Despite being seldom shown (back in 2008 it was only shown as much as three times a day on Tiny Pop and isn't even that now) and short-lived, while not one of my favourite animated shows, Lapitch the Little Shoemaker is very charming and was for me one of Tiny Pop's better shows when the channel was airing it.
Lasting only twenty six episodes, Lapitch the Little Shoemaker deserved to last longer than it did and had a slightly incomplete feel when it did end. There is very little wrong, from personal view, with Lapitch the Little Shoemaker. It's a very nicely animated show, it's conservatively simple but bright and colourful with detailed landscapes and backgrounds that have a real quaint charm to them and smoothly drawn characters (if not quite as much as in the film). Every episode is scored sensitively and with equal amounts of involvement and whimsy, and the theme tune is very catchy and captures the feel of Croatian music well.
The show is well-written too, it keeps things simple instead of trying to do too much or make things complicated while not falling into the trap of being too simplistic. It does a better job than most other shows airing on Tiny Pop at entertaining and inspiring, there are some funny moments that will give children chuckles while not feeling too dumbed down or juvenile for adults, while the show covers some good subjects and values in an interesting way and doesn't ram it down the audience's throats while not doing a huge amount new with them. The stories are short and simple but also fun and sweet while not laying it on too thick with the sugar, again using subjects and values that anybody can identify with and learn from (i.e. Brewster being afraid of going to the dentists).
Of the characters, Lapitch is a very charming protagonist while not being made too perfect a hero, and the same goes for Lisa. Brewster and Pico are fun characters, and Melchior is a more sympathetic, if not quite as interesting, replacement for Master Scowler in the film (the Scowlers had a backstory that gave Master Scowler a reason for why he was the way he was at the start of the film). Have a huge soft spot for Dirty Rat, who is entertaining without being goofy and menacing without ever traumatising youngsters. The henchmen characters are amusing if occasionally annoying. The voice acting is very well done, especially from the voice actors of Lapitch and Dirty Rat.
All in all, while not quite a personal favourite, Lapitch the Little Shoemaker is a charming and underrated series. 8/10 Bethany Cox
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