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The Children's Cartoon series Weekly Analysis


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Okay, I've been wanting to make this thing for quite some time now! So as the title implies similar to Sonimans Unleashed vs Colors topic, this will be a weekly changing thing. But with Television. So how this will work:

 

  • You will choose a children's cartoon of your choice. That will be the show you will stick with for the entire topic.
  • If somebody took your show that you wanted, you can still use it, just make sure your analysis is different enough to call your own.
  • It must have some actual thought and effort put into it.
  • The show can be really any cartoon up until now, so long as you have a basic understanding of the show and it's plot,characters and story.
  • Discussion is encouraged! If you want to ask someone why they think something about a trait of the show, don't be shy. Lets just not have it drag on for 3 pages.:P

 

So each week we will be discussing a certain aspect of our children's show that we chose. That may be artsyle,soundtrack, premise,characters,etc. At the end we will have a overall analysis that will sum up our overall opinion on the show. So if you want to think ahead and prepare, go ahead!

 

For me, I will be using Code Lyoko throughout the topic.

CodeLyoko_logo.jpg

 

So to start off this week we will start with....

 

Basic Premise

Basically, what is your show about? How well is the premise addressed throughout, from start to end? Does the overall concept stand up?

 

For Code Lyoko, I'd like to think it does a somewhat okay job. The overall idea of the show: A group of friends stumble upon a virtual world called Lyoko. Upon discovering, they find out two things. One, there is a AI known as Aelita that has lived there for quite some time. And two, they accidently released a evil virus known as X.A.N.A that is hellbent on ruling the entire world.

code_lyoko_oc_template_by_ms_paint_base-

 

Using buildings in Lyoko called "towers" is how the real world and the virtual world connect. However they are also the gateway for Xana, allowing him to cause havok in reality. Whether that be by possessing people,taking control of electronic devices or other items,etc.

-45_Activated_Tower.JPG

Aelita, by traveling into the Xana activated towers, can deactivate them and return balance to the real world. The Lyoko warriors(aka main characters): Jeremy, Ulrich, Odd and Yumi, assist Aelita in this battle in a attempt to stop Xana for good.

 

The main premise is pretty basic, but meaty enough to last a few seasons and throw a few twists here and there. Yeah you got your corny romance drama every once and awhile, but it rarely forces itself on the viewer. 

 

The main problem I found with premise is that the first episode doesn't exactly do a good job at introducing you to the characters and the plot. It just seems like another episode and not a genuine introduction. Who is this Xana? Why is there a monstorous teddy bear, why is there this digital world?

 

The actual introduction doesn't actually happen until around the 3rd season. That's when you get the hour long special that explains everything and properly introduces everyone. 

 

Still,  you catch up pretty quickly after a episode or two with what's going on, so your not totally lost. So again overall, I think Code Lyoko does a okay job setting up the foundation of the series.

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I really couldn't ever get into Code Lyoko. It's just really, really ugly looking to me, and I can't help but find it really distracting to the point that I can't really give it a fair chance.

 

Shallow of me I guess, but that animation (especially in 3D) is absolutely horrendous in my opinion. Can't get past it.

 

-

 

Oh hold on, are we all bringing up different shows and then discussing them at the end of the week? Or we discuss one show per week?

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I really couldn't ever get into Code Lyoko. It's just really, really ugly looking to me, and I can't help but find it really distracting to the point that I can't really give it a fair chance.

 

Shallow of me I guess, but that animation (especially in 3D) is absolutely horrendous in my opinion. Can't get past it.

 

-

 

Oh hold on, are we all bringing up different shows and then discussing them at the end of the week? Or we discuss one show per week?

We each are going to pick a show of our choosing to use for the entire topic. Each week we will discuss a different aspect of that show(Art style,soundtrack,story,etc.)

 

For this entire week, we will be discussing the premise of the show that we chose. Does that help?

Edited by Jake from State Farm
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Ah, okay. Well in that case~

 

spectacular-spiderman-image.jpg

 

Spectacular Spider-Man. Heard of this show? You should, because it's one of the best super-hero cartoons ever, right up there with Batman TAS in my opinion.

 

The premise is what you'd expect. It's a show about Peter Parker trying to balance the events of his daily high school life with the stress of being Spider-Man at the same time. Sounds simple, even dull, but it is executed beautifully. It plays off of Spider-Man's whole "misunderstood super-hero" shtick intelligently, and none of the criticisms lobbed against him (apart from Jonah's, of course) are as nonsensical as they can be otherwise. Eddie Brock's fall from grace isn't really shoehorned in or badly explained, it makes sense to a degree. While Eddie is a maniac who blows things out of proportion, he does serve as somewhat of a punishment for Peter's mistakes - he does hurt people, and he does come off as a jerk if you look at his actions from the perspective of his friends.

