'Toon Reviews 19: OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes Season 1 Episode 23: Second First Date

If you like this review and want to stay updated for what else I have in store, become a follower of this blog, click here to like the official Facebook page, and click here to follow me on Twitter. Now on with today's review:

Second First Date

A common thing shows do is work to bring a main male character and a main female character together as a couple throughout the series.  While it can work, seeing this happen so much can bring false impressions that love always works out which really isn’t true.  This is why it’s nice to get material to subvert this trope, and this cartoon is one to do that. 

It starts with a tough and muscular version of Cupid coming to the bodega.  He claims that two people present have unresolved romantic tension.  In accordance with the aforementioned trope, he’s talking about Rad and Enid.  Objectively speaking, it’s hard to believe that Rad and Enid could ever be a couple since they both get agitated by each other’s faults far too often. 

Being all-knowing of love, Cupid knows that there was a time when they did develop feelings for each other.  It was back in middle school when Rad and Enid first met, and they both seemed to be fond of each other through a few encounters over three weeks.  After that time, Enid decided to ask Rad out.  From their few interactions, even if it’s simply helping to pick up books and short conversations, they appear to have had potential to work as a couple.  However, during the actual date, Rad's really jerky moves ruined any chance of the couple working out.  A reason for this is that he had taken bad advice from his “friends”, and was dumb enough to think it was good.  Also no, them being teenage boys is not enough to justify what they tell him.  This is a huge weak point with the only reason the couple didn’t work out was stupidity.  It’s so obvious that acting like a jerk wouldn’t work, and doesn’t do the cartoon justice to see it happen so many times.  Plus, it implies that the advice is why Rad is a jerk in the present, which is a huge part of his character.  It just became weaker being fueled by doing things that clearly would make things worse and never realizing that despite how bad the date was going. 

Even in the present, most people agree that Rad is the more romantically-challenged of the two, and he has the nerve to say that Enid was in the wrong.  I mean, the flashback rarely presented her doing anything wrong apart from being shy. 

Anyway, they decide to resolve the tension with a new date which is uniquely presented as something like a wrestling match.  In fact, it’s a dinner in a boxing ring floating over a volcano, and Cupid commentates on the date in an extreme manner like an announcer of a sports event.  Adding to the tone of the date are the extreme measures Rad and Enid take to the customs like how they tensely greet and toast each other and give each other corsages. 

Above all, the events of their original date make Rad and Enid too at odds to be a couple since they’re too prone to fighting now.  However, the ending shows that two different people can still work platonically. Rad saves Enid from falling into the volcano, and they go home having a friendly conversation while playfully fighting with each other.  That gives the cartoon some power in showing there’s benefits in love not always working out.  As a result it's believable and reassuring, even if it would’ve been stronger if the tensions weren’t fueled by stupidity. 

B+

The Ranking

1. Face Your Fears
2. You Have to Care
3. Legends of Mr. Gar
4. We’ve Got Pests
5. I Am Dendy
6. You Get Me
7. Let’s Be Heroes
8. You’re Everybody’s Sidekick
9. Jethro’s All Yours
10. Know Your Mom
11. Everybody Likes Rad?
12. Plaza Prom
13. We’re Captured
14. My Dad Can Beat up Your Dad
15. Let’s Be Friends
16. We Messed Up
17. Presenting Joe Cuppa
18. Sibling Rivalry
19. Second First Date
20. Just Be a Pebble
21. Do You Have Any More in the Back?
22. You’re Level 100
23. You Are Rad

The next OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes episode is a strange escapade where K.O. is roped into a candy heist with one of the students from his mom's dojo.

Next time on MC Toon Reviews from Star vs the Forces of Evil it's "Raid the Cave" and "Trickstar."

If you would like to check out other OK K.O.! reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.

'Toon Reviews 19: OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes Season 1 Episode 22: Plaza Prom

If you like this review and want to stay updated for what else I have in store, become a follower of this blog, click here to like the official Facebook page, and click here to follow me on Twitter. Now on with today's review:

Plaza Prom

Even when a story is told similarly to how other shows tell it, it can still stand on its own with a certain brand of entertainment and distinct characters.  This show has tons of distinction from the characters' looks which is one reason to get excited when they get together for a party, or in this case a prom. 

Rad aims to throw such a prom fitting his aim to be the coolest hero around.  He wants to bring all of Lakewood Plaza Turbo together to boost his status, especially other cool guys like the alley teens Drupe, Red Action, and Gregg.  As is fitting for party stories, Rad has tight guidelines for how things should go, and insists following them.  You can probably guess that message will involve following guidelines not always being the best course of action for parties.  This is further fueled by the actual prom being very lackluster, and the guidelines of Rad’s prom scroll are no help. 

