Danger Mouse and Powerpuff Girls both announced for comebacks

[Drtooth]

I get what you mean. Though I have to point out that it would only have made sense for time to have passed. The girls' voices are different, Princess looked to have gotten a couple years older and changed a little emotionally to be more snide and less whiny. Even in the flashback of Bubbles accidentally destroying the school, she had her original series haircut.

That said...ugh... Maybe I'm just not so far of an ownership of the original series as 1990's born kids were, but I'm getting annoyed by the "THIS IS THE WORSTEST THING EVER!!!" opinions of this show. Like every time I'm on Youtube there's at least 3 or 4 "EEEEEEEEEWWWWW! New shows are new and that makes me mad as an adult outside of the demographic" reaction videos and it's just... this show isn't as good as the original so far being only like 12 episodes in (or six full sized episodes of season 1 of the original series) in comparison to an entire series that we've seen get fleshed out and then, frankly, ruined by Craig leaving to work on Fosters. But seriously...stop acting like this is as bad as George of the Jungle 07, where the only thing the same were some names and a bad cover of the theme song. I get on that show's case a lot but even if you remove it from the original, it's still a freaking awful cartoon. Animation was good, but it might as well have looked like Clutch Cargo as drawn by a 5 year old.

I get where in some era where everyone desperately clings to their oh so precious nostalgia. I get that. The late 90's were a holy freaking Gawd terrible time for me (mid-90's weren't so hot), so I love my 1990's cartoon diversions. Qubo started running Ned's Newt episodes and I shouted "HOLY %^&" loudly like 10 times in succession with the happy reaction of someone winning a million dollars. I didn't even care they were poorly edited. And I can watch them anytime I wish on Youtube. I get these things are important to adults born in that generation because being an adult holy heck sucks. But it's like, these manchildren and womanchildren desperately want their inner child hugged, but when they're even approached they shout BAD TOUCH!!!! at the top of their lungs. If something's different they whine, if things are the same they whine. If they have the original creators, they're old fuddy duddy sellouts who either lost their talent or were only lucky once. If new blood who also grew up with the same thing makes it, they don't have the vision or the talent and don't "get" the same source material as the talentless fuddy duddy sellout. Like the vocal minority of those who somehow hated Force Awakens after spending years griping about the prequels.

I've been on this soap box before. If you can watch the same episodes of the same old things you saw when you were a kid over and over and over and still want to watch them, go right on ahead. But most of these nostalgiaphiles will buy a box set, watch a third of the episodes at once, then slowly make their way to the end of the set and then put it in the closet to gather dust. And that's even if they get a box set. There's no fun in talking with anyone who refuses anything new. You can't have new experiences watching reruns. And yeah, even if this new PPG falls short by the time the series ends, it's not something purposely raping their childhoods. This was the writers' childhoods too. They clearly want to be your friend (unlike the TTG writers, whom I actually now have respect for). You can prefer the original and I'd give no complaints. It's acting like this is what ruins your childhood (and not growing up, having to compete like a gladiator for a job you don't want but need, and slowly get a collection of stomach ulcers worrying about how low paying said job you fought tooth and nail and are lucky as heck to even get you didn't want) that ticks me off. Just don't watch. This was never meant for you, no matter how much the writers of this show want you to like it.

 

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

I actually enjoyed today's episode a lot more than the other ones (granted this is only the fourth episode that i've watched). It did feel more like the original series. I've already pretty much gotten used to the girls' voices, but the Professor's aged voice will admittedly take some time to get used to. Although I am happy that they kept his original voice actor.

 

[mr3urious]

Poor Professor Utonium just can't catch a break when it comes to women. But at least here, there was a glimmer of hope that he may soon cure her of her spider transformation abilities and that they can continue their relationship. I would love for the writers to follow up on this.

 

[Drtooth]

I actually enjoyed today's episode a lot more than the other ones (granted this is only the fourth episode that i've watched). It did feel more like the original series. I've already pretty much gotten used to the girls' voices, but the Professor's aged voice will admittedly take some time to get used to. Although I am happy that they kept his original voice actor.

While I seriously think the hate this show is getting is hyperbolic and extremely over reactionary, I'll admit the show has a ways to go before it really pops. And you can see hints of that in more recent episodes (even though they're incredibly out of order). The only episodes that fell really flat with me are Monster Island (which seems like it was the pilot) and the one with the Unicorn (a little early in the series to be making back-door pilots). I attest that this is essentially the same show, just with different writers and different humor.

