Nicholai Reviews

Chobits (2002–2003)

Nicely Done

[7/10 · 11 April 2007]

As I've said many times, I'm not really a fan of anime since it seems most of the series seem to go on and on without any definite conclusions, and forget trying to watch a random episode out of sequence since you won't know what the hell is going on without the proper context of the previous episodes. Also there's the fact that there are few variations in character design, the diabetes-inducing cuteness it can delve into, and the conspicuous lack of emotional subtleties when a character gets highly emotional and becomes distorted in some way.

All those negatives apply to "Chobits", but damn if it doesn't have an engrossing story. As the other posters have said, "Chobits" is about a farmboy from Hokkaido named Hideki Motosuwa who just recently graduated from secondary school but has become yet another victim of Japan's ridiculously punitive college freshman selection system when he finds out that he has failed the national college entrance exam. So he is forced to attend a post-secondary college preparatory school in Tokyo, a "cram school", in order to take another shot at the test. During that time he finds a nubile looking female persocom discarded in a trash heap. He takes her home and, after a while, figures out how to turn her on by going between her legs (get it? *winks*)

It turns out that the persocom lacks any programming except for an operating system that allows her to slowly learn stuff and it is up to Hideki to teach her the ways of the world. He has his work cut out for him since at first she is only able to say "chii", a word that would later become her name.

Basically, the series is broken roughly into two parts. The first part is a series of comic misadventures where Chi, a consummate blank slate, has difficulty doing simple things. Hideki tries to help, but he is hamstrung by his own cluelessness about computers and his crippling uptightness around women, even custom-made ones like Chi. The situation is made made even more awkward when Chi, in her sincere effort to please, buys pornography for Hideki (in lieu of granting actual sexual favors, one thinks) or copies the actions of the girls in those magazines. An episode representative of this dilemma is the fourth one, "Chi Goes On Errands" where Hideki just cannot walk in a store and buy panties for Chi, so he makes up a veritable search-and-destroy mission for Chi to purchase a pair in his stead. Obviously, this turned out to be quite messy.

The second half of the series gets to the nut of the problem presented by the availability of human-like computers who are able to interact like normal people. There will me many a lonely soul who cannot compete for the affections of those they love if anybody can construct and program their own personal Galateas to serve even their emotional needs. Then there are the persocoms: are they things to be exploited and tossed away when they are not useful, or do they deserve reciprocal love and companionship that they are programmed to provide humans? Chi seems to expect the latter due to her readings of a series of depressing "Lonely City" picture books she has purchased in which an anonymous woman seems doomed to search in vain for her one true love.

Finally, there is the question that traditionalists have been fighting against for centuries: is it right for humans and persocoms to even fall in love? It's an allegory that could be extended to homosexual relationships, polygamy, polygyny and other non-traditional relationships. The answer the series gives is that as long as the love is sincere and does not hurt other people, then it's sanctified.

Although the overall story is quite solid, especially the end where it almost made macho-me shed tears, there are some draw backs. Like the fact that they have no less than three clip shows for a series with only 27 episodes (plus a six-minute epilogue special). And there are some major plot holes, like how the hell did Chi get dumped among the garbage in the first place? The English dubbing is fine I guess, but you might as well just get the Japanese version with subtitles because, for one, the original Japanese voice actor Rie Tanaka does an absolutely endearing job of capturing the innocence and adoration inherent in Chi's character. The excitement and love present whenever Chi cries out "Hideki! Hideki!" would make anyone want to come home to such a welcome, the other events of the day becoming meaningless.

You are also probably going to miss some original puns and characterizations in the dubbing. For example there is a pun that has "sidedish" and "pornography" being the same word. Also a character, a persocom called Sumomo that is owned by Hideki's friend and neighbor Shinbo, is not properly portrayed in the English version. In the Japanese version, she has a habit of ending almost all her statements with the explanatory qualifier "'n desu", a phrase that I don't quite know the meaning of and that can't be translated without getting too technical. So naturally that part of her character was dropped in the English dubs.

But other than that, it's both a riot and poignant, and is recommended for anyone who has ever loved someone. Even though the anime does include some adult situations and heavy petting, all you horny teenage boys are outta luck with this one since you are not going to see any exposed aureolas or labias in any of the episodes. Overall three out of four stars *** out of ****

X-Men: Evolution (2000–2003)

First Lame, Then Good, Then Epic

[6 January 2006]

I had the opportunity to watch the first four episodes of this series when they first aired. Seeing all the producers and directors that were from "Batman: The Animated Series" being involved with this show and the superior production quality courtesy of Mook Animation ("Aeon Flux", "Spawn") and DR Movies ("Justice League") that was far superior than the cheesy Akom animation of the early nineties X-Men cartoon provided me with high expectations for this show.

Unfortunately, those episodes were long on the melodramatics and suffered from a poverty of the necessary action. I had to suffer through Scott Summers moaning and whining about his powers, Kitty and Rogue being freaked out by their manifesting powers and their subsequent confrontations with the X-men. But the episode that really made me groan was the one where the Blob is discovered, develops a possessive crush on Jean Grey and I guess turns evil when she rejects him.