As I said earlier, basic and common plot points do not hurt the quality of a story since a show’s use of entertainment and character moments can make it its own thing.  A big reason for how this plot works well is from the characters we follow as opposed to just little bits of the guests and most focus on Rad.  It gives a sense of what the whole experience means for different characters.  K.O. acts as Rad’s cohost and sticks strictly to that scroll while having doubts about it.  Brandon and A Real Magic Skeleton have a falling out after lying to each other about having a date.  While chaperoning, Mr. Gar is once again struck by his fear of talking to Carol, though commendably makes a great effort to ask her to dance with him.  There are frequent shots of Enid struggling to play Rad’s suggested music. They're not too important but bring a hilarious interpretation of what it’s like to listen to bad music as she becomes hospitalized while playing it.  This isn’t even mentioning moments of many other guests getting up to mischief, showcasing the prom falling apart due to Rad’s stubborn adherence to the scroll. 

Ultimately, all these different scenes of the prom going wrong lead to an ultimate move to save the whole affair. The prom’s crashed by the perfect Boxmore robot for the job, the ever classy Raymond.  It’s his presence that gets K.O. to realize how flawed the scroll is, and he pushes Rad to take the intruder out in a dance battle.  Set to the lively acoustics of Enid’s music literally from her heart, the dance off is the very thing to liven up the prom.  It’s fun to watch and listen to, and brings a big shift in view for Rad.  He dances his own way, and his moves blow Raymond out of the competition.  After this, there’s a very nice moment of the prom going on as the great event it was destined to be, allowing the subplots to come full circle.  Rad impresses the alley teens. RMS and Brandon make up for their lying. Mr. Gar gets his dance with Carol.  Finally, there's a nice display of snapshots of the most prominent guests. 

Even if you can get a good idea of how things will play out, the story of this plaza prom and how it builds up to a memorable party is executed greatly.  It's a vast gathering of characters you won’t want to miss.

A

The Ranking

1. Face Your Fears
2. You Have to Care
3. Legends of Mr. Gar
4. We’ve Got Pests
5. I Am Dendy
6. You Get Me
7. Let’s Be Heroes
8. You’re Everybody’s Sidekick
9. Jethro’s All Yours
10. Know Your Mom
11. Everybody Likes Rad?
12. Plaza Prom
13. We’re Captured
14. My Dad Can Beat up Your Dad
15. Let’s Be Friends
16. We Messed Up
17. Presenting Joe Cuppa
18. Sibling Rivalry
19. Just Be a Pebble
20. Do You Have Any More in the Back?
21. You’re Level 100
22. You Are Rad

Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode which reveals some interesting information on the love lives of Rad and Enid.

If you would like to check out other OK K.O.! reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.

'Toon Reviews 21: Xiaolin Showdown Season 1 Episode 7: Ring of the Nine Dragons

If you like this review and want to stay updated for what else I have in store, become a follower of this blog, click here to like the official Facebook page, and click here to follow me on Twitter. Now on with today's review:

Ring of the Nine Dragons

While there’s a lot of magnitude to protecting the Shen Gong Wu, it’s been made clear that the people finding them are kids who often face common life problems.  Even after losing lots of Shen Gong Wu in the previous episode, the Xiaolin Warriors still find time for different forms of leisure. 

This is big for Omi who has been sheltered in fight training and studying Xiaolin history for most of his life. He’s impressed with the activities his new friends offer.  He wants to do them all, but can’t find enough time.  What Omi goes through can apply to anyone, even adults, so that gives the episode value. 

This everyday problem works into the main plot when the Warriors go after a Shen Gong Wu called the Ring of the Nine Dragons. It divides the user up to nine times, creating up to nine clones.  After it’s retrieved from an Aztec Temple through genuine stakes and a few solid laughs in an interesting setting, Omi tries the ring out against Master Fung's wishes.  As it turns out, there’s more to the Ring of the Nine Dragons than just making clones.  The clones Omi makes of himself act very childish, dazed, and devoid of any reason.  Watching the clones is a bit unsettling with each of them behaving very weirdly in the body of a character we know is far more mature. 

Then comes another Shen Gong Wu pursuit for a compact eyepiece that allows the user to see through solid objects, the Falcon’s Eye.  During this time, the power of the ring really makes things uncomfortable.  Omi uses it to divide himself into five clones resulting in scenes that show off their disturbing qualities.  They're drawn to something “pretty,” engage in reckless fun that endangers his friends, and complain about things that don’t make sense.  It’s like watching an infant in a mature adolescent’s body.  Even if this is the point of the Ring of the Nine Dragons, that doesn’t make the moments any less off-putting.  It also devalues the idea of making clones when all they’ll do is act too childish to be useful.  You could argue this is an interesting play on cloning though. 

