Squirrel and Hedgehog

Squirrel and Hedgehog is an animation tv series with furry characters developed and produced in North Korea to be aired on state television (even if DVDs are currently avaible in Korean dub for limited export). It's remarkable for a number of scenes with graphic violence including death of characters due shootings or martial arts and for the propaganda content.

Plot and Details

The series follow a conflict between communities of furry living on different hills into a non specified land. The show had a discontinuous production and the style has developed over the years.

The whole series can be viewed as a metaphorical propaganda series, the citizens of Flower Hills live in a utopian harmonious society with non-predators species (with the intention to compare Flower Hills to North Korea). Squirrels seems to be the smarter group with many of them involved in intelligence operations, Hedgehogs are the backbone of the military while ducs are recruited into the Navy (providing also scouts). Weasels are the main villains for many episodes, they're described as a militaristic species with a number of commanders often involved in in-fighting for greed or cowardice and Flower Hills agents works to keep make the weasels destroy each others. Weasels uniform (expecially during the second series) resambe Japanese uniforms of WWII (Japan occupied Korea).

Other prominent villains are the mouses, often described as cowards and inefficent (with few exceptions) and exploited by Weasels (in parallel with South Korea, according the North Korean point of view) and the crows (used for air scouts).

After the defeat of the Weasel Army during the first series, a new ongoing series show Wolves as primary antagonists (clearly with elements that resamble the USA military of '50/'60 years)

First Series Large part of the episodes follow the adventure of Geumsaegi. A Flower Hill squirrel that infiltrate among the ranks of his enemies to act as secret agent and damaging the Weasels/Mouses, conving them of being a Flower Hill's traitor.

Episode 01 is actually an early and old style with some differences (including friendly bears, possibly as metaphor of Soviet Union) Episodes 02- 24. (the DVD avaible ends with episode 24, there are at least 3 other episodes before the first episode avaible of the new series)

Second Series The new series show a modern style of animation, with also use of CGI for some effects. After the defeat of the Weasel Army, the characters have to face the new threat of Wolves, while also remanents of Weasels and Mouses keep making troubles. Few episodes avaible on youtube surfaced. Currently are released episode 27, episode 30 and episode 31

Main Characters

Geumsaegi: Is the main character of the series. He's a squirrel and act as a covert agent between Weasels and Mouses, making them believe to have defected from Flower Hill. During the show he has great determination and intelligence and incredible skills in martial arts and shootings.

Juldarami: Often acting as parter/support character of Geumsaegi. He's a squirrel with a pair of strips on the tail, during the adventures sometimes show even more hardness then Geumsaegi dealing with enemies.

Bamsek: little brother of Geumsaegi. A new character of the second series. After the defeat of the Weasel Army he think that the new peace can allow him to live a civilian life but danger is always lurking

Moolmangcho: Of all the villains in the series, he's the most resistent. Moolmangcho is a mouse and differently from many of his species, he show a certain degree of intelligence. During the whole first series he's the only one to ever suspect of Geumsaegi and try to demonstrate the true identiy of the Flower Hill agent, though the Weasel Army is destroyed in the end he survive to fight another day. During an action against Geumsaegi he lost his tail and he's driven by revenge. He sometimes show good shooting abilities and and martial arts even if usually it's never enaugh to defeat the Flower Hills agents but more often he prefer the escape.

Link to Youtube channel. (uncompleted and with some english sub) http://www.youtube.com/user/dprksquirrels