DMAN re-attempts to talk about every single CN original in existence

[dmandagiraffe]

9 hours ago, 4EverGreen said:

While "Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends" was a good cartoon show, I think it probably could've been even better, if they had STUCK with Bloo's INITIAL portrayal as being an Imaginary Friend who was nice but naive in the three part pilot movie, instead of being mostly a condescending jerk who actually DOES know better but chooses NOT to be (depending on the writer). That being said, most of the show is pretty good, except for "Everyone Knows It's Bendy" and pretty much ANY episode segment involving Cheese. Enough said!

b-

but cheese is godly though...

[Steel Sponge]

10 hours ago, 4EverGreen said:

While "Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends" was a good cartoon show, I think it probably could've been even better, if they had STUCK with Bloo's INITIAL portrayal as being an Imaginary Friend who was nice but naive in the three part pilot movie, instead of being mostly a condescending jerk who actually DOES know better but chooses NOT to be (depending on the writer).

This is a fairly hot take, but if that were how Bloo's character ended up being for the rest of the series...he would pretty much be a rather boring character. I mean, you can make an interesting character out of someone nice, Bloo's jerkish behavior can be hard to sit through sometimes, and even despite the fact that Bloo acted relatively nicer compared to his characterization for every other episode after that makes very little sense, I still wouldn't have him any other way. Bloo is not a likable character; he's a jerk, but I think that's the main point of his character. IMO, sometimes he's character that I love to hate, but most other times, his antics are what make his character stand out. Not everyone should have to like Bloo and I can definitely see why most people who have watched Foster's don't feel the same way that I do, but keep in mind that if you would want a main character who is nice but naive, series creator Craig McCracken would eventually give us something much like that years later with Wander from Wander Over Yonder.

Also worth noting, Phineas from Phineas & Ferb would've originally been written to be a huge brat before the creators decided that he should be very likable. Whether that made him an interesting character or a bland "his only trait is that he builds lol" type of character is up to debate, but I think it was a good decision on the creators' parts.

[dmandagiraffe]

Last time on "DMAN re-attempts to talk about every single CN original in existence", dman talked about an episode of a show that was... something. What it was, we won't discuss. Thankfully, today's show is one that he is more than happy to talk about!

 

 

#22: Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends "House of Bloo's, Part 1"

[August 13, 2004]

 

I loved this show. I mean, who didn't? I remember sitting in front of the television back in Indiana, waiting for the theme song to play, which, let's be honest, was a banger. Just try to listen to it without being filled with a sense of joy. I would be able to watch Destination Imagination over and over on DVR and it would never get old. I have so much love for the show, most of which could be stored in a mix of nostalgia and pure wonder. Having that going in, I expect none of that to have faded with time. This is one of many talk-abouts I was the most excited for. Let's revisit Foster's for old time's sake, shall we?

The episode begins with Mac and Bloo (Mac's blue-colored imaginary friend) being chased/tortured in their apartment by Mac's older brother, Terrence. He ends up catching the two, forcing them to break household items so he can blame them later, but Bloo tricks him and knocks him out with a vase. At that very moment, their mom gets home, signaling Terrence to tell a fake sob story (which she doesn't fall for). However, she realizes that Terrence isn't the only one at fault, so she talks to Mac alone about getting rid of Bloo, because she thinks Mac, being eight years old, is too old to still have him. She makes this decision final, much to Bloo's dismay and Terrence's approval. That night, Bloo finds a commercial for Foster's while channel surfing, piquing his interest. He takes Mac there the next day, where they are greeted by Mr. Herriman, a large monocle/suit-wearing rabbit. He asks about their reason for showing up to no reply, but before he can end their conversation, Bloo explains the state of living him and Mac are in, with some (if not a lot of) exaggeration. He ends up agreeing to give the two a tour of the building.

Oh wait, did I say "he"? Actually, no. He puts Frankie (or as he calls her "Miss Frances"),  the caregiver/worker of the household and founder's granddaughter, to the job. However, she get interrupted right before she can start and asks another resident, Wilt, to show them around instead. Wilt just so happens to be an overly tall, red creature with one arm and a googly-like eye in place of his left eye. After a moment of Mac and Bloo being awestruck by his height, the tour begins. He takes them through multiple rooms and hallways, where the two learn more about the home, its history, and residents such as Coco, a green-haired bird that can only say her name, Duchess, a self-absorbed creature that has a cubism-esque appearance, and Eduardo (BEEP BEEP TOM KENNY ALERT), a purple-colored creature with a Latino accent whose appearance seems menacing, even though he's usually timid and shy in actuality. At the end of the tour, Mac feels fine with having Bloo stay at the home. Before they can ultimately decide however, Frankie tells them Foster's isn't a boarding house, but a foster home, meaning Bloo will live there until he is adopted by a new kid, and from then Mac will likely never see him again. Mac decides to go home to think of what to do, leaving Bloo behind. Although Mac promises his return before another kid can adopt Bloo, Mr. Herriman doubts him, as he's seen this happen time and time again with other kids, and they never come back. The episode then ends on a "to be continued..." tagline.

