Domo: Vol. 1 (2008)

I am happy to discover Domo, a felt- or flannel-covered fella who resembles a giant chiclet with a permanently gaping mouth. His vocalizations suggest words but his actions clearly express his emotions. Domo gives the strong impression of a hyperactive or even slightly dimwitted child -- but his strength of spirit and adventure never flags. His activities and body language are all about the thrill of discovery and he is always doing something (often running). The theme song is simple and frankly could become grating on its own so be sure to watch the episodes straight through without idling at the main menu to gather snacks. The tune is perfect accompaniment to the frenetic activities of Domo during the intro. The disc contains 13 episodes that run 2.75 minutes each or 36 minutes total so the special features must add 15 to make the 51 minutes mentioned on the sleeve. Vol. 1 episodes include: Camera (Domo takes pictures of everyone -- without film), Balloon (Domo loses his balloon, tries everything to get it back), Headphone (Domo borrows headphones, plugs in to nature), Domo Inc. (Domo plays office under a tree), Robot Dog (Domo walks a robot dog, goes on a mad chase), Brother (Domo finds a bad example in a trio's sibling rivalry), Ice Skating (Domo briefly becomes an expert ice skater), Hungry (a big bear would eat Domo, who later turns the tables), A Mysterious Tree, A Big Tree, Two Domos (a second Domo appears -- which is the impostor?), Secret Hideout (Domo lets out word of his secret hideout), Rock n' Roll (Domo and friends play bad rock until lightning strikes). Domo is really inventive and endearing. I acquired a disc via a competing service since it has long been a Save title here but a 2-disc Korean set exists or you can find many episodes on YouTube in a pinch. 5 stars.