For those who don't know, the japanese rock/pop duo "Puffy" consisting of Amy and Yumi, was in the latter 90's a sort of phenomenon in Japan. They stablish a fashion in Japanese youngsters, made a talk-show, created a line of toys and clothing and their total album sales are closed to 10 millions, just in Japan. In the last decade though, their success peaked and most of their recent albums never got the same attention than those first super-hits in the mid-nineties.

Obviously CN saw something in their interesting mix of pop and funky style, so they decided to create a series solely to bring the concept to american audiences. The series rarely sucess in this, the music element is integrated badly and the animation is rather dull. Now, that wouldn't matter too much since this is comedy show, sadly the series itself is boring and generally unfunny. Also it has the horrible tendency to fall on cliches and stereotype characters.

But all in all, it's not a terrible show, the first season had it's moments, with some pretty funny episodes and although the animation is pretty average, the character design is generally good and appealing. The problem is that when a show falls to achieve an audience it's obvious where it's gonna end: cancellation . Nor even the fans of the band seem to like the series (possibly the only safe audience the series could have) and it's such a shame since it was around this time when the duo of Amy and Yumi were releasing their best and musically more mature albums.

Like I said, not a complete waste but personally as a fan of the band, a dissapointing and predictable product of a band that didn't have to prove that it was more than flashy pop and merchandizing.

Not sure if the Japanese really have any business touching rock and roll. It's even weirder that they didn't get the real Ami and Yumi to play themselves. Guess they didn't have cute enough voices. Hi Hi is standard Cartoon Network fare. You'd recognize the type just as you'd recognize a standard Nicktoon or a standard Disney show. It's sorta like an updated version of Josie and the Pussycats but with an increased potential to be insulting. Kaz may annoy the heck out of you, but the very basic take on Japanese mannerisms and on band/manager relationships may fire off a nerve somewhere. The animation is nowhere near the level of Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends or Ruby Gloom. This show has already been done before too. Several years earlier a less successful but far superior show incorporated the rock element into its episodes to better effect. That show was called Generation O.