Whacky Jaxxyz
Cartoons of continuity heavy shows don’t always have to connect to any major series plot points to be good. They can also make the time to just be fun watches in their own right. In other words, they can benefit from creative concepts done well. This cartoon, following fun times at K.O.’s school, features such a creative concept of what’s done with fads and offers creative ways of showing how they can go too far.
K.O. starts off with his usual fun of playing Pow Cards with Dendy where they both use a little imagination through it all. Soon he sees interest in what another one of his classmates, Nanini, is playing. With a concept of jacks and a golden device that allows for several unique powers, she owns a special kind of game called Whacky Jaxxyz. K.O. is taken in by the fun of its appearance and Nanini saying how great it is, so he decides to get some jacks and a device of his own. He also sets out to just give up Pow Cards because of this new game, which is a tad concerning given how Pow Cards have been established to be more than just play things. Dendy brings up a wise suggestion that K.O. can just enjoy both, but he insists that he’s not good at multi-tasking. At least K.O. legitimately enjoys the pastime he just took part in after choosing it over one he’s loved for much longer. He even poses as a solid challenger against Nanini despite just getting the game.
Then they’re both challenged by an exchange student who appears to only be here for Whacky Jaxxyz purposes called Johnny. He leads them to a simple looking store in the plaza that’s said to lead to a Whacky-Jaxxyz themed dimension. Going through that store, they end up at such a dimension and encounter the ruler of the place, Jack Wacky. This is where the messages the cartoon is setting out to teach become known. While K.O. and Nanini play the game for fun, everyone in this dimension plays Whacky Jaxxyz as a way to fight for survival. If players dare to lose, they end up in the loser zone which is another way of saying they end up encased in crystals for all time, and that happens to Johnny. K.O. and Nanini manage to hold up a strong fight against other muscular Whacky Jaxxyz opponents, ultimately becoming big and muscular themselves.
However, they realize how far everyone’s going with what’s meant to be a gun game when they’re led to fight each other and eventually see how big they’ve become. This gets them to see fault in the rules, so they create their own as they free everyone from the loser zone. As for Jack Wacky, it’s revealed that he’s actually an average human, Johnny’s brother in fact. He sees K.O. and Nanini’s point and goes back to his life not completely consumed by a game though he has warped everyone else there to stay and keep playing. For that, it’s unsure if this is an acceptable conclusion with Jack going free after causing legit damage. As for K.O. and his friends, they end the cartoon deciding Pow Cards are the true way to go and it’s nice to see him playing them not just with Dendy, but Nanini and Johnny as well. If only this bigger circle of friends was seen more often.
The messages may not be
perfectly represented and it might not leave that big an impact, but the
creative direction over a simple childhood game is commendable.
A-
Season 2
Rankings
1. Your World is an Illusion
2. T.K.O.’s House
3. Final Exams
4. CarolQuest
5. All in the Villainy
6. Dendy’s Power
7. Crossover Nexus
8. Lord Cowboy Darrell
9. Bittersweet Rivals
10. Red Action to the Future
11. My Fair Carol
12. Are You Ready for Some Megafootball?!
13. Boxman Crashes
14. Wisdom Strength and Charisma
15. Mystery Sleepover
16. Super Black Friday
17. Point to the Plaza
18. Special Delivery
19. Seasons Change
20. The So-Bad-Ical
21. Monster Party
22. Sidekick Scouts
23. Whacky Jaxxyz
24. Plaza Film Festival
25. Let’s Watch the Boxmore Show
26. Be a Team
27. Plaza Alone
28. Soda Genie
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