If you haven't guessed my most recent trend of reviews I'm tackling modern cartoon network so next for the chopping block is Apple & Onion.
In the world of food people two young adults leave their homes in the boonies to experience life in the city and by a series of unfortunate events end up meeting and becoming friends, they are Apple & Onion, ummm how to describe them? Well this term shows my age, they are dorks; I really can't say much more than that. Okay to be fair they are a lot easier on the senses than it's contemporaries, Pickle & Peanut comes to mind as it pretty much rips them off even going down to the fact that they fail at singing popular music and work in convenience stores. The only difference is Apple & Onion's stories can be broken down into problem, fix, happy ending with a naive charm whereas Pickle & Peanut has pretty much the same thing but are dumb asses painted to a cynical out dated Ren & Stimpy color palette.
So is it good? The fact that Disney already tried this already gives this show a bad mark, it is better but it's like being bad at cooking, adding salt to a failed recipe might make it edible but it's still the same dish.
Now that I've returned I want to keep reviewing as I've really missed it so lets continue with the next one.
Originally named Lakewood Plaza Turbo which is a much more awesome name, Ok Ko Lets Be Heroes is about a world of heroes that functions as if it were the real world only everyone has a cool power. Our lead is the optimistic Ko a kid who works at the convenience store with friends Enid and Rad as Ko looks to find his place among the heroes all while defeating the evils of Lord Boxman.
I mentioned last episode about cartoon network being built on simple art styles but this one takes the cake and it kind of works in its favour.
Ko does suffer the same problem as Steven Universe as most stories can't function without him but at the very least the side characters don't need him to drive the whole plot.
It's also pretty bad at trying to deliver important messages such as gun control which it fails spectacularly at.
But it's characters are charming and surprisingly well written for a show that anyone with a pencil can draw but it's single greatest strength lies in it's universal link to the whole of the cartoon network universe and even pre cartoon network hanna barbera properties; as of writing captain planet, Ben 10, teen titans go, the ghoul school from Scooby doo, Steven Universe as well as every major and minor cartoon network release in it's history has shown up in this cartoon prompting tons of speculation about possible reboots especially captain planet who has implied that most of the planeteers have quit and got real jobs, that I want to see.
So overall providing it keeps up it's strengths and stays on air and doesn't botch up it's morals then ok ko will still be good.
Review time and we look at a show that just finished, it's Regular Show.
A couple of weeks ago from time of writing, Regular Show ended it's run, the final episode closing on what has been the best cartoon I've watched in many years and I don't say that lightly.
The exploits of park keepers Mordecai and Rigby were a sight to be hold, one minute you're slacking off work, the next you battle an intergalactic space demon from an arcade machine or battling the very forces of the internet, anything they can come up with they did, heck the first episode featured a rock, paper, scissors game that nearly destroys the world.
What made this show work were three things.
1. No cartoon had really covered the in's and out's of a young twenty something adult.
2. The music and references as well as the throwbacks were more than enough to appeal to the gradually growing twenty something demograph.
3. When it did have to give a serious message it was spot on, most notably on Mordecai's tortured love life.
And that really helped this demograph blossom along with the help of Adventure Time and the My Little Pony reboot, all released after 2009 the darkest days of animation and Cartoon Network especially.
This cartoon isn't for everyone; a younger person won't get the references, some jokes are outdated while others outstay their welcome and as it was nearing the climax it was starting to show decay in the writing but all forgiven based on how the final episode went.
If there is one thing I can take away from Regular Show is this; the real test of life is done in your 20s not your final school days or in your College years or University, it's what you do after.
Your ideal job may elude you, the qualifications you get may go to waste, love isn't as simple as it was in school, there will be plenty of people to screw you over and nostalgia will feel like your only escape but you are not alone, the most perfect of diamonds still need to be mined in the cold dark ground and even the most awkward looking gems still have value and Regular Show despite it's penchant of going way over board with it's most weird and unusual concepts still had enough life lessons to survive the twenty something era.
Had I been born in a different era I wouldn't like this but as it arrived as my 20s were in full swing I embraced it as a cartoon I could really get behind and I doubt we'll see another one like this again, least not for a long time.
It's sad to see it go and I do wonder what Cartoon Network will do next now this show has ended and Adventure Time is drawing to it's conclusion but its got a tough act to follow.
That's Regular Show, it's anything but.
And as the late David Bowie sang as well as the song used in Regular Show's Final Episode.
"We can be heroes, just for one day"
Post 14 and if things are slowing down it's because I'm ill; a mixture of an eye infection and a cold is keeping me from doing long computer sessions but it should be a bit more normal come end of the week, for now lets look at some cartoons to watch while sick, bare in mind these are more based on personal opinion than my usual top ten posts so I may miss a few obvious ones but these are my favorite cartoons to watch while ill.
