Synopsis
Sana Kurata may be a famous TV star, but her life is anything but perfect! Her classroom at school is controlled by the boy bullies, all of whom are led by the nasty Akito and his gang of hooligans, who are at it again, wreaking havoc in the classroom. But has Sana discovered Akito’s weakness? Will she be able to exploit it to her advantage or will she just make a fool of herself in front of everyone? Sana had better be cautious because when she acts on her plan the consequences aren’t exactly what she had expected! What adventures await our heroine? Find out on Kodocha!

Review
Kodocha is an average tale about an average child. Except that the child in question is incredibly hyperactive, lives in a mansion with her famous mother, stars in her own TV show, and has a crush on her agent. Other than that, she’s completely normal.

Meet Sana Kurata, the spunky star of Kodocha. Sana’s exuberant and energetic nature is the engine that keeps Kodocha going at 100 miles per hour. One moment she will be wearing an elaborate costume she retained from one of the many movies and series she had starred in, and the next she will be singing a lively bedtime song to her beloved Agent, Rei. This all comes together to make Sana a treat to watch.

The story starts out simply enough, with Sana being late for school. After a quick breakfast and a quicker car ride, Sana finally arrives at her classroom, only to find it being wrecked and ransacked by the boys of the class. Sana soon finds out that the boys are all stooges working under their leader, the somber Akito. Even the teacher’s are powerless to stop him, as Akito seems to have something in his possession that the teachers don’t want to get out. Sana becomes furious that she is unable to learn anything in class, and she makes it her duty to bring down the stoic schoolboy.

Kodocha is a series that is more than the sum of it’s parts. The animation is average. The music is enthusiastic, but largely forgettable. The story is entertaining, but not particularly deep throughout the first four episodes. The real joy of Kodocha is in it’s characters. Sana is the kind of child anyone would wish they were at that age. Her mother, Misako, logical and calm, also happens to constantly wear varied bizzare hats which she allows her pet squirrel in. Akito, despite having every boy in his class at his beck and call, remains aloof despite Sana’s attempts to thwart him. Each character brings their share to the table, and it glues Kodocha together to make it a vastly entertaining series.

One of my favorite parts of the DVD was the excellent dub. Laura Bailey makes a perfect Sana, capturing the hyperfrenetic quality of Sana without going overboard and making the character too outlandish. Jerry Jewell also does a magnificent job at Akito. Although the voice at first comes off as too deep for a child, the excellent acting ability and voice talent helps to give Akito a darker overall edge. The voice acting is superb throughout the rest of the cast as well, making even the minor characters fun and entertaining.

The Breakdown
A mile a minute series with barrels of laughs and one of the cutest characters you’ll see this side of Fruit’s Basket.