So, if you’re like me, and you love anime and Adult Swim, you have more than likely heard that rumor that Mike Lazzo, head of Adult Swim, “hates anime.” Now I believe this to be 100% false. I really don’t know where these rumors started from or when they even started. More than likely, it was just some idiot who’s favorite anime was not shown anymore on AS, or their favorite anime they wanted on AS, but it was never picked up. (Which, unfortunately, this stuff still exist today with Toonami.) But if there’s one particular show that’s maybe started all these rumors, it may have been this show. This show that makes fun of anime in an all-parody journey that is as fun and bizarre as most Adult Swim cartoons/shows are. I’m bout to take you on a journey to Adult Swim’s anime world. To the world of Perfect Hair Forever.
Story
The story is simple to follow. It revolves around Gerald, an ugly-ass bald kid, who is seeking the path to, well, not be bald. That’s really the story. But of course, cause this is “like” an anime, a whole bunch of crap happens that takes him on adventure with him trying to get to Tuna Mountain to get un-bald. The crazy shit that happens includes dealing with a bunch of allies, who are insane, and villains, who mostly just suck at their job, magical hamburger necklaces, a war between “cats and hot dogs buns”, and a motorcycle race that involves alligators. Also, there’s a “Comedy Variety Hour” that has a bunch of shit happening including Gerald having “a Japanese Bear Dad.”
Even though the animation is all William Street/Adult Swim style, they do their best to make this look like an anime. Kinda. From the almost Japanese-like house, to the convenience store, to even different dimensions of space/time. Even though it does make fun of it, it sorta feels like an anime world. Again, “sorta”. It would have been more convenient if there were more than 2 season of this. Cause there could’ve been a lot more story to go around on here. They could have easily funded more episodes. (You hear me, “FUND IT!!”) In fact, there could have easily been an episode where some type of tent- actually, I’ll just shut up now. Apparently, there was suppose to be a 16-episode second season. But the creators decided they didn’t want to do it. So instead, we got a 6 episode first season, and an 1 episode 2nd season to end it. With the April Fools Day episode shown a year ago as well. (Another fun fact. PHF took the place of Sqiudbillies pilot episode, cause that episode wasn’t done yet.) Oh well, what can you do?
Characters
Now what makes up most Adult Swim cartoons are the characters. And this one is no exception. Other than Gerald, we have Uncle Grandfather (who is not even closely related to Uncle Grandpa). He is basically the stereotypical old pervert of anime. He always looks at the half nude chick who is around, he’s very lewd at times (with what I just stated and at other times, like trying to make a porno with a cake and a vacuum cleaner) and speaks in broken Asian Engrish. He’s also Gerald uncle (or grandfather? He calls Gerald his nephew, but he also doesn’t like Gerald much.) There’s Brenda, who is the half-nude chick I mention. Other than being hot, she is also a swordfighter. And doesn’t speak. There’s also Gerald’s friends or companions, or whatever you want to call them. Action Hot Dog, he’s a hot dog who speaks by saying “DO THE LALALALALALALA!!! LAAAAA LA! (No really). Norman Douglas, he’s the annoying comedy tree no one likes (He also has sex with dogs. WHAT’S UP WITH THAT?!?!) He worked with the main villain before, but the guy hurt his feelings and didn’t like him cause he was annoying, so he’s with Gerald. And there’s also Terry/Twisty, a tornado who has personalities that are good (Terry) and wanting to stab people (Twisty, and mostly stabbing the tree.)
The villains on here are just as looney, if not the best characters. Coiffio, the rainbow color hair dude who looks kinda like a buff Uncle Grandfather and also talks in Broken Engrish with some words he can’t prononce. (“Prepear! Pre-pare! Pee-Pear! Pre- Pre-Pa!! … Get Ready!”) He wants to eliminate Gerald and have him not achieve his quest. Catman, a big guy in a cat suit (who doesn’t believe it’s a cat suit) who sometimes fights Gerald and the others. But mostly just scratches the ground and licks himself. He doesn’t like Coiffio at all, yet works for him. Model Robot (or Modo? Modern? Coiffio Broken Engrish is hard to understand at times.) This fabulous robot can transform into anything, including a towel, or a atomic bomb. Astronomical Cat, who is just a flying kitty cat. And finally Rod, the Anime God, a giant fire demon who does stuff like give LSD to trees, and wants to “Show his ding-dong” to Brenda. He kinda messes with Gerald’s quest.
There are other characters in here too. Including a guy in a sparkly purple suit that has a parrot on his shoulder, who really has no name, and is the aforementioned “King of the Animals.” Even with that title, he hates his stinky animals and the animals are a pain. You don’t understand at all. There’s also the bear who appears through most of this, and he has a jet pack alot of the times. And there’s also Space Ghost, who at the beginning it seems like this is his show as it’s titled “Space Ghost in: Perfect Hair Forever.” He usually just gets attacked all the time when on screen.
Music
Now the music on here is pretty much all over the place here for both the openings and endings. There’s some punk rock, some rap, (MF Doom, voices the Giraffe on here and Danger Doom does an ending). Hell, even a Japanese punk band did the opening for the S2 episode. There’s even some music from Coiffio (albeit badly sung) and Gerald and it’s pretty good Alot of it is very weird, in typical AS fashion, so there’s that. And I do mean “weird.”
Voice Work
The voices here are pretty much all you hear from Adult Swim. At least the earlier times of it. Kim Manning voices bald-ass Gerald, and does a good job of it. Dave Willis is both the voices of the old guys and does great (if you want to call it great, and not “overly racist”) with the Broken Engrish of them both. C. Martin Croker voices both Sparkly Purple Suit guy and the unstable tornado. And Carey Means is perfect as Catman. Also, George Lowe is here as his most famous voice of Space Ghost. Again, typical AS standard. Not really much else to say.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I liked this show alot. When I first saw it during after a anime movie shown on AS one night (I know this premiered before that, but it was my first time seeing it), I was intrigued, and a little weirded out. Like most AS stuff you see. But this series did grow on me. And I loved it throughout its very short run. I know some probably be turn off by how weird it looks, and how some characters just are stereotypes of not only anime, but Asian descent. And also having drunk babies on here. That’s fine. But for me, I loved this series, and loved its weirdness. I loved its characters. And think it’s one of the better cartoons AS has made. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m hungry *Gets banana* Mmmmmm. Bananananana
My rating: 7.5/10
Perfect Hair Forever is made by Williams Street Studios and Ghost Planet Industries. It’s an Adult Swim Original Program
[swim squad] 
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