Kuu Kuu Hara Juku: Super Kawaii

Gr 1–4—"Kawaii" is defined as cuteness in Japanese pop culture. In appearance, the HJ5 girls resemble Bratz dolls with their huge heads and eyes, tiny bodies, and cutely pigeon-toed big feet at the end of their extra-long legs. The girls' faces differ only in eye and lip colors; one has slightly darker pigment. Their names are Love, Angel, Music, Baby, and bandleader G who represents the cartoon's cocreator: pop star Gwen Stefani. The 12 episodes on this disc have thin story lines overloaded with pinkness, pandas, cupcakes, hearts and flowers, fashion, and general cuteness. When the girls arrive at an underwater mall where they have a gig, the sea creatures are so attracted to their cuteness that they breach the walls. In each fantastical episode, cuteness wins, and while the intent is to present the audience with images of strong girls and promote friendship and teamwork, those messages pale in the glorification of superficial values.