What was this, Did "Dawson's Creek" and "X-Men" decide to hook up and have a baby? I wasn't even that much of an X-men fan anyways, never having watched the old nineties cartoon due to number of characters and story lines I had to keep track of. Also, back when "Evolution" premiered, I had "Batman Beyond", "Static Shock" and "Men in Black" to keep me entertained, I didn't need this crap. *Click*

Fast forward three years. "Batman Beyond" and MiB were both cancelled and Static Shock was in a prolonged hiatus, so I was left with practically nothing to watch, so I decided to see a repeat of X-Men: Evolution on Cartoon Network and it happened to be the season two episode "On Angel's Wing." That episode was well crafted to include the ambiguities of being a hero, religious allusions and a kick-butt battle between Rogue and Magneto at the end with a dazzling flight through the New York skylines and landmarks, in a way that reminded me of "Gargoyles". It got me hooked to see the rest of season two which brought about the great reveal of the existence of mutants to the outside world during the finale. Now these kids not only have to live their lives with their powers but now everyone will know them as freaks? Now it's getting interesting.

The series finale that featured the X-Men defeating Apocalypse was the coup de grace of the series which made me wish they made more episodes. I can honestly say that they managed to pull off the impossible during that event. With the half-hearted fare that the TV and cable stations are trying to feed us ("Coconut Fred's Fruit Salad Island!", "Loonatics Unleased") I miss that series more and more.

**** out of **** stars.

The Buzz on Maggie (2005–2006)

Surprisingly Good

[17 July 2005]

When I first heard of this new flash animation cartoon being broadcast on the Disney Channel, I was naturally skeptical. It's not enough that they had to make yet another show starring a (shudder) female "tween" that involves school, bothersome parents and the requisite obsession with boys, but now in order to make the show "unique" they've added the wrinkle of making this young teenager into a fly? Sorry, not buying it.

But it was summer and I was bored, so I scanned the mostly unwatchable cable channels and happened upon this show. It was the episode where the main character, Maggie Pesky, unwittingly found herself the love object of a socially repellent stinkbug. That episode was characteristic of what I found appealing about the character carrying the show - an adolescent girl continuously conflicted between her vanities and her better nature. She is sure she does not want to become intimate with a stinkbug, but she continues to lead him on in order to take advantage of his connections to a country club that offers mudbaths, snorkeling in swamp water, and other amenities fit for insects.

Adding to her appeal is the fact that she is not your typical wallflower type that populates these shows. She's unconcerned about popularity, and she makes no secret for her disdain for the popular, snobbish bugs at her school. But she can just as easily be the one who needs dressing down, especially the times she takes advantage of other people for her own personal gain.

The voice of Maggie is very appropriate for a tomboyish pre-pubescent girl who seems to be into popular punk (if I were to callously categorize her), with all the cracking and deepening of a child going though puberty. It almost recalls the voice of E.G. Daily's (Tommy from "Rugrats"). I have yet to get totally used to flash animation being a medium of choice for cartoon shows since it has a stop-motion quality that is hard to ignore, but the animators really outdid themselves here in trying to keep the motions fluid. The bright and stimulating colors, aesthetic designs and those big expression-able eyes on the characters are also appealing.

I give this show three out of four stars, but it might not be for everybody. This show is a personal favorite of mine for the additional reason that it panders to my background in biology. Aside from presenting a hypothetical world of flies and other insects where rotten food and garbage are considered delicacies and germs can be kept as pets, I love how they incorporate trivial facts about flies such as how they regurgitate some stomach contents on the food they are about to eat in order to facilitate digestion. *** out of ****

Maxie's World (1987–1989)

Filler Cartoon

[5 March 2005]

This cartoon was made in 11-minute segments to provide a companion piece to another cartoon, whether it was an 11 minute "Punky Brewster" cartoon or half of a "Beverly Hills Teens" cartoon in order to fill out the entire half hour. I guess that was to make room for the other syndicated shows broadcasts on the UHF channels at that time.

I say that because I felt that was probably the ONLY reason why they made this cartoon - too ridiculous to expand into an entire half hour, but they already budgeted money for this turkey so they decided to economize. What can I say? Maxie is an airhead with her own TV show and an equally airheaded boyfriend. Her other friends I could care less about (I can hardly remember their names). I would venture to say that the only aspects of this cartoon that piques my interest is the scattered references to eighties pop culture and that annoyingly catchy theme song at the beginning.

The animation is typical of DiC, good character designs but the fluidity is wanting. It is still better than some of the other endeavors made by DiC (*cough*Cyber Cops*cough*) overall ** out of **** stars.

Arrested Development (2003–2019)

HI-Larious as Well As Intelligent

[7 November 2004]

In this age of lazily-conceived, hastily-produced, fill-in-the-blank reality shows that the FOX network seems to corner the market on, it's refreshing to see them invest in a show that doesn't fit a clichéd formula and challenges the audience's intellect with hilarious results.

Previously, I had written off this show without giving it a chance, assuming that it's just another show about rich people with problems, a la "The OC". It's too bad I didn't give it a chance because I just happened to watch a random episode right while waiting for "Malcom in the Middle". Little did I expect to laugh so hard at George Michael continuously wearing a muscle suit just because his COUSIN. Maebe, gave him a passing compliment. And the absurdity of the situation was amplified by Ron Howard's deadpan narration of the episode, giving it the seriousness the situation doesn't deserve.

