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The Return
of PandaBubba
When a former villain returns to the spotlight, the
experience is either exactly the same as the first time, or a further way of
showing how threatening that antagonist can be.
This villain return is kind of in the middle but really stands out for
how it brings interesting background to one of our heroes.
It all begins when the Xiaolin Warriors set
off for Japan to get an interesting Shen Gong Wu called the Zing Zom Bone,
which has the power to turn anyone into one’s zombie slave. Such power and creative descriptions bring a
lot of potential to build up anticipation for its use, and it makes itself
known further into the main conflict.
After it seems like neither the Warriors or their enemies obtained the
Shen Gong Wu, they stop in on the main attraction.
There’s a video game and technology company
run by Kimiko’s father, and it’s a most fascinating place for the rest of the
action to unfold. There’s a fresh
imagination in the inner workings of the factory as seen in the elaborate
security system, conveyor belt floors, and toys like robots that take the form
of the user. Kimiko’s father is also a
joy. It’s clear that all his innovations
are driven not by corporate greed, but from his childlike drive for fun to
share with the world. Plus, even though
this is the first time he’s seen, his relationship with his daughter is pure
and genuine from their few interactions.
Things get suspicious though when it’s discovered that he’s hired the
nefarious PandaBubba to work for his company.
As for PandaBubba’s role, it at first functions similarly to his
previous one. He uses Shen Gong Wu
brought to him by Jack, in this case the Zing Zom Bone, to carry out his
crimes, and offers new robots in return.
The only thing that makes this role really stand out is that it involves
getting other people to steal things for industry instead of doing it himself
which is kind of intriguing. Kimiko’s
father fortunately is quick to recognize this and reveals that he hired
PandaBubba because he didn’t know who he was.
However, he’s soon turning into a zombie and even though we know the
truth, Kimiko breaking down as her father forces her and her friends to leave
is quite emotional.
Following this, the
earlier scene of the mini self-reflecting robots plays a relevant role in the
plot by revealing the truth to the Warriors.
As they go after the real criminal mastermind as a result, Kimiko ends
up having to face PandaBubba in a Xiaolin Showdown to decide the company’s
fate. The actual showdown is an
interesting break from the norm for taking place in a video game, the often
mentioned Goo Zombies to be
exact. Liberties are taken through taking place in a handheld console where someone has to press
start for the Showdown to begin and both opponents are pixilated. The aesthetic shows a lot of what the game is
like through needing to take out zombies sometimes with a mere cap and dodge
goo to increase one’s health bar. It’s
kind of forced that PandaBubba is way in the lead, but then suddenly breaks
down so Kimiko can go ahead and face the final boss though. Even so, the heart of her getting back her
father and saving the company is impossible to ignore, not to mention the humor
of one last use of the Zing Zom bone one the bad guys. It’s best to revel in its use because like
most powerful Shen Gong Wu, you won’t see much of it after its introduction episode.
Though this return of PandaBubba isn’t too
far from what was seen before, it stands out with character development and
appealing aesthetic.
A
The Ranking
1. Citadel of Doom
2. The Evil Within
3. Enter the Dragon
4. The Deep Freeze
5. Days Past
6. PandaTown
7. The Emperor Scorpion Strikes Back
8. The Return of PandaBubba
9. The Sands of Time
10. Master Monk Guan
11. Screams of the Siren
12. Crystal Glasses
13. Dreamscape
14. The Shard of Lightning
15. Hear Some Evil, See Some Evil
16. Sizing Up Omi
17. The Black Vipers
Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode where Raiumundo turns into a big monstrous mess of Shen Gong Wu after saving his hometown from a volcano at a time when no Shen Gong Wu are to be used.
If you would like to check out other Xiaolin Showdown reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.
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