I'd say the series is akin to if you stopped watching the Simpsons about season 11 or so and the writing was already on a major downhill slide, but started watching the series 10 years later where there were mark signs of improvement. Like if PPG was never cancelled and the writing after season 6 got even worse, and these are the new writers that came in and attempted to fix everything and were 75% successful. Not quite the hey day of seasons 2-4, but certainly better than (hypothetical) season 9. You remember that awful 9th season of Powerpuff Girls where they had 2 episodes about the Mayor pooping his pants and they Flanderized Bubbles to be obsessed with eating corn, right?

Poor Professor Utonium just can't catch a break when it comes to women. But at least here, there was a glimmer of hope that he may soon cure her of her spider transformation abilities and that they can continue their relationship. I would love for the writers to follow up on this.

This show is clearly planting seeds of drama so the series can become deeper and stronger. I don't think they're going to play the heavy drama card all at once. The powerful episode about the Bootlegs was season 4 of the original. Can't exactly remember the episode where they fly too fast and end up in a horrifying future, but I swear it isn't the first season. I want to see something of that level or darker.

But this was another really good episode that proves the show isn't bad by far. The girls acting just petty enough to realize what they did was harmful and wrong, so they at least realize the consequences of their actions. I especially liked how when they were fighting her giant spider form the second time, they were basically apologizing through the whole battle. That's a nice little super hero parody bit they never did in the first series, and it seems to be perfectly in spirit with the original series' humor. They really put some heart that was missing in most of the episodes into this one.

Though I would totally break up with any woman who could turn into a giant spider. My arachnophobia is pretty strong. If anyone said the word "spider" to me, it better be directly followed by the word "man."

 

[mr3urious]

and the one with the Unicorn (a little early in the series to be making back-door pilots).

That episode is getting some controversy in its own right due to Donny's monstrous unicorn transformation supposedly being offensive to transgender people, which I just don't see. I only saw it as Professor simply botching another experiment like he usually does, and Donny too blinded by his desires to be a unicorn that he failed to realize that he needed to wait for his horn to grow in.

 

[Drtooth]

They're reading far too much into it. I severely doubt the writers of the show meant anything even mildly hinting at something like that. I remember those kinds of responses when Daffy had those...odd gender identity issues in The Looney Tunes Show. Then again, I can kinda see why they were taken the wrong way considering Daffy had some pronounced mental disorders in that one. But I agree completely. This was more of the "there are no easy solutions" lesson set in a Flat Earth Atheist society. Then again, I think there are those who just want to take any cheap shot at the show they can for not gratifying their childhood memories and or fanfics. Though this one wasn't my favorite episode. I hope it sets up more appearances of the Unicorns, though. Seems to be some good story material there.

 

[Muppy]

A YouTuber recently made a video with his thoughts on the new PPG, and he sums up what I think about the show, perfectly. I won't upload the video here because someone might get offended by some things he says, but he makes some really good points.

This is what he (and I) don't like about "The Powerpuff Girls 2016".

• Miss. Bellum is gone for a pointless reason (I can't believe she offends people to the point of her having to be written out of the show! Come on CN!)
• The Animation style is totally different from the original.
• The girl's age seems to be inconsistent or at least unknown. They might be kindergarteners because of "The Wrinklegruff Gals", but they end up in a middle school.
• They don't act like little girls anymore. Now they're more Powerpuff Tweens.
• The show makes references to modern day culture A LOT more than the original series. The references aren't funny, or smart either. Shoving "meme worthy" faces, and scenes/cut aways down my throat isn't funny. That's not humor.
• The old villains aren't used to their full potential, and the new villains aren't very good.
• Plots are being reused from the original show already.
• The heart ending (... and so once again, the day is saved ...) is barely present, which I miss.
• Character redesigns are pointless, and the redesigned characters look nothing like the background characters. They look like they're from two different shows (PPG and Clarence), which throws me off.
• Pacing of the show is too fast. So many things are thrown at the viewers in such a short time that it's hard to grasp everything.
• Some character traits are ignored, changed and completely forgotten.
• The music is bad. 'Nuff said.
• The girls are no longer super heroes. They're girls who happen to have super powers. Occasionally they'll fight a villain, but it's not to save the town. The show is now about the girls and their crazy antics. Why even bother rebooting the show if you're not going to get the core reason for the PPG's existence correct?

