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No More Pow Cards
In this current age of entertainment, many
well-known properties have turned out to have some dark, unwelcoming
elements. Companies or shows could be
run by a sexual predator, and workers of a company have been mistreated by uncaring higher-ups. Reveals like this could leave
a big sting if they connect to something you really like, and that feeling is
captured in this cartoon.
K.O. and Dendy learn such a dark secret about one of
their favorite things, Pow cards. In the
process, there are interesting reveals about Dendy. Ever since her first appearance, one would
have to wonder why she didn’t have her own Pow card like the other heroes. Also, while she’s designed to look like a
human, she’s actually a creature called a kappa which relates to the dark truth
about Pow cards. Because of ancient
myths of kappas being monsters who drowned people, the creatures can’t get Pow
cards and are victims of discrimination. It's especially bad since kappas
are not monsters at all.
After learning this dark truth, K.O. and Dendy believe that they shouldn’t support the cards anymore. Their willingness to break their support of
what they used to cherish is nicely interpreted by them proceeding to throw
their Pow cards into a volcano. During this scene
comes an interesting frame of mind to situations like this. Even though they know Pow cards are wrong,
it’s emotionally hard for K.O. and Dendy to just throw them away after being
attached to them for so long. Instead abandoning what they love, they
decide to accept the flaws of Pow Cards and keep enjoying them for what they mean for them. It’s an endearing way to teach about
separating the art from the artist and remind that it’s ok to like what you
like even if the people behind it are bad. I feel that this is rare to see when such a topic is brought up.
With their love for Pow cards made clear, K.O. and Dendy, instead of
fully shaming their discrimination, set out to do something about their faults,
which is a sign of true devotion. They
blend in with a tour group of the Pow card factory to break into the
manufacturing room. There’s a fair
share of surprises, like access seeming easy, but the room being guarded by a
sentient statue. It’s Dendy’s talent of
hacking shuts the statue down, foreshadowing her deserving her own Pow
card.
Her hacking is also the key to get
Pow cards to finally include kappas.
This act is infiltrated by the CEO, Mr. Cardsley III though. In a
humorous display of K.O. getting overly emotional, he’s pushed to actually meet a
kappa to see how heroic they can potentially be. Granted permission from the charming assistant
Carla, Dendy works her hacking skills to track kappas all over the world. Thanks to this override, there are more Pow
cards than ever. The company getting a lot of money at once, while
far-fetched, makes for a clever commentary of how much
attention works acknowledging rarely represented groups can
get. Dendy receiving her Pow card out of
this reading her as a Level 1 hero is the best way to cap off the
adventure and to bring a payoff for her efforts.
With what’s been popping up
a lot in today’s society, it’s great that this cartoon approaches the issue of big
companies with faults with the appropriate attitude. In addition, it highlights the good
that can come out fighting to do something it. This makes this
one of the show’s most relevant works.
A+
The Ranking
- Face Your Fears
- You Have to Care
- T.K.O.
- No More Pow Cards
- Legends of Mr. Gar
- We’ve Got Pests
- I Am Dendy
- You Get Me
- Let’s Be Heroes
- You’re Everybody’s Sidekick
- Jethro’s All Yours
- Know Your Mom
- Everybody Likes Rad?
- Plaza Prom
- We’re Captured
- My Dad Can Beat up Your Dad
- Let’s Be Friends
- We Messed Up
- Presenting Joe Cuppa
- Sibling Rivalry
- Second First Date
- Stop Attacking the Plaza
- Just Be a Pebble
- Do You Have Any More in the Back?
- You’re Level 100
- You Are Rad
- We’ve Got Fleas
- One Last Score
Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode where K.O. goes on a hero's quest that brings him ultimate wisdom.
If you would like to check out other OK K.O.! reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.
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