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Many regular viewers have seen my
thoughts on recent Cartoon Network shows.
Well this time, I’m introducing a new show to the review roster that
happens to be my favorite classic show of the network:
Ed Edd n
Eddy (Season 1)
Basic Premise
Before
getting into Steven Universe and OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes as well as the
atmospheric miniseries Over the Garden Wall, Ed Edd n Eddy to me was
top-tier Cartoon Network. It was one of
the animated shows I was simply obsessed with back in my youth, practically
making sure to watch almost when it was always on. Even more meaningful is that this show was
pretty much the first Cartoon Network show I really got into. My family never had the channel in my early years, so I wasn’t
able to see many of its classic shows when they premiered. When the time came and the channel was added to the cable package, I could finally check out a good number of
shows I heard about but had never really seen.
Ed Edd n Eddy was not a title
as fresh in my mind as something like The
Powerpuff Girls or Dexter’s
Laboratory, but that didn’t matter.
From the first time I saw the show, it was simply a winning work for
animation, guaranteeing an unforgettable exciting experience.
It
follows the madcap escapades of three misfit boys with very similar names, yet
are very easy to tell apart. Ed is dumb
and always says whatever random thing is on his mind no matter how nonsensical,
but is also a loyal friend with equally impressive upper body strength. Edd, or Double D as he’s usually called, is
the most neurotic and cautious, always staying overly organized and offering a
shred of a conscience that usually gets ignored. Eddy is the short-tempered self-appointed
leader of the group whose misguidedness tends to lead to spectacular backfires
when all he wants is a little respect...and cash.
These dynamic characters bring effective comedic interactions from their
clashing personas while also showing how isolated from others they are. Despite showing frequent desires to fit in,
the various kids of their neighborhood, Peach Creek, never show any true
acceptance. Much of this come from
their misguidedness of being around others, particularly when they
put up crazy endeavors to scam the kids out of their money for
jawbreakers. Though the Eds never learn,
the show's aesthetic rooted in the comedic versatility of animation makes the material consistently entertaining regardless. Plus it ends up giving advise on how not to operate in life. These factors are key in making a series that
embraces and celebrates its status as a cartoon while also showcasing relatability. In
other words, a simple show about the misadventures of one group turns out to be
quite substantial.
After
over 20 years, it’s going to be pretty exciting to see how well Ed Edd n Eddy holds up as we begin
analyzing the series with the first season.
That’ll be 25 cents…just kidding!
Now on with the reviews:
Pop Goes the
Ed
Since
this show isn’t as continuity heavy as other shows I tend to cover, it’s an
appropriate direction that it kicks off with a random escapade. It’s also all that’s needed to give an
introduction to what to expect from the premise and these characters.
Right away, it’s shown how the Eds function
as a clueless trio getting themselves into situations that go wrong to great
extent. In just the first few minutes, they get chased down by bees after
hitting their hive for some unknown reason.
However, this little moment doesn’t have much to do with the main
subject of the cartoon.
The rest of it
is about the Eds enduring a relatable issue of life as the summer heat proves
to be far too much for them and they can’t get any good relief. All throughout there are cartoonish
visualizations to reflect the difficulty.
Shade constantly turns away from them, they melt along with a big ice
cube they're inside when it's kicked into the street, and they act like they’re in the desert
which weirds out bystanders. Little
things like this let it be known that this show is going to go all out
creatively with its depictions of feelings and ideas, which is well suited for
the animation medium.
Still, the Eds’
need for relief from the heat is still well-known and it becomes uplifting when
they’re about to get it. They hear of a sprinkler
party held by the resident hot girl, Nazz, which they’re not invited to, but
that doesn’t stop them from attending.
Through preparing to make themselves presentable, one of the main ideas
of the series makes itself known. Under
Eddy’s lead, the Eds pull off several measures to make themselves look cool and
presentable in front of the other kids.
The biggest accessory is a set of swimsuits that have good style, but are
totally tight and chafing, though this doesn’t faze Eddy.
Now, normally I wouldn’t be too fond of works
where characters try too hard to be cool, but once the Eds show up at the
party, this setup works in context. The
fact that they’re not actually invited already gives away that they don’t have
much of a social life, and therefore, they’re doing anything to get one. At the same time, they show legit unawareness
with interacting with people as they make an entrance through making messes
with the sprinkler and buffet table.
There’s also a memorable sequence where Double D and Ed try mingling,
but just freak everyone out, mainly the delicate Jimmy, with topics of gory monster
movies and operations. By the time
the Eds try normal measures of hanging with the kids through dancing or
performing sprinkler stunts, they’re just ignored mainly because of the
discomfort they bring.
Then comes the ultimate
embarrassment in the form of consequences for arriving in tight swimsuits. They come off and in some cases get eaten, so
the Eds have to keep from making a scene by hiding in a pool. This lasts a good while and leads to an
outrageous outcome of their bodies sucking up all the water, and by the time no
kids are watching, it’s dark and they’re freezing. They manage to leave, but not without
encountering another beehive, bringing the earlier scene of one full circle in
a way.
