dmandagiraffe

Last time on "DMAN re-attempts to talk about every single CN original in existence", dman talked about one of his earliest memories from the network overall. Today's show is also a memory, but in a more bittersweet sense... #40: Sym-Bionic Titan "Escape to Sherman High" [September 17, 2010] When I talked about Robotomy a while back, I mentioned that there was another short-lived show from around the same time that I had fond memories of. Well, today is the day I cover that show. Both me and my brother were crazy about this show when it was airing. We'd record episodes and watch them over and over, and even play them late at night during sleepovers. And then, within the next year...it was gone. And I mean gone. Not only did the show get cancelled, it stopped airing altogether. We were sad about the news, moved on with our lives, and I didn't get the chance to watch the show again for more than 10 years. Then, I found myself bored one day when the pandemic was in full swing, and I wondered if this show was as good as I thought it was back then. I watch an episode, and before I know it I've seen the whole series again. I think that should tell you where my opinion is going, but I'll save that for the ending paragraph. After all, it's been another few years since I've seen the show, so let's refresh my memory... The episode starts with a space pod suddenly crashing into Earth. Three beings come out of the pod: the robot Octus, and two humanoids, the soldier Lance and the princess Ilana. We learn they are from the planet "Galaluna" which is currently under attack, and thus they have been sent to our far off planet where they (most importantly the princess) will be in less danger. Before they can even get an idea of where they are, they are ambushed the military. Octus flees with Ilana, and Lance activates his battle armor to fend off the attackers. Ilana joins with her own armor soon after, when she discovers the inhabitants of Earth (and the military itself) are humanoid. Upon this revelation, the three aliens flee the scene. After the military general arrives at the crash site, the head of the Galactic Guardian Group (Solomon) gains control of the situation by taking the alien ship away for research. Hiding in a cave, the three aliens begin their plan of assimilating into human society by attending the high school in the nearby city of Sherman. Back on Galaluna, the king is confronted by General Modula and his accompanying Mutraddi creatures. We learn some about their history, until Modula uses his power to pin down the location of the princess, and sends his creatures to Earth to kill the last remaining heir to the Galalunan throne. Meanwhile, the three aliens prepare for their first day at Sherman High. Octus (as Newton, his human disguise) explains the social hierarchy of the school and informs Lance and Ilana that he has enrolled them into the school system as siblings, something they aren't very psyched about. As they experience the hardships of fitting in, we cut back to Solomon and the Galactic Guardian Group, as they discover another alien ship soon to make contact with Earth. During lunch, the aliens witness the crash, now aware that an enemy has arrived. A giant fire monster begins attacking the city, and Ilana risks her safety to fight back. Lance and Newton aren't on board with this decision, but they fight alongside her anyway. After taking a considerable blow, Octus initiates a process that causes all three aliens to merge together and telepathically link as one. They form the eponymous Sym-Bionic Titan, a being of roughly equal size to the fire creature. The monster engulfs them, and with no other options the Titan submerges itself in a lake to douse the flames. With the GGG having now arrived, it doesn't take much more effort for the Titan to take down the now molten Mutraddi. The GGG retreats, and the Titan flees once the military attempts to fire at it. With one day behind them, the alien trio are more ready than ever to deal with anything that might come their way, whether it be abominable monsters, high school struggles, or otherwise. The end. No surprise, this show kicks ass. Everything positive I remembered about it from both 4 years and 14 years ago is still here. The characters are convincing, the action is gripping, the animation still looks stellar today, and it even has a healthy dose of comedic moments (the scene with Lance being introduced to the students is my shout-out pick). My nostalgia definitely didn't steer me wrong with this one! So as much as I love this show, does it beat out Tartakovsky's other big CN epic in Samurai Jack? Well...I'm not sure, but for now my preference leans toward the latter. This show for sure is amazing, but there's something almost transcendent about the way Samurai Jack feels that Sym-Bionic Titan doesn't quite hit. That said, this show is a lot more fun and more easily bingeable thanks to my memories of it. In fact, I'm going to get to that binging right now. See y'all in another week (it'll probably be even faster than that)! THE BOTTOM LINE: The biggest hidden gem in all of CN's extensive programming. Hopefully I live to see it air again one day. RATING: 9/10 (a clear standout) Well, Wheel, I doubt you're gonna be beating that with the next show. But spin again anyway! Stay tuned for MY MOM dman's next talk-about.

Last time on "DMAN re-attempts to talk about every single CN original in existence", dman talked about the last remaining Ben 10 on the list, much to his happiness. Will today's show inspire further positive emotion? #25: Camp Lazlo "Gone Fishin' (sort of)" [July 8, 2005] This show is another personal milestone for me. As far as I'm aware, this is the first show I remember airing on CN when it was "new". I don't remember them clearly, but bits and pieces of the pre-premiere advertising still remain in my head. Also, the date above shows that this show recently turned 20; goddamn. As for the show itself, I remember liking it back in the day and still liking it when I gave some episodes a rewatch a few years ago. That means my expectations are decently set for this one. After all, it's by Joe Murray, the same guy who made Rocko's Modern Life! We'll be in good hands visiting this camp! The episode starts with a group of Bean Scouts trying to catch fish off the Camp Kidney dock, but their line only brings in snow globes. Upon seeing this, Scoutmaster Lumpus (hi Tom) laments to his assistant Slinkman (hi again) that in all of Camp Kidney's history, no one has ever caught a fish. He vows to do it himself, when suddenly the group is interrupted by the local Jelly Bean cabin residents: Raj, Clam, and of course Lazlo. One of the scouts suggests that there might not even be any fish in Leaky Lake to be caught, but they are once again interrupted, only this time it's by the rival camp of Acorn Flats who are having no trouble catching loads of fish. Annoyed, Lumpus demands that his new high-tech boat be ready by tomorrow. The Jelly Bean scouts plan to join him, but none of the other scouts are willing to join due to rumors surrounding the lake, especially that of it being home to a giant serpent monster who eats scouts. Undeterred, Lazlo still wants to help with Camp Kidney's first catch, and after some persuasion Raj and Clam decide to join him. Slinkman gets the boat ready that night, but after he leaves, the Jelly Beans happen across the boat and accidentally start it themselves. As Lumpus and Slinkman head out to the lake, the boat goes flying over their heads, angering Lumpus as he sails out to the middle of the lake on his own. However, he arrives at his boat as the lake gets very foggy, making the Jelly Beans think he is the lake monster. After Lumpus gets roughed up a bit, the fog clears and we see Raj has a giant plug in his hands. Remembering a rumor from earlier about a plug at the bottom of Leaky Lake, he tries to toss it back in, only to realize the plug is for their boat which promptly sinks. Lumpus exclaims that the only way the Jelly Beans can help him is by not helping him at all, so the scouts keep their distance and agree not to help him anymore. Unfortunately, this is when the lake monster appears and begins attacking Lumpus. After Lazlo and Raj debate on whether they should break their agreement and help Lumpus, they ultimately decide to not help by not helping, but help by actually helping...or something like that. As Lazlo tries to free Lumpus from the jaws of the serpent monster, Lumpus reveals that he managed to catch a fish, which Lazlo shows to everyone while unaware that Lumpus is still trapped by the monster. The end. I'll be straight with this one: it's not as good as I remember, but I still like this quite a bit. I love the vibe here, it manages to be comfy while still being absurd. How many shows are there out there that can accomplish that? And it's hard to go wrong with Murray's art style visually. That all said, I remember this show being a lot funnier. There are still multiple gags I enjoyed in this episode (especially near the end with Lazlo unintentionally shutting the monster's jaws back on Lumpus), but I was hoping I'd be chuckling the whole time. Even with this flaw, I'd still say I enjoyed my time with this. The other qualities are redeeming enough that I can look past this episode being "slightly funny" instead of "very funny". Shoot, if I wanted that I should just watch the episode with the telescope again... THE BOTTOM LINE: It won't be for everyone, but I wouldn't mind spending time in a camp as strange yet laidback as this one. RATING: 7 (leaning on 7.5)/10 (decent) And with that, we're two-thirds of the way through talking about every CN show in the list! What do you have for me next, Wheel? Stay tuned for dman's next talk-about.

Last time on "DMAN re-attempts to talk about every single CN original in existence", dman talked about a somewhat lackluster episode that didn't display the better qualities of the show overall. Will today's episode be a similar case? Well, dman is sick of the next show's franchise at this point so he probably won't watch enough episodes to find out... #33: Ben 10: Alien Force "Ben 10 Returns, Part 1" [April 18, 2008] Is there really anything else I can say about Ben 10 at this point? Thankfully, this is the last time I'll have to discuss one of his shows in this thread. This one was fine from what I remember of it on TV, so I'm going in assuming I'll have similar thoughts to it as Ultimate Alien. Alright, let's finally kill Ben! The episode begins with two aliens communicating, with one telling the other that Grandpa Max is responsible for certain information that has been leaked. The other commands the alien to "destroy him", segueing into the intro. Afterwards we see Ben, now 5 years older, playing a game of soccer and living a relatively normal life. He briefly meets Julie (as we already know, his future love interest) before heading to the RV, and he notices Grandpa Max isn't there. Suddenly, the alien from earlier begins attacking Ben, and since Ben isn't wearing the Omnitrix he has to fight in more creative ways. After fending off the alien, Ben accesses a message from Grandpa Max, where he tells Ben that he's investigating recent alien activity on Earth and that the Omnitrix is safely in his hands. Ben immediately goes home and is confused to find the Omnitrix is still in his possesion, leading him to believe Max is trying to tell him something. We cut to Gwen at her karate class, while Ben spectates and gets ready to ask her for advice. Later that night, they both watch Max's message and discuss whether or not Ben should put the Omnitrix back on, but suddenly are interrupted when a shadowy figure demands they give up the Omnitrix. After Gwen uses her magic to incapacitate the fish-like alien (Magister Labrid), he reveals he is a member of the Plumbers and was trying to find Max, who has gone missing. Labrid quickly realizes Ben is Max's grandson, and offers to join them in finding him. In response, Ben decides to put the Omnitrix back on. The three stake out at where the criminal group known as the Forever Knights are expected to receive an illegal shipment of alien technology, only to find that Kevin is their supplier. Labrid confronts them, and the other suppliers reveal themselves to be the same species as the aliens from the beginning of the episode. The Forever Knights also reveal themselves, leaving the trio surrounded. Even worse, when Ben tries to use the Omnitrix it fails, as it needs to reboot. While Gwen and Labrid fend for themselves, the Omnitrix eventually manages to reboot, changing completely in the process and giving Ben access to aliens he's never seen before. He turns into Swampfire (I didn't have to look up the name because he says it out loud!), which scares away the supplier aliens, but the Forever Knights use their new weapons to fire at him. Kevin then gets inbetween the fight, wanting to stop Ben himself as an act of vengeance for trapping him in the null void and ruining his deal. As this happens, the Forever Knights make their escape. Ben manages to defeat Kevin, and he is trapped using energy cuffs. Labrid informs Kevin that the Forever Knights now have technology that is far beyond the level Earth is supposed to have, and forces him to help settle the issue. Surprisingly Kevin is all for helping, but only because he never got his money. Kevin drives them to a castle that supposedly holds the Forever Knights, and Gwen uses her magic to allow them to enter. As they look for signs of the Knights, Ben accidentally knocks over a knight on display and wakes up a dragon-like creature, and we cut to a "TO BE CONTINUED..." card. Well, I was right. My opinions on this one are basically the same as those I expressed on Ultimate Alien. It's fine, I enjoyed it while it was on, I'm probably never going to binge it, and all around the first series was better. It does still have its moments though; the more mature feel of this one leads to some impactful action scenes, and Ben bringing back his "peek-a-boo!" line during the Kevin fight made me crack a smile. Though if I'm being honest, I am so relieved to be done talking about these shows. They're not bad, it's just I can only watch the same thing so many times before I run out of things to say. THE BOTTOM LINE: HOHOHO RATING: 7/10 (decent) 5 Bens down, 0 to go! I'd end the thread right here, but we've still got 20 shows left and I'm excited to talk about some in particular. What do you say, Wheel? Stay tuned for dman's next talk-about. Original post:

Last time on "DMAN re-attempts to talk about every single CN original in existence", dman talked about yet another one of his childhood favorites. Will today's show be able to stack up? (unintentional pun [well i guess it's intentional now]) #50: We Bare Bears "Our Stuff" [July 27, 2015] So, this one has some personal significance. If you take that list of shows from the first post in this thread and go down the whole thing one by one, this would be the last show on said list that I consistently watched back in the day. Everything afterwards is either stuff I watched on TV once and wasn't a fan of, or stuff I didn't watch at all. That said, there is one show from after that list's time period that I have experience with, but I'll touch on that at a later date. Anyways, the bear show. I remember it being a very comfy show, even if occasionally eyeroll-inducing at points. Let's see if this viewing can help me remember exactly what I mean by that... The episode starts with the bear brothers (Grizz, Panda, Ice Bear) getting ready to play basketball at a local court. They pack their belongings into a bookbag and leave it on a bench while they play. After enough time passes, they are finally able to make one successful shot and begin celebrating outside the court. It takes the bears a good moment before they realize they left their bag back at the court, and they return to find it gone, which sends them into a panic (Panda especially, as his phone was in the bag). The bears try to get a policewoman to help, but they're so loud and awkward that she just rolls away without a word. They also try to persuade a cab driver to take them to all the suspicious places across the city, but this fails for the same reason as before. The trio sit down in a diner, where Grizz speculates how the bag could've been stolen and Panda draws mugshots on the tablemats, much the the server's disapproval. Grizz then remembers a flock of pigeons next to their bag at the court, so the group leave the diner to ask the potential eyewitnesses what they saw. After spreading out Panda's drawings, a pigeon comes forward and picks one drawing out of many, giving the bears a prime suspect. The pigeon promptly takes off and the bears follow it, causing havoc on the streets in the process. Ultimately they end up at the library, where the bears use the public internet to try tracking Panda's phone. Once they narrow it down to an apartment, they find the room of their culprit and make their way in through the outdoor window to get their bag back. The man fights back for a moment, but once the bears get back outside and the police put a spotlight on them, it's revealed they have the wrong bag. Conceding defeat, the bears get ready to jump down and receive their punishment. However (despite the policeman's warning), they jump down all at once, trampolining them into the room of a different building and revealing the true crime scene: the flock of pigeons from earlier in possession of multiple stolen items. The policeman from earlier thanks the bears for catching the Pigeon Cartel in the act, and he also lets them go free while warning them to stay out of trouble, which doesn't look like it'll take long to happen again. The end. You'll see that I mentioned in the SBM thread how I felt this was a clunky first episode, and yeah, that still sorta rings true. The bears' awkwardness is a staple character trait throughout the series, but it's played to an uncomfortable degree here; and most of the human characters aren't that pleasant of individuals either. Thankfully, this show is a case where I know from experience that it is much better than its first episode would imply. When you get to know some of the other characters that are friends with the bears (Chole, Charlie, Tabes, etc.), it becomes a lot more enjoyable to watch. That said, this episode is still decently funny, especially when Ice Bear is involved. No surprise, his monotone delivery and raw skill makes him the best character in the whole show. That's about all I've got here; this episode didn't wow me but I still recommend seeing what else the show has to offer. (Also as for the "eyeroll-inducing" parts I referred to in the opening, this show references a lot of things adjacent to millennial culture and it can get a little embarrassing at times. But whatever, it's tolerable.) THE BOTTOM LINE: It's a show about bears trying to fit in to human society. I'm there. RATING: The episode itself would be lower, but the show gets an 8 (leaning on 7.5)/10 (pretty good). [monotonous] dman wants to see what the Wheel will spin next. Stay tuned for dman's next talk-about. Original post:

Last time on "DMAN re-attempts to talk about every single CN original in existence", dman talked about a show that he really didn't enjoy. Will today's show warrant a similar reaction? #43: The Amazing World of Gumball "The DVD" [May 3, 2011] We've been through a lot in this thread so far. I've talked about multiple staples of CN history; most good, a few bad. I've looked at every show that achieved the TV-PG rating, every show that was explicitly banned in my home, four different Ben 10s, and even a show that's widely considered lost media. And somehow, through all this, I've yet to cover a single one of the three gigantic shows from CN in the early 2010s, all of which went on to become cornerstones of the network and also define that decade in animation. Today, that is no longer the case; we're looking at Gumball. I really liked this show when it first started airing, and I only loved it more in its later seasons (before dipping off a little at the end). It's a loaded intro, but yes, my hopes are high for this one. Let's see if Gumball's world is still as amazing as the name implies. The episode starts with Gumball's mother (Nicole) reminding him to return a DVD that's about to be past due...unless he wants to face the consequences. Gumball starts looking for it, only to find his brother/pet Darwin absent-mindedly using the DVD as a pizza cutter. This prompts Gumball to start cleaning the DVD with a sponge, not noticing he's using the abrasive side. Darwin points this out, causing Gumball to panic and accidentally throw the DVD into the sink's waste disposal. Instead of facing the consequences, the pair try to return a cardboard fake of the DVD. This does not work. The video store sends them multiple letters demanding they pay $25 for the DVD, but thankfully Gumball has a backup plan. Cut to Gumball and Darwin begging for money outside a convenience store. They make some money but a hobo ends up taking it, spending it on a winning lottery ticket, and sneaking away with his winnings. Back at the house, the two find a new way to make money: by getting jobs in the cosmetic industry as test subjects. It goes pretty well for Darwin, but Gumball has a severe allergic reaction to the makeup and they only get $5 for their troubles. The boys then get a call at the house from Nicole, who deduces that something is wrong and decides to head home immediately. Out of options, Gumball wants to resort to piracy, but Darwin scolds him for this idea and says he has a better idea anyway. Not long after, Nicole returns home to a fresh pile of urgent letters and begins chasing the boys across the neighborhood as they try to get to the video store. They outrun her for the time being and arrive at the video store, but when Larry the employee checks to make sure the DVD is real, it's revealed to be a shoddy home video Gumball and Darwin made themselves in an attempt to recreate the movie. The boys then confess to everything that happened, unaware that Nicole is right behind them. She ends up forgiving them and and pays the fine to replace the DVD, until she learns the lateness fee has accumulated to $700, which causes the family to run from the store. The end. Even in an earlier episode like this one, I still love this show. You can see the bits and pieces of what it would become, yet at the same time it still delivers on everything I want. My god, this show is a visual delight. Putting 2D and 3D animated characters over realistic backgrounds sounds like a strange idea, and it is, but it works wonders here. I know the art style slightly changed later on (for the better in my opinion), but this early style still has a juvenile charm to it. And of course, the episode is mercilessly funny. My favorite bits include Darwin speaking fluent Chinese only for it to amount to "No", Larry's various phone messages, and the cupcake woman's perfectly cut scream, and that's still leaving out more than 75% of the gags I could mention here. This show got very creative later, but even early on it's a great time and I highly recommend giving it a watch if you somehow haven't already. With the new show about to come out, now would be the perfect time! THE BOTTOM LINE: On top of being hilarious, this show's world is a treat for the eyes. "Amazing" doesn't begin to describe it. RATING: 9 (leaning on 8.5)/10 (a clear standout) You did a good job picking that one, Wheel. Wanna go again? Stay tuned for dman's next talk-about. Original post:

Last time on "DMAN re-attempts to talk about every single CN original in existence", dman talked about a show from the mid-2010s that he not only watched then, but also still enjoys today. Will today's show fit any of those criteria? (well, one at least...) #53: Ben 10 (2016) "The Filth" [October 1, 2016] I should start by saying that this show didn't air until the US until 2017, and the list of programs broadcast by CN page on Wikipedia even lists it as such. However, the page for the show itself lists the Australian airdate in 2016 as its premiere so that's what I'm going with. It doesn't matter too much either way; whether you pick the 2016 or 2017 airdate this show is still 53rd in order. Anways, this show. I went out of my way to avoid it when it was airing. One look at the new art style told me pretty much all I needed to know back then, and the show itself was also heavily criticized by all the people who I've heard actually decided to watch it. And today, I will be joining them (actually not today since this was the first show I covered in the SBM thread but shut up). Let's bite the bullet and see what Ben's latest installment is like... The episode begins with a roach-man and man-roach stealing toxic waste to power up some device, realizing they need a little more waste to reach full power. This is when they take notice of the Tennyson RV, which has high waste potential because Ben's room is a total dump. As a result, Grandpa Max restricts Ben's WiFi access and doesn't allow him to join him and Gwen on that day's "fun" outdoor excursion, and instead leaves him at the RV to do his chores. Before Ben can get started however, the evil duo jacks the RV and drives off in the distance. Cue a montage where Ben uses his many alien forms to try and stop the RV with various Wile E. Coyote-esque methods, and failing each time. Once the Omnitrix stops responding, Ben is forced to walk the RV's tracks, which leads to an abandoned nuclear site filled with barrels of waste. He's initially excited to see that the RV has been freshly cleaned, only to find the roachmen are using its waste to power up their machine, the "Maggonet". Ben responds by turning into Four Arms and confronting Maurice (finally we get a name for the roach-man), which is when he shows off the power of the Maggonet by attracting a bunch of maggots, and they assemble themselves in the shape of a gigantic monster. Maurice's plan is to get the monster to eat Las Vegas (minus all the money), but Ben puts a stop to this by crushing the remote control. Unfortunately, this means that no one can control the monster now, so Maurice flees from the scene. Having nothing else around to throw, Ben disables the Maggonet by throwing the RV at it, but at the cost of messying up the RV once again. Ben finishes tidying up the van upon Grandpa Max and Gwen's return later that night, only for Grandpa to reveal that Ben has only completed one chore of many. The end. It looks like I only had slight dislike of this show when I talked about it in the SBM thread, but now I have no problems labelling it as one of the worst things I've seen thus far. It doesn't even merit the Teen Titans Go comparison anymore; this show sucks in a way that that one can only dream of. First of all, yes, this show visually looks terrible. I'm honestly shocked the same studio that did all the other Ben 10s is somehow also responsible for this one. Omniverse took some getting used to, but I don't think my eyes could ever adjust to this. Next, the action that was present in all the other series is mostly absent here. The fight at the end is over with almost immediately, and side note, why did Ben throw the RV at the monster??? There were dozens of barrels back there he could've easily used! Maybe because they were toxic or something, but come on. They were out in the middle of the desert and Las Vegas clearly was not that close by. Whatever, I'm losing focus here. The action has mostly been replaced with comedy in this show, and surprise surprise, it's not good comedy. I don't even have any notes on what made me crack the slightest of smiles; nothing here was entertaining. So, is this the worst thing I've covered in this thread? No, Problem Solverz still has this one beat (and I think we have some even worse shows to cover later on), but wow that's not saying much. This episode is filled with garbage and that pretty aptly describes the show as a whole. THE BOTTOM LINE: No. RATING: 2 (leaning on 2.5)/10 (piece of shit) Okay Wheel, wanna cut me a break here? Maybe give me a show that I know and love? Stay tuned for dman's next talk-about. Original post:

Last time on "DMAN re-attempts to talk about every single CN original in existence", dman talked about a strange show that just so happened to also be entertaining. Will today's show get any stranger? (yes) #49: Clarence "Fun Dungeon Face Off" [April 14, 2014] Looks like it's time to cover another show I was very familiar with growing up. Like O.K. KO, I also remember people online talking about this show's pilot and wanting to see it greenlit, albeit in much smaller amounts. The difference between the two shows for me is, of course, that I actually watched this show consistently when it was first airing. I remember it being VERY weird, yet there was always this calm, slice-of-life feel underneath it. Are my thoughts going to be similar today? Let's find out...Aberdale is on the horizon. The episode begins with Sumo (hey, Tom's back!) watching a promotional video inside the fast food restaurant Rough Riders Chicken. Currently with him in the ordering line are his friends Clarence and Jeff, with Clarence's mother along to accompany them. It should be noted that Jeff has a much more levelheaded demeanor than Clarence and Sumo; for example he's a lot more specific with his order, and he isn't a fan of the unsanitary playplace. This becomes even more apparent when Clarence and Sumo begin messily mixing each other's food, leaving Jeff appalled. Jeff, who only ordered french fries, isn't willing to share them with his friends. In fact, he makes a scene in front of the whole restaurant by yelling when Clarence reaches for one of his fries. After making Clarence promise that he won't touch his fries, Jeff heads for the bathroom, but of course Clarence takes the fries so that Jeff will be forced to play with him and Sumo in the playplace. Upon Jeff's return, he notices his missing fries and is quickly enraged when he comes to the conclusion that Clarence ate them. He rushes into the playplace, does away with Sumo, and begins chasing Clarence through the network of tubes, ballpits, and bridges. While Sumo messes around with Jeff's previously discarded "girly" cow toy, Clarence and Jeff engage in a foam-padding swordfight on top of the tubes. The fight culminates with Jeff preparing to kick Clarence down a bottomless tube slide. Clarence then reveals he had Jeff's fries the whole time, completely uneaten, but they fall down the slide as he tries to toss them. Jeff, now calm, explains to Clarence that he has complex reasons for the way he behaves, even if he may not fully understand the reasons himself. He grabs on to Clarence's leg for one last moment before they "die", only to be greeted by Sumo eating the fries at the bottom. Jeff agrees to stay friends stay friends with Clarence as they leave the restaurant, and Sumo then realizes he left his cow toy at the restaurant, prompting him to internally sing an intentionally cringe-inducing love song, although Tom's voice makes it pretty funny. The end. Well, I agree with my past self that this show is definitely weird, but I still enjoy it today. I mentioned above how I remember there being more calm elements to the show, and while those may not have been on display in this episode you could still feel them underneath. I'd say it's the most accurate depiction of what childhood is like in a CN show thus far; sometimes fun, sometimes terrifying, sometimes sweet, oftentimes outright odd. I have to give the writers props for that. It doesn't hurt that the show is also pretty funny; my favorite moments are "all the kids love Clarence" transitioning into Jeff's "I'M GONNA KILL YOU, CLARENCE!", and the obvious parody of Yello's "Oh Yeah" playing near the end (how did I never pick up on that as a kid?). Before I finish this post, there's one more thing I want to bring up. I remember years ago seeing some online rando mention how they thought Jeff was the worst character on the show, and that left me feeling down because I felt like I shared a lot of character traits with Jeff. His intelligence, his desire to feel important, even his love for game shows, it all resonated with me. And as someone on the spectrum, I can absolutely relate to having strange personality quirks without much reason to them. I don't think it was ever explicitly said that Jeff wasn't neurotypical, but that's my headcanon now. Sue me. THE BOTTOM LINE: It's not often that you find an off-the-wall show with a comfy vibe at the same time. It is, for sure, worth it. RATING: 8 (leaning on 7.5)/10 (pretty good) Another nice trip down memory lane...how about giving me the next one sooner than later, Wheel? Stay tuned for dman's next talk-about. Original post:

Last time on "DMAN re-attempts to talk about every single CN original in existence", dman talked about what might be the most obscure show in the entire list. Today's show is nowhere close to obscure (especially with how long it ran), but it was still banned in his household...!!! #09: Ed, Edd n Eddy "The Ed-touchables" [January 4, 1999] Today's show completes the trifecta of CN shows I wasn't allowed to watch as a kid, although I never really understood the case for this one. Banning Courage and Billy & Mandy made sense to child me; they had a lot of horror elements to them and thus had potential to be traumatizing. What was the deal with this one? My best guess is because it was...not the nicest of shows, we'll say. It might've sent messages my parents didn't want me learning, yadda yadda, that kind of thing. Like the other two shows I mentioned however, the older me watched this one a lot when it was airing on Boomerang, and despite its nature I had quite a bit of fun with it. So let's see if I can still get a kick out of the Eds after all these years. The episode starts with Edd (Double D) labeling all the objects in his room before being rudely interrupted by Eddy. After some decontaminating, the two enter Double D's room and Eddy immediately begins messing things up. Double D then notices that his magnifying glass is missing, which causes him to panic. After Eddy calms him down (by slamming him with his bed), the two head off to Ed's house. Right as the three begin to horse around, an angry Sarah bursts into Ed's room. Now, if there's one thing I know about this show, it's that literally anyone who has ever watched it hates Sarah's guts. Anyways, her doll has gone missing as well and she blames Ed, which sends the group into a scuffle. Eventually, Eddy sees a connection and makes the claim that someone is taking- or touching- all of their possessions. Eddy announces this to the rest of the cul-de-sac, also saying he plans to put a stop to the "serial toucher", though the rest of the kids aren't too convinced. After setting up a trap, the Eds find Jonny (specifically his plank [named Plank]) touching Ed and they chase him down. The Eds hook both of them up to a lie detector/toaster, and Jonny's results come out as inconclusive. After Eddy subjects Plank to Chinese water torture, Jonny fesses up to taking the cul-de-sac kids' stuff and begs to use the bathroom. As punishment, Jonny is crammed into a tire and sent rolling down the road. The Eds go out to celebrate by buying jawbreakers, but before they can do so, Sarah interrupts them stating she found her doll under her bed, which prompts Double D to reveal he found his magnifying glass after further inspection. Undeterred, the Eds go out for jawbreakers anyway, but lose them after Jonny crashes into the trio, leaving them to chase their sweets down. The end. My parents my have had a point; if I had kids I probably wouldn't want them watching this show either. It's wild, it's stupid, it's mean...but it's a ton of fun. The plots escalate in absurdity like it's nobody's business, the background music and sound effects fit the show perfectly, any character who's hard to sit through always gets some form of comeuppance, and the show is funny as hell. My favorite moments include the rapidfire high-pitched doorbell of Double D's house near the start, the aforementioned "serial toucher" line by Eddy, and Plank's lie detector results (somehow) coming out as false. I had a great time rewatching this one, and I hope I'll have plenty more time to do so in the future, especially so I can get to the fads and breaking reality episodes. Just be glad this episode didn't involve the Kanker sisters (they're in the segment right after this one, oops). Also, because I'm a logo nerd I'm legally obligated to give mention to the a.k.a. Cartoon logo. What the fuck. THE BOTTOM LINE: I don't hold it against my parents for banning this one. Screw them though, this is good shit. RATING: 8 (leaning on 8.5)/10 (pretty good) Spin like you've never spun before, Wheel! Stay tuned for dman's next talk-about.

A lot can happen in a year. For instance, a certain SBC literature series could quickly grow to become one of the site's biggest hits in a long time. But as we see this show entering its fourth season, we have to ask the inevitable question. After all, this forum was made for fans of a series that famously began declining in its own fourth season. So if a lot of growth can happen in just one year, then...what does the opposite side of the coin look like? What could be looming for SBC What If's in its second year? What If...? Episode 25: What If...What If's Went Downhill? Like most media properties that made their slow marches into mediocrity, the downfall of SBC What If's didn't happen all at once. In fact, we can spot an early warning sign coming from just before the season 3 premiere. In late January 2025, one of the members of the initial writing crew suddenly received the pink slip. Rumor has it that he was let go after it was revealed that he puts the milk in before the cereal, and to make matters worse, it's largely believed he moved to North Korea not long after, so it's very unlikely he will ever be heard from again. Nevertheless, the rest of the writers pushed onward and delivered a few more seasons' worth of well-regarded episodes, even with one man down. That said, seasons 4 & 5 suffered from some recycled premises, especially noticeable when three episodes focusing on SBC being acquired by larger social media platforms all premiered in the same season. However, it wasn't until season 6 that things really went south for a variety of reasons, but most of them stem from Spongybobgod returning to the forums and threatening to steal all of the crew's doubloons unless they add him as a writer. Some of the problems with season 6 include but are not limited to: episodes becoming more deranged as opposed to comedic, multiple unwarranted references to Thomas the Tank Engine, and constant "jjs torture porn" episodes. Most infamously of all, the season ended on an episode where The Lurker overdoses on psilocybin and dies, causing a massive backlash on SBC that led to the show's cancellation. Sounds like a harsh fate for SBC What If's, huh? Well, you'll be glad to hear that this story actually has a happy ending. A long time passes after the show's cancellation, but eventually the series is rediscovered by none other than Clappy Jr. Inspired by his father's creation, he starts his own thread called "The New SBC What If's" starting with the episode "What If...What If's Were Revived After 14 Years?". History ends up repeating itself as it becomes one of the most successful lits in the site's history, and several newer users join to write more acclaimed episodes. And so, the cycle of What If's continues. No matter how many people say it's "not as good as it used to be" or make videos discussing the moment What If's died, it will be here to stay...forever. ♫ terminoob, Sandy dies, Sonymount stalls our lives, jjs steams some hams, Stories burn, evil plans, Prez the prez, Lurker lurks, Squidward's sad, Enter's worse, WhoBob's pet, MrBeast, PieGuyWrites, forums seized, Last Airbender takes control, Fights during the Super Bowl, Hillenburg, DS Guy, Giraffes, questions, xat's alive, Wiki episodes not faked, SpongeBob's ghost, 4EG's mate, "What If's Died in Season 4", I can't take it anymore! We'll always ponder "What If...?" Have no fears, we've got queries for years, like: "What If...Zaid was AI?" Maybe Cha makes Count Bleck real, Meep could own some anchovies, or How 'bout some meta nonsense? Where something happens, and doo-doo-doo-doo-doo... Sorry for the spoilers! Have no fears, we've got queries for years... ♫