The show was still confusing because I wasn't clear on all the relationships and the origninating humor that the episodes look back to. Good think FOX did a marathon of the show in order to set me straight.

Bottom line, this show did not win all those Emmies for nothing. It could give Frasier, Friends and Seinfeld a run for their money any day. Let's hope the Emmys shielded the show from the FOX cancellation bug that afflicted other good shows such as "Action", "Titus", "Greg The Bunny" and ESPECIALLY "Family Guy".

**** out of ****

All Grown Up! (2003–2008)

Been There, Done That

[4 December 2003]

The storylines aren't bad, the characters are unique in their own way, and the animation is solid. This new show would have deserved a higher rating - if I hadn't seen it about a million times before.

I believe that this incarnation completes the metamorphosis of a droll, avant-garde Nickelodeon children's show that explored the psychology and socialization of infants to just another cookie-cutter pre-teen show for the Brittney Spears generation. I would be interested in seeing the types of topics they covered that hasn't already been done in "Doug", "As Told By Ginger" and any other show that involves home, school and friends.

Basically, this is a show that's would be most enjoyed by "Rugrats" fans. I'll admit that it's fun to see how the characters in the older show turned out, although one would be wont for surprises. Chuckie is still as insecure as he ever was, which goes well with the awkward geek stereotype he turns out to be. Angelica has toned down the "brat" side to her personality and has slipped comfortably in her role as an alpha girl seeking popularity and influence.

Tommy resumes his role as the unofficial leader and consensus builder of the gang while Susie is the sunny one. One of the few pleasant surprises is Dil, who turned out to be even weirder than we use to give him credit for. While Phil continues to be a goof-off, Lil is in the process of finding her own identity apart from being the female counterpart to Phil.

The parents haven't seemed to change a bit, they still have that ambience of cluelessness around them which would make for some funny moments when the more sophisticated kids confront them.

All of this won't matter, however, to those that have been living under a rock for the past dozen years or so and don't know who the "Rugrats" are.

The main rule of making sequels is to not just redo - reinvent.

Unfortunately, I don't see much creative investment in this "Rugrats" spin-off other than making the characters ten years older.

** out of **** stars.

Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003 Video)

Still Good, Given The Constraints

[4 December 2003]

After the utterly reprehensible way Warner Bros handled the release of "Return of the Joker" by Bowdlerizing some sensitive, but operative scenes in that movie, it's little wonder that the producers of the "Batman: TAS" franchise decided to settle on a considerably more lighter fare that would run little risk of offending the higher-ups.

Considering the creative straitjacket the producers found themselves in, they pulled it off rather well. The plot is pretty simple - it's a more sophisticated version of a Scooby-Doo-like whodunit where you are presented with multiple characters and you try to figure out which one is playing the double-role of the Batwoman vigilante. The ending might not suprise the sophisticated movie-goer, although it did work for me.

Unlike "Mask of the Phantasm" and "Return of the Joker" (the unedited version) there are no deaths depicted in this video and not as much emotional investment and (most important) CHARACTER GROWTH. In "Phantasm" you get to witness Batman's formative years and how a lost love shaped his present persona. In "Return of the Joker" you really get to see how much of a cold, debased psychopath the Joker really is - nothing like we saw in the cartoon series. Here, I'm quite sure we would have seen this as a really good multi-part episode on television if the "Batman" series hasn't been canceled. We aren't given too much insight into Batman's character, except now (*minor spoiler alert*) Batgirl/Barbara now has feelings for him and he's embarrased about it. There is another minor instance of character growth at the end of the movie, but I'll leave you to see for yourself.

One of the more memorable parts is the soundtrack song "Betchu Neva" provided by the little-known artist Cherie. If that single was played incessantly on the radio a la Christina Aguilera, I certainly wouldn't mind. And if you buy the DVD, it contains a featurette starring Batman and Catwoman called "Catch Me". Classic Batman, and it doesn't even need a dialogue.

*** out of ****

Teen Titans (2003–2006)

I Really Wanted To Give This A Bad Rating

[16 November 2003]

I mean, come on! This show has so many targets to shoot at that I can't possibly replace the arrows fast enough.

For starters, these people live in a big "T" on an island when it would be just as easy sending out invitations to the entire rogues gallery - in alphabetical order - to come and attack them. They are never out of costume (even when they are asleep) and therefore don't seem to have any lives or identities beyond their superhero personae. And Robin inaugurates each fight with "Titan's, GO!", as if they were trained dogs.

But what really trumps these petty annoyances is the obscene use of japanamation in what is obviously an American production (not counting the animation manufactured overseas, of course). You want garish, red crosses at the temples representing a heavy pulse? No problem. A GIANT drop of water festooned on the side of heads representing heavy perspiration? You got it. Eyeballs constantly shifting from one unnatural design to another? Heads separating in the middle during fits of laughter? Characters changing sizes during piques of rage or timidity? Check, check and double check. Zeus, as if we don't have enough of that being imported to this country, now they want to copy that too? Sometimes japanimation motifs, like the flying lines during fights, work well when done right. But here, lines have been crossed.

I was about to write this new series off, but there were certain elements that still lead me to go back and view each episodes whenever I had the chance. First, it's obvious that the show doesn't take itself THAT seriously, so the slapstick humor that is frequently tossed around goes down very easy and is highly enjoyable - especially when it involves the several conflicts between the self-appointed heroes. At times it makes me wonder how these characters manage to meet each other, let alone maintain a group.

