Thoughts

Ben 10: Some Brief Thoughts

Have Watched, Thoughts /

Posted 24 October 2019

This post is nothing too elaborate. These are just some quick thoughts about a franchise I’m experiencing for the first time. This post was written with little to no research and I may not explain everything 100%. Again, these are just some thoughts.

The Ben 10 Series / Cartoon Network /2005-Present

Ben 10 is a franchise I’d thought I’d never appreciate until quite recently. When it first debuted on Cartoon Network in late ’05, early ’06, it just seemed like another boys’ action show to me. This goes the same way thinking “Man of Action” (Ben 10’s creators – Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, Duncan Rouleau, and Steven T. Seagle) was an important male creator who was known for taking action and not a comic writing collective.

Quick Overview of Each Series

Ben 10 Classic (watched from 30 May 2019 to 5 July 2019)was an excellent series. It laid the groundwork and set the bar for the later series.

Ben 10: Alien Force and Ultimate Alien are the ones I haven’t seen in their entirety. I’ve only watched their intros and watched some clips since eps are hard to come by. They seem just OK and the intros have no lyrics. I’ve seen one ep of Ultimate Alien and that seemed up to par with what I’ve grown accustomed (“Escape from Aggregor”). Despite that, I feel I need to watch both series to fill in the gaps for what happens between the original series and Ben 10: Omniverse.

I have not yet seen any of the movies. Do I want to see them?

I have finished watching Ben 10: Omniverse (watched from 26 August 2019 to 18 October 2019). It’s as great as the classic series but it mostly focuses on Ben as a teenager and new characters are added. All changes are welcomed for a fresh feel for the series. 

What Draws Me Near?

It was one episode of the 2016 reboot that influenced my decision to pursue this franchise. I have not yet seen very many episodes of the new series but from what I’ve seen, it’s not as great as the other series. Even by that one episode alone, that’s how I realized how much potential this show can have. 

An Amazing Alien Action Show!

The show’s dark, shadowy artwork and mood music for every moment should be factors that will make Ben 10 Cartoon Network’s crown jewel of action shows. Ben can act like a blockhead at times but remember, he’s still young. From the two shows I’ve watched, I enjoyed the distribution of humor throughout the perfectly spaced doses of action. I like the different personalities and touches of humor of his many aliens. My favorite aliens are Ditto and Rath. What was marketed as a “boy show” helps this girl enjoy the feel of what she had avoided in the past.

I still need to work on a new rating system but if you like Cartoon Network action show from the mid-‘00s to the mid-‘10s, add this show to your list. For lack of a better rating system, for now, I’ll just say this show is excellent (5 stars does not describe this) (judging from watching the entire classic series, most of “Omniverse,” and one ep of “Ultimate Alien”)! This show can be used to promote alien tolerance if that’s ever needed. This is a reminder that not all aliens are those stereotypical green beings with the void, black eyes. It’s clear that the Man of Action team takes all of their past comic-making experience and gathers it together to create this fine specimen of action greatness.

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In-Flight Entertainment: Watching Cable TV in the Sky

Some Stuff, Thoughts /

Posted 28 February 2019

This was six months ago but why not tell about this now? It’s the shows I sampled I want to talk about.

Back in August, I took a plane ride that offered in-flight cable. I don’t watch cable at home so I thought I’d spend a few dollars on the cable that the airline offered. They offered a few channels of recent movies. The advertising was so convincing and I didn’t want to be starving myself of entertainment like the previous plane rides of the past couple years. The channels I focused on were the following: Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Nickelodeon, and Nicktoons.

My memory of what I watched and when I watched them is a bit fuzzy. I’m just going to talk about what I watched and what I thought of it. I sampled a few of the aforementioned network’s current fares and here is my adventure…

I started my journey by watching Steven Spielberg’s “Ready Player One.” It was OK. Just OK. I was ready to get to the cartoons after I finished the movie.

