You'll love 'em to death!

It is said by many that Happy Tree Friends makes Itchy and Scratchy look like an episode of My Little Pony, and Akira the Animé look like a Mr Men cartoon. They are right.

If Happy Tree Friends were any less violent, it wouldn't be funny. If it were any less cute, it would be disgusting in a bad way. The animators have somehow managed to get the balance perfectly right.

With doe-eyed characters sporting names like Giggles, Flaky and Lumpy, animals include rabbits, porcupines and bears, and they all get their fair share of horrible deaths. And each episode ends with a sweet little message, one example being 'Never take the last cookie'.

It is not recommended for young children, or for the faint of heart and easily sickened. It's not going to convert normal people into psychotic murderers, but it could make you feel queasy after extended play, make you feel gut-wrenchingly guilty at enjoying such gruesome deaths, or make you hyperventilate with laughter.

Also included are 4 Smoochies - episodes in which you get to choose which horrible death is carried out on one individual HTF - you really do love them to death. And it's never what you expected.

If you want to find out if you'll like Happy Tree Friends, your best option is to go to their official website - www.happytreefriends.com .

This DVD isn't really value for money. It lasts less than an hour, since each episode is about a minute and a half, and its british shop price is about £15.99. Even with the extras - a never before seen episode, a director's commentary and bios of all the characters - it doesn't really increase its value, even though they are good.

Wait until you're feeling rich and spontaneous, then buy this DVD without hesitation.