Gephyrophillia | Watch This Space #127

Originally Posted on 04/19/2005 by Jeff Harris

The Cartoon Network fanbase and anime fans worldwide are talking about Powerpuff Girls Z, a new production from Aniplex, Toei, and Cartoon Network based on Powerpuff Girls, the popular Cartoon Network original series created by Craig McCracken (who happens to also be the creator of my favorite comedic show on the network as well, Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends). Realizing that it's not an April Fool's Joke, many anime and CN fans got scared and angry.

Meanwhile, weeks earlier, the classic animation fanbase foamed at the mouth after learning about Loonatics, a strange, action-oriented reimagination of the classic Warner Bros. Animation characters strangely referred to as Looney Tunes. Like Tiny Toons before it, Loonatics will use derivatives instead of the originals in the leading roles. Realizing that April Fool's was more than a month away at the time, classic animation fans got scared and angry.

Without seeing any actual full animation of either Powerpuff Girls Z (I think I read a fan manga that had that title once) or Loonatics, people have essentially written off these two shows as cheap knockoffs that should have never, ever, ever been made. They say that both series are unoriginal and completely unecessary and a disgrace to the originals. But you know, I have to tell you something that I have learned over the years I've been witnessing the industry.

There are only 15 stories in existance, and every story since has been a derivative of one of those eight basic stories. There hasn't been an original idea in Hollywood since 1965. Oh, there has been a few ideas that have come along that have become a part of pop culture before and since then, but nothing is truly original. Heck, even the venerable Star Wars is an intergalactic retelling of a Japanese film by Kurasara. Dragon Ball was inspired by a pair of stories which also inspired shows like Monkey Magic, Saiyuki, Alakazam the Great and countless others (I could have sworn I wrote about that a couple of years ago). In fact, with a few exceptions, there really hasn't been an original idea on television or in theaters since 1965. Every film was either directly adapted from books, films, and television shows or were inspired subconsciously by them. Originality died a long time ago, and if you don't believe me, take a gander of the marquee films for the summer season: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe, War of the Worlds, Fantastic Four, Star Wars Episode III, Batman Begins, Bewitched, The Dukes of Hazzard, The Honeymooners, The Bad News Bears, Herbie Fully Loaded, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Aeon Flux, do I really need to go on?

I do have a point, in case you were wondering. Now, a lot of people are upset by the lack of creativity from both Cartoon Network and Kids' WB (I know I didn't talk about it here, but two major acquisitions are ripoffs of Spongebob Squarepants and a strange hybrid of Jimmy Neutron with the look of The Fairly Oddparents). Loonatics and Powerpuff Girls Z have been referred to by people who have some sense but haven't really seen them as "blatant ripoffs with no redeeming value whatsoever." Yeah, they're loosely derived from two popular animation franchises. However, that doesn't exactly make them bad right out the gate. The thing is, as bad as the premise may appear on paper or as wrong as they may appear in their designs and concept, the shows might not be that bad.

Baby Looney Tunes aside (though to be honest, that show has actually gotten better this season with the addition of Floyd and becoming more like Rugrats than Muppet Babies), Loonatics is not the worst Warner Brothers can do to the venerable Looney Tunes characters. The Groovie Ghoulies Meet Porky and Daffy, that was the worst they could do. Space Jam, that was the worst they could do (Back in Action fared much better contrary to what some would say). Not showing them on their broadcast outlets nor properly promoting the DVD releases, that's also the worst they could do. Loonatics is no more of a deviation than Tiny Toon Adventures was. Heck, it's also no more of a deviation than Taz-Mania, The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries, and Duck Dodgers were. Daffy Duck is not a space policeduck patrolling the galaxies. Granny and her three pets, Tweety, Sylvester, and Hector, aren't globehopping doing her impression of Jessica Fletcher. The Tasmanian Devil's name isn't Taz nor does he have family in Tasmania nor works as a bellboy at a posh hotel. The stars of Tiny Toons are distant relatives of the familiar Looney Tunes characters, much like the stars of Loonatics. The general misconception in the media and much of the animation fanbase is that the Loonatics ARE the familiar Looney Tunes characters, which isn't so. And even though it's more action-oriented doesn't mean that it's going to be a horrible show. It's just a different series that shouldn't be compared side to side with the original shorts.

Same with side-by-side comparisons with Powerpuff Girls Z and the original PPG. Funny thing is that some of the critics who are fuming about Loonatics aren't all that upset about PPGZ, which they feel is a natural progression for the franchise. Instead of being an American-made revamp, they're taking a Dragon Ball Z-like revamp from DBZ animation company Toei Animation changing the dynamics and relationships of the Craig McCracken-created cartoon (say that five times fast). It's about three teenage girls who are best friends (not sisters) with strange powers and defending the world against villianous threats. Yes, it's not the most original title. Yes, this will likely be one of the three original anime productions to premiere concurrently on both CN Japan and CN US in 2006 in a deal set a few months ago. And yes, they could have tried something a lot more original. Diehard Powerpuff Girls fans will strangely be like otakus when the series does reach these shores, nitpicking over dialogue (by the way, they better bring back the original US voice artists when it is dubbed here), situations, and the fact that the sisters aren't sisters in this version. But just because it's a totally different series that will be anime doesn't mean it's going to be a horrible show. In fact, you can almost say that this will be an alternate version of the popular American show. Numerous anime franchises, Gundam and Tenchi Muyo are the well-known examples stateside, have made alternate versions over the years.

With Loonatics premiering in the fall and PPGZ premiering much, much later, these two properties have creating a polarizing effect on fans of the original Looney Tunes and Powerpuff Girls franchises, and yet nobody has seen a full version of either to get a full idea of what they're going to be about. But they already know they hate it. A pity really. Animation evolves and yet there are people who want it to remain stagnant. The creators of Loonatics realize that they can't create the magic of the original classics anymore (believe me, they tried and failed miserably in the 15 years since Box Office Bunny) and the creators of PPGZ aren't going to directly copy PPG because that show has already been made. People often say they want to see something new, but when something is new or reimagined, people grow scared of what will result. And that's not very fun.

*end transmission*

Jeff Harris,
Webmaster/EiC/Lead Writer, The X Bridge
April 19, 2005