A word about Teen Titans/Teen Titans Go

I watched some Teen Titans Go on Cartoon Network. Not as magical as its predecessor. I like the 2003 Teen Titans because despite the dark tone, it is much more mellower.  It is like the Titans are a team of superheroes. This is from watching a few episodes when it was new. “Go,” on the other hand, mmm…it seems Cartoon Network attempted a reboot and failed. I’m sure original Teen Titans fans were thrilled to see what could be a reboot or continuation of the original stories but what do they really get? Something reeeally cartoony. Instead of fighting crime, their battles are nothing but a party. People wanted more Teen Titans but who asked for a version like this?

Moving On…

Then Ben 10 (most likely the latest series) came on until it was time for more TTG. Though I’ve never watched the show until then, seeing the longevity of the franchise, I feel there is potential for me to have some appreciation for the series if I have a look at the others series proceeding this current one. Probably something I might try someday with available versions of the show.

Eventually Unikitty came on. I had no idea what Unikitty was until I watched a few segments. I saw the Lego logo at the beginning and thought, Oh ok, a Lego character. I still think Lego is cool despite whatever age I am. I still need to watch the Lego movies. Similar tone to Teen Titans Go, kind of hyperactive but how can you not love a creature that’s both a cat and a unicorn at the same time? However, Master Frown (a villain) can be a bit of a you-know-what. I heard what discouraging thing he told Puppycorn at his birthday party about getting older. Luckily, Unikitty *politely* asked him to leave. Seems like a cute cartoon to watch if/when I want.

I eventually jumped over to Nickelodeon and Breadwinners was on. I understand that this show originated as a YouTube video and Nick later gave it the green light for a show. Why? I’ve been trying to find a reason to like this show but I seem to have trouble. Even most of the reviews on the internet are bad. I remember a time when Nickelodeon had better standards for their shows. I’ll let you know when I get around to enjoying it but until then…This show has been just difficult to watch and is not always funny. It’s like lately the more I watch and the more I research about the show, the more I appreciate it. Let’s move on…

Flying Home

From what I remembered on the plane ride back, I watched a few segments of Cartoon Network’s We Bare Bears. It was just OK. The bears are cute. I remember one of the episodes I watched was when the baby bears get used as prizes at a fair. A game owner rigs the game so the bears can’t leave (again, my memory’s fuzzy).

Later on, I couldn’t take all this hyperness so I switch to Boomerang and watch a bit of Tom and Jerry. Ah, yes, you can’t beat these classics! I never had Boomerang in any cable package I had. I just wanted to see what was what even in this current era of the channel. I watched a few of these until I switched over to Nicktoons.

Right before the airplane touched down at the airport, I decided to end the plane trip with one of my classics, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius. It was a season one episode set I remember fondly: “Raise the Oozy Scab/I Dream of Jimmy.” Anything Jimmy Neutron – always welcomed with me :). I watched until it was time to get off the plane or whenever they turned off the screens.

A Great Alternative to Pass the Time

I like how commercial airplanes these days have TVs built in the back of the headrest of the person in front of you. This is an interesting idea even riding in coach. I’d say on my trip 6 months ago, buying the TV package was really worth the time and money. I was able to watch the channels I wanted (I really just watched these shows I haven’t seen so I can tell you about them). It was quite an experience to see what live Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and Boomerang are like these days. Most of what I watch these days I stream through a streaming service or I buy the episodes through YouTube. I will very likely do this again on my next plane trip and I will tell you about that experience.

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My Distaste: Spongebob Squarepant’s Appearance on Super Bowl LIII’s Halftime Show

Thoughts /

Posted 5 February 2019 (but written during the Super Bowl)

This Sunday night, Spongebob made an appearance during this year’s halftime show. The acts performed that night were from Maroon 5, Travis Scott, and Big Boi.

During this very brief appearance, a scene in the style of the “Spongebob” episode “Band Geeks” (2001) was played. The scene was similar to that of before the marching band’s performance at the Bubble Bowl with newer animation and was created for the occasion. Then after that…Um, was the song “Sweet Victory” ever played as promised?

