Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes, Hanna Barbera, Studio Ghibli and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons. With significantly broader knowledge of different directors, animation styles and studios, actually appreciate and love it even more now.
'The Little Goldfish' is fairly typical of Rudolf Ising, leaning towards the cute kind of cartoon with a lot of sentiment in alternative to the laugh a minute and hilarious kind, the latter being the one that a lot seem to prefer (understandably, though am hardly biased against the former). This approach has varied with Ising. In some instances it has been very sweet and charming, in others it can be cloying and too cutesy. Generally 'The Little Goldfish' belongs in the former category, despite the danger of falling into the latter with the premise.
'The Little Goldfish' has a lot to like and deserving of more attention.
Yes it gets a bit too saccharine in places, and it is best perhaps to not talk about the story because there really isn't much of one.
What 'The Little Goldfish' does so well however eclipses these problems. The animation is especially brilliant, it is rich in detail for design and backgrounds, vibrant in colour and crisp. Composer for the prime-era 'Tom and Jerry' cartoons and regular Tex Avery composer Scott Bradley provides a lush and atmospheric music score.
It is hard not to fall in love with the goldfish, who has charm, spunk and cuteness in bucket-loads, and it has enough likeability and personality to not be dull. 'The Little Goldfish' is rich in natural sweet charm and some very imaginative ideas and visuals, the underwater world so richly rendered. There is not much hilarious and the cartoon's hardly laugh a minute, but a good deal of it does raise a smile and the conflict has the right amount of tension and urgency without being over the top. The predatory characters add a lot to the cartoon, with colourful personalities. The pace avoids being draggy.
Overall, lovely cartoon. 8/10 Bethany Cox