Last time on "DMAN re-attempts to talk about every single CN original in existence", dman talked about the show with the weasel and the baboon in it. He'll get to the show with the cow and the chicken one day, but for now he's looking at the show with the dog and the flea...what's that, you've never heard of it? #01: The Moxy Show "Television" [December 5, 1993] This is an interesting one for a few reasons. One, well...check out that number above. Yep, this is the very first CN original to air; even if its status of actually being one is up for debate I'm still covering it. Two, this is another anthology show like Sunday Pants, except it features classic cartoons in CN's library as opposed to the newer pilot-like shorts. Three, the Moxy segments themselves use motion capture animation and is one of the earliest examples of such on television. Four, and most importantly, this show is most well known for being almost completely lost media. It's bad enough that there were no home video releases, but to make matters worse, the show has been gone from television since 2000. As far as I know, this makes it the only CN original that left the airwaves before I was born. Naturally, this leaves me with a problem: how am I supposed to cover this show? The good news is that there's a small amount of full episodes available on the web, and I'm just going to be covering the one that IMDb lists first. It almost certainly isn't the first episode of the show (the airdate is even listed as 1995), but I think y'all can forgive me for this due to the state this show is in. Alright, I'm itching to see what Moxy's show is all about, so let's get into it. The episode begins with Moxy (and Flea) briefly discussing television and how grateful they are for it before we segue into our first cartoon. This is "T.V. of Tomorrow", which predicts the various goofy ways that television will take over our lives in the near future. It also features many unique models of the television, personalized for nearly anybody you could think of. (7/10) Moxy then gets a call to appear on the Flintstones, and he already starts dreaming about his future career before Flea reminds him he needs to show up first. When Moxy returns, the two watch his premiere only to find that he's been almost entirely cut from the episode. This leads into our next cartoon, Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy in "Tee Vee or Not Tee Vee". When Augie brags to his neighbor that his dad will appear on television that night, he and his dad try to make a TV-worthy film. Unfortunately, they run into trouble as there isn't any genre that fits Augie's dad well. (6/10) After this we cut directly to our next cartoon, "Cellbound". This one features an imprisoned dog attempting to escape, but he ends up inside his warden's television...literally. As a result, he has to improvise what channels the warden is watching by acting them out himself. (7/10) Oddly enough, after the credits roll there are a few more Moxy segments included. One involves Moxy messing up a casting call thanks to Flea, another shows the two being near self-aware about what network they're on, yet another has Moxy trying to come up with his own catchphrase, and the last one includes Flea briefly getting sentimental before Moxy interrupts him. This one's just...fine. I didn't mind having it on, but there's not really any extra oomph factor put into this one like the other anthology shows I mentioned years ago. KaBlam! has a lot of charm to it, Liquid Television fascinates with its experimental edge, and even Sunday Pants is so strange that it has its own appeal. Moxy and Flea are really not that interesting as hosts, and the classic cartoons (while typically good) aren't the kind of thing I would go out of my way to watch again. The funniest thing in particular is the way that "T.V. of Tomorrow" ends, but nothing involving the actual hosts was that entertaining. If anything, this show's appeal comes from the fact that it's so hard to find nowadays. Now, does this show deserve to be nearly lost like it is? No. Do I understand why it happened? Judging from this episode alone, yes. Multiple sources indicate this wasn't too popular of a show, and I totally get it. I still wish there were more found episodes due to it being integral to CN's history and all, but I also won't complain if it never happens. THE BOTTOM LINE: Undeservedly gone, yet also understandably so. RATING: 6/10 (debatable) It's good to get that hurdle out of the way. Could the Wheel have something even more challenging in store for next time? Stay tuned for dman's next talk-about.

Last time on "DMAN re-attempts to talk about every single CN original in existence", dman talked about one of the most boring shows in CN history. Will today's show give him a much needed boost of life? #07: I Am Weasel "I.R. on Sun" [July 22, 1997] Alright, it looks like I'm talking about another show that was a bit too early for my time. Hell, this one had stopped running before I was even born. With that said, it isn't a complete stranger to me; I saw it air once on Boomerang and I enjoyed it well enough, but that's everything to discuss here. I could mention how this is a spin-off of Cow and Chicken, but considering I remember that show even less I'll leave that discussion to its own post. Okay, I'm struggling for words at this point. Let's put these "I Am Weasel" claims to the test. The episode begins at a rocket base. I.R. Baboon is happily walking along as he's excited to be an astronaut, even though he isn't all that bright. His happiness is interrupted by a statue of I.M. Weasel, whose inscription states that he's the first astronaut to make it to Mars, Jupiter, even Uranus. I.R. is not pleased about this and begins complaining about how he wants to be the first one somewhere in space. Good news, at this exact moment the base's staff offers I.R. his own mission after Weasel turns it down. Bad news, the wiser Weasel turned it down because it's a mission to the Sun. Of course, since I.R. doesn't know any better he accepts the mission. Though Weasel tries to explain to I.R. that the Sun would burn him alive, I.R. doesn't listen because the mission will take place at night, so he believes the Sun won't do any harm to him. Weasel gives up, deciding to let I.R. face the consquences of his actions, but ultimately decides he can't allow his fellow adversary to die in such a fashion and he heads back to the rocket base. He returns a bit too late however, as I.R.'s rocket has launched mere seconds ago. Determined, Weasel jumps into another rocket to chase I.R. into space. Once again, he fails to convince I.R. of his imminent demise, so the two ram into each other a few times before Weasel jumps out of his rocket and saves I.R. before they both crash into the Sun. After parachuting to Earth, a newspaper reveals that Weasel is hailed as a hero while I.R. is jailed. I.R. vows to one-up Weasel someday, which is when he gets the idea to build a theme park on the Sun. The end. Most shows would pack more of an energetic punch than the previous one I covered, but this one is a great example. So, allow me to get some other things out of the way before I explain where that juice comes from in this specific cartoon. First, Weasel and I.R. are fun foils. Their personalities balance out very well; any time I started getting tired of I.R.'s wild antics we would always cut back to the more mellow Weasel. Second, despite there not being many isolated comedic moments here, the inherent goofiness of the show was enough to make up for it. I will however give mention to the part where see several other baboons have crash landed on the Sun with rockets from various nations. Anyways, the real star of the show is the animation. David Feiss makes almost any expression hilarious to look at; the image I used for this post is only the tip of the iceberg. The show may have its flaws (once again I.R.'s personality can be hard for me to get past), but I still recommend giving it a watch for the visuals alone. I'm now excited to see if the animation in Cow and Chicken is just as good as it is here, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. THE BOTTOM LINE: As an idea it's pretty average, but as a cartoon it's rather enjoyable. I.M. Satisfied. RATING: 7 (leaning on 7.5)/10 (decent) So, Wheel, what's in store for me next time? Stay tuned for dman's next talk-about.

Last time on "DMAN re-attempts to talk about every single CN original in existence", dman talked about a show that was a nostalgic childhood favorite. Will today's show also inspire nostalgia? I doubt it, since dman was a mere infant by the time it was off the air... #10: Mike, Lu & Og "Sultans of Swat" [November 12, 1999] Waaaay back when I made my post on Sheep in the Big City, I mentioned how I used to constantly do binges on shows that were short-lived and often forgotten. Something about that concept was so fascinating to me; so much so that I made an SBM thread to discuss a few of them. Unfortunately, I only ever talked about one (and it was also Sheep, go figure). Before today, one of the only things I remember from that thread was someone questioning the exclusion of today's show, which...fair enough. It definitely fits the bill for a short-lived CN show, and it even aired not far from the same period of time as the other three. So I gave the show a watch, and ultimately decided I wouldn't be covering it. Hmm...that doesn't seem like a good sign. Alas, after almost nine years, today I will be covering it for real. We visited a rather isolated place last post, but it's nothing compared to this... The episode begins with a meeting of the Philosophical Society, consisting of the inventive Og and his goat, pig, and porcupine pets. Before anything of note can happen, the native New Yorker Mike interrupts and invites Og to play baseball. He's never heard of it (being raised on an island and all), so Mike decides to show him the ropes while his pets watch from a distance. She manages to gather several adults (Alfred, Margery, Wendel) along with the arrogant Lu to play a game with her, who are all just as clueless on how to play as anyone else. They start by singing the island's national anthem, and right afterward Lu begins asking how she can win the game. Mike, dodging the question, passes the bat off to Lu. Though she gains multiple strikes due to not knowing how to play, she eventually hits the ball and runs the bases, celebrating her victory. To her disappointment, Mike says it's only time to rotate sides. As time goes on, the islanders basically hand over more "victories" to Lu, much to Mike's annoyance. Mike finally takes the bat and misses twice, only serving to rile her up further. Her third swing hits, but an elephant eats the ball before she can reach home base. This leads to the titular three arguing whether this was a run, an out, or a foul. Bored out of their minds, Og's pets sabotage the game for their own enjoyment. Lu ends up getting another "win" despite also getting a face full of porcupine quills to do so, and ultimately Mike gives up, spending the rest of the day trying to teach the adults how to play instead. The end. I'll tell you what, Og's pets weren't the only ones that got bored while watching this. As far as this episode goes, this is the definition of a snoozefest. I like myself a lower energy show every now and then, but jeez; there's almost nothing to point out here. I don't know if this is just me, but this has the vibe of a show specifically for preschool kids, not something from CN that would air alongside the Eds and Courage. But even then, preschool shows typically have more purpose through teaching kids morals or whatever; what purpose does this have? If I wanted to watch cartoon baseball, I'd just play clips of people raging at Winnie the Pooh's Home Run Derby, simple. Let's play our own game: do you think I find this show funny? Vote in the poll The answer is no. There are attempts at jokes, but outside of one moment none of them land for me. The moment in question is the "Got it?" "Uhh...no." "Good man." exchange between Og and Wendel, though it's more Dee Bradley Baker's voice acting giving me a chuckle rather than the line itself. To be clear, I don't hate this show. It's not worthy of dislike like Problem Solverz and Squirrel Boy are. In fact, it's not worthy of any emotion at all (other than, of course, boredom), and I think that just about sums it up. As one last tangent, I find it somewhat funny and ironic that the company that produced this show is called "Kinofilm" despite the show being anything but. Also, it appears to be the only television show they ever produced. Not too surprising, I'd say. THE BOTTOM LINE: I think we've found it...the quintessential "show that exists". RATING: 4/10 (not good) Well, I suppose some shows are short-lived for a reason. But hey, with this post I am now more than halfway through all the shows I'll be covering! How about giving me something a little more interesting, Wheel? Stay tuned for dman's next talk-about.