I’m sure millions of “Spongebob” fans were expecting to hear some form of “Sweet Victory” (the song featured on “Band Geeks”). I watched the entire halftime show and I heard no trace of it unless I missed it. I felt the “Spongebob” marching band scene was randomly placed and not quite the tribute that was announced.

What could they have done differently?

For me and others to enjoy a performance of some sort, they could have somehow incorporated someone covering “Sweet Victory” or have the original singer (David Glen Eisley) to sing it. As a finishing touch, images or scenes from “Spongebob” or special costumes could have been used. The song “Sweet Victory” is to be sung in a very heartfelt fashion. If that was a tribute to “Spongebob” or whomever associated with such, what a complete disappointment! There was no tribute!

One thing I realized: I can hum along to more Maroon 5 songs than I thought. MmmMMMM.

If I can I could re-watch the halftime show and give you an update to tell you whether I was wrong or not.

That classic “Spongebob” scene needs a better tribute, especially during a football game. A better tribute can be done!

Update: I haven’t had the chance to re-watch the performances yet but I see on the internet that very many Spongebob fans are not very happy at the lack of a “Sweet Victory” performance. Good thing I’m not alone there. So apparently I really didn’t miss anything.

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Avatar: The Last Airbender: My First Reaction from Long, Long Ago

Have Watched, Thoughts /

Posted 31 October 2018

On September 3rd, I began my endeavor to watch all three seasons (or “books,” as so called) of Avatar: The Last Airbender (“Avatar” for short) (Nickelodeon, 2005-2008).

In this fine series, a fire lord declares war against the other three nations (Water Tribe, Earth Kingdom, and Air Nomads). It is up to Aang, a 12-year-old Avatar and his friends to end the war and return peace and unity among the four nations.

However, I didn’t always think this show was going to be as “fine” as it turned out to be. Back then in the mid ‘00s, I felt Nickelodeon had a track record for producing animation of a palatable caliber. I thought the introduction of an anime series would ruin that record. Let’s look at my first reaction after the initial Avatar series announcement in the summer of 2004.

Who wants to take a peek in Vic’s dairy? You know you want to!

avatar1post

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, here’s a page of my diary. It has been digitally altered to emphasize the date the entry was written and how dearly I regret not wanting change. I pixeled out thoughts about another show I watched that day (that part’s for another post). Man, I really do feel bad about what I said. Here’s what it said with all the spelling and grammatical errors intact:

“I also found out about this show that’s gonna be on Nick called ‘The Avatar: The Last Airbender.’ I know it’s gonna suck because it’s anime. it’s not gonna last a year of the airwaves. The animation is just horrible! I’d rather be dead when it comes out this November.”

What in the world was I thinking as I was writing this? I’ll break down this passage in attempt to further explain myself.

“I also found out about this show that’s gonna be in Nick called ‘The Avatar: The Last Airbender.’ I know it’s gonna suck because it’s anime.”

Again, I didn’t care about grammar/capitalization back then. This wasn’t a school paper. So, I almost had the title right. I didn’t have a smartphone in my room (where I wrote this) to confirm the title. This was after I switched off my dial-up connection for the night (yes, I used dial-up back then). I also felt I wasn’t ready for Nickelodeon to be showing their own “anime.” I knew Cartoon Network had anime on their Toonami block and that wasn’t my cup of tea back then. I loved almost every show Nick had in those days. I was reluctant at first to try this one.

Later on, I found out that Avatar is not actual anime as it was not produced in Japan. There’s a difference between this and Japanese anime where I can write a completely different blog post comparing the two. Soon I found out that this wasn’t Nick’s first time showing cartoons in the anime style. There were several acquired shows imported from Japan and France in the 1980s (ie: “The Adventures of Little Prince,” “Belle and Sebastian,” among others).

“It’s not gonna last a year on the airwaves. The animation is just horrible!”

Boy, was I wrong! Three “books,” three years on the air, and dozens of awards? Explain that, younger me. I judged the animation by a slither of animation I saw on a brief preview shown on Nickelodeon and a still picture on the internet. When I watched more of the show later on, I found the animation quite beautiful.