Honorable Mentions
Classic Scooby Doo: Something obviously predictable can be quite refreshing and the older the Scooby Doo episode the better.
Mike, Lu & Og: A cartoon cartoon show very rarely talked about, a well rounded island adventure that's simple to enjoy.
The Mr Men Show: Because nothing is funnier than Mr Tickle with an Irish accent, there are many more accents from all over the British Isles to enjoy.
10. Kong: The Animated Series
Many candidates were considered such as the Zeta Project and 90s Spiderman but I went with Kong for bringing originality to an otherwise basic plot about King Kong.
9. Strawberry Shortcake 2003 Version
While it is a show with an obvious audience demograph, the 2003 version is at least endearing and makes for relaxed watching during the no mans hours of the early mornings or the school hours.
8. Stickin' Around
Basic art is also much easier on a sick person and you can't get any simpler than Stickin' Around. Not talked about often these days, Stickin' Around's appeal is that it's aware of it's own lack of art and backs it up with well written stories and gags.
7. My Little Pony Friendship is Magic
Very much like the Strawberry Shortcake example it's endearing but in My Little Pony's case it also backs up it's charm with good writing, the original series can be good as well.
6. Eek! The Cat
I wouldn't mind talking about this show at some point, Eek! The Cat is about a cat who always seems to get hurt helping out people, sort of a Garfield with empathy.
5. 2 Stupid Dogs
The adventures of Big Dog and Little Dog as they try and work out the world around them, needless to say it got away with alot of adult jokes but it was fun enough to watch and very memorable.
4. The Fruitties
One of the first reviews I ever did on one of the strangest cartoons I've ever watched and I only ever watched this when I was ill. Basic premise of this Spanish Cartoon is talking fruit and lots of bizarre songs. Still humming the Roly Song to this day, I watched this when I was 7-8, I'm now 30, talk about leaving an impression.
3. Tom & Jerry
Other MGM shorts as well as Disney's short cartoons catalogue and Warner Bros Looney Tunes work just as well but I'm going with Tom & Jerry because visual slapstick is more effective than a dialogued one and that's what Tom & Jerry do best and with most shorts lasting 5 minutes on average its much easier to digest while bed ridden.
2. Hilltop Hospital
Okay you've probably never heard of this one, this is a British claymation cartoon about the running of a hospital using anthropomorphic animals as doctors, while it's generally aimed at younger kids it fits the bill for the most ideal show to watch while ill, mainly because your more likely to watch these cartoons while you are sick from school rather than work, mainly because being sick as an adult you'd rather be asleep and what better way to reassure a child about their illness than showcasing similar illnesses in a cartoon in a calm and soothing manner, it makes the illness in question easier to deal with.
1. Ned's Newt
Out of all the times I've been forced into watching early morning cartoons due to horrid nights of sleep, Ned's Newt was the most enjoyable. It's about a boy who buys a newt that initially doesn't do anything but then grows six foot and gains speech by eating too much Zippo for Newt, what follows is madcap adventures and it was awesome, almost made going to school bearable.
Bonus: Other than the Fruitties which I've already reviewed I'll be more than happy to review anything on this list by request, just comment as normal.
Post number 13 and we come back to today with MIGHTY MAGISWORDS!!!!!!! Yes more shouting titles.
Mighty Magiswords began as a web cartoon for Cartoon Network that became green lit as a full fledged series under two months ago, our leads are brother and sister team Prohyas and Vambre Warrior (Yes that's their real surnames) as they collect various Magiswords to complete quests that keep themselves from going broke and mainly because they want to use said Magiswords in their quests. Prohyas can be best described as "manly" (his words) but caring and nurturing like a mother especially around his Magiswords, he's also a music lover, playing the Accordian Magisword (Voice Actor an actual Accordian Player) he's also a big lover of Dolphins.
Vambre on the other hand is more action orientated, she hates pants and hates any suggestion of wearing them, she seems to have random conversations with her brain and for some unknown reason has a British accent. The gimmick of this cartoon is that Magiswords can be anything you set your mind to from Zombie Pumpkin Heads to Dolphins, from Tomatoes to Accordians anything can become a sword.
To best describe the action in Mighty Magiswords, it's bonkers!
Jokes come in thick and fast and there's barely enough time to pause and absorb the scene before the next one starts, it's a common problem with recent Cartoon Network shows, particularly gag comedies such as Uncle Grandpa, Teen Titans Go and new Powerpuff Girls share the same problem but while those shows tend to suffer from it, Mighty Magiswords benefits from it as it suits the setting and the jokes and gags tend to land on cue which is not easy to pull off but it's a testament to the writing that they can pull this off.
Every episode I've watched, I've enjoyed so I wish the series great success as Cartoon Network's newest family member.