 

I digress though. The thing that I like about Spectacular is that really, it's a show about the life of Peter Parker. The struggles he deals with keeping his identity a secret and balancing his time between the people he cares about and protecting NYC. As time goes by, his relationships with his friends change as they would in real life; there's some romance, there's some jealousy, and there are some grudges. It makes sense, and it's very engaging.

 

So watch this show because it is spectacular (hurr).

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I'm currently watching through this series again, so I'd love to talk about it.

 

tumblr_m4t0xqbMka1qjhpjdo1_400.jpg

 

Avatar: The Last Airbender

 

Four nations based on the natural elements of Water, Earth, Fire, and Air lived in harmony.  But then, everything got eff'd up when the Fire Nation attacked.  The Fire Nation is seeking to conquer the other nations and become the supreme empire.  

 

But there is a destined protector of the supernatural balance: the Avatar.  The Avatar is reincarnated once a generation, and he/she is destined to master all four elements.  The newest Avatar, Aang, was frozen for 100 years and finally awoke in the middle of this war.  Though he is only a child, he now has to hurry and achieve his true power and put a stop to the Fire Lord, otherwise the world may be doomed.

 

That's the short version, and I left out a huge amount of detail, but from the perspective of a child who is totally new to it, it's about people who can bend the elements of the earth like magic.  That's already a good premise to keep a kid interested.  But what really makes this show stand out is its masterful balance of seriousness and lightheartedness.  It never goes too dark for too long, and it rarely leans too heavily on comedy or silliness.  It has a beautifully realized world, great characters, and a fantastic story.

 

I think the best thing about the premise is that it's not meant to be a long-running series that constantly added to.  By watching the whole series, it's easy to see that each and every detail was thought out from the beginning.   It doesn't feel rushed or overstay its welcome.  They didn't just think of an idea one day and then decide to run with it without a goal, they crafted this tale from start to finish, and it shows.  

 

---

 

As for Code Lyoko, I think the premise is pretty cool.  Basically some kids fighting off baddies in a computer world when they're trying to mess with the real world.  Plus the mix of 2D and 3D animation is kinda clever.  I don't think the show holds up well for adults due to some pretty bad writing (though I haven't seen it in a while), but as a kid it was very engaging.  I was actually obsessed with it for a while.

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600full-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-pos

 

Yeah, being someone not nearly as exposed as the original, this was my first exposure to the Turtles.

 

But while it is vastly different from the Fred Wolf series, this was the closest you'd get to getting an animated version of the Mirage comics, although they still made changes either for to be 'less graphic reasons' (cause let's face it, as much as this show got away with, it was still on 4Kids for a reason) or to expand on from the comics.

 

The show follows four mutated turtles each named after a Renaissance artist. Leonardo, Rapheal, Donatello, and Michelangelo as they embark and experience all kinds of adventures that goes beyond time, space and within New York itself. They encounter many allies such as their beloved sensei, Splinter, human friends like April and Casey, as well as brutal enemies like Baxter Stockman and the biggest bad of them all, the Shredder. While I can tell you the series started losing it's luster after Season 5 but it came to good finale with Turtles Forever. I recommend it to anyone who either likes the Turtles and is currently enjoying the Nick cartoon or people who just love a good 'kids' show with great action, entertaining story arcs, and good characterization and development (though Mikey is a bit of a mixed bag depending on how flanderized he can get).  

Edited by DarkLight
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600full-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-pos

 

Yeah, being someone not nearly as exposed as the original, this was my first exposure to the Turtles.

 

But while it is vastly different from the Fred Wolf series, this was the closest you'd get to getting an animated version of the Mirage comics, although they still made changes either for to be 'less graphic reasons' (cause let's face it, as much as this show got away with, it was still on 4Kids for a reason) or to expand on from the comics.

It was still more 'graphic' than the new series, which I still love! Personally, I think the new series probably introduces us to the turtles better, however the the 4kids one does a better job at introduces us to all the other characters. I don't know why though.:P

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I think it helps that the new series' has the Turtles somewhat act more of their age thus making it refreshing and better to introduce them to the viewers. But while I acknowledge that's a reasonable interpretation, I still like how the 2k3 Turtles were handled for the most part (like I said Mikey's a tad 'love it or hate it' when it came to him).

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Oohhh, nice topic. So basically we spend a week talking about a show of our preference? Sounds good.

 

250px-Danny_Phantom_logo.png

He's a phantom

 

Danny Phantom was an action-adventure series by Fairly Odd Parents creator Butch Hartman, and aired from 2004-2007.