    “I’d rather be dead when it comes out this November.”

Aaaawwww! I just didn’t want to take any chances on this show. I didn’t even want this show to exist on Nick. Back then, Nick was practically my life. If something didn’t look good too me, I assumed my time watching Nick was over. Also notice I said “November.” That was the original air date before it was pushed to February. Notice the 2004 copyright date at the end of the earlier eps.

I never really wanted to die that November; perhaps falling out of existence would have been what I should have said. Luckily, I used that extra time between the time I wrote this and February to think about whether to give Avatar a chance or not. Come November/February, I was still alive and it was time for me to give it a try. I never regretted anything!

avatar2post

Here’s a blurb from the second and last page.

“that does it, I believe that ‘The Avator’ [sic] is bring nick down to ‘h-e-double hockey-stick’ in a handbasket. There are some exceptions, but most of nick’s programming is just s@#!!”

What I was meant to say in that first sentence was, “…I believe that ‘The Avatar’ will bring Nick down to hell.” Yes, I’ll actually say “hell” here.

I had some very low hopes for Avatar, didn’t I? I thought the show would be the one to make me end my long-term viewership for Nickelodeon. There were shows on Nick that I didn’t care much for and I thought Avatar would be one of them. Shortly after the show started airing, Nickelodeon either just got bad on its own or I just got older.

The lesson here is don’t judge a show by looking at one frame. When you look at the picture, realize there should be more to the show than just a still picture. Open your mind and don’t be afraid to diversify your show list.

I will post an Avatar: The Last Airbender review as soon as I can write it.

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Thoughts about Invader Zim and Enter the Florpus

Thoughts, Upcoming /

Posted: 9 August 2018

Basic series summary: Zim, a green alien from planet Irk, is sent to Earth to blend in with the humans and destroy the planet.

Invader Zim (Nickelodeon, 2001-2002; Nicktoons, 2006) will always be a great show/comic/anime (whatever media you want to make it). It faced a tragic and unfair cancellation. Thanks to home media, I thought I would lose it forever.

My initial experiences

When the show first aired on 30 March 2001, I wasn’t too sure if I should watch it or not. It did not seem like the other shows Nick put out at the time. That night, I gave Zim a try and I thought it was OK. It took until September of the year for the liking growth to be obvious. After 9/11, things started to change. Nick began to show Zim less and less and kept shuffling the show all over the schedule from week to week. Just as I was expecting Zim to air, another show kept taking its place. New episodes were sporadically and irregularly shown and they were unannounced (i.e. Gir Goes Crazy and Stuff/Dib’s Wonderful Life of Doom was a surprise for me). The DVDs made me happy to have the show back into my life. I could watch any ep anytime.

Overall thoughts

The high cost of production really shines though the show’s animation and episode quality. The animation is beautiful, robust, and shows no signs of aging. Even though I have seen each episode dozens and dozens of times and each storyline has become slightly stale to me, there is something in this high degree of quality that makes me want to watch again. I’d watch again no matter how many times I watched, say, one night 14 years ago. I swear I watched Sad, Sad Tale of Chickenfoot 6 times in one night that long ago and it’s still something I reach for sometimes.

Yeah! A revival movie!

With all the politics that went on between creator Jhonen Vasquez and Nickelodeon, I was convinced Zim had no chance for being revived. Later on, I became all for some revival to be done. When I found out a movie was being made, I wanted to learn more. Over a year later the trailer debuted. From what I saw, the art style is similar to that of the new comics. Years ago, I read somewhere that if Zim were to be revived, the animation would be cheaper and not in the same style to which the original series made us accustomed. All I can say is that if it’s Invader Zim-related, I’m so there. The fact that the trailer had no dialogue makes me want to watch the movie even more.

One question: What’s a “Florpus”? I guess we’ll find out after the movie comes out. Next question: WHEN will this movie come out? I hope it’s sometime this year.

Invader Zim is a high-quality series and I look forward to seeing the new movie.

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