Insect Inside (Powerpuff Girls)-Animated Critic Short #1

"Bow down to the most superior creatures on earth.......the cockroach."

Man am I behind on Powerpuff Month. I'm going to have to post a lot in the next few days if I want to get it done by June. But welcome back to Powerpuff Month. My name is Evan A.K.A. the Animated Critic. Also this is the first episode of a new series called Animated Critic Shorts. It's an analytical review of a certain cartoon or anime episode but without going as in depth as I do in my regular reviews. Anyway let's just push right along with Powerpuff Month with the episode Insect Inside. Technically the first episode of the show. I say technically as it was intended to be the first episode and was produced first, but another episode called Monkey See, Doggie Do aired first. If you ask me Monkey See, Doggie Do is not a good introduction to the show. It's a meh episode. The characters don't really have much personality and the jokes aren't the best. This episode works much better as an introduction episode. 

The episode starts with Bubbles running from a cockroach. Buttercup tries to kill and Blossom tries to get everyone to calm down. Though they all agree on one thing.....the insect is icky. Actually this opening scene acts as an Introduction to these characters, and does so rather well. Just seeing the girls face this insect gives us a lot of personality for each character. It acts as a great introduction to them, which is good since this is the first episode.....well it was supposed to be anyway. 

Just based on this scene we learn Blossom is the more level headed one of the group. Buttercup is the most brash of the group and Bubbles is the meekest. Which is a lot for an opening scene to give us, but they handle it so well and execute it very smoothly. 

Anyway the professor gives a speech about how you shouldn't kill an insect for being yucky as it's the inside that counts. He gives a speech about how cockroaches might be the last surviving creatures on this planet and then sets the disgusting critter free. The roach that was set free though works for a man called Roach Coach who can communicate with the roaches and plans to wipe all humans of the face of this planet, saying they're scum. Anyway after learning the girls won't hurt the bugs the Roach Coach decides it's time to attack. The entire city of Townsville is infested by these bugs. 

The girls can't fight them due to Blossom saying that they can't kill them just because they're icky on the outside. But after leaning they're also icky on the inside as well they begin to fight back and of course the city of Townsville is saved. You know the drill.

So let's get into the meat of this blog post. The actual review. 

This episode is amazing. Just going to start right off the bat with that. Like I said its a really good introduction to the show which is great as it was supposed to be the first episode. It introduces us to the characters, which are as amazing as ever, and shows off exactly what the show does best. Being a really fun, awesome, hilarious show. It has some legitimately funny moments. Especially from the narrator. Speaking of the narrator even though the reboot does have one they barely do anything with it. Which is such a shame. The narrator had some of the funniest most memorable lines of the show. 

Then there's the perfect example of how to do something stupid and still make it funny with the giant jar gag. That part was really funny. As for the Roach Coach he's a pretty generic villain, but he's OK I guess. He has some fun moments. This episode is just a really fun basic episode of the show really. Nothing out of the ordinary. Fun action, funny moments, great characterization. It's all around great. 

Overall there's not much to say except for the fact that it's a basic Powerpuff episode.....and there's nothing wrong with that. It's fun, hilarious, awesome, and serves as a good introduction to these characters. It was made to show off what the show can do and it did that amazingly well. It shows how it can be a fun action show, while being funny, and even throws in a moral about how it's the inside that counts not the outside looks. And as an introduction episode there's really not much more I could ask for. 

Overall-9/10

Next Powerpuff Month-Rowdyruff Boys

Next Animated Critic-Driven to Tears

Powerpuff Girls Pilots-Animated Critic Powerpuff Month

Hello everyone. My name is Evan A.K.A. The Animated Critic and welcome to Powerpuff Month Part 3.

So the new reboot recently aired (and if you want my thoughts you can look here.) so I thought I'd dedicate the entire month of April (well......now May) to Powerpuff Girls related stuff as it is a show that I absolutely adore and love the crap out of.

It was different than a lot of cartoons at the time and I feel that it's one of the first shows to break gender barriers on TV as there were as many boys who liked it just as much as girls. That's because the characters were memorable, the writing was clever and it was just overall awesome. Little girls kicking butt and taking names how can you not make that awesome. 

