Having just finished the Moffun episodes, I wonder if the reason why Rita initially latched onto Moffun and Me so much is actually BECAUSE of the whole kidnapping gag
Like, here we have a child just appointed Supreme Justice, who has to take up the burden after one of their parental figures 'died', and they just condemned their other parental figure for the murder. And here's a show they can watch where humans are snatched away, forever leaving behind their responsibilities so they can dance and hug with world's fluffiest yeti for the rest of their lives.
I can imagine being trapped forever in Moffun's village starts sounding appealing
Yeah, I agree. You explained it well, Moffun's village would be an ideal escapism for the young judge.
This reminds me, I had this half-baked thought back when Moffun's Song first released. I think Moffun is playing into the trend of reinterpreting old children's show as "ACTUALLY DARK". Regardless if it's meant to be sarcastic, I think it's a decent analogy for toku/sentai and how children and adults interpret a story differently, based on how "contaminated" they are by harsh realites.
Besides a form of escapism, imaginary friend and mental organisation, if you'd have me see it through an autistic lens, I think another reason Rita likes the show is because of its repetitiveness/formula. It's a comfort show not in the content, but the format. It's always there. It's always going to be there (for them, if no one else will).