MILK GIRL

A modern adaptation of "The Milkmaid and Her Pail," this classic folk tale portrays the perils of counting chickens before they’ve hatched.

Piga, a saccharine-voiced pig with decidedly anime-influenced features, is a dreamer. After milking a cow she envisions a luxuriant future. She’ll sell the milk, buy eggs, raise chickens and finally sell them so she can buy whatever her heart desires: jewels, candy and fashionable clothes. Tapping Piga and whoever happens to be with her prompts supplementary dialogue that often trips with misogynistic undertones. When drinking milk makes Piga strong, she’s portrayed as a bruiser that—according to Ponda, her male counterpart—may end up as an old maid. Piga’s parents perpetuate gender stereotypes, as well. Her ultimate goal is to be beautiful so she can secure the affection of others. She ends up spilling the milk and throws a bona fide hissy fit because her life is ruined. There are a few ho-hum interactive features, mainly revolving around eggs and chickens, but they’re disabled during autoplay. Though there’s a “read myself” option, the only way to bypass the narrator is either to turn the sound off or play back a recorded voice. The app offers two language options, English and Chinese, and a “story song” that sports slapdash lyrics, bad singing and karaoke.

Though the folk tale and its moral are easily recognizable, the story itself is hogwash.