Second of all, despite the show being mostly camp, elements of melodrama aren't entirely pushed aside. There is betrayal, obsession, lives that were believably at risk, and plenty of instances of character growth, especially in the plotline involving Robin and Slade.

Eventually, I grew to live with the ill-informed yet studiously done animation and the plot holes, but that doesn't mean they still take away from a show with great potential.

My Little Pony (1986–1987)

What Was The Attraction?

[1 August 2003]

I was vaguely aware of this show back when it was airing during the mid to late eighties, and I remember watching some episodes and being charmed by them, even though I was too young to remember those episodes in any detail. So I decided recently to rent an episode of MLP because I thought it would be a delightful trip back to memory lane.

All right, perhaps I'm not being fair. Perhaps this episode, "The Glass Princess" was not really a representative episode of what is supposed to be a popular and thoughtful children show. But then again, if this is what they consider an episode worthy of distributing in commercial VHS, then we might have ourselves a problem.

I can honestly say the opening and closing sequences were the best parts of this 35 minute treac-a-thon. The music was upbeat and wistful at the same time, which would beckon kids from whatever activity they may be engaged in at the time and embrace them for the fanciful adventures that will be sure to follow. The closing sequence stripped down to the many flutes provided the proper denouement of a mythical adventure that recalls the dance of the satyrs.

But instead of a carefully considered bit of storytelling, we are subjected to a continuous traffic accident of plot holes barely small enough to cover with an infield tarp, disconnected plotlines that were haphazardly stitched together, carbon-copy characters I could care less about and (worse of all) VERY superfluous songs which were lazily written.

For specific examples, the ponies were preparing for a Pony Olympics at the beginning of the episodes, yet less than five minutes in you wouldn't even know there was a huge event being planned. The main-character pony, Shady, gets into a song about how useless she is, only to be sung back into comfort by one of her human friends - an exercise that could have been easily resolved by a few well crafted dialogue. In this episode, Gusty the magic unicorn and Heartthrob the pegasus were kidnapped along with Lickety-Split the "earth pony" and kept in bondage - even though magic unicorns can *magically* teleport wherever they want and pegasuses can fly away under their own volition as welland were give several opportunities to do so as well. And the show just generally suffers from the fact that it has too much characters and too little time to distinguish between them and make them compelling and interesting enough.

What is really inexcusable, however, is the slipshod animation it serves us. This has got to be the one of the cheapest, most weakest production of a cartoon series this side of juvenile anime. Missing cells translate into jerky and stuttered movement of every character. Continuity of form is thrown out the window. And lip sync? They might as well be dubbing over an Estonian film for the type of attention they've paid to it. Oh well, at least the cartoon has a lot of color that will stimulate the mind of the youngest audience.

All this seems to indicate that the producers of this cartoon only intended to make this a vehicle to which to sell their many toys and pony dolls, which were virtually ubiquitous during that era. Any new and useless character introduced will usher in a new doll and the cycle will repeat itself at the bidding of the toy companies. This is not the 12-year-old boy repelled by anything that would appeal to girls, I showed this tape to two of my younger sisters, and they were appropriately repulsed by it. It's a shame I have to do this, but this saccharine piece of popular watered-down pablum deserves only one star. I was expecting a LOT more.

* out of ****

Spider-Man (2003)

Spidey's Back

[21 July 2003]

After being burned by how the two Fox Kids "Spider-Man" cartoons were cut short before the plot lines were resolved, I was ready for a whole new incarnation of the wise-cracking webslinger in the red-and-blue pajamas.

At first, I was dismayed when I learned the entire thing was going to be done in computer animation. Come on! I didn't like the computer animation in neither the Spider-Man nor the Hulk feature films. I'll be scourged if computer animation will ever capture human motions as fluidly and as flawlessly as either live action or cell animation. If this series is going to be saved, it would have to be by the virtue of the story lines.

Luckily, it delivered in that avenue. Unlike the earlier incarnations of Spiderman on television, the writers either focused TOO much on pointless dialogue which can easily be conveyed through the actions of the characters, or as in the 1994 version, a lot of action (good) but a lot of superfluous dialogue was crammed in as well (bad). Here, they understood that the TV show does NOT always have to resemble a d**m comic book and actually utilized the cinematography offered through this medium (as well as the appropriately requisite dialogue) to convey the constant drama that is the dual life of Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Plus the fact that they take "liberties" with the language and themes by virtue of it being broadcast on Empty-V is an added bonus.

Speaking of the cinematography, the dizzying exhilarating web-slinging action almost makes up for the religious use of computer animation. The 1994 Spider-Man was enhanced by computer animation during the action sequences, so you can't really blame these people for taking the genre to its logical conclusion. Yet the characters still have that robotic feel to them, a major drawback to the CGI world that must be resolved before it's fully accepted.

The show still looks promising, and I will definitely place this among the shows to watch - a statement that is rare considering the channel it's being shown on.

*** out of **** stars.

Darkwing Duck (1991–1992)

Should Have Taped More Episodes.

