'Grimm Masterpiece Theater's' (or 'Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics') first episode "The Travelling Musicians of Bremen" is based on a popular story retrieved by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1819. 'Town Musicians of Bremen' is a slight story with a somewhat misleading title, but it is also very charming and one of Brother Grimm's more accessible stories, being less dark than some of their tales.
"The Travelling Musicians of Bremen" is a very good start to a series that was mainly seen by me as a fan of animation/anime and of fairy/folk tales since forever (especially those of Hans Christian Andersen and of course Brothers Grimm), so it would always be up my alley. It has everything that makes 'Grimm Masterpiece Theater' well worth watching and such a pleasant surprise, the series is no masterpiece and has its limitations but grim it is not. For low budget animation/anime it could have been much worse. As far as animated adaptations of the story go, this for me is one of the better ones, certainly much better than the abominable one from Dingo Pictures which is best forgotten and not worth mentioning.
Didn't care for the music all that much, a frequent criticism of the series. Have no problem with the theme songs, they are lovely, elsewhere though the music doesn't always fit and doesn't add or enhance what's going on and instead feels like it belonged elsewhere. As a result of the recycling, it also feels repetitive.
Voice acting sounded over-compensated in places too. Particularly for the dog, who had the sort of voice one hears from an oafish sort of comic relief character and to me it didn't fit the character.
However, considering that the budget was not large, the animation is not bad at all. Some sloppiness in synchronisation at times, but the attention to detail in the backgrounds, expressive character movements and facial expressions (the donkey is especially good here), atmospheric colours and reasonably smooth character designs that don't look ugly generally is more than credible and actually an example to all lower-budgeted animation. The theme songs are pleasant and accompanied by well designed intros/outros. The writing flows well surprisingly well, and makes neither mistake of being childish or complicated. It's easy to understand for younger audiences while having something for people older but wanting some childhood nostalgia.
The story is treated seriously and with respect but not in a way that's too morose or scary, although other episodes do better in lightening the mood. It is slight but still interested and the beginning didn't feel too padded. The characters are given distinct personalities, with the donkey being especially well done. Didn't consider the voice acting perfect, but the narration was eager without being overdone and was written and voiced in a storybook approach without over-explaining.
Overall, nicely done. 8/10