 

It stars 14 year old Danny Fenton, who after a freak accident in a ghost portal that his parents were working on, became half-ghost and had all of the powers associated with one. After this, Danny would keep his identity secret and use his powers beat down all of the malevolent ghost that stumble through the portal.

 

I really liked this series growing up. Due in no part to it being extremely reminiscent of Spider-Man, while still being its own thing. Despite most episodes being fairly standalone, there is a nice sense of continuity, which is rare in a Western Animation show, and past events are constantly called back. And despite being a Butch Hartman show, it can actually get pretty dark at times(Ultimate Enemy).

 

So yea, I really liked this series. Next time I guess I'll talk about the characters.

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Justice-league-unlimited-04.jpg

 

Take everything you love about Bruce Timm's original Justice League series and multiply it by about 9,000. What do you get? Justice League on Hulk steroids, or Justice League Unlimited, to be precise. 

 

First aired in July of 2004 on Cartoon Network, JLU saw 3 seasons, and was the last series to come out of Bruce Timm's phenomenal DC animated universe that started with the legendary Batman: The Animated Series. JLU could be seen as season 3 to the original Justice League show, but I like to consider it its own series. All the core members return, but with a slightly darker tone, a ton of newcomers like Green Arrow, Steel, The Question, and Huntress, I prefer to view JLU as its own series.

 

What's there to say about this masterpiece? The animation is at its A game here, looking as slick and colorful as ever. Nearly every episode is enjoyable, usually telling a self contained story that still manages to tie into some key story arcs, like Cadmus and the return of Darkseid. Every Leaguer is a joy to watch, from the brooding and tactical mastermind Batman(was there any ever doubt?), to the paranoid yet charming obscure hero the Question( " I dig through everyone's trash.") 

 

This show has got some amazing continuity with its prequel series, Superman the Animated Series, and Batman Beyond. It's nice to see not everyone has forgotten past events like Superman being controlled by Darkseid or the Justice Lords wrecking havok. While I don't root for Project Cadmus, they do raise an interesting point: what if the Justice League ever did go rogue in vein of the Justice Lords? The JL has a giant watchtower pointing directly at earth, so naturally there is a reason to be suspicious of the League.

 

This show really was my childhood. I always remembered making sure to catch it at night when it first aired, or watch repeats on Boomerang. I'm no DC expert mind you, but this one TV show made me prefer the Justice League over the Avengers, who I'm a fan of in comics, film, and the EMH tv series. It's that good.

 

With stellar animation, flawless voice acting, and mature writing that can be enjoyed by kids yet made easily accessible to adults, JLU is still my favorite animated series of all time. You really were the best to come out of the DCAU, thanks for sending it out on top smile.png

 

Oh, and there's still the kick ass heroic theme song on a guitar, which will never, EVER leave my head, so have yourself a listen.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yte6GZhUXpg&hd=1

Edited by Chaos Incarnate
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Well, I think its safe to say that no one else on SSMB is interested in this show but me. So here goes nothing...

winx_club_2d_sirenix_igroup__by_alexaspe              Ok, so I know Winx Club has its flaws. But I have always loved this show anyway, and I will reveal why each week as this topic progresses. Its going to have its tenth anniversary this year so I basically grew up watching it. 

                  Can we eventually talk about the company these cartoons come from one week? Because there is an interesting story behind winx club which is part of why I like it. The company who made it began as underdogs but eventually made their mark for animation. Anyway back on subject.

                Winx club is about a school of teenaged fairies learning to harness their powers on a planet called Magix. They go to a school called "Alfea College of Fairies" (its a college even though the characters are of the age that they should be going to high school). Bloom is an orphan who grew up on non-magical earth completely unaware that she was a fairy until she met her best friend Stella who is a fairy. So the show is about how bloom eventually becomes one of the most powerful fairies out there while trying to solve the mystery of who her real family is. While strengthening her friendship with her fellow fairies who like to call themselves the winx club.

               The show sticks to the premise pretty well. There is always one thing or another that Bloom finds out about herself that you dont expect. However, the main characters are always so busy saving the magical universe from bad guys that you begin to wonder when they actually have time to go to their classes and do their homework. Or if they go to their fairy school at alltongue.png . In fact the main characters play hookie alot in the comic book series in order to save the world. Which is not really a good influence on kids but all the same its kind of funny. To be fair, the grown ups in the show who have magical powers of their own always sends the winx out to do all the dangerous stuff like fighting bad guys. Which makes you wonder, "Hey, shouldn't the grown ups be handling this instead of sending out a bunch of sixteen year olds?". But all in all its a good show to me.

