'Toon Reviews 19: OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes Season 1 Episode 28: No More Pow Cards

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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

1. Face Your Fears
2. You Have to Care
3. T.K.O.
4. No More Pow Cards
5. Legends of Mr. Gar
6. We’ve Got Pests
7. I Am Dendy
8. You Get Me
9. Let’s Be Heroes
10. You’re Everybody’s Sidekick
11. Jethro’s All Yours
12. Know Your Mom
13. Everybody Likes Rad?
14. Plaza Prom
15. We’re Captured
16. My Dad Can Beat up Your Dad
17. Let’s Be Friends
18. We Messed Up
19. Presenting Joe Cuppa
20. Sibling Rivalry
21. Second First Date
22. Stop Attacking the Plaza
23. Just Be a Pebble
24. Do You Have Any More in the Back?
25. You’re Level 100
26. You Are Rad
27. We’ve Got Fleas
28. 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.