That's, in a nutshell, what I think the problems of the show are, made simply by Saberspark. He says some things that he likes about the show at the end of his video, too. I agree with a few of them to some extent, but before I can officially say I like the show, my problems need to be fixed. (And before anyone says anything, yes I have watched more episodes of the show besides the premiere, and my thoughts have remained the same.)

 

[Drtooth]

I'm going to address some of these since some of them seem like fanboy nitpicks rather than issues. Not that their aren't a couple nuggets here and there.

• Miss. Bellum is gone for a pointless reason (I can't believe she offends people to the point of her having to be written out of the show! Come on CN!)

Considering the Mayor has reduced screentime, I don't see that as an issue. That's the same stylistic reason Binky the Clown doesn't appear in the new Garfield show. Mark Evanier thought those jokes ran their course. I don't think clumsilly recycling "look what I have to put up with" jokes would help the series off that much. The only thing missing is her strong woman figure to the girls, and I really feel the show could have used that. I'd hope that the Mayor having to take care of himself plays out as good character development later on.

• [*]The girl's age seems to be inconsistent or at least unknown. They might be kindergarteners because of "The Wrinklegruff Gals", but they end up in a middle school.
  [*]They don't act like little girls anymore. Now they're more Powerpuff Tweens.

• That I have issue with. Only because I don't get why time wouldn't naturally pass in the series. I actually like the idea of seeing the girls growing up, but not turning into fan-fic characters. I like the idea of them going to an actual school and becoming slightly older kids. But I really don't like how they back pedaled and said the only reason they aren't returning to Kindergarten is because Bubbles blew it up. Especially since the narration says "it's the first day of school." It seems that only reason exists as a gag. Heck, I can forgive the voice acting changes because they're older. Even Princess looks like she gained a couple years. I really think there's something in there about the girls looking relatively the same but aging. That's something that would make a great episode. It would be great to see that.

[/quote]

• The old villains aren't used to their full potential, and the new villains aren't very good.[/quote]

I admit that. But then again, the first episode of the original series featured the weakest villain in the series, Roach Coach. That episode feels like a hold out from the WHoop*$$ Stew cartoons which were just little girls beating up big guys. There's a reason he's a one shot (though extensively featured on merchandise). But I really agree that the problem with the new villains is that they need to be built up. But again, we're essentially the equivalent of 6 episodes into the original first season. Things needed to be established because it was a new show at the time. This needs to reestablish things. And while the old villains seem to be just cameos and gags, I have to admit, they improved on Princess not being the unfunny whiny brat she was in the original. Other than that, I do miss Mojo speak.

• Plots are being reused from the original show already.

If it was to the outright blatant extent of The Garfield Show (and even the Boom Garfield comic book), I'd agree. My main issue back when this was announced was "is this really necessary?" Season 6 (and heck, part of season 5) pretty much proved they were out of ideas for the series (though leaving a lot to be desired), and Powerpuff Girls Rule pretty much finished off the series on the most satisfying twist possible. I really didn't think this series really needed a reboot. I can see why they'd do it. I can see kids watching this. CN pretty much ticked everyone off when it was revealed how much they hate girls watching their cartoons. I'd see that as being part of the reason they'd bring back a show starring girl characters.

• The heart ending (... and so once again, the day is saved ...) is barely present, which I miss.

I also miss the "City of Townsville" opening. I don't think it makes or breaks the series. The "And so the Day is Saved" is iconic, but the show pretty much started to turn it into self parody about halfway into the second season. Here, they only use it specifically to parody it. So I agree, either keep it or completely get rid of it. Not one or the other.

• 
  

  The Animation style is totally different from the original.
  
  [*]Character redesigns are pointless, and the redesigned characters look nothing like the background characters. They look like they're from two different shows (PPG and Clarence), which throws me off.
  [*]Pacing of the show is too fast. So many things are thrown at the viewers in such a short time that it's hard to grasp everything.
  [*]Some character traits are ignored, changed and completely forgotten.
  [*]

Is the nitpicky crap that bugs me. When a show doesn't have the same creative forces behind it, no ding diddly duh it's not the same. The original cartoon series didn't even have consistency in its art style. And I'm not talking about the post-movie redesigns, even though...

Yeah. Spikey Mojo and creepy eye Professor. We had those.

PPG was a storyboard artist driven show. The background characters were always at the mercy of whoever was the boardist that episode. If you check out the Abra Cadaver episode, the background characters are draw waaaay out of style with the PPG's, but in the style of the artist. I don't take that as an issue, nor the fact the animation is thin lined instead of thick.
The characters look similar enough to the original that it wasn't a major redesign. The girls got new hair, that's about it. None of the major characters were redesigned. Some things don't look like they fit in entirely, but not to a distracting extent.

