For
this next review set, another favorite animated series is back in the
spotlight. However, to reflect the fact
that it’s met an untimely end, it’s going to cover its final two seasons. Thankfully, put together, these last two
seasons send this series off in style:
OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes (Seasons 2 & 3)
Basic Premise
Yes,
sad but true, OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes
has come to an end after its second and third seasons, and just when it was
really proving itself as a devoted animated show. At first glance, it just seems like your
run-of-the-mill action show. However,
the first season alone proved that while action and fighting is indeed a part
of the general nature of the series, there’s much more to it than that. In addition to being heavily reliant on
action, it’s also big on animated antics usually coming off as very funny,
energetic, expressive, and full of its own visual gag surprises. In other words, it’s a cartoon, knows it, and
has fun with it in the best way possible which should be easy to see from the
cast populated by almost any character imaginable. Making the show more of a success is the
genuinely endearing heart from the relatable conflict of the titular character
and all sorts of healthy well-developed relationships. This makes the show not only exciting, fun,
and animated, but a wholesome animated series in general. After seeing so much
greatness in the first season, that’s enough to get excited to see it followed
up in the seasons to come.
There
are certainly a lot of great moments to look forward to in these seasons, but
they make the abrupt end of the series all the sadder. However, so not hold off on sharing the hard
truth any longer, I have decided to review the second and third seasons of OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes together. They actually go well together anyway, and
are around only slightly longer than Season 1 put together. Above all, it will be a good showing of how
the show takes the strengths of what came before and expands upon them. That
alone is great considering how immersive it is as an animated product.
Once
again though, whether it was the general public not being responsive to the
show as it is, or Cartoon Network unsatisfied with its ratings, this is still
the last we’ll see of OK K.O.! Nevertheless, reviewing the tale-end of it is
a great way to finalize its overall status as an animated show, and is sure to
be a lot of fun to do anyhow. So even if
it is for the final two seasons, let’s dive right in and start the show!
Season 2
Seasons Change
Now to kick off the second season, this cartoon offers a very intriguing concept regarding the subject of change. People often say that changes are typically made to keep things fresh and interesting, and I can agree to that. However, there should also be a probable reason for changes to happen, and they need to prove productive in a situation to be fully acceptable.
The latter option is the main drive for the
story as all of Lakewood Plaza Turbo regroups for the new season, which
in-universe, is the same as coming back from summer vacation. There’s a catch to all this though with many
of the heroes taking up completely random new getups. Some of the more innocent heroes are suddenly
fighting warrior types, and some of the edgier teens have taken up farming for
some reason. The most noticeable changes
come from two of the main heroes, Rad and Enid.
Rad has gone from blue to orange, while Enid has taken up the ways of a clown
mime. The only character who hasn’t
seemed to have gone through any changes is K.O. himself, entering as the same
as he’s always been. However, he’s
completely disturbed to discover Rad and Enid suddenly changing for no good
reason.
From this reaction comes emphasis on the interesting not often heard idea of how while change can be good and natural, others are very unwarranted and unproductive. Rad and Enid explain that no matter how K.O. feels about these changes, they’re a natural part of what’s called a time skip and are a result of life-changing adventures. As they explain how they got to where they are, there are flashbacks explaining the realities of their experiences. Rad was on a cruise going through many challenges to obtain a tan like all the other passengers had, but goofed around while bathing in the wrong tanning oil. Enid claims that her mime getup came from a ninja class she took at community college, but she actually went to the wrong class. Somehow, even with these explanations, it’s easier to side with K.O. who likes his friends the way they used to be than how they’ve randomly changed.
Even enemies to the plaza have changed when instead of robots from Boxmore, K.O. has to face a random previously-seen villain, Big Bull Demon. K.O. is disappointingly overpowered, but Rad and Enid discover how they’re changes aren’t helping them in battle with Rad’s orange skin itching and Enid unable to talk. Going back to how they were allows them to beat Big Bull Demon easily.
After that, there’s a balance to the idea of change as K.O. subtly alludes to changes that actually did occur in his own life during the summer. Noticing flashbacks of spending time with his mom, Rad and Enid discover that their boss, Mr. Gar, was joining in on them. Then everything is revealed when he and Carol show up and give each other a kiss on the lips. In other words, they’re dating, bringing closure to constant instances of their love for each other and the previous season, and giving an example of changes that can make sense. As for how K.O. really takes this, it will be revealed in a previous cartoon.
On the
whole, the cartoon is held back by changes that go nowhere, but the balanced perspective
on the idea of change is a commendable driving force.
A
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