There are few animation shows that stand the test of time and the test of, let's say, "maturity". Maple Town, known in Spain as "La aldea del arce" is one of them, not only for the gorgeous Emilio Aragon tune (a wonderful blend of African music and pop very similar to what Paul Simon did in Graceland) but for its vision of a small town and its specific characters and conflicts. No character is purely negative - even the bad guy, the wolf, is more a poor mean guy than a bad one -, and all of them have their flaws, and all the flaws are very similar to the ones that appear in the more realistic and real-life serials. And though the drawings are simpler than usual, the storytelling and direction take advantage of every resource in a very ingenious way, meaning that you can have a clear image of the town design after the very first episode. Most important, there's a lot of humor, not only in the directly goofy moments, but in its portrait of a burguese (and a bit selfish) community. Very recommended.
Review of Maple Town