So to honor this amazing show I've dedicated April (and I guess May now) to it.

To start off this month we're gonna be taking a look at the original Pilots for the show. The Powerpuff Girls actually has 3 pilots. One that the creator, Craig McCracken, apparently made in college, and 2 that aired on Cartoon Network's What a Cartoon Show, which was a compilation of Pilots trying to be made into full shows. 

So I guess we should start with the first Pilot. The very first appearance of the characters. A short called Whoopass Stew. 

Wait really....Whoopass Stew. 

OK with a title like that you known this has to be a fun show. 

Craig himself sent it to Cartoon Network and they took it but changed the name to Powerpuff Girls as apparently Whoopass is not an appropriate word for kids. 

Pffffft......what do they know. 

Show-Whoopass Stew

Episode Title-A Sticky Situation

Air Date-Sometime in 1994 (in film and animation festivals only)

So yeah as I said this was a short made by Craig McCraken during his college years. It was shown at a few animation festivals and then he pitched it to Cartoon Network. I find it weird that he pitched a show called Whoopass Stew to a kids channel and actually expected it to slide but whatever. 

He actually wanted to have 3 more whoopass stew shorts created bringing the total to 4 but Cartoon Network didn't want anymore so no more were made. 

So the episode begins with the same classic Sugar Spice and Everything Nice opening of the show this pilot eventually would become. That's what I love about pilots. Seeing the things that stayed and the things that were changed in the final product. 

The animation is different from the actual show but the opening is still pretty much the same 

Also it's animated like it's from the 70s but considering this is a pilot made by a college student I shouldn't be to mad at it. 

We then see the Professor 

Jesus man. He was put under an extreme makeover for the actual series. Anyway just like the real show the professor accidently adds another ingredient. Instead of Chemical X though it's a can of whoopass.

And even though the narrator said "accidently added a can of whoopass" it looks like he purposely put that in there. But whatever. We then get an action montage.

The Gangreen Gang. Now when someone ask you who the first villains in the Powerpuff Girls were you can tell them it was the Gangreen Gang.........and then promptly get called a nerd right afterwards. The movements of the characters is extremely stiff looking and the fight seems to go all over the place. It also gets really repetitive really fast. But on the bright side the music is cool. Also a lot of the scenes here were later recreated for the opening of the actual show. For a project from a college student with literally no budget made in 1994 it's OK. It of course ends with the Powerpuff Girls.....whoops, sorry. The Whoopass Girls wining. 

That was only the opening. There's still an actual episode with a story. Even though the opening itself took up half the episode. The actual thing begins with the Amoeba Boys. 

They're doing the basic mafia stuff. Robbing, shooting Tommy Guns, and of course, the worse crime of them all, smoking cigars. You monsters.

But in all seriousness these guys are hardcore. They aren't messing around. 

The Whoopass Girls come to put a stop to this. Unfortunately they get caught up in......A sticky situation. Ah....ah...see what I did there. 

How are the girls gonna get out of this one? Only by using the most logical tactic. Flying to the sun of course......wait what?

Yes they fly to the sun to melt the Amoeba Boys off of them.

Wouldn't that melt you to?

(You have no idea how long I've been waiting to use that.)

No, in fact getting anywhere near the sun would literally disintegrate you. Nothing would remain. 

And why is the sun blue? I know this is a college students project but.....you didn't have a yellow in your color palette?

So they manage to melt the boys off of themselves without somehow disintegrating.

And our first pilot ends with the girls flying triumphantly through the sky. 

Overall I'd say it's a good little pilot. We don't learn anything about the characters (not even their names.) But it does show a promising concept and it's still just pure fun to watch. It definitely is the Powerpuff Girls. 

So now we go to Cartoon Network. Craig sent in the Whoopass Stew Pilot and Cartoon Network ordered 2 more pilots to be made for their What a Cartoon Show. The What a Cartoon Show is a show featuring many different pilots trying to become full fledged shows. Some other shows that started off as pilots on the What A Cartoon Show include Dexter's Lab, Cow and Chicken, and Johnny Bravo.