[21 July 2003]

This show represents the ultimate regret that I failed to tape more shows from the halcyon days when the cartoons were kings. I taped all of two episodes from that show and blindly placed my trust that the tradition of great cartooning would continue for me to enjoy even as an adult.

Now those cartoons are replaced by cable-channel reruns, cheap Japanese imports, or superfluous morning news programs, and I'm left with the slowly fading memories of those shows.

But the one show that refuses to be forgotten because of it's uniqueness and charm is the one, the only Dark-weeeeeng Duck!

I've heard of superheros who got into the business in order to defend truth, justice and - well, you know the rest.

I've heard of superheros who were inspired to do so because of some life-changing trauma they've experienced at the hands of a criminal.

But a superhero who gets his kicks because of an ego streak?

That's Darkwing Duck for you: the daring, death-defying duck-billed defender of the denizens against the evil forces of darkness, doom and any other grandiloquent alliterations that looks good in a comic book panel. Heck, who needs a comic book when you have a vainglorious vigilante who constantly provides his own narration - even while making breakfast (if he can achieve that in one piece!)

This setup makes for perhaps the most satisfying half-hour of superhero-based animation I have ever experienced. Sure, Superman, Batman, the G.I. Joes and other conventional heros in this genre are all good and well, but they are as never as full-rounded as Darkwing Duck. Those other heroes can be so. . .so. . .morally, ethically and methodically impeccable in such a way that it gets boring after a while. Hell, I frequently find myself rooting for the bad guys just so those darn boy scouts will be revealed as, well, HUMAN.

Not so with DW. The show successfully lampoons all those other superhero show by having Darkwing encompass pretty much all of the antihero qualities you aren't supposed to occur in a conventional animated superhero. He's obstinant, short sighted, short-tempered, impetuous, arrogant, imperious, clumsy to the point that recalls Inspector Clouseau. Did I forget to mention the "ego the size of a small planet"? At times, these traits get so in the way of his crimefighting that it becomes difficult to tell the "hero" apart from the villain.

When you think about it, the idea that superheros can constantly save the day without developing a severe ego streak is ridiculous on its face. So it's should be logical that that should happen in this case, especially when you are dealing with a character who tries deperately to compensate for his lack of actual superpowers.

We all know that in the end, even when he seems overwhelmed by his negatives, his positive attributes will eventually win over and help him defeat the villain du jour. When he's at his best, he really is daring, ingenious, resourceful and kindhearted to boot.

Darkwing/Drake Mallard's adopted daughter Gosalyn provides the heart needed for this show, plus she provides a worthy counterpart to DW's more explosive personality. She is also independent minded, hot-tempered and careless, yet at the bottom very sweet. Launchpad, besides providing a bridge to that other popular duckbilled show, makes up for his simpleminded ways with his unwavering loyalty to DW.

If there's a failing for this show, it would be the fact that since it's a children's show it can get peurile at times (plus it leaves me starving for more violence). But I won't hold that against them and give it the sterling accolades it deserves.

**** out of ****

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003–2010)

Shell Yeah!

[8 June 2003]

The first thing I noticed about this version of TMNT is the fact than none of the heroes in the halfshell had any pupils. To me, no pupils=no souls, just like the characters in that darkened Turtles revamp in the mid-nineties which misstepped and almost spelled the end for the series.

But I sat through a couple of episodes and was came back VERY satisfied with the new version.

I grew up watching the lean, green fighting machines fight a bunch of bumbling and stumbling bad guys, robots, aliens, mutants, oftentimes saving April O'Neill in the nick of times while ending each productive day eating pizza with some gnarly toppings (chocolate chips and anchovies, anyone?) Slapstick humor, groaner puns, and fast-paced action fortified with blood-pumping music was the order of the day, and we all seemed to like it just fine, thanyouverymuch. I still get a kick out of those episodes when I break out the old tapes.

Now, with the original comic book writer Peter Laird providing input, we have a much more serious tone. This time our heroes aren't here to solve Scooby-Doo mysteries and make pizza jokes. This series actually chronicles their day-to-day lives as they live in their underground lair with Master Splinter. The reason they live in the sewers (which should have been obvious) has been really played up this time: they are freaks, monsters. The fact that they are outcasts makes solving various crimes and getting on the six-o-clock news with April O'Neill a pretty difficult thing to accomplish (besides the fact that April is now a former lab assistant and not a news reporter as in the earlier incarnations).

So all their lives the four turtles have been honing their ninjitzu skills under their sensei, when their lives have been turned upside down by the arrival of Shredder, Splinter's arch-nemesis. The other reviewers are right, Bebob and Rocksteady would not have lasted a second under this Shredder. To take him lightly is to dig your own grave. The turtle's struggle to return to their normal lives during their confrontations with Shredder is the running drama binding these new episodes (which helps keep me interested every week since this time I know there will be a climax, instead of hearing "You miserable turtles, I'll get you next time!" after every other unrequited episode in the old series.)

Despite all this, I still would have been bored with this series if the turtles acted as serious as they looked. But to my relief, they retained much of their old personalities of the old series. Leonardo is still the leader, Donatello's still the inventive brain, Raphael is still sarcastic (and this time gruff and tough), and Michaelangelo is, well, you all know Mikey. I do really believe Mike's even more outrageous in this series than in the old one. Because they still retained their personalities, they don't come off as robotic Warriors of Virtue but as "regular" teens who find themselves caught in a bad space of time.

