I may not be the biggest fan of the Herman and Katnip series, but some of their cartoons while nowhere near among the best ever are enjoyable(Of Mice and Magic and Herman the Catoonist being the strongest). Mice Meeting You is the cat and mouse duo's debut, and it's at least worthwhile if not much brilliant but there's better in the series.
As with all Herman and Katnip cartoons the music is the high-point, with its rhythmic energy, character and how richly it's orchestrated(not to mention its memorable title theme) it's outstanding. The mice's song was a sweet way to start the cartoon without being cloying. Most of the animation is good too for the time, the character designs would become more refined later on(then again this is early for a Herman cartoons) but the backgrounds are smooth and detailed and the colours are vibrant and atmospheric. The gags are amusing, though not much of the material is quite funny enough and the cartoon starts nicely and the closest the cartoon gets to evoking the Christmas spirit. Katnip is a fun menacing character and a worthy foil for Herman, who while not doing much original does show a smart side and willingness to help others. The two work very well together, and the voice work from Arnold Stang and Sid Raymond(who has more to say than usual) is strong.
On the other hand, despite starting off nicely the story is incredibly predictable, even by general cartoon standards with not an awful lot that's different from other cat and mouse duos and it's getting tiresome seeing literally the same story and formula over and over in the Herman and Katnip cartoons(know it's a debut but when you're not watching the cartoons in chronological order it's very noticeable). For me too there was not enough of the Christmas spirit, the beginning showed promise but once Herman appears it becomes very standard stuff and literally forgets that it's set at Christmas with not enough warmth and heart. The dialogue doesn't stay long in the memory, some of Katnip's dialogue is a little forgettable) and it's repetitive, with a few of the same lines being uttered more than once in the Herman and Katnip series("it's the cat! Run for your lives"). The mice are affecting to begin with and have more to do than they would later but their actions and what they go through are heavy in repetition. Didn't care for the ending either, it was very bizarre and mean-spirited, cruel even for Herman and Katnip and one of the creepiest endings to any cartoon I've seen.
All in all, a watchable debut for Herman and Katnip but there's better in the series. Certainly didn't hate it as much as Leonard Maltin did but can understand why some wouldn't like it or the Herman and Katnip cartoons(and there are people out there who don't). 6/10 Bethany Cox