Last time on "DMAN re-attempts to talk about every single CN original in existence", dman talked about Ben again (the original!). Today's show does not involve Ben, but it does have another child protagonist... #34: The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack "Several Leagues Under the Sea" [June 5, 2008] Ahh, Flapjack. Out of all the shows I've covered in this thread so far, this is the one I remember the most fondly. I was 7 years old, my family had just moved into a new state, and this brand-new show was airing as part of CN's "Har Har Tharsdays" block (along with some other shows, one of which I will get to another day). And I really liked it! My brother and I watched it so much that at one point, we could recite lines from the show verbatim and keep it going for a solid few minutes. That being said, I haven't watched this show in years. However, I'm not too worried about the quality of the show dropping over time, because I rewatched a few episodes years back and they still held up. Without further ado, let's pay a much needed visit back to Stormalong Harbor. The episode begins with two seamen racing their ships across the sea until they are approached by Bubbie the whale, who Flapjack proclaims is "the fastest ship in the seven seas". Oh yeah, and Captain K'nuckles is also here. Bubbie initially reprimands Flapjack for bragging, but after one of the seamen insults her, she ends up leaving both of them in the dust. Out of nowhere, a boy emerges from the sea and gets everyone's attention by calling Bubbie the second fastest thing in the seven seas. Curious, the main trio follow him back underwater to see what could be even faster. While Bubbie is separated, Flapjack and K'nuckles meet an inventor in his Magical Undersea Lair (M.U.S.L.) and experience his many "mechanical" wonders. One of these is the Alpha Whale, a metal whale powered by a group of rowdy kids. Flapjack still believes Bubbie to be the fastest, and things quickly get out of hand when he challenges the inventor to a race through the Sea of Teeth. After transitioning into the next day, Bubbie expresses her disappointment with Flapjack but ultimately goes through with the race. Bubbie takes an early lead, although it's mostly because the inventor is starting off slower on purpose. He begins firing kids out of the Alpha Whale to attack Bubbie. While Flapjack defends her from the other kids, one of them manages incapacitate her in a net as the Alpha Whale pulls ahead. However, not long after it comes to a stall and begins sinking. Why? Because it's time for the scheduled lunch break, of course! No kids shoveling coal means no movement. Flapjack and K'nuckles use this opportunity to free Bubbie, and they regain the lead right as the lunch break ends. The dueling whales now approach the Sea of Teeth, which the trio manage to get through by some miracle, and the inventor tries to get through by shooting his child ammunition at a sea creature. This does not work. Feeling somewhat responsible for their endangerment, Flapjack swims back to help load the kids onto Bubbie while the Alpha Whale once again pulls ahead. It is also once again short-lived, because the inventor fired all the kids at the sea creature and there is no one left but himself to power the whale. With both whales using all the energy they've got left, the race ends in a photo finish. The inventor uses a photo box with a kid inside to try and rig the results, but of course the kid draws a picture showing Bubbie winning the race...by a tongue! That night, Flapjack swears to never brag again, but someone then appears mentioning how he heard Flapjack's got "a pretty tough pirate", accompanied by a metal K'nuckles look-alike. The end. Wanna take a guess what my opinion on this one is? If you said "he still enjoys it"...yeah, that's it. This show is so absolutely goofy and surreal in a way that has yet to be matched by anything else CN has done. Everything from the various styles of animation they use to just how weird a place Stormalong in itself is adds to that feel, and I enjoy all of it. And of course, the comedy here is top notch. My favorite bits include "who is fastest...and who is dead", the kid feeling defenseless after the plastic hand falls off of his sword, Flapjack's "I hope we've won your hearts" being followed by some less than enthused looks, and the lunch break gag I mentioned above. I liked this one 17 years ago (wtf), and I still like it now. It'll definitely be worth watching some more of in the future. Also, since I couldn't think of anywhere else to point this out, K'nuckles is voiced by Brian Doyle-Murray, the same voice actor for the Flying Dutchman. And yet this was the show I first heard his voice in. I guess that's what happens when your parents don't let you watch SpongeBob growing up. THE BOTTOM LINE: A show like this is strange in the best way: not to the point of weirding you out but just enough to leave you hungering for more. Mmm...like my hungering for some candy. RATING: 8 (leaning on 8.5)/10 (pretty good) Well, that was quite the pleasant revisit. O great Wheel, where will you take me next? Stay tuned for dman's next talk-about.

Last time on "DMAN re-attempts to talk about every single CN original in existence", dman stumbled upon one of his least favorite shows he's covered so far. Will today's show continue that trend? Seems rather unlikely... #28: Ben 10 (2005) "And Then There Were 10" [December 27, 2005] Ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived at the inaugural series of Ben 10. I remember watching this one a lot as a kid, even if there isn't much I particularly remember from it nowadays. I mostly remember it for what it would become later: a CN property that simply refused to die. That being said, my memories with this series in particular are still fond ones. I mean I did use to own an Omnitrix toy, so there must have been something I liked about this show, yes? Let's see if I can rediscover what it was... The episode starts with two ships fighting in outer space. An alien on one of the ships is searching for the Omnitrix, remarking "there is not a being in the galaxy that dares stand in [his] way". We then cut to Ben messing around in school. Hmm...I wonder if he's gonna get in the alien's way? Anyways, summer break has just begun and Ben starts his by trying to stand up to some bullies, but this backfires and he ends up hung by his underwear from a tree. Ben's grandpa Max then shows up to take him on their camping trip, but surprise! Ben's cousin Gwen is also along for the ride; a situation that neither him nor her are particularly happy with. As the two deal with an unappetizing dinner that Max cooked up at the camping spot, we cut back to outer space. The ship containing the Omnitrix is badly damaged, so it ejects itself into outer space and away from the battle. Back at the campsite, Ben quickly gets bored and decides to talk a walk out in the woods. He sees what he thinks is a shooting star before it strikes Earth right in front of him. That's right, it's the Omnitrix escape pod from earlier. Ben, thinking it's a watch, reaches out for it, when it suddenly attaches itself to his arm causing Ben to freak out. He calms down quickly however, and after messing around with the device he manages to turn himself into an alien. Now he really freaks out. Ben (as Heatblast) realizes that despite being on fire, he isn't feeling any pain. He then tries out his new abilities and accidentally starts a forest fire. Noticing this, Max and Gwen run in to help put it out. They come across the alien, and both eventually realize that it's Ben. In the aftermath of the fire, Ben automatically turns back into his human self and Max tells him he should try not to mess with the Omnitrix anymore. Unfortunately, this is the moment an alien/robot drops from the sky in search of the Omnitrix. Ben isn't aware of this yet, but he of course still ignores Max's orders and turns into another alien. This time it's Wildmutt, an orange dog-like alien with a noticable lack of eyes. He runs out into the forest, destroying one of the drones the robot sent in the process, but after turning back to normal Ben comes face to face with another drone. Thankfully, Gwen intervenes (with a shovel) and the whole group meet back up at Max's RV. They overhear a news report about a robot attacking several people, which is when Ben decides to take action. He turns into Diamondhead, whose name is a good description for what it looks like. Ben fights off the robot while Max and Gwen evacuate the area. Ultimately Ben is able to destroy the robot with its own attack, and he runs from the crowd before he changes back to human. The next day the family packs their things back into the RV (especially quickly thanks to Ben as XLR8 (getit?)), and when Gwen questions where he was off to, Ben says that he had some things to take care of. Cut to the bullies from earlier hung by their underwear on the same tree. The end. This is indeed still a good one; pretty handily the best of all the Ben 10s I've covered so far. So what makes this one stand out? In my opinion, this one has a much more lighthearted charm to it. The later shows would get more and more serious as they went on (ignoring a certain one), and this one's plenty serious too, but here the humor does a very good job at balancing it out. Most of the jokes here come from watching Ben and Gwen's insults play off of each other, something that would also appear less over time. I also like the early nod that Max might know more than he's letting on with the "He's not a monster, he's an alien. (pause) I mean, look at him! What else could he be?" line. And of course, the ending that wraps the whole episode in a bundle is a nice touch. Great stuff here, I may not have the time for Ben's entire saga but I might need to watch a few more episodes of this specific show for old times' sake. THE BOTTOM LINE: A nice return to simpler times for what would eventually become one of CN's most prolific properties, it's hard to go wrong with the original. RATING: 8 (leaning on 8.5)/10 (pretty good) For no reason, I feel excited to see what the Wheel is going to spin this time! Go for it!! Stay tuned for dman's next talk-about. Original post:

Last time on "DMAN re-attempts to talk about every single CN original in existence", dman talked about a show that was really two shows and they were both shows he had already talked about before. Did you get all that? Anyway, today's show is certainly something else... #29: Squirrel Boy "A Line in the Sandwich" [May 29, 2006] Despite being very familiar with a majority of the CN shows airing around this time, I don't have a lot of memories with this one. Per usual there are some bits in my head; I'm pretty sure there was one episode that involved one of those talking fish that you mount on your wall, and I definitely remember parts of "The Rod Squad", but that's it. It also doesn't help that this show lasted only about a year and it wasn't re-ran that much. I would say that's a bad sign, but Class of 3000 had a similar treatment and that's been one of my favorite shows I've covered so far. So, let's set my expectations to neutral and see what exactly the squirrel and boy have to offer. The episode starts with Rodney (the squirrel) and Andy (the boy) watching a commercial for a new toy, the Fobject®. They want to buy one, but it's rather expensive and neither of them has the funds to pay for it. However, Rodney gets an idea after taking a bite of Andy's sandwich. Noticing how delicious it is (thank's to Andy's secret sauce), the pair go out to sell sandwiches and make some moolah. With Andy's sanwich-crafting skills and Rodney's snazzy suit and hat, they attract a ton of business...maybe a bit too much, as they both end up completely worn out. Either way, they now have enough money to buy a Fobject®. Rodney proposes the idea of putting the money back into their business so they can buy two Fobjects®, but starts an argument with Andy at the notion that his hat is what's really attracting the crowds, rather than Andy's secret sauce. This continues into the next day, and it culminates in Andy leaving with his sauce, forcing Rodney to deal with the customers himself. This does not go well. Back at the house, Rodney and Andy decide they don't want to be friends anymore, before Andy immediately regrets this choice and wants to be friends again. Uh...sure. Anyway, when Rodney has a vision after passing out in the street, he goes back to Andy's house and they agree to go for one more day in the sandwich business. Unbeknownst to each other, they've both taken away their vital selling points so that the business will fail and they can go back to being friends. Rodney has no hat and Andy is using lard instead of sauce, causing them to lose all their customers. This leaves them both happy and they go off to play baseball. The end. The whole time I was watching this I couldn't shake the feeling of being home sick on a school day, just having the TV play whatever was on and not caring enough to switch channels to something else. That's not a compliment, if you were wondering. I know it's not in CN's interest to judge the quality of their shows, but I'd say it's better that this one lasted for as short as it did, because this episode was pretty bad. Rodney is irritating throughout this whole thing, and while Andy is somewhat better, he has his moments of annoyance too, not helped by his voice (which actually had to make me lower the volume). Maybe I could look past these flaws if the comedy were any good, but unfortunately that's my least favorite thing about this. Nothing in here is funny. The closest I came to thinking so was when Andy's dad mentioned how a can of soda tasted like his toothbrush, both of which Rodney used. It was subtle enough to cause the slightest of exhales, but every other joke here is forced or in your face. At one point Rodney literally explains the joke in his line, and if my head wasn't already in my hands from said line it certainly was now. Yeah, sorry, this one really wasn't for me. I have no idea how Everett Peck went from Duckman to this, but I guess sometimes an underrated classic needs a total dud to balance it out. R.I.P. to him, by the way. THE BOTTOM LINE: If you're hungering for a comedy show without any good comedy, Squirrel Boy might have just the sandwich you're looking for! RATING: 3/10 (straight bad) Alas, they can't all be winners! Maybe spin something better, Wheel? Though it would be pretty hard to go further down from here... Stay tuned for dman's next talk-about.