Show-What A Cartoon Show

Episode Title-The Powerpuff Girls in Meat Fuzzy Lumkins 

Air Date-February 20th 1995

Episode-1

So this pilot starts at the mall where a jam tasting contest is happening.

The girls then break through the ceiling.

Good to know that even in the pilots they didn't care about destroying property. 

Anyway the girls are gonna be the host of this jam contest. 

We then get a brief look at the crowd. 

Why........why does that guy have a bunch of monkies hanging on top of him? 

But that's not important I guess. What is important is the introduction of villain Fuzzy Lumkins.

He entered the jam contest and is pretty confident he'll win. He apparently made Meat Jam (patent pending). Anyway it should come to no surprise that something called Meat Jam doesn't win the contest. This does not make Fuzzy Happy. 

Fuzzy devises a plan. A meat gun. 

Cut to the school. It's pretty much the same as it is in the actual show. Except for Ms. Keane's giraffe-like neck.

They even get a call on the hotline from the mayor.

I'm sorry I said the mayor. Who's this loser. Where's the pickle loving doofus I know and love. Well it turns out in the pilots this is the mayor. He tells the girls that someone (he doesn't get a chance to say his name) is going on a rampage with a meat gun and then gets turned into meat. 

"Not just meat, we're choice cuts!"

Sorry sorry, it's in my contract to make a Spongebob reference wherever I see fit. Anyway the entire city of Townsville has been turned to meat. Luckily the girls come and fix it.

They ask who did this, but no one gives them a definite answer. It's not like the citizens didn't see who did it. They just don't give any definite answer for some odd reason. Hey guys, it might help them if you told them who did it. Even if they didn't know the name a description would help. But whatever. We then see a dog talk. 

He speaks perfect English that everyone can understand and he doesn't even have to move his lips. 

Yeah it's kind of random and kind of comes out of nowhere. But he says something about being in a jam and the girls realize who the perpetrator is.

Fuzzy Lumkins. So the girls head out to stop him.

Well except for Bubbles who gets caught up coloring. I like this part. It's the first time we're actually learning about Bubbles. She's an airhead and is the most child like out of the 3. That's why I love her so much. 

This episode is really the first episode to give us any personality traits for the girls. Except for Buttercup. She kinda gets pushed to the side when it comes to showing off her personality traits. Not just in this pilot but in the next one to. Really Bubbles is the one we learn the most about. So the girls go to confront Fuzzy. 

We then get a fight scene. Bubbles flies towards him, but gets shot down. 

This causes her hair to get turned into meat, and as the narrator informs us she takes great pride in her hair. And yes, this pilot does have a narrator though it doesn't sound like the one we all know and love. 

Anyway Bubbles is not pleased and we all know what happens when you tick Bubbles off. 

She goes HARDCORE!!!

So in a really awesome scene Bubbles beats the ever living crap outta Fuzzy. 

Never thought I'd see a little girl with a meat ponytail beating up a giant insect looking man. This is why I love cartoons. 

So anyway.......

JESUS CHRIST!!! DID SHE.....did she just karate chop his leg off. Jesus.....Bubbles doesn't screw around. Don't mess with her.

By the way have I brought up yet how much I fricking love Bubbles........cause I really do. 

Anyway the battle ends with Fuzzy being shot with the meat gun and being turned into a burger.

And then they grill him. 

Jesus. Seriously these girls are hardcore. They literally cooked their enemy, and even serve it to the mayor to eat. 

Though steak doesn't have a mouth so......

Anyway the episode ends with the classic outro. 

And then Townsville replaces the mayor as a piece of meat can not run the city. 

Anyway this pilot was fricking awesome and fun as crap. It introduced us to the characters all while telling a fun story. It's good. Check it out. 

Well we only have one pilot left. So let's just wrap this thing up.

Show-What a Cartoon Show

Episode Title-The Powerpuff Girls: Crime 101

Air Date-January 28th 1996

Episode-22

Our last pilot starts with the girls beating the crap out of a monster.

