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PaRappa the Rapper TV Anime Shorts' Pilot Episode Streamed

Fuji TV began streaming on Saturday the pilot episode of PJ Berri no Mogu Mogu Munya Munya, a new series of anime shorts based on the Parappa the Rapper video game (Note: The linked YouTube video is region-locked worldwide except for Japan).

The episode begins when a rock wants to get her fortune told. PaRappa explains that he's not the one who'll do it, and that she should ask the nearby PJ Berri, asleep right beside him. The rock explains that she is usually very plainly dressed. But she wants to dress flashier, and she is worried it might not suit her. PJ Berri is dreaming that he is a king, and one of his advisors is asking him to decide which doughnut flavor to buy. He wakes up to say he can't decide and asks the person he is talking to choose what they like. He then falls back to sleep. The rock believes PJ Berri is advising her about the importance of deciding for oneself. She thanks him and leaves.

The pilot episode premiered on the late-night variety program #Hi Poul on August 18. The series will become a regular segment of the program in October. Each episode will be about 96 seconds long, and the story will center on PJ Berri.

The characters include:

Jun Oosuka as PJ Berri, a laid-back teddy bear who likes eating, sleeping, music, and doughnuts especially.

Yuuto Suzuki as PaRappa, PJ Berri's close friend. He is optimistic, skilled at rapping, and equipped with a wild imagination. He works part-time at the Chop Chop Fruites Cafe.

Yōji Ueda as Chop Chop Master Onion, a karate master from the east who formerly ran the Fruites Dojo, and now runs the Chop Chop Fruites Dojo as its owner/chef.

The anime celebrates both the 20th anniversary of the franchise as a whole, and the 15th anniversary since the 2001 television anime. Doga Kobo is credited for animation production.

The original PlayStation rhythm game by NanaOn-Sha shipped in 1996, and the series spawned two more games. Rodney Alan Greenblat designed the franchise's iconic characters. The game received a 30-episode television anime adaptation in 2001, which also aired on Fuji TV.

Thanks to Dennis R for the embedded video.