Last time on "DMAN re-attempts to talk about every single CN original in existence", dman talked about an episode of a show that he was torn on, but more importantly the Wheel pulled off the 1 in 33 chance to do a funny thing. Today, we visit the origin of two previously covered shows... #15: Grim & Evil "Meet the Reaper" / "Evil Con Carne" [August 24, 2001] Well, this didn't take long at all. A few posts ago I talked about Billy & Mandy, just last post I talked about Evil Con Carne, and now we're at the starting point for both. I don't have much to add about either of these shows that I didn't already mention in their respective introductions, so let's just go ahead and jump into today's 2-for-1 special! "Meet the Reaper" begins with Billy & Mandy getting ready to celebrate the 10th birthday of their hamster, Mr. Snuggles. At that moment, the Grim Reaper suddenly appears to take Mr. Snuggles away. Billy (being his idiotic self) mistakes Grim for Santa Claus, and Mandy refuses to give up their hamster to Grim unless he beats her and Billy in a game. Since he never loses, Grim agrees to the bet and also states that if he loses he'll be their best friend...forever. Everyone is promptly teleported to limbo to play a game of- what else- limbo. It eventually reaches a point where the bar is too low for Billy to go under, but Grim knows he can fit his way through. Before he can make it all the way under the bar however, Mandy gets Mr. Snuggles to attack Grim, causing him to knock over the bar and lose. As a result, Grim is now being to treated to a sleepover at Billy & Mandy's house as their friend...forever! The end. "Evil Con Carne" begins with Hector Con Carne addressing the League of Nations (or at least trying to), telling them to turn control of the world over to him or face his doomsday device. The problem is Boskov can't keep the camera pointed at Hector, much to his annoyance. General Skarr then informs the group of an oncoming fleet, so Hector commands Boskov to activate the doomsday device, but he ignores Hector and runs for a beehive instead. In the meantime, the crack commandos show up and wreck Bunny Island, doomsday device included. This results in Hector firing Boskov, and Hector demands that Major Dr. Ghastly build him a new body. She reluctantly obliges, giving Hector a new, powerful, metal body. When the commandos return from their lunch break, Hector is able to disarm them with ease. However, he goes too far and uses rockets that cause the majority of Bunny Island to be destroyed. Hanging on to a suspended wire, Hector is unable to pull himself up due to the weight of his new body. Right before he falls, Boskov makes his way out to the wire to save Hector as the rest of the body falls into an abyss. Hector then promises not to be a bad person towards his friends again, right before Boskov accidentally slams him against an overhang and Hector starts yelling again. The end. I don't have much to add here that I didn't already say in the previous talk-abouts, but I will note a few things. I picked up on some slight differences in the art style from these earlier episodes; for example Billy & Mandy are not yet fully in the blocky style that 2000s cartoons have become known for (although there are hints of it), they're a lot rounder-looking here. Hector's brain is also very noticably spherical rather than...well, brain-shaped. In my opinion, both shows looked marginally better as they progressed. I'll also say I enjoyed the Evil Con Carne segment here more than the previous one I discussed, though it still hovers around a 7 for me. Oh, well. Let's get the obligatory joke shout-outs over with: I liked the visual gag of Grim trying to drink tea only for it to pass through his chin and spill on his cloak, and Ghastly suggesting that Hector listens to his gut, only for it to reply that it's hungry. So yes, nice stuff all around from some shows we're familiar with at this point. THE BOTTOM LINE: If you want an early look at what would become one of CN's most iconic series along with its B-show, you can't go wrong with this one. RATING: I considered omitting this section for this one, but for the sake of completeness I'm including it. Since the Billy & Mandy segment was on the same level of quality as the first one I covered and the Con Carne segment was a slight improvement, I'll let this one off with a 7 (leaning on 7.5)/10. And that's all of Maxwell Atoms' shows on CN done! Wouldn't it be hilarious if the Wheel gave me all three remaining Ben 10s now? Come on, I know you want to! Stay tuned for dman's next talk-about.

Last time on "DMAN re-attempts to talk about every single CN original in existence", dman talked about an episode of a show that set a new bar for how good CN shows can be in this thread. Is it possible today's show can push it even further? #19: Evil Con Carne "Gutless!" [July 11, 2003] Thankfully, I won't have to deal with the awkward scenario of having to cover Grim & Evil inbetween Billy & Mandy and this one. Granted it would've been nicer in retrospect to have gotten to the former first, but whatever, I'll take what I can get. Back to today's topic, this show. I don't remember this one at all. It was already done airing by the time I started forming permanent memories, and I've never had the desire to watch it on my own time. But that changes today! If Billy & Mandy was a pleasant surprise, there's nothing stopping this one from doing the same. What kind of evil could be in store? The episode begins with...Hector? Boskov? waking up. Okay, this one needs some explanation and I'm going to let the theme song do it: "Once upon a time, there was a jillionaire playboy who was blown up in a tremendous explosion. His brain survived (stomach too!), and was attached to the body of a stupid circus bear. I am that brain...my name is Hector Con Carne, and I will one day rule the world! MUAHAHAHAHA!" So Hector is the brain, Boskov is the bear, and they're basically one in the same. Got it? I hope so. Anyways, the episode begins with them waking up, but Hector's stomach isn't feeling well. At that moment, Major Dr. Ghastly runs in to warn them about an outbreak, but she puts two and two together and demands that they stay in bed, despite Hector's objections. Ghastly puts on some TV for them to watch, where they learn that the outbreak originated in the U.K., though strangely enough no one there appears to be infected. Hector decides to take vengeance on the British, with the caveat that his stomach stay behind by request of Ghastly. Hector travels across the sea with General Skarr to get to England. In the air they're able to make it to Buckingham Palace, but Hector cannot give Skarr the order to fire as...he hasn't the stomach for it. Upon their return, Hector's stomach is looking even worse off. While Hector pleads and commands for his stomach to get better, Boskov picks it up and starts patting it, allowing it to release some trapped gas. And by some, I mean a lot...maybe a bit too much. Ghastly then returns with a cure for the virus, but it has to heat up first, so she strikes a match...and the abundance of released gas causes Bunny Island to explode. The end. Unsurprisingly, a lot of the qualities in Atoms's other big work are also present here, though I will admit this one didn't work quite as well for me. For one, there's the characters. I enjoy Hector, Ghastly, and Skarr well enough, but compared to how well Grim, Billy, and Mandy play off of each other it feels like something is lost here. One other thing, and this is more a problem with the episode itself, the gas joke goes on for waaaaay too long. It may have been funny if it lasted for a tiny moment, but more than 20 seconds of this is just Boskov patting Hector's stomach while bodily noises play. I don't recall anything like this in the Billy & Mandy episode; in fact the comedy in that one was all-around better. That isn't to discredit this episode though, there are still some funny moments here (see the stomach pun I mentioned above) but they're pretty far between. It's fine for one viewing, but I can't really say this is one I'll be coming back to. Guess that clears up the mystery of why it was killed off much earlier than its Grim counterpart. THE BOTTOM LINE: It's a fine enough time while it's on, but I'd much rather be watching its sister show anyday. RATING: 6 (leaning on 6.5)/10 (debatable) The Wheel has the opportunity to be funny by giving me Grim & Evil next. What does it say? Stay tuned for dman's next talk-about.

Last time on "DMAN re-attempts to talk about every single CN original in existence", dman talked about an episode of a show that he considered a nostalgic favorite. Today he looks another show he has nostalgia for, but not in the same way... #14: Samurai Jack "The Premiere Movie Part I: The Beginning" [August 10, 2001] This is one of those shows I always wanted to watch but never got around to it. I barely remember it showing on television at all; I saw bits and pieces of some episodes and the only time I caught one in full was when the Blind Archers episode aired very late one night. Even though I was never able to catch the show again, that particular episode always stuck with me. Although it isn't the episode I'll be covering today, I highly recommend giving it a watch if you haven't already. Several moments of it have always stuck with me, helped by the fact that I consistently give it rewatches. So, it's about time I try expanding outside that one episode, huh? Like with Foster's, I'll only be covering the first part of the three-part premiere. Both Wikipedia and the mp4 files I have split the episodes that way, so there's no problem here. Or is there?... The episode begins with the view of an eclipse, suddenly freeing the evil demon known as Aku and allowing him to wreck havoc on the world once more. We fade to a scene of young Jack listening to his father (the Emperor)'s retelling of how he trapped Aku beneath the Earth years ago, and we get a glimpse of their rebuilt kingdom in the time since. Unfortunately, the peace does not last as Aku arrives to cause mass destruction. As Aku captures the Emperor, he commands his wife to take their son and flee from the wreckage. Once Jack is safe, inspiration strikes and he begins training to be a samurai. Cue a montage where he grows up traveling around the world and honing his skills. Despite the entire sequence being wordless, it does an amazing job at keeping my attention. Upon returning home, he receives a magical sword from his mother, the same sword his father used to defeat Aku. After some more training, Jack is ready to do the same. The kingdom is now fully under Aku's control, with all of its residents being enslaved by Aku and his minions. With the help of the new sword Jack is able to defeat the minions with ease, temporarily freeing his people, including his father. Jack vows to defeat Aku, but his father urges him against it, knowing firsthand how dangerous the task will be. Undaunted, Jack persists with his mission. When he finds Aku, the demon immediately recognizes Jack's sword as the same one his father used to imprison him. Aku responds by shapeshifting into various forms to stop his imprisonment from happening again. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that was something he could do this whole time. Jack and Aku engage in a duel, climaxing with Jack preparing to deliver a finishing blow against Aku. However, before this can happen Aku creates a hole in time, sending Jack through it and into the future that is Aku's...which ends part one. ...goddamn. There's nothing in the comedy department this time around, but this show excels at practically everything else. It's surprisingly mature for a CN show, which would come to be a theme of Tartakovsky's later works (wink wink). Throughout this episode, not once did I feel like I was being spoonfed details in an obvious way. Everything that happens has purpose, and the pacing of it is virtually perfect. The art style is also gorgeous, very unique among the other shows on the channel at the time. And since I can't give funny points here, I'll mention my favorite line/moment instead. After Jack's father finishes his story, he remarks how "the presence of evil is sometimes right behind you", leading to Jack innocently swinging his play sword...and Aku appearing behind him seconds later. God, I got chills at that part. Believe me though, the rest of the episode is just as good. If the premiere and the Blind Archers episodes are any indication, I need to get to binging this one ASAP. But for now, this is the best show I've covered so far in this thread. What an absolute treat for both the eyes and the mind. THE BOTTOM LINE: Revered for good reason, a show like this proves that some CN shows can go beyond being a cartoon and become pure art. RATING: 9 (leaning on 9.5)/10 (a clear standout) Maybe one day that score will go up to a 10, but only time will tell. In the meantime, let's see what the Wheel thinks... Stay tuned for dman's next talk-about.

