Now Streaming: THUNDER 3, My Annoying Little Sister Goes Missing

Just when I thought it was safe to watch TV.

Thunder 3 S1
The first episode is now streaming on Netflix. Subsequent episodes will debut every Wednesday.

Looking like a throwback to 60s animation, when everything looked like a blocky cartoon, Thunder 3 sets up the environment in which Pyontaro lives with his parents and his annoying little sister, Futaba.

The little girl drives Pyontaro mad with her affectionate devotion: "I'm going to marry Big Bwudder" is her repeated refrain. He's the only one who can calm her down when she's throwing a tantrum, and he's the only one she wants to spend time with.

For his part, Pyontaro hangs out with his neighborhood pals Hiroshi and Tsubame. They all crash on a dreamy teenage girl, wish that some girl their age would gift them with Valentine Day's chocolate, and while away their time looking for lost panties and dreaming of breasts -- seeing them, not having them.

Visiting their teacher one day, they borrow a mysterious disc in his possession, which plays on a type of television he doesn't own. They head over to Pyontaro's place, where his mother asks him to care for Futaba while she's shopping. They play the disc, which displays gorgeous scenery, but appears entirely static, leaving Futaba in front of their television.

Staring at their collection of panty pictures (?!) in Pyontaro's bedroom, the boys get distracted, as boys are wont to do, only to emerge from the room to suddenly realize that Futaba has vanished.

To be frank, up until this point, I was wondering why I was bothering to watch the show, which seemed to be pitched at young naughty children. From that point onward -- about midway through -- the episode makes a sudden turn and I was entirely captivated by what was unveiled. (No spoilers!) So I will keep watching.

Here's the official synopsis: "Unremarkably ordinary middle schoolers, Pyontaro, Hiroshi and Tsubame, wander into an extraordinary adventure when Pyontaro's little sister goes missing."

Now Streaming celebrates independent and international genre films and television shows that are newly available on legal streaming services.