed by	Setsuko Shibuichi
Studio	Magic Bus
Network	Kids Station
Original run	17 January 2005 – 21 February 2005
Episodes	26
Anime and Manga Portal

Damekko Dōbutsu (だめっこどうぶつ^?, lit. Useless Animals) is a manga series by Noriko Kuwata serialized in Manga Life since the November 2001 issue. It was later adapted into a comedy anime series on Kids Station, a Japanese broadcast satellite station. It features characters that wear kigurumi costumes. Each character in the anime does not live up to the standards of their species, making them outcasts who must live in the "Useless" Forest. The main character Uruno is a wolf who has the personality of a shy rabbit; meanwhile, Usahara, a rabbit, acts like a wolf. Each of the 26 episodes is 5 minutes long, bringing the total series to 130 minutes (2 hours 10 minutes).

Main characters

Uruno (A Wolf)

He is shy, cowardly, and passive - everything the stereotypical wolf isn’t. He has a crush on the cute little Chiiko-chan, hoping that even though he’s useless, he will win her heart someday. He is very easily moved to tears and can be said to be quite gullible, particularly in the face of Yunihiko's trickery.

Voiced by: Motoki Takagi

Usahara (A Rabbit)

Usahara is an aggressive, bad-tempered rabbit who chain smokes. He often gets annoyed at Uruno and kicks him into the sky, but in reality, it seems he does care for him, as shown when Uruno disappears in episode 26. He is revealed to have bouts of melancholy, which usually resolve themselves in a matter of days.

Voiced by: Noriaki Sugiyama

Chiiko (A Cheetah)

Chiiko is a little clumsy cheetah girl who Uruno has a huge crush on. She is clueless, bad at running, and unskilled at hunting, but is very friendly and well-liked. She is also a member of the Female Feline Club, along with Kuron, Rinku, and Piyu. She is shown to enjoy cooking, but is a miserable failure at it, as the prepared food leaves her friends quite ill. In spite of this, Uruno always eats the offered food as a show of his love.

Voiced by: Narita Sayaka

Yunihiko (A Unicorn)

Yunihiko, the Master of the Forest, is a devilish unicorn who enjoys drinking sake and eating fried squid, and is the fourth character introduced. He often tricks Uruno and Usahara. He is Peganosuke's twin older brother. On rare occasions he is seen to have a conscience, but this doesn't stop him from thoroughly enjoying getting the other animals riled up.

Voiced by: Toshiyuki Morikawa

Peganosuke (A Pegasus)

Peganosuke is Yunihiko's twin brother, who works as a courier delivering packages. He is very shy and timid, but quickly becomes friends with Uruno, due to their shared uselessness. He takes Uruno for flights, once Uruno helps him to realise that he should enjoy life and see things never seen before.

Voiced by: Hiroshi Kamiya

Takaoka (An Eagle)

Takaoka is a grumpy, near-sighted eagle who is at constant conflict with Usahara. He is poor at hunting, and somewhat cowardly. In the first episode he declares that he and Uruno should ally themselves together against Usahara, but this is short-lived. Takaoka has a crush on Fukurou the owl.

Voiced by: Makoto Aoki

Secondary characters

Kumanee (A Bear)

Kumanee is a traveling saleswoman. She is outgoing and friendly, often sharing leftover goods with her companions, and shares a deep bond with Usahara, being his good friend while also his rival in combat.

Voiced by: Takeda Hana

Kumakawa (A Bear)

Kumakawa is Kumanee's younger brother. He's a lively dancer and refers to himself a "genius dancer."

Kuron (A Panther)

Kuron is the most tomboyish girl in the Female Feline Club, and doesn't frighten easily.

Rinku (A Mountain Cat)

Rinku is a the most feminine member of the Female Feline Club

Piyu (A Puma)

Piyu is an athletic member of the Female Feline Club, and is always seen wearing a jogging suit.

Sakamata (An Orca)

Sakamata is calm and lonely boy, and becomes Uruno's friend quickly. He needs a life preserver to stay afloat, because he can't swim.

Fukurou (An Owl)

Fukurou is a straightforward girl and says exactly what she thinks. She has a crush on Peganosuke.

 ??? (A Giraffe)

 ??? (A Doe)

 ??? (A Jellyfish)

Music

Opening Theme

• "Sekai de Ichiban Boku ga Suki!" by Ryōko Shintani

Ending Theme

• "Life is Free" by Ryōko Shintani

External links

• Kid's Station's official series site (Japanese)