A Fantasy Adventure for Kids: "Yona Yona Penguin"

Synopsis

A little girl named Koko is known for always wearing a penguin coat. Given to her by her deceased father, she believed that she could fly as her father often told her she could. However, this has resulted in her often being teased by other children.

One night the little girl decides to follow a strange cat and ends up entering the land of goblins. Within this land there lies danger in the form of old enemy gathering forces. In this new land and with new friends, Koko embarks on a fantastical adventure.

The Good

There is a quirky quality to be enjoyed with the film. Koko is a cute kid character that makes you want to cheer her on. Her resilience and simplicity in character made for a well-thought-out child character and the way she was developed were just enough for the adventure that the film gave. With the overall plot of the film, there were unique points like the lore and the set-up to enjoy. Well, as far as adventure stories go, it did have a well-thought-out idea. The way that the goblin world and its characters certainly left an impression and as far as villains designs go, the film gave a rather interesting one.

The Bad

There are moments when the quirkiness of the art goes against the film. At certain points, it comes off as a little too odd or doesn’t mesh well with the animation. For the most part, it was an interesting story but the layout of it didn’t seem to well laid out. And what’s more, it’s not all that different in terms of a child leading the way to the land being saved. The saving grace of the film using this trope is that it didn’t make Koko the primary force behind the goblin land being saved. Other than this, it feels like the film could have explored more on certain aspects. Like, it was obvious that the old man was more than he seemed but it would have been nice to get like an excerpt on his part and story.

Conclusion

It’s a film that’s meant for a younger audience, that much is clear. The story and characters don’t really have much depth to them but they are interesting enough to follow throughout the film. Still, it would have been nice if it stretched out a little more in certain aspects and worked out its story layout better. Out of everything in the film, the most interesting aspects are the lore and the general design. Though there are some generic points to the film and the art can get odd at certain points. It’s an ok adventure story basically, and again, for kids.

Rating: 6.5/10