Last time on "DMAN re-attempts to talk about every single CN original in existence", dman talked about a show that...huh? Apparently it doesn't exist anymore...strange. Will today's show exist unlike that one? The answer- yes! #05: Johnny Bravo "Super Duped" [July 14, 1997] After the last talk-about, the RNG gods have thankfully decided to throw me a bone. Despite not watching it when it was airing, I still have many good memories of watching reruns of this show while doing band practice at home. Thanks, Boomerang! It may share some elements with other CN shows of the time, but I felt there was always something special about this show in particular that kept me coming back, but it's been years since I've touched this show and I can't remember what that was. Refresh my mind, will ya Johnny? The episode starts with Johnny on his way to the market to pick up some groceries for his mother. He gets interrupted by Susie, a schoolgirl who wants to bring him in for show and tell. Johnny has no interest in this until he sees her teacher and changes his mind...as he usually does. In class, Susie introduces Johnny as the superhero "Bravo-Man", impressing the classmates and the teacher. At that exact moment, the bank across the street is being robbed, and you can probably tell where this is going. Everyone counts on Johnny to stop the robber, including the police. It turns out the robber in question is Sweet Cheeks, a candy-themed supervillain. Johnny gets into many hijinks with the villain, including getting pummeled to the ground, wrapped up in a licorice whip, getting kicked into a sewer, and so on. It culminates in Sweet Cheeks taking Susie hostage, which Johnny is currently paying no mind to since his favorite shirt got dirtied in the scuffle. Finally, he manages to turn on a fire hose, sending him flying across town and spraying down Sweet Cheeks, which melts him like the Wicked Witch of the West. I guess he was made of sugar, too. The kids celebrate, and Johnny offers to take the teacher out. However, she already has a boyfriend who's a real superhero, and they fly off into the sky. The end. Now I remember what was so good about the show; its cartooniness. I mean, it's a show about a jacked Elvis impersonator chasing down women but also getting into wacky shenanigans while doing so. What's not to love? Watching this brought back memories of episodes like the Schoolhouse Rock parody, the Scooby-Doo crossover, and the episode that was formatted like Run Lola Run. All of which I had to rewatch after this, and all of them still held up. Mostly because Johnny Bravo, as a character and as a show, is hilarious. I'll be remissed if I don't mention my favorite jokes then: the police leaving for donuts after Johnny shows up, Susie's "with a caramel center" line, and Johnny questioning which kid to use his "heat vision" on first to end the episode. Yep, this one was a fun time indeed. Also, once again I can't confirm or deny it, but one of the schoolkids sounds like our lord and savior Tom Kenny. So there. THE BOTTOM LINE: When a show is as goofy and off the wall while staying comedic as this one, it's much better than "yeah, whatever". RATING: 8/10 (pretty good) O Wheel, what do ye have for me now? Stay tuned for dman's next talk-about. Original post:

Last time on "DMAN re-attempts to talk about every single CN original in existence", dman talked about a show that's better than the one he's covering today. There are quite a few shows that are better than the one he's covering today. In fact, most shows are better than the one he's covering today. You know what, screw it, EVERY show he's covered or will cover in this thread is better than the one he's covering today. You think I'm joking? I'm not joking. Why would I joke about this? I'm the damn narrator! I'm not supposed to have an opinion at all, yet here I am! And I will tell you all like it is: this show is-AAPGONVPOBSNBPOANNBPONWPOGNTPOBNPAONVPO NVPOVPAOFDVPOMNBGFDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA #42: The Problem Solverz "Time Twister" [April 4, 2011] ....um............uh......................................hmm. The episode begins with the titular trio ordering some pizza while Alfe (the whatever-the-fuck-species-he-is) is being unbearable and begging for pizza nonstop. During this, Horace (who I guess is the most normal-looking of the three) is helping Roba (the robot) to see if there are any problems that need solving. They can't find any, and since Alfe already ate all the pizza, they go out to get some more. When they arrive at the store, the line is taken up by a bunch of old people. It turns out they were an elementary class, but they rode a certain roller coaster and came off several years older. We know this because their teacher says so. The teacher points out the specific roller coaster, the Time Twister. Horace hypothesizes that if the old people ride the coaster in the reverse they'll be young again. Roba is ready to go home and run some tests on this, but Alfe gets impatient and sends the class on the reversed coaster. It turns out Horace was right, as they all come back young kids again. They board up the coaster, and the mayor thanks the Problem Solverz for saving the day. The end. ...I wish. Back at their house, Alfe can't stop thinking about pizza again. He wakes up Roba and Horace in the middle of the night to complain, and they are understandably fed up with Alfe. Out of options, he hatches an idea to use the Time Twister to go back in time and get more pizza from when they were eating it earlier. It works, but in the process he accidentally brings back a dinosaur and also ages himself backwards. Later, Roba notices a suspicious amount of time travel activity coming off Alfe's pizza, but he eats the evidence. Lather, rinse, repeat. Alfe goes back in time, gets pizza, brings back various prehistoric creatures, gets younger. The city is now in pandemonium, and the mayor scorns the Problem Solverz for their actions. To fix the problem, the three go to Tux Dog for some help. He tells them that if they want to fix time, they must destroy the Time Twister at its source, the end of time. Once they get there, they come face to face with Eternitron, who shoos them away with lasers. Alfe gets the idea to grab multiple clones of himself through time, using them all to fight Eternitron and destroying the Time Twister for good. The...end. Well, folks. This is it. We've arrived at the bottom of the barrel. Let me start by saying that I barely even watched this show as a kid. I saw its series premiere (this episode), but that was it. After that, I never touched this show again, because holy HELL this is an incomprehensible level of awful. Reminder: at the time, I was TEN. I watched a lot of crap on television back then, and yet, I never wanted to watch this one again. Why? For many, many reasons. First, the show isn't funny. The best "joke" that I can recall here is the mayor giving them a huge check for saving the city...and it's only $15. It's...vaguely funny I guess?? But it sounds like something I could've written myself back then and that's not a compliment. Second, I have no interest in any of the characters, especially not in the main trio. Not like the background characters are any better, but I still don't want to spend time with these guys. Horace is just bland, Roba has a very annoying voice, and, no exaggeration, Alfe is the most unlikeable character I've covered in this thread so far. He is a straight-up insufferable asshole throughout this whole episode. I would hope there aren't many episodes like this that are centered around him, but judging by the "Ask Alfe" segment that takes place during the credits, I'd guess these episodes probably take up like 75% of the series. Just by these points alone, this show would be lucky to get a 3/10. But now, let's finally get to the elephant in the room: the visuals. Good fucking GOD. Who in their right mind decides to make a show that looks like THIS and put it on television? Basically every frame is an eyesore, but I have to give special mention to the amusement park. It looks like hell. Multicolored, seizure-inducing, hell. The fact something could look like this and last five months on TV is a crime against humanity in itself. I could go on listing issues with this show, but this point, more than anything, sums it up. It only takes a few seconds of viewing before my eyes want to kill themselves. I know it's a clichéd phrase, but I actually can't watch this. If I'm lucky, I'll never think about this show again and I'll watch better CN shows until the end of time. THE BOTTOM LINE: Go back in time and delete this show from existence. Problem Solved! RATING: 1/10 (do not even watch) Well, the good news is no matter what the Wheel spins we can only go up from here... If you clicked on the spoiler and you aren't wishing you were always blind, stay tuned for dman's next talk-about.

Last time on "DMAN re-attempts to talk about every single CN original in existence", dman talked about an old nostalgic favorite from his past. Meanwhile, the show of discussion today had no chance to gather nostalgia, as it was banned in his household...!!! So...this one is an interesting case. As some of you know, this series really started airing back in 2001 as one of two segments included in Grim & Evil, before they both split off into their own shows in 2003. As such, I won't be covering the "true" first episode of the show here, and it'll be the same deal for the Evil Con Carne talk-about. Instead, I'll save the first segment of each show as a 2-for-1 package when the time comes for me to talk about Grim & Evil. Exciting, no? Anyways, the first episode to come out after the show split is... #18: The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy "Toadblatt's School of Sorcery" [June 13, 2003] Yes, this is the second show I've mentioned so far that was banned from my eyes as a child. There's only one more after this, and I doubt anyone will be able to guess it. Go ahead and try! Anyways, I unsurprisingly don't have much to say about this one. I didn't watch it at all growing up, and I didn't even watch it that much when it was airing on Boomerang, unlike Courage. I guess it just didn't capture my attention at the time? Who knows. But hey, Courage surprised me with how awesome it was, so there's no stopping this show from doing the same! I just hope I don't lose my head in the process... The episode begins with Billy (the idiot) and Mandy (the cynic) dreading their incoming summer, seeing as both of them are being sent away to camps that they will no doubt end up hating (Billy is going to a math camp, and Mandy is going to a happiness camp). Grim decides to help them out by magically changing their pamphlets to the eponymous "Toadblatt's Summer School of Sorcery". They board the bus to the school, and once the woman at the front desk (I can't confirm but I'm 95% sure this is Tom Kenny) says the new students have arrived, they are introduced to Dean Toadblatt himself. He gets right to business, putting the "squid hat" on the new students' heads to determine which houses they will stay in. The first three all get the same one, Gunderstank. The squid notices how empty Billy's headspace is, determining it's best to put him in Weaselthorpe, and after some threatening remarks from Mandy, he is too terrified to sit on her head and settles on putting her in Weaselthorpe as well. Finally, Toadblatt notices Grim and makes him the prefect of Gunderstank as he is appreciative of his work. Meanwhile, Billy and Mandy are inducted into Weaselthorpe by its members, mainly de facto leader and "genius" Nigel. Upon his mentioning of the house championship that Gunderstank always wins, Mandy is quick to suggest the idea of sabotage. They ruin a potions class by switching ingredients, use "Gunderstank Dragon in a Can" to wreck Toadblatt's castle, and flip around some signs during an outdoor activity, causing Toadblatt to be dragged into a cave and experience pure misery. This results in Nigel proudly announcing to his housemates that they have won the house championship thanks to his idea, giving Mandy none of the credit. However, upon seeing Toadblatt walk in, she tricks Nigel into revealing to her how he sabotaged Gunderstank. This enrages Toadblatt, and he subjects Nigel to the giant one-eyed-dwarf. The rest of the school watches in delight, and Billy proclaims this as the best summer ever. There's not as much to break apart this time since the episodes in this show typically run for about 7 minutes, but hey, it made good use of its time. If it wasn't obvious, the whole episode is supposed to be a Harry Potter parody, all the way down the the L-shaped scar on Nigel's forehead. (WELL, THE YEARS START COMIN' AND THEY-) And even with that short length there were plenty of comedic moments throughout; the whole sorting squid bit in general was great, and Mandy's constant deadpan delivery led to a lot of highlights ("take credit where credit is due."). It definitely has the feeling of starting in the middle of the series (what do I expect?), but we'll get to the beginning point one day. Even then, I enjoyed this one. Not as much as Courage (to make that comparison once more), but still worthy of my time. And because I couldn't find a smooth way to mention it earlier, I'm pretty sure one of the Gunderstank students is also voiced by Tom, so there. THE BOTTOM LINE: It's fun when things are dark and demented, and this show delivers that in spades. There's a good reason it stuck around for as long as it did. RATING: 8 (leaning on 7.5)/10 (pretty good) Now's your chance, Wheel! Wanna keep going sequentially and give me Con Carne next? Stay tuned for dman's next talk-about.

