This caught my attention in a couple of magazines a few years back. Japanese hamsters. I think it was the eyes that turned me on, or just the overall cuteness (and schmaltz) of it all.
It follows the daring adventures of Hamtaro, a golden hamster who befriends a new bunch of pals, the "Ham-Hams", and together form an underground clubhouse. In every episode they gather round discussing small and BIG problems. Predictably it's the title character who comes up with a solution.
There are some likeable characters - wise-cracking Howdy, timid Oxnard, tough-but-soft-in-the-inside Boss who has a crush on pig-tail blue ribboned Bijou (my favourite!), Maxwell a walking dictionary, and others.
The human characters are traditional manga drawings, but although the boxy bubblegum visuals are not to high standard, the animation sometimes runs smooth. Plus hamster conversations tend to drag on.
It's supposed to be aimed at 3-6 year-olds, but I was 13 when I was gripped by two seasons of amiable episodes until Fox Kids (now Jetix) cancelled it for some reason.
I haven't heard from it ever since. It's a shame because from what I read the Ham-Ham craze was huge in Japan. But I also heard there were two movies only released over there, am I right?
I'm sure this was the sort of show that parents find bewildering to have to sit and watch with the tots, but come on. Japanese hamsters. They solve problems. And are loyal to each other. No violence.

This is a beautiful show for very young children. My favorites besides Hamtaro are Boss,Bijou (who reminds me somewhat of Miss Bianca in Disney's RESCUERS movies),Dexter,Howdy,Oxnard,Pashmina,and Penelope (who reminds me of Togepi from Pokemon)

I reccommend this show to children in the 1-8
age group. Anyone older may be bored by it.(but not me)

Hamtaro has cornered the market on cute.

An anime series suited for the very young, Hamtaro features a hamster who escapes from his cage when his owner is at school, to frolic innocently with other escaped pet hamsters in their clubhouse.

Unlike most suitable-for-toddler programs, this won't bore an adult stiff. (At least not on the first viewing, though it didn't really bear re-watching well.) You've just GOT to repeatedly squee over how adorable the hamsters are.

In any case, youngsters with a taste for gentler cartoon programs are likely to adore this one!

The first time I watched this I only really caught the end credits, which consisted of little Hamtaro the hamster dancing enthusiastically to his theme song. I distinctly remember thinking, "Wow, now that's disturbing."

The second time I watched it I actually sat through an entire episode over lunch. I think I was even more disturbed that time because I realized, if I were seven years old again, I would've been totally obsessed with this show. It is exactly the kind of thing--as a fan of stuff like My Little Pony and Strawberry Shortcake--that I wouldn't have been able to get enough of as a kid.

The hamsters are adorable and all have distinct, quirky personalities. The humour is slapstick, very visual and quite entertaining. The stories, while not particularly original for cartoon fair, are light-hearted and fun.

If you've got kids and you're looking for something not as violent or cynical as everything else out there, this is a safe bet. Just be warned parents, your kids may come to you later begging you for a pet hamster.