Yep, this show hasn't faded in my mind either. I may need to rewatch a bunch of episodes again just to relieve those old memories. It's been too long, y'know. The episode was funny, entertaining, occasionally dark, and at the best of times, heartfelt. I can tell there was a lot of passion put into this show. Best parts included a pair of scissors ALSO voiced by the man himself, the channels Bloo switches through early on (especially the one about the Grand Canyon), and the multitude of Powerpuff Girls references (not surprised, that show was created by McCracken as well). Now, excuse me while I watch the other two parts of this special.

And 37 more episodes.

 

THE BOTTOM LINE: I can't see anyone hating this show. Just like a house full of imaginary friends that kids everywhere created at one point, there's something here for everyone.

RATING: 9/10 (a clear standout)

 

Alright wheel, I'm prepared for whatever you've got! LAY IT ON ME!

 

Spoiler

Wow. I didn't think we'd get here so soon.

Two talk-abouts ago...

"Up until 2010, only three shows achieved [the TV-PG] rating: this, Star Wars: Clone Wars, and one more, which will DEFINITELY be an interesting one to talk about. Ohhhh boyyyyy..."

 

Stay tuned for dman's next talk-about.

Edited July 10, 2019 by Jon Snow

[4EverGreen]

I've never even HEARD of THAT show before!  Well, we will find out soon enough what it is all about. Enough said, true believers! 

[dmandagiraffe]

Last time on "DMAN re-attempts to talk about every single CN original in existence", dman talked about an episode of a show that filled him with such a sense of nostalgia that he set out to watch more episodes in the show's extensive library. Today's show however, has a library that doesn't even come close to "extensive" in the slightest...

 

 

#26: Sunday Pants "Dangerous Situations"

[October 2, 2005]

 

Before 2014 or so, I legitimately think no one knew that this show existed. Even nowadays, barely anyone knows about it, outside of a small group of lost media enthusiasts. Other than a certain other show we'll get to, this is the most obscure show in the CN original library. And if we're talking about how forgettable it is compared to obscurity, this is as unknown as it gets. So what is this show, anyway? Sunday Pants is an anthology show consisting of various animated shorts by different creators, similarly to stuff like Liquid Television, KaBlam, and What a Cartoon (wink wink). Given my appreciation for those three shows, then I'll be bound to like this one too, right?

Because of the format of this show, I'm going to review each short as its own thing and then give a collective score on the overall episode. Let's jump right in.

In "The Brothers Pistov", dog brother Anton attempts to save brother Gregor's life to be even with him. (7/10)
In "IMP", the imp and Bob plan to conjure up a plague of locusts but ultimately have to improvise. (7/10)
In "Periwinkle Around the World", Periwinkle the duck (it's Tom again) gets himself into skiing hijinks with a dog taxicab driver. (8/10)
In "Weighty Decisions" a man's shoulder angel and devil get into an argument while convincing him whether to jump off a ledge or not, even if he's not in danger. (7/10)
In "Travel Logs", two complaining logs visit Colorado, where several mishaps occur on the slopes. (6/10)
In "History According to Noodle", Noodle the caveman demonstrates fire to his roommates. (7/10)
In "Oogloo and Anju", the two discover both the wonders and dangers of the ice-cream fish. (7/10)
In "Monstories", two creatures try to keep a flower healthy and out of an unkowing mole's harmful reach. (7/10)
In "Bernard", Bernard the bear gives hang glading a try, to mostly disastrous results. (7/10)
In "Crazy Demands", a man lets a monster borrow a five dollar bill. (5/10)
In "The Amazing Adrenalini Brothers", the namesake brothers attempt a jet-skiing stunt, but get interrupted by a whale inbetween the ordeal. (7/10)
In "The Topside Rag", a man gets more than he asked for when he provokes a chained dog. (6/10)
In "Show and Tell", Anthony dresses as his super hero alter-ego in front his classmates and his teacher, also voiced by our lord and savoir, Tom Kenny. (6