Out of the awkwardness, we do get an exciting Xiaolin Showdown where one of the Omi clones ends up fighting for the Falcon’s Eye with Jack in a snowboard race.  It has fast-paced shots of them boarding through the mountain backed by an appropriately intense electric guitar music.  The showdown is made interesting by how close the Omi clone comes to getting the Shen Gong Wu while not taking the matter as seriously as he normally would.  There’s also one last uncomfortable scene of the clones’ infantile behavior as they throw a tantrum of wanting to join in the fun. That's capped off by a disturbing close-up of their blank smiles as they fall onto the competing clone.  While this does put the real Omi back together, it’s not enough. Jack wins the showdown, meaning Omi’s use of the ring behind his authority’s back led to nothing good.  Thus, we end the episode on another somber note with Omi punished enormously for his misdeed. There is a bit of positivity with Jack now enduring the ring’s wrath in the final scene though. 

I harp a lot on the episode being so unsettling for how much detail to degrading maturity is shown. However, it’s still good for its universal theme and a few exciting and funny standout moments.  It’s not the show at its best, but it still leaves some good impressions.

B

The Ranking

1. Shen Yi Bu
2. Chameleon
3. Katnappe
4. The Journey of a Thousand Miles
5. Like a Rock
6. Ring of the Nine Dragons
7. Tangled Web

The next Xiaolin Showdown review features the show growing in intensity through an escapade with a dangerous Shen Gong Wu, the Sapphire Dragon.

Next time on MC Toon Reviews is OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes' "Plaza Prom."

If you would like to check out other Xiaolin Showdown reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.

'Toon Reviews 21: Xiaolin Showdown Season 1 Episode 6: Chameleon

If you like this review and want to stay updated for what else I have in store, become a follower of this blog, click here to like the official Facebook page, and click here to follow me on Twitter. Now on with today's review:

Chameleon

By now, the formula for this show is well established.  One or more Xiaolin Warriors has a problem, they learn a virtue from Master Fung , and Shen Gong Wu reveal and showdown puts it to the test.  Subversions to the formula are frequent and help keep things fresh, and this episode features a subversion to drive an interesting story concept. 

The virtue the Warriors learn isn’t a solution to a problem, but a useful strategy known as tiger instincts.  This is when they figure out what their opponent will do and fight back before anything happens.  For the most part, the tiger instincts are played for laughs.  They're used in sequences of Omi quickly using various Shen Gong Wu to dodge attacks while sparring , and outwitting Raimundo’s street-smart challenges.  With these scenes, it’s clear that you’ll get some solid comedy with this episode, but the tiger instincts soon gain more relevance. 

It shows that while he may be a whiny goof, Jack Spicer is competent enough to be a worthy opponent for our heroes.  He really gets his game on this time since the only Shen Gong Wu he has is the Changing Chopsticks.  It can get distracting that it’s never implied that nothing made him lose the Jetbootsu, but whatever.  He invents a robot who can take the form of anyone called the Chameleon-bot.  He has it capture a Xiaolin Warriors, Kimiko specifically, and replace her so no one will notice she’s gone and can help him steal his enemy's Shen Gong Wu. 

The idea of having a Warrior replaced with a robot is interesting and the fact that the plan works does good for Jack.  It shows that he’s more than just a pathetic excuse for a villain and can craft schemes that work.  No one gets an idea that Kimiko has been captured and replaced and Jack obtains newly revealed Shen Gong Wu as the Chameleon-bot takes the fall during a showdown.  It can be seen be concerning that no one notices anything off about the fake Kimiko who’s too happy and enthusiastic.  The real Kimiko is much more subdued and is easily annoyed, and the imposter’s lack of those traits is too apparent to believe the Warriors can be easily fooled. 

Regarding the tiger instincts, Omi eventually does sense something off with Kimiko and finds that the Kimiko present is a fake.  This leads to a fun climactic battle where Omi and the others have to fight the Chameleon-bot now free to show its true colors.  Even the real Kimiko gets in on the action. She uses an earlier gag about a PDA virus to escape a cage Jack trapped her in and races back to the temple to help her friends.  It’s a great example of how the show doesn't have to rely solely on Xiaolin Showdowns for great action. 

The episode ends on a somber game-changing note that further demonstrates the strengths of Jack’s villainy. He uses the Changing Chopsticks to steal all the Warriors’ Shen Gong Wu save for the Mantis Flip Coin while everyone’s fighting.  Not to mention there’s a tease for a big future occurrence when Wuya mentions she and Jack have almost all the pieces to bring to life a being called Mala Mala Jong.

Ultimately, this episode is a package of greatness with interesting ideas of a mundane training exercise to move things forward while showing that some people are smarter than they seem.

A

The Ranking

1. Shen Yi Bu
2. Chameleon
3. Katnappe
4. The Journey of a Thousand Miles
5. Like a Rock
6. Tangled Web

Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode featuring more Shen Gong Wu follies from the Ring of the Nine Dragons.  It gets a little awkward just so you know.

If you would like to check out other Xiaolin Showdown reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.