Anything else I will answer, expecting a new team to write and direct things differently than their previous staff shouldn't be a foreign concept. Yet it's constantly treated as such. New episodes of the Simpsons will never be as good as The Bee Sharps episode, Family Guy is never going to be that funky offbeat pop culture show it was in the early 00's, and Spongebob became watchable again when Steven Hillenberg came back since the second film, yet still is far from the glory days of Dan Povenmire. I know I'm beating this into the ground, but you can tell a mark difference in the original show when Chris Reccardi did an episode. The pacing was slower (in the slowly dragging out jokes as painfully as possible kind of slow), the characters were more gag based and not really well written, and other than a couple actually funny episodes here and there, his output wasn't that good. And he's talented. He just has a different interpretation of the characters, much like these new writers.

I give them all the credit in the world, it comes off as any project made past the 00's and it's like a officially sanctioned fan fic that they can't get the nuance. They did a better job capturing the spirit of the show than the Dance Pants special (which was only good for Ringo) and a far better job than that stupid anime. And don't try and tell me "it's a parody of Magic Girls" because it isn't. It's a standard (and substandard at that) magic girl series that offers nothing that any of the others didn't already run into the ground. Panty Stocking was a parody of Magic Girls. Madoka Magica was a parody, a dark one that's not meant to be played for laughs. This took what was special about the series and tossed it out for a mediocre cliche storm of a show. I find that anime more insulting than this show ever could be.

And that brings me to...

• The girls are no longer super heroes. They're girls who happen to have super powers. Occasionally they'll fight a villain, but it's not to save the town. The show is now about the girls and their crazy antics. Why even bother rebooting the show if you're not going to get the core reason for the PPG's existence correct?

Except that happened all the time in the original series. This series was always super hero parody. You can't have a good super hero parody series without the occasional mundane activities episode. Now, yes, the original series did it better (uhhh.. mostly?) and spread them out a bit more. We had episodes like "Best Rainy Day Adventure Ever" which didn't utilize them as super heroes. We also had that awful Sun screen one which felt like it was written directly to the youngest audience. This is, again, one of those "I grew up with this show and how dare they change my childhood" things.

And frankly, if the show was even remotely as terrible as 90's kids say it is, I'd agree or at least not talk much about it. But this is one of those "REALLY?!?! This is the one that ticks you off? REALLY?!?!" situations. The show still in its first season that's more episodes of a show made over a decade after the fact simply isn't as good as a groundbreaking series that was wildly innovative and different back when cartoons started being innovative and groundbreaking. Or conversely, a show that has been on for 6 seasons worth of growth and in the end, decline, had more to say than a start up show that's been on half a season. In other words, this show is exactly the level of quality I'd expect from new writers making a new version of an old show. Decent enough for itself, incomparable to the original, and considering how low the bar is for reboot series, at least passes the "didn't poop itself on stage" test that many couldn't even get past. And in a single sarcastic cough...(COUGH GeorgeoftheJungleLoonaticsUnleashedDragonballGTBabyLooneyTunesAllGrownUpDepatieFrelingLooneyTunesshortsofthe70'sTeenTitansGowhichisintentionalTransformersUnicronTrillogyGIJoeExtremeSonicUndergroundFilmationTomandJerryHannabarbera70'sTomandJerryGeneDietchTomandJerryChuckJonesTomandJerryPinkPantherandsonsPopeyeandsonYoYogiamongothersasIlosemybreath...COUGH)

Is it as good as the original? I think not. Is it the completely different affront to childhood everyone says it is? No. No no no. I'd say all things considered, PPG fans lucked the heck out on this one. I'm the "I've seen worse" guy and I have indeed seen worse.

Edit: GAH! I forgot to say "Shaggy and Scooby-Doo Get a Clue" and "Gadget Boy and Heather!" Inspector Gadget was one of my two favorite cartoon shows, and even then all Gadget Boy does is annoy me, not make me say such and such raped my Childhood.

 

[mr3urious]

There's still a lot this reboot can do to reach that level of good as the "golden age" of the original, and I think the writers really are trying to build things up. But compared to the last 2 seasons and the "Dance Pantsed" special, it's made of platinum encrusted in precious gems.