There are going to be more
entertaining examples of this formula, but this is a solid introduction to what
to expect from it. The gags are
creatively staged, the conflicts are relatable, and the misguided nature is
given the proper context.
A-
Over Your
Ed
In
most shows, different characters with different personalities tend to make for
entertaining chemistry. This holds true
for this show when you consider how the Eds are social outcasts who have to
stick up for each other. This cartoon
is one of many times where the plot is driven by the other characters trying to
do something about the habits and awkward social cues of one of them.
It follows up on an opening sequence of all
the Eds cleaning themselves up for the day, but Ed just comes into his bathroom
without doing any sort of bathing. As a
result, he stinks real bad and even his friends aren’t comfortable being around
him. Now, it’s not just his odor that’s
a problem. Ed also lacks the appropriate
graces needed for a scam designed to win over the neighborhood kids and get
their money, which is a major norm for the show’s premise. You can just imagine how badly it goes when
Ed acts as the sales Ed. He shows unawareness of exactly what to say, wrecks
the stand, and spills a whole pitcher of energy drinks. At least it shows that he’s trying through
showing great enthusiasm to attract customers, working off of Eddy’s deadpan
deliveries as he tells him what to say.
On another highlight to the scene is a bit of a running gag for the
cartoon as Eddy gets impatient with the process of adding sugar and adds a ton
of it to the drinks. Double D has a
glass and spends the whole cartoon on a hilarious energy burst talking and
moving faster than normal.
Still, the
main focus remains on doing something about Ed’s behavior in hopes of actually
getting somewhere with their scams. He’s
given a total bath to get rid of the stench, but Eddy has bigger ambitions in
mind for him. Like in the previous
cartoon, Ed is taught certain customs to really come off as cool mostly through
style and mannerisms. Cheap and
fabricated as this tactic is, it totally works given how Ed could really
benefit from a change. Eddy’s teachings
really work too as Ed, in fresh new clothes and saying constant one-liners, is
accepted among the rest of the neighborhood kids, something no Ed has ever
achieved. We’re only one episode in, and
the characters are so well-defined that it’s remarkable that Ed is the one who
gets acceptance. It even gets to the
point where Ed’s image alone is enough to be exploited for money.
However, even if said affluence is earned
fairly, the same can’t be said for how it’s taken away. The backfire of this plan isn’t out of a
miscalculation, but from other people barging in. During one of Ed’s one-liner sessions, the
affair is crashed by the Kanker sisters, a trio of thugs who delight in
bullying any hapless youth. The way they
just beat Ed into a humiliating position is kind of uncomfortable to watch, not
to mention they flat out steal the Eds’ money.
If that’s not enough, even if the kids can see that the Kankers to
blame for this bad show, when all the Eds end up stinking, they just turn on them which is
totally unfair. Moments at the end bring
down the satisfaction of the genuine progress and really sell the bad
reputation of the Kanker sisters. The
worst part is that their drive for attacking the Eds here is much more malicious
than it is for the rest of the series.
Their reason for going after them will be revealed in the next review, but just so you know, it
doesn’t make them much better.
Downer
ending aside, the character interactions, comedy, and impressively well thought
out plan make for something cool enough to enjoy.
B+
The Ranking
1. Pop Goes the Ed
2. Over Your Ed
The next Ed Edd n Eddy review follows the Eds pull off an elaborate stunt to catch a 'serial toucher' and even though they appeared in this episode, the Kanker sisters get a much more formal introduction.
If you would like to check out other Ed Edd n Eddy reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.
Pop Goes the Ed:
ReplyDeleteJust an overall great episode. It's interesting to note that even though Kevin and Sarah didn't want the Eds to be at the party, they weren't fully banned from it.
In fact, the Eds more or less had themselves to really blame for the kids wanting to avoid them at the party as they made a mess of the food and freaked them out with creepy anecdotes.
Also, it's nice to see Eddy trying to help Ed and Edd socialize, even though it lead to disastrous results.
Over Your Ed:
Ed being the central focus of this episode pretty much makes it great. His overall clumsiness and lack of social etiquette were shown to be his biggest flaws in this episode, and it showed the Eds trying to help him overcome them (while trying to make a profit off it, of course).
The only problem with it is how at the end the Kanker Sisters (who would pretty much have had no idea what was going on in the first place) showed up out of nowhere, showed that Ed's a fraud, and stole their money with little to no effort, just to put the Eds back to square one. This problem itself turns them into a plot device called "Diabolus Ex Machina", a writing trope that's basically a cheap ploy to ensure things go bad for the protagonists and better for the antagonists, yet I rather my own term for the Kankers as "Cheap Antagonists" where an antagonist has little character and serves no purpose other than to do bad things for no actual reason other than driving the plot.
It wouldn't be much of a problem if it didn't keep showing up in later episodes, but it doesn't really hurt this episode too much. On the upside, this was a much better introduction to the Kankers than in their first appearance since it showed and told EXACTLY who they are. Just listen to the bitter resentment in Tony Sampson's voice when Eddy hissed the name "Kankers" after they just showed up, and you pretty much get the idea of who these girls are. The Kankers' actions thereafter, easily foiling the Eds' plot just to steal their profit pretty much shows why both the Eds and the audience hate these characters.