The way the series uses split screens, wide screens, more kick-butt action (screw the Parent Advisory Council!) and took its stories seriously also doesn't hurt the appeal. Add to this the humanity of the characters, and you have yourself a superior product on your hands.

**** out of four stars.

Clone High (2002–2003)

At first, I thought it was stupid

[7 March 2003]

But then I started watching it, and the show is just now beginning to grow on me. No it's not perfect, it's no pre 8th-season "Simpsons", but you have to appreciate how the creators use the clone characters to both mock the personalities of historic figures and the treacly WB high school dramas AND at the same time give new insights on famous historical figures by placing them in a modern setting.

Some historical figures are easily recognizable. For example JFK is a popular prettyboy jock who constantly surrounds himself with women, Cleopatra is an overly ambitious siren who doesn't let moral clarity get in the way of her goals and Abe Lincoln fills the role of an eagle scout who often speechifies yet is often oblivious of others input.

Other characters are not so obvious. For example Joan of Arc is a goth mired in negatism and Ghandi is an ebullient party-animal. Neither fits the expectations set by their "cloneparents".

Nor should they, because as teenagers, they will distance themselves and form their own identities. But the more you think about the history of their predecessors, the more like them they become. Joan of Arc is devotionally in love with Abe Lincoln, no matter how many times he has spurned her, just like how the real Joan of Arc is devoted to God even when she is being burned at the stake. Also there was the episode where Joan dressed in drag in order to play on the boys basketball team, a la the real Joan leading an all male army.

Ghandi's overly extroverted behavior stems from his need to fit in, just like the real Ghandi emulated the imperialistic Britains during the early part of his life by studying in England, becoming a lawyer and extoling the racist virtues of Cecil Rhodes. Only when Ghandi was mistreated on the train did he begin his campaign for social justice.

All in all three stars (***) out of four. The idea of recasting historical figures in a modern high school drama still screams "I've run out of ideas", but they somehow made up for it by casting characters I can care about.

Captain Planet and the Planeteers (1990–1996)

Hindsight Is Definitely 20/20

[7 March 2003]

Unlike many of the reviewers here, I'm NOT going denigrate a television show just for the sake of bashing a political ideology. Of course the show is PC, just like "Sesame Street" is PC. It's a CHILDREN'S SHOW -- it needs to be simplified and non-cynical for the consumption of the younger audience. Plus, whether you like it or not, concern for the environment is not a throwaway, frivolous subject to mock. The people of LA had to find out the hard way.

Anyhoo, probably the only reason why I watched this show in the first place was that there was nothing else on at five in the afternoon on Saturdays. Back then, I thought the show was pretty cheesy with very little variations on the plot lines. Yet I still rooted for the Planeteers and was satisfied whenever the bad guys were dealt with.

But now that I'm older and a little bit wiser, I now reserve full appreciation of the cosmic and biblical cheesiness this cartoon had to offer. Whenever I think of the villain, I just wonder what's going through their minds: "Hahahah! I've just wasted precious time and money creating this environmentally unsafe factory, not to make any profits, not even to make a product of any kind, but just for the sake of polluting the planet and p**sing off the Planeteers, hahahahah!" Yeah, that's what most of these villains were thinking in most of the episodes.

Also, I agree with the other reviewers that there were hardly any character growth among the Planeteers, although the tension between Wheeler and Linka had me at least halfway interested.

There were some keeper episodes, like the one where three oppressed persons, an Irish Catholic living in Belfast, a Palestinian, and a black South African were supplied with triggers that will set off nuclear weapons which can then wipe out their adversaries. The Planeteers were dispached to those separate areas and only succeeded in turning around those people by having them experience the *hypothetical* consequences of their actions if they chose to press the button.

Of course, Captain Planet comes to the rescue, digs up the nukes and throws them like discuses towards the sun, which begs the question why didn't he just do that in the first place?

So one and a half stars (* 1/2) our of four for the Planeteers. Protecting the environment is an important thing, but we can do better.

FYI, Ma-Ti's Power of Heart allows him to communicate with the animals, so that in some episodes elephants and giraffes gives Captain Planet a breather and take care of all the dirty work.

The Adventures of Pete & Pete (1992–1996)

Like A Fully Conscious Dream

[7 December 2002]

This was a show that epitomized the offbeat image Nickolodeon wanted to portray BEFORE it repurposed itself into a hybrid of Disney Channel and Cartoon Network. This was a show that took chances and succeeded in portraying childhood and adolescence in a satisfyingly surreal way most of us remembered it. Who in here was convinced at some time that a metal plate could pick up radio signals? Who in here ever wondered what type of life the ice cream man led? Who in here had a childhood hero that you later realized is just hyped up? These and other childhood mystifications are probed and reified into the world of Wellsville that's caught between the surreal and the outrageously real.

***** out of *****

Gary & Mike (2001)

Gary and Mike are back in Town! :^)))))))))

[30 November 2002]

This show used to be the ONLY reason why I'd watch UPN, and ever since it got cancelled, I never went back.

But it's on Comedy Central, allbeit at the usual ungodly hour they place mature cartoons at. But for them, I'd drink that extra bottle of Mountain Dew anyday!

