There’s always some debate about popular animated shows regarding if they count as an anime. Part of that debate is Hamtaro, a cutesy animated show revolving entirely around hamsters. We’re here to quash this argument once and for all to answer if Hamtaro is an anime.
Whether or Not Hamtaro Is an Anime
Twinfinite recently put out our own guide as to what makes an animated show an anime. This guide, or rubric, mentions that it is primarily the aspect of being a Japanese animation production that makes something an anime. Due to this, Hamtaro is absolutely an anime, having been produced in Japan and aired there two years before being dubbed and released for English audiences.
Further on from that is the fact that the Hamtaro show was adapted from a manga, something that is by and large unique to anime. There’s also a large gap in how much of Hamtaro was released in the west versus Japan. Only 105 episodes of Hamtaro were aired in English, whereas Japan had 296.
What Is Hamtaro?
Hamtaro is, as said, an anime about hamsters that first aired in Japan in 2000. Yes, it’s pretty old.
For a bit more of a detailed summary written by Crunchyroll:
5th-grader Laura Haruna owns a hamster, and his name is Hamtaro. After moving into a new town, Hamtaro finds that he’s in the company of lots of different hamsters, making up a group of hamster friends that go on crazy adventures through the city. Before they save Laura and other humans from nasty predicaments, however, they have to learn how to save themselves.
There you have it, all the answers you need when it comes to if Hamtaro is an anime. If you’re looking for more anime goodness, we have a feature on who is the strongest anime character as of 2022.
Featured Image Source: TMS Entertainment
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