[ DRAWN & QUARTERED ]
Graphic Arts As Literature
New DVD series about
fairies is fun and uplifting
Trying to stay upbeat and cheerful in a world full of seemingly endless bad news can be a daunting task. Terror remains a constant threat. Good friends are parted for some reason or other and don't get to see each other as often as they used to. A relative is diagnosed with a debilitating disease. Pressures of daily life start weighing upon the soul more heavily than usual.
Sometimes we just wish we could find refuge in a simpler, kinder world, one painted in the soft pastels of our childhood.
That's why, in troubled times like now, it's nice to see a Japanese animated series like "Sugar: A Little Snow Fairy" being distributed on DVD in the United States. One volume of four episodes is already on store shelves, with another due to arrive Tuesday. It's one of those happy little shows that you can't help but smile about, mainly because it flogs you over the head screaming "CUTE! CUTE! CUUUUUUUUUTE!" every chance it gets.
Not that that's a bad thing, of course. But its cuteness factor is so high that if the phrase "Twinkle-Twinkle, Comfy-Warm, Puffy-Fluffy" -- an actual episode title -- makes you want to go throw up somewhere, then stay far, far away from this series. These characters are so cute, they make the entire Sanrio stable look downright homely by comparison. (And for good reason: Koge-Donbo, credited with character conceptual design, also helped design the cuddly cat-girls of "Di Gi Charat.")
"Sugar," in spite of its Japanese origins, has the feel of an original European fairy tale. The main character, Saga, lives in a quaint village with a design inspired by the real-life town of Rothenburg, Germany. She's friendly with everyone, from her close friends to the kindly old man with whom she works at the coffee shop. She's also obsessed over planning her days down to the minute.
One day, while returning home in the rain, she comes upon an ailing, small fairy curled up on a box. Saga offers the fairy a waffle, which she happily accepts and gobbles up before twirling around and fainting in ecstasy. Saga ends up taking the fairy home with her.
It turns out the fairy, whose name is Sugar, is an apprentice Season Fairy. Season Fairies play instruments to control the seasons and weather, and Sugar's job is to control the snowfall. Later on, her two friends, Salt the Sun Fairy and Pepper the Wind Fairy, join her. To become full-fledged Season Fairies, they must search for Twinkles, which must be sprinkled on Magic Seeds to make their Magic Flowers bloom.
(Remember, this ain't exactly rocket science we're talking about here.)
But as is common with shows lasting more than, say, one episode, the search for Twinkles isn't exactly a cut-and-dry process. For one thing, no one, least of all Saga and the Season Fairies, know what Twinkles look like. For another, Sugar is willing to search for Twinkles, but if she had to choose between getting one and eating her beloved waffles (or "waffos," as she calls them), she'll take her tasty treats every time.
Oh, yes, and only Saga can see the Season Fairies, which makes her friends and neighbors believe she's a complete loon. Just watching as Saga's life gets unraveled by the klutzy but well-intentioned Sugar is a delight in itself.
The character who really steals the show, though, is Saga's classmate and "rival," Greta. She's always looking to show off the latest expensive piece of jewelry that her father gave her -- that is, when she can get Saga to pay attention to her, which is usually never. In a nice touch of humor, she even pushes aside characters posing in the opening sequence, thrusting her sparkling bracelet at the camera.
What makes this series so fun is that it can appeal to viewers of all ages. There aren't any grand conspiracies involving giant battling robots, or wacky romantic hi-jinks involving some nerd plopped into the company of gorgeous women, themes that seem to be creeping into more and more anime these days. Instead, it's a children's story that adults can appreciate as well, much like the classic fairy tales of days gone by.
And while this show won't take away the pain of our daily lives -- no TV show can do that, after all -- it serves as a gentle reminder that behind every dark cloud lies a small sparkle of joy and hope.
Or, at the very least, a Season Fairy with a Twinkle.
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