Last time on "DMAN re-attempts to talk about every single CN original in existence", dman talked about Ben again. Today, he is not talking about Ben again. But it is another show about children trying to protect their world! #17: Codename: Kids Next Door "Operation: I.-S.C.R.E.A.M." [December 6, 2002] Back when I was young, this show was the SHIT. When you have a story about a society of rebellious children fighting back against the rest of the populous, what kind of kid wouldn't find that cool? Well, again, at least I did. That one episode with the pizza box and the various animation styles still sticks out in my mind, and that's only scratching the tip of the iceberg with this show's creativity. That being said, I haven't watched this one in years and now I, myself, am an adult. How tragic. So is this one going to hold up like it did so long ago? Only time will tell... The episode begins with some kids waiting for the ice cream truck, but to their disappointment it speeds past them. Further down the road, a different group of kids jump on and hijack said truck. Two of the kids, Nigel (Numbuh 1) and Abby (Numbuh 5), confront the ice cream driver, demanding answers as to why they constantly drive by ice cream-desiring kids. At that moment Wally (Numbuh 4), who is currently driving the truck, notices they're being tailed by multiple ice cream trucks. They get into a scuffle involving various ice cream-themed weaponry, and eventually the kids manage to evade their pursuers, but at the loss of the ice cream machine Kuki (Numbuh 3) was holding on to. Numbuhs 1 & 5 get back to business, getting the ice cream man to blab the password that'll allow the kids to access the ice cream they're hoarding at the factory. Suddenly, the remaining ice cream men form a roadblock in their path, and the kids go driving off a cliff. Thankfully, Hoagie (Numbuh 2) is able to save them with the help of the flying vehicle known as M.O.S.Q.U.I.T.T.O.H. As they escape, it's revealed that the ice cream men are in cahoots with the Delightful Children From Down the Lane, one of the major villains of the rest of the kids. It's also revealed that the password given to the kids might not be as helpful as they thought. Uh oh... While the kids are on their way to the factory, they have to dodge the attack from some ice cream catapults. Numbuh 1 enters in the password, disabling the factory's defense. Numbuh 2 stays behind in the M.O.S.Q.U.I.T.T.O.H. while the other four kids breach into the factory. While they look for the tank containing the soft-serve ice cream, Numbuh 3, unhappy with the factory's cold temperature, heads off to look for a thermostat. Once they find the right tank, Numbuh 2 use's the vehicle's mosquito-like protrusion to suck up the ice cream. Unfortunately, this is where they are ambushed by the DCFDtL, and a giant ice cream monster lands on the M.O.S.Q.U.I.T.T.O.H., causing it and Numbuh 2 to crash into the factory. The kids run, but they can't hide. Numbuh 1 gets pinned to the wall with ice cream cones, Numbuh 5 is entrapped by a vanilla glob (complete with cherry), and Numbuh 4 is covered in magic shell fudge. All seems hopeless, but right at that moment Numbuh 3 finds a thermostat, turning it up to eleventy billion something degrees. This causes fire to shoot out of the A/C system, melting the ice cream monster and sending a tsunami of ice cream outside. The children waiting outside at the start of the episode also get caught up in the huge wave, and instead of complaining, everyone cheers as the wave carries them off into the sunset. End transmission. Well, it may not have been as hype as it was when I was a kid, but this was still pretty dang fun. A lot of it is so over-the-top for such a simple concept that it's hard not to get caught up in how silly it is, but that being said, this show is still cool in a way that no other CN show quite matches. Also I completely forgot about how there are a million acronymized terms in this show, even down to the episode titles. I'm a fan of good ol' mnemonic devices! It's also neat how diverse the cast is; every one of the main five has a different nationality, something I never noticed way back when. And of course, the humor is great too. My favorite bit has to be when Numbuh 3 enters the password wrong multiple times, but only because she isn't listening to Numbuh 1 and typing "i love parties" over and over ("You doo too?"). True child behavior, no? I've also got to mention "Who puts a heater in an ice cream factory?". Anyways yeah, this was nice. I'll never get to experience the past in the same way again, but this was a welcoming flashback. THE BOTTOM LINE: Whether you're a kid or an adult, this one is a B.L.A.S.T. (Big Laughs, Action, Sure Thing). RATING: 8/10 (pretty good) Alright Wheel, show me what you've got! Stay tuned for dman's next talk-about.

Last time on "DMAN re-attempts to talk about every single CN original in existence", dman talked about an episode of a show that finally brought us back to 9/10 territory! How long will this period of quality last? Happy Easter and weed day! What do you say we check up on an old familiar friend? #37: Ben 10: Ultimate Alien "Fame" [April 23, 2010] Back on the Ben 10 talk, it seems. I mentioned in the Omniverse post that I had stopped watching the show by that point, but that's not the case with this one. That being said, I wasn't watching this one too much either. I may have seen one or two episodes on television, but never really got too into it because, well, it was 2010. Adventure Time had just premiered, sending CN into a renaissance and defining much of what 2010s cartoons would become. Shows like it took up all of my attention at the time, leaving straightfoward action toons like Ben 10 by the wayside. Of course that doesn't mean that this will be bad; I didn't have high hopes for Omniverse but it still surprised me. So let's go ahead and see what Ben has in store for me this time. The episode begins with a news report about alien life on Earth. Apparently someone connected the dots and found out all these aliens are really Ben, deciding to reveal it for the world to see. Ben, Gwen, and Kevin are watching this broadcast, thus making them aware that everyone else is aware too. Ben walks outside, immediately greeted by paparazzi blocking his path. Gwen and Kevin suggest that he lay low at Julie (his girlfriend)'s house for a while, but Ben has a different plan for getting outdoors. He turns into Humungosaur, scaring off the crowd and allowing him to get to Julie's. When there, they watch another news station featuring a reporter who is...not particularly fond of Ben, thinking that the notion of him being a "hero" is ridiculous. Taking a break, the two go out for a drive, eventually running back into Gwen and Kevin. Kevin tells them that he found out who exactly pieced together Ben's identity, and he, Ben, and Gwen decide to go pay them a visit. Certainly nothing bad is about to happen!...well, especially not after it's revealed their "mastermind" is just a young superfan, Jimmy. He shows the trio several pictures he's collected of Ben's various alien forms, and tells them how he naively thought the world would be better knowing they all came from one man- er, boy. However, they notice one alien that is not connected to Ben. Jimmy says all sightings of it are in Orlando, and after showing them a video, the three set out on Kevin's newest jet to get there. Gwen pinpoints the location of the video to be at a secret NASA facility, but before they can get there they fly into restricted airspace. After Kevin destroys a jet and the pilot's parachute catches fire, Ben ejects and turns into Jetray to save him. After landing, the guards get a hold of Ben and he is jailed. He's freed after Gwen and Kevin show the guards their badges, and one of the officers tells Ben they have a problem of their own that he might be able to help settle. You see, the high-tech ship they're building keeps having pieces stolen by an unknown creature, so the trio decide to help put a stop to it. Unfortunately, Ben's Ultimatrix begins failing on him, and Gwen and Kevin have a struggle fighting the alien. Thankfully, all it takes is Ben scanning this new alien's DNA to make the Ultimatrix useable, so he turns into Chromastone. Even Ben is not powerful enough to defeat this alien however, and he makes it out with another piece of the ship. Worse, this piece just so happens to be the engine which doubles as a nuclear bomb. They manage to locate it underwater, and after using Gwen's powers to get there, they discover that the alien is using the stolen pieces to repair his own ship. The alien has no qualms launching said ship, even if its engine will destroy a large section of Florida (do it lol!). After incapacitating Gwen and Kevin with a live wire, Ben turns into (Ultimate) Spidermonkey to fight the alien, and this time succeeds in defeating him. Kevin stops the ship's launch, and the alien finally reveals his identity as Bivalvan from the Andromeda galaxy. He, along with four others, were kidnapped by another alien, Aggregor, but they managed to temporarily escape and end up on Earth. The trio vow to get him and his associates back to their home planet, even if they aren't fully trusting of him yet. The next day, Ben goes to school to face his classmates for the first time after the news about him broke out, and to his surprise, they give him a round of applause for all the good work he's done. We then cut back to Bivalvan, who unfortunately has been found by Aggregor, and the episode ends with the former screaming for help. Damn... Yep, this is definitely more Ben 10. You can basically copy/paste the same things I said about Omniverse here; my thoughts are not that radically different. It's an enjoyable experience while it's on, but it's not the kind of thing I'm going to binge anytime soon and it feels a little lacking in comparison to the original. I guess I'll give a quick mention of my favorite joke: during the scene when Ben and Julie are watching the news, the reporter starts a poll: "Ben Tennyson: Threat or Menace?". We later find out that only 26% chose menace, which relaxes Ben a bit, before Julie reminds him that means 74% chose threat. But yeah, that's all I've got for this one. It's more Ben 10, what do you expect? THE BOTTOM LINE: Ben. RATING: 7/10 (decent) Here's something interesting to note; with this talk-about I've now covered every series of Ben 10 across both the SBM and SBC threads. Of course, that still leaves the three reduxes for this thread, but we'll cross those bridges when we get to them. Maybe sooner than I think...whattya say, Wheel of Names? Stay tuned for dman's next talk-about.