On the surface, it seems like your mundane, out of the bottle "Odd Couple"-esque sitcom which featured a dorky, conservative Gary and a wild free spirit named Mike. What puts them apart is that they kept doubling on that concept, and doubling it, and doubling it, and doubling it, and doubling it until you have a product which you can't help but forsake the need for oxygen and laugh the night away.

Typical episode: Gary thinks Mike is a third wheel and decides to split up with him. Mike ends up being laid by several underwear models while old hapless Gary ends up trying to escape from a bunch of underworld freaks who lives in the sewers. How that could possibly happen, you need to see the episode for yourself.

***** out of ***** It's too bad all the good shows get the axe.

Boston Public (2000–2006)

Double C-minus in Realism; Otherwise an A

[8 November 2000]

After last-season's high-profile flops of David E. Kelley's "Snoops" and "Ally", you'd expect him to simply stick with his Emmy-winning strengths of "The Practice" and "Ally McBeal." But this writer has too much creative genius-and too much typewriter paper to be used-to just stick with two successful TV shows. The final result, "Boston Public", a true winner of a show that has got me hooked from Day One.

I will start off by saying I understand why real teachers hate this show so much. I won't go into detail about how the educators and administrators got away with many gross misdeeds they committed that would have led to ubiquitous suspensions/dismissals of real teachers if they ever attempted such things. Real teachers also have a right to complain about the drama's fixation on a small group of teachers and students in a fairly large, urban high school. They also have a right to complain about the often exaggerated melodrama and situations (Mr. Lipschultz is often a exaggeration himself) that occurs within the halls of Winslow High. Above all, the real teachers have a right to complain that the show is never real at all, but I believe they are afraid to admit to themselves that Kelley's brand of over-the-top creative practices is the sole reason that a show in this premise is even interesting in the first place. If a teacher were to tape everything that has occurred in her school during a normal work day and watch the events on her VCR during the night, she would be bored into a near-fatal coma. I think all may agree that experiencing a normal school day is tedious at best, much less watching an actual TV show about it.

To all the rest of us who disregards the show's inattention to reality and appreciate the creative genius that's behind the dialogue and storylines, it is more than a pleasure to watch. Combining the integrity and dedication of "The Practice" amidst the corruption of others and the wry, tongue-in-cheek humor of "Ally McBeal", it is easily the best new show of a horrible new TV season, even though it can get too over-the-top for its own good in some situations. (***1/2 out of four stars)

Salute Your Shorts (1991–1992)

"Campy" pleasure at Camp Anawana

[8 November 2000]

No its not campy at all, although its humor is more suited for people under the age of fifteen. I wouldn't mind sitting at home one afternoon watching it though, because it is sincerely and unequivocally funny. I remember in my younger days as a fourth-sixth grade punk kid watching every episode of this series several times over, hoping for new installments but enjoying the reruns. The cast is unforgettable, easily identifiable but demonstrated character growth throughout the series. It is a nice escape to the days before this modern world of "Catdog", "Keenan and Kel" and other tripe Nickelodeon keeps offering in order to compete with the equally inane Disney Channel. If you all want to know, "Donkeylips" is my favorite character, along with "Ug" Lee. (*** stars out of four)

Action (1999–2000)

A Critically Acclaimed Failure

[29 October 2000]

Originally, "Action" was slated to air on HBO, with other well written comedies such as "Sex and The City" and "Arli$$". Unfortunately, Doug Herzog and the people at FOX decided to pick it up. They knew they had a winner in their hands. It was fresh, sardonic, incisive, and outrageous. And most of all, it was a well written Hollywood satire that will turn many heads, even if it pushes the envelope off the precipice. This show would become the "All in the Family" for the next millenium, a controversial show breaking away from the television mainstream, entertaining its wide audiences with is outrageous dialogue while bringing up certain social issues like violence in the media.

But the Doug Herzog and the FOX executives didn't know what to do with this gem. One could imagine this very intellectual group saying to themselves. "Gee. We have an exceptional show on our hands that could be an instant ratings bonanza. What better way to jump start this prize horse than to bury it beneath a time slot that features traditionally high rated shows on other networks?" The result in the subsequent season is "Action", along with "Family Guy", being placed in the timeslot that is competing with NBC's "Must See Thursday". If I were a network executive, I would know that if people were given a choice between a perennial favorite "Frasier" and a new FOX series they never heard of, they would pick the former. In the end, after about six weeks on the air and ratings in the lower nineties, FOX decided to cancel "Action" and make "Family Guy" a summer holdover, which they then subsequently cancelled. Doug Herzog, reasonably, lost his job following the debacle, and the rest of us, the fans who were enjoying the show, were suddenly left to watch the sterile comedies the other networks were offering us. FOX's sister network, FX, tried to compensate the viewers who felt betrayed by showing all the episodes of "Action" that FOX didn't show, but it's hardly a consolation to this viewer, who felt this series should had had a fair chance to succeed which it deserved. (**** out of four stars)

Tucker (2000–2001)

"Malcolm" With Hormonal Imbalance

[4 October 2000]

The only comparisons I can make of this new NBC sitcom with "Malcolm in the Middle" is that the character's name is included in the title, there is an absence of a laugh track and the main character is the narrator (Although Malcolm speaks directly at the camera while Tucker's narration is off-camera). Other than that, this show is not like "Malcolm" at all. "Malcolm" is a well-written, well-directed, superbly acted and, above all, avoids constant and gratuitous vulgarities. "Tucker", however, seems to be fixated on only one thing the title character has, and it's certainly not his skateboard. Secondly, all the characters except maybe Tucker and his mother are largely one-dimensional. They are either: boorish and braindead (his cousin), spunky (the girl next door), evil (his aunt), and God-knows-what (his uncle).