Jesus Christ, Bubbles is not gonna tone down the violence. She seems quite keen on disabling people. Making people lose the ability to walk, and now making monsters lose the ability of sight. How do you sleep at night. 

I'm just saying she seems to be really into hurting really important body parts.

Anyway we then see the Amoeba Boys. Yes they're in this pilot.

Remember how they were in Whoopass Stew. They were like a germey mafia. They were robbing banks and shooting Tommy Guns and everything. So what heinous crime are they commenting this time.

Oh..............that's it. 

Well then. 

Anyway as expected the girls don't give a flying crap and pay no mind to them. 

By the way I love how the actions of the characters in this shot perfectly fit them. Also it has the first appearance of Octi. Why do I care about such minor things. I just do. This is my life. 

Anyway the Amoeba Boys desperately want to fight with the girls. 

At the playground Bubbles manages to swing herself into space. 

Meanwhile the other two hear a distressed call

Guess who. It's the boys. 

They have another pathetic crime attempt. It's so bad that the girls actually take pity on them. 

They decide to teach them how to commit crime properly. They start with the basic task of robbing a bank. It goes about as well as you expect. 

Jesus. You know you're doing something wrong when Spongebob's attempt to rob a bank went better. 

Anyway the boys fail so badly the girls just decide to do it for them.

Yes the girls actually rob the bank. 

The people are, of course, very confused by all this. And also of course this lands the girls in some legal trouble. 

Mr. Wannabe Commissioner Gordon is not too happy. 

As such the girls get thrown in jail with the citizens of Townsville watching in confusion. 

But on the boys' side of things the police didn't notice that all the stolen money was left on the ground for anyone to just come up and take. Which is exactly what the Amoeba Boys do. 

Back to the girls, who are currently in court. The judge is in complete shock due to the fact that the girls committed a crime. 

But luckily before he can sentence the girls the boys come in and show the judge the stolen money. 

And somehow became they took the money the girls originally stole, that means the girls are innocent. 

Anyway the episode ends with the boys getting what they wanted. A fight with the Powerpuff Girls. 

These pilots are amazing. They have flaws but their mostly just minor things I admittedly probably over-thunk. Minor nitpicks. They make up for that in just how much sheer fun it is to watch these shorts. So if your a fan of the Powerpuff Girls I highly recommend these.

By the way should I look at more pilots. Like I said it's always intersting to see the roots of excellent shows. 

Either way that's it for the review. Let's see.....what's left for Powerpuff Month. 

1-Insect Inside

2-The Rowdyruff Boys 

3-Dance Pansted 

4-An actual review of the reboot. 

By the way have you guys done the Powerpuff Yourself thing yet. It's actually more fun than I would've thought. I tried to create a character that resembled me as closely as possible, but due to the limited options I came out with this. 

I look thoroughly unimpressed. (Well at least it captured my general overall feeling on life accurately.)

I know a striking resemblance. But I like it. Close enough I guess. By the way I don't have a cat. It just looked cute so I just couldn't resist. 

But anyway thank you all for watching and I'll see you guys later. 

Peace. 

Next Animated Critic-Driven to Tears (Spongebob)

Next Anime Critic-Madoka Magica episodes 1-2

Next Evan Vs. Disney-Fantasia

Other big projects-Movies of 2016 (so far)

Out of character apology-Sorry it's been a while since I updated last. I'm gonna blast through the rest of Powerpuff Month (s) in these upcoming days. It's just school, and life, and test have gotten in the way. Plus I'm studying to get my learners permit, and I've been working on other projects like the show and the Polybius Legend. As well as working on the first story arc for my new blog Comic Strike as well as developing the next Story Arc for this blog. 

Also I have an announcement to make. Marching band was a major reason I had a long period without making any Animated Critic episodes. Don't get me wrong I love marching band, but I may quit. Not cause of the blog, but because I have a million other things I gotta do and adding marching band on top of that is just going to add to the stress. So I haven't decided yet, but I may quit. Giving you this heads up as if I do quit I'll be able to work on these personal projects of mine more often. But again haven't decided. 

Well that's it. Thanks.

And once again the cartoons are criticised thanks to.......

Evan Crose.