Edited by Neon The Hedgehog
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Can't believe no one's done this yet

 

tumblr_mjxqsnlGfR1qcpqj7o1_500.gif

 

Batman the animated series is pretty much what you'd expect, Batman takes on a different villain each week, solves crimes, beats up thugs  and saves the day. Simples.

 

What makes Btas different from the norm is the style and tone. The show is incredibly dark, both thematically and literally. The backgrounds were drawn on black paper to give the series a sense of being permanently set at night, some shots contain only the briefest sliver of colour on a full black background, the result is something totally unique and something that fits in perfectly with the character of Batman. Mix this with a mix of futurism and art deco 1940's design and what you get is a completely unique visual style that just works perfectly.

 

Thematically well....wow...some of the stuff in this series is so dark you wonder how they got away with selling it to kids. There are some scary moments like the introductions of Manbat and Clayface but the show is at it's best when the  darkness is physiological. The episode that introduces the Riddler sees the character seek revenge on his corrupt boss at the toy factory where he works. His plan is foiled by Batman obviously but in the last shot we see the boss, now absolutely destroyed by the experience, shakingly lock ten locks on his front door, check every cupboard in his room and under the bed befor climbing into bed hugging a shotgun. It's a pretty shocking thing to be presented with in a kids show.

Another episode sees Poison Ivy retire from her life of crime and settle down in suburbia. It is later revealed that her family are actually mutated plant zombies which have a lifespan of days, prompting ivy to continually create more as her family ages and dies around her.....her reason for doing this? She's lonely. That's pretty heavy stuff.

 

And then you get the first movie from the series, Mask of the Phantasm, which I would easily say is the greatest batman movie ever made (you can keep your Nolan trilogy). Wow, talk about dark. The most powerful scene in the film sees a young Bruce Wayne caught in a conflict between his dark desire to avenge his parent and his human need for comfort and love. He actually gets down on his knees at his parents grae and begs them not to make him put on the cowl, begs them to let him be with the woman he loves.  It's heartbreaking and really shows Bruce as an incredibly damaged character.

 

Over the years, Warner Bros got a little worried about the tone of the show and forced the creators to include what they thought would be the lighter characters of Robin and Batgirl. The creators managed to include these characters and still provide a show that was just as good though. The show never suffered from their inclusion and continued to deliver right up to the end.

 

For my money it's the best version of Batman around, it's no coincidence that the Arkham games have borrowed writers and cast members from it. I'd also say it's in the running for the best cartoon series of all time....yeah, it's that damn good.

 

BatmanJoker1.gif

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Okay I'm writing this from my iPod so bear with me. I'll add onto it later!

Okay so this week we will be covering characters! Specifically the main characters(and if you want, side characters). Try to go into depth for each one! What do you like about them? What don't you like about them? What could be fixed? What do you want to see more of? Overall how has the character changed over time for you?

(I'll do mine tomorrow morning since its late and I am so popped!:P but you guys are free to start posting for this week.)

Edited by Jake from State Farm
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             Winx Club Characters:

First Season:

Winx-3charmixl_zps8ef20a55.jpg

 

 

        Fifth Season:

sirenixl_zps5ed8f442.png

 

                  So as you can see, the appearance of the winx club characters has changed greatly for them most part. But their personalities have grown and transformed as well. I'll tell you my favorite and least favorite character change in the show.

         Musa (the girl with the black hair wearing red) in my opinion changed negatively. She started out as a sarcastic tomboy that was into music. And I liked her that way. However, rainbow changed her appearance in order to make more money with her dolls. Which had a negative effect on her personality. Instead of being a unique tomboy she became a girly girl like most of the others (Compare the first season with the fifth). Long hair and cutesey clothes instead of unique rock outfits. Which was a shame since Musa's style was a big part of who she was. Luckily she still is sarcastic and has dry humor. So at least they did not destroy everything about her. I think Rainbow saw their error with this and gave her more of a hard rock look when Sirenix came out at the end of the fifth season (See the picture of musa in my first post on this topic).

         Thankfully my favorite character Stella has stayed the same for the most part (the girl with the blond hair wearing orange). The show would be boring without her. She is like the comedy relief in the show. Crazy, fun and wild Stella is awesome. I hope she never changes. She seems to get more loony as each season passes which is just fine with me.

        The main character bloom's personality has changed only a little (the girl with the red hair). She is more sure of herself now and confident. Although I sort of liked it a little better when she was a little unsure about herself. But I still like her character. Although sometimes I feel like they are trying to make her like barbie. Sometimes characters like barbie can get annoying since they are good at everything (Example: I can do anything! Ride a horse, go to the moon, or unclog your toilet! Because I am perfect!). But bloom is still learning to be a good fairy so that is not much of a problem. Besides only barbie can be barbie (thankfully)

Edited by Neon The Hedgehog
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