The bottom line, however, is that if someone were to strip away the vulgarities this show bashes its viewers in the head with, we would be victim to an inane sitcom with an overly hackneyed plot line (Boy One moves in new neighborhood, hates said neighborhood, discovers Girl One in same neighborhood who, inexplicably, fosters the same interest as Boy One. But Girl One is already maintaining a relationship with Boy Two) that even the Disney Channel would reject, due to its lack of originality compared with its other shows. And also the show professes that Tucker is just as smart as Malcolm in the other show. However erudite he is, that fact is lost amidst a compost heap of locker-room jokes and neuron-killing, puerile humor that would overfill the Marianas Trench. I am giving it two stars because, for some strange reason, I see a potential of this show to improve plus I only watched the first episode and I live by the old maxim: DON'T judge a sitcom by its pilot. (** out of four stars)

The Simpsons (1989– )

WAS The Best Series I Ever Watched

[4 October 2000]

From the time I was in first grade when I first fell love with the weirdly animated characters with yellow skin to today, I feel honored in sharing with millions of viewers worldwide the animated television dynasty known as "The Simpsons." I will always treasure the cerebral, whip-smart jokes, the skillfully designed story lines, the unforgettable, well-rounded characters, and most of all, the heart and warmth of the show that made me have no choice but to adopt the show as my second family.

All of that has changed, nowadays. In its gut-wrenchingly asinine attempt to reinvent itself with pop-culture's love affair with vulgar, tasteless comedies like "Family Guy" and "American Pie", "The Simpsons" replaced witty, mature jokes that were well thought out with brain-numbing banality and misappropriated potty-humor that wouldn't even appeal to middle-schoolers. The only reason I even bother watching a show is that I hope to view a diamond in the rough, but to date my prospectings has not wielded even pyrite. What really ticks me off are the neophyte critics who hails peaens for the show but refer to episodes in the earlier seasons as their favorites. I'd gather them around and make them watch recent episodes like the one where Maude dies and her death is callously handled by the producers and hear how they think of their "favorite show" now.

Don't get me wrong, The Simpson's is still one of the best shows that ever aired. It is just in danger of being overtaken by the less-than-mediocre episodes of the recent seasons if the producers don't get their acts together. (**** out of four stars for first 7 seasons, * out of four stars for last four seasons)

Mission Hill (1999–2002)

Another good show that's a ratings martyr

[2 October 2000]

A delightfully irreverent show which I wish more people could have seen (If it's competing against "Who Wants to be a Millionare" what chance in Gehenna does it have of surviving?) Just the the situations that go against conformist TV redundancies (a girl asking Andy out on a date instead of the other way around, how it dealt with masturbation issue and the fact that Kevin, felt almost immediately that he had to cheat to get a good score on the SAT) alone got me hooked. I may feel a little weird about the animation, like for instance the jaundiced look of the eyes, the feeling that the scenes are partially lighted with black light and the way many of the females look as if they are in their second trimester. I don't exactly hate the animation because I know they are trying for a new, creative look in animation and right now it seems to be working. Too bad the evil networks had to do away with it before I get to witness the whole entire season. (*** out of four stars)

Sammy (2000–2021)

Once Again, Star Power Takes Precedence over Quality.

[1 October 2000]

And I thought David Spade was annoying in real life. Never would I have imagined that hearing Spade voice two different characters, particularly Sammy, would turn me off so much as to wish for a quick return of the classic primetime flop "Jenny" . Just hearing Sammie speak and looking at his visage that recalls Punchinello makes me wonder how he's attracting all the women he constantly cheats on his wife with. Just because of the fact that the scripts and plotlines of this "comedy" is well below mediocre alone suggests that the series creators (the always creatively precocious NBC executives) relied heavily on the assumed star-power of the former SNL alum. All I can say is that I think my rating is too generous and that I am not sorry that the cancellation happy network put THIS bow-wow series to sleep. (1/2 out of four stars)

Baby Blues (2000–2002)

Easily one of the best shows no one has ever seen

[1 October 2000]

The fact that I am the first person to post a comment in the three months this show has aired reflects the paucity of the exposure it has received. From the get-go, I knew this show would not generate the kind of audience it would need to survive, seeing how it was buried within a Friday night schedule on a mini-network, and I knew it would suffer the same fate as "Freaks and Geeks", "Action", "Mission Hill" and "Dilbert". But unlike "Dilbert", "Baby Blues" is a good adaptation from the comic strip to the small screen. Their plotlines are often well conceived, the animation organic, and a lot of subtle,witty, tongue-in-cheek humor. I highly recommend this series to Simpsons fans who are sick and tired of having to lower expectations and intelligence levels in order to laugh at and marginally enjoy the puerile jokes and ill-conceived stories they are feeding to us in their recent episodes. It's a shame the makers of this show only made about six episodes. ***1/2 (Out of four)