 

[Drtooth]

I'll admit season 5 is iffy, six had like one or two good episodes here and there. Dance Pants really didn't offend me until they started temper tantrumming. I can take an occasional stylistic out of characterish moment for the sake of plot. I forgive a lot of things. And I get it. The girls aren't angels. "A Very Special Blossom" proves that. But them throwing a tantrum like that is so beyond the realm of forgivable or even acceptable. I could even forgive it if they used it just to beat the villain. But to act like that to the Professor is just inexcusable. The writers for this show are clearly trying and they have some understanding of the characters with some tiny liberties here and there that can be chalked up to age. A lot more than anyone who writes them purposely having a tantrum like Eric Cartman. BTW, the one with Mojo as their Babysitter doesn't count, only in the context of them trying to drive him mad (which comes off more like an Animaniacs style gag, now that I think about it).

When it comes to this this there are three categories for me. Might as well post up a list too...

What I Like:

• The girls aging and moving on, but retaining their qualities (minus that elusive subtleties that comes only with creating the characters originally), all the while gaining new powers. I like the idea of time passing since the original and they handled it more or less well.
• While the Art style doesn't exactly match up with the beginning to middle of the series, I applaud them for not reinventing the wheel and going back to their original first few seasons of the show for inspiration, though I miss the thick outlines.
• Some of the plots really feel like they could have been done in the original series. I especially love the concept of the Professor having an actual love interest and want to see how that plays out.
• They got the original voices of most of the characters. A relief when the fandom speculated that only Tom Kenny would come back.
  
• While they're just in there as cameos so far, I like the idea of their old villains still existing and have the liability to strike at any moment.
  
• The spirit of the original show seems to be there. They don't feel the need to purposely insult the audience and they didn't completely change everything around to make a new series that feels like the name is slapped on.
• There seems to be some level of subtle character re-railment for the Professor and especially the Mayor. The air was left out of most of the villains by the time the original series ended as well. While they come back as jokes so far, I hope they can be menacing again. Especially Him.

What I can forgive:

• The show's early in enough that it doesn't have the same punch as the original experienced series. They didn't go to deconstructing the concept or go into darker concepts until well after the first season. Things need to be built up to be torn down. Though it does have enough little bits of self satire of the older series, it doesn't know how to do themselves yet.
• The talent of the original series has moved on. Then again, most of that talent left the original show as well, so that was lost longer than anyone tends to want to think. A lot of the original series was a personal thing between Craig and his animation buddies, and when they all left for other shows, that was missed.
• I never thought this would have the same pop culture impact the original had, because things are different in the over 15 years since the show started. Girls cartoons don't actually suck now (for the most part), while the original series had years of lousy girl's shows to break the mold with and as such...
• PPG was originally intended as a gender neutral show with the satirical twist of Kindergarten girls being the tough heroines. It became designated as a girl's show due to how little boys act, obviously, but was never intended as one. This one seems to be speaking more to the girls who have grown as a cartoon watching demographic since the dark days of 2005's pop diva based kiddy coms. Though it has strong competition with Star Butterfly and MLP:FIM.
• While I do find the newer villains weak, they didn't gestate yet. I'm waiting to see if anything plays out before I make a final judgement on them. The fashion based villains seem like they could have potential, as does Packrat. They just need time.
  
• PPG was very much a product of the 99-2004 humor and cultural zeitgeist. Naturally a show made in 2016 will be written and look like a show written in 2016.
  
• The girls being recast in context isn't terrible. As long as you buy the subtext of them growing up, they'd have slightly more mature sounding voices.
  
• And of course, consideration for worse

The stuff I don't care for:

• Blossom's clean freak and over organization isn't exactly out of character nor does it come out of left field. However, it seems to be something that if not done carefully, could lead to some level of Fladerization.
• The episodes are shown wildly out of order. This is on CN's part and not the show. It really shouldn't but it does hurt the enjoyment of the show when characters are treated like they've always been there or elements that make no sense without context are resolved later in broadcast airings.
• The series does seem to be confused about their age and that is kind of distracting. I don't see why they needed to deny the girls were older just so they could have a throwaway gag. I'd accept them as grade school age. The girls seem to have matured, but not to a degree where the characters are that much different.
  
• The inconsistency of City of Townsville openings and So once again the day is saved closings. I get that some episodes end on a blackout joke that a bumper like that would throw off. Either keep it in or don't. Tom Kenny's narrator is also pretty underutilized as well. I miss his Bullwinklian level of commentating. I think that could have improved the show's humor greatly. That said, you can tell the original series was trying to get rid of that in later series.