Damekko Doubutsu
Encyclopedia
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).
Usahara (A Rabbit
)
Chiiko (A Cheetah
)
Yunihiko (A Unicorn
)
Peganosuke (A Pegasus
)
Takaoka (An Eagle
)
)
Kumakawa (A Bear
)
Kuron (A Panther
)
Rinku (A Mountain Cat)
Piyu (A Puma)
Sakamata (An Orca
)
Fukurou (An Owl
)
??? (A Giraffe
)
??? (A Doe)
??? (A Jellyfish
)
Ending Theme:
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series by Noriko Kuwata serialized in Manga Life
Manga Life
is a manga magazine published monthly by Takeshobo in Japan since the November 1984 issue . Its original title was , and the change to Manga Life was made to better compete with Manga Time, a rival magazine published by Houbunsha. Most of the series appearing in the magazine use the yonkoma format...
since the November 2001 issue. It was later adapted into a comedy anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series on Kids Station
Kids Station
Kids Station is a Japanese children's television channel showing animation and other cartoon material. Kids Station also airs some anime aimed at adults during the night, such as Narutaru, Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi, Genshiken, Kujibiki Unbalance and "Rosario + Vampire". It is broadcast on...
, 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
Social stigma
Social stigma is the severe disapproval of or discontent with a person on the grounds of characteristics that distinguish them from other members of a society.Almost all stigma is based on a person differing from social or cultural norms...
who must live in the "Useless" Forest. The main character Uruno
Uruno (Damekko Doubutsu)
Uruno is an anthropomorphic wolf appearing in the anime comedy Damekko Doubutsu. Despite being a wolf, Uruno is sent to live in the forest with other "useless" animals since he fails to act lupine or possess any traits of his species. Instead of being aggressive and fierce like a wolf, Uruno is...
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 crushPuppy lovePuppy love is an informal term for feelings of love or infatuation felt by young people during childhood and adolescence, so-called for its resemblance to the adoring, worshipful affection that may be felt by a puppy. 'Simple infatuation is often called a "crush" or "puppy love"...
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.
Usahara (A Rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
)
- Usahara is an aggressive, bad-tempered rabbit who chain smokesChain smokingChain smoking is the practice of lighting a new cigarette for personal consumption immediately after one that is finished, sometimes using the finished cigarette to light the next one. It is a common form of addiction.-Causes:...
. 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.
Chiiko (A Cheetah
Cheetah
The cheetah is a large-sized feline inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws...
)
- Chiiko is a little clumsy cheetah girl who Uruno has a huge crush on. She is clueless, bad at running, and unskilled at huntingPredationIn ecology, predation describes a biological interaction where a predator feeds on its prey . Predators may or may not kill their prey prior to feeding on them, but the act of predation always results in the death of its prey and the eventual absorption of the prey's tissue through consumption...
, 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 cookingCookingCooking is the process of preparing food by use of heat. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely across the world, reflecting unique environmental, economic, and cultural traditions. Cooks themselves also vary widely in skill and training...
, 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.
Yunihiko (A Unicorn
Unicorn
The unicorn is a legendary animal from European folklore that resembles a white horse with a large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead, and sometimes a goat's beard...
)
- 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.
Peganosuke (A Pegasus
Pegasus
Pegasus is one of the best known fantastical as well as mythological creatures in Greek mythology. He is a winged divine horse, usually white in color. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and foaled by the Gorgon Medusa. He was the brother of Chrysaor, born at a single birthing...
)
- Peganosuke is Yunihiko's twin brother, who works as a courierCourierA courier is a person or a company who delivers messages, packages, and mail. Couriers are distinguished from ordinary mail services by features such as speed, security, tracking, signature, specialization and individualization of express services, and swift delivery times, which are optional for...
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.
Takaoka (An Eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
)
- 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 owlOwlOwls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
.
Secondary characters
Kumanee (A BearBear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
)
- 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.
Kumakawa (A Bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
)
- Kumakawa is Kumanee's younger brother. He's a lively dancer and refers to himself a "genius dancer."
Kuron (A Panther
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
)
- Kuron is the most tomboyTomboyA tomboy is a girl who exhibits characteristics or behaviors considered typical of the gender role of a boy, including the wearing of typically masculine-oriented clothes and engaging in games and activities that are often physical in nature, and which are considered in many cultures to be the...
ish girl in the Female Feline Club, and doesn't frighten easily.
Rinku (A Mountain Cat)
- Rinku is a the most feminineFemininityFemininity is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles generally associated with girls and women. Though socially constructed, femininity is made up of both socially defined and biologically created factors...
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
Orca
The killer whale , commonly referred to as the orca, and less commonly as the blackfish, is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family. Killer whales are found in all oceans, from the frigid Arctic and Antarctic regions to tropical seas...
)
- Sakamata is calm and lonely boy, and becomes Uruno's friend quickly. He needs a life preserverPersonal flotation deviceA personal flotation device is a device designed to assist a wearer, either conscious or unconscious, to keep afloat.Devices designed and approved by authorities for use by...
to stay afloat, because he can't swim.
Fukurou (An Owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
)
- Fukurou is a straightforward girl and says exactly what she thinks. She has a crush on Peganosuke.
??? (A Giraffe
Giraffe
The giraffe is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all extant land-living animal species, and the largest ruminant...
)
??? (A Doe)
??? (A Jellyfish
Jellyfish
Jellyfish are free-swimming members of the phylum Cnidaria. Medusa is another word for jellyfish, and refers to any free-swimming jellyfish stages in the phylum Cnidaria...
)
Music
Opening Theme:- "Sekai de Ichiban Boku ga Suki!" by Ryōko ShintaniRyoko Shintaniis a voice actress and singer from Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan. She is under the Lantis and Vi-vo Recording Label and famous as the voice of Milfeulle Sakuraba in the Galaxy Angel Series...
Ending Theme:
- "Life is Free" by Ryōko ShintaniRyoko Shintaniis a voice actress and singer from Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan. She is under the Lantis and Vi-vo Recording Label and famous as the voice of Milfeulle Sakuraba in the Galaxy Angel Series...