'The Hare and the Hedgehog', a twist on the Aesop Fable 'The Tortoise and the Hare' (prefer that one of the two to be honest, as a brief comparison), may not be an iconic story from the Brothers Grimm and is a long way from being one of my favourites from them. But it is a charming enough one, with an interesting enough moral though will work for some but may not so for others depending on how you interpret it as.
Was a bit conflicted on this episode of 'Grimm Masterpiece Theater'/'Grimm Fairy Tale Classics'. The basic and recognisable details are all there, but for me this 'The Hare and the Hedgehog', while certainly watchable, didn't quite gel and is one of the show's lesser episodes. Again not because it's terrible, but because it is one of the few 'Grimm Masterpiece Theater' episodes where my opinion was not a definite loved it/hated it one and a bit of an oddity somewhat.
Beginning with what could have been done better, the animation has some nice backgrounds but the drawing for the characters has been so much smoother and the colours lack vibrancy. The music doesn't fit, is over-scored and none of it is particularly memorable (the exception of course being the intro, which has always been a charmer). The dialogue is never properly in sync with the lip-movements and has a tendency to sound a bit too hurried.
It takes rather too long to get going or at least get to the meat of the story, with a bit too slow first half. A few of the characters are on the annoying side, such as the crab.
Having said that, the hare and the hedgehog are well characterised (the hedgehog more so) and the bond/tension between them entertains. The voice acting is good enough, with the old man narrating the story coming off best and sounding very inviting, that narration device working very well and a good way of delivering the moral for instance.
Despite not being totally enamoured by the first portion of 'The Hare and the Hedgehog', the second half is much better. A much livelier pace and more story which was fun to watch, the dialogue also had a better flow.
Overall, mixed feelings here. 5/10
Was a bit conflicted on this episode of 'Grimm Masterpiece Theater'/'Grimm Fairy Tale Classics'. The basic and recognisable details are all there, but for me this 'The Hare and the Hedgehog', while certainly watchable, didn't quite gel and is one of the show's lesser episodes. Again not because it's terrible, but because it is one of the few 'Grimm Masterpiece Theater' episodes where my opinion was not a definite loved it/hated it one and a bit of an oddity somewhat.
Beginning with what could have been done better, the animation has some nice backgrounds but the drawing for the characters has been so much smoother and the colours lack vibrancy. The music doesn't fit, is over-scored and none of it is particularly memorable (the exception of course being the intro, which has always been a charmer). The dialogue is never properly in sync with the lip-movements and has a tendency to sound a bit too hurried.
It takes rather too long to get going or at least get to the meat of the story, with a bit too slow first half. A few of the characters are on the annoying side, such as the crab.
Having said that, the hare and the hedgehog are well characterised (the hedgehog more so) and the bond/tension between them entertains. The voice acting is good enough, with the old man narrating the story coming off best and sounding very inviting, that narration device working very well and a good way of delivering the moral for instance.
Despite not being totally enamoured by the first portion of 'The Hare and the Hedgehog', the second half is much better. A much livelier pace and more story which was fun to watch, the dialogue also had a better flow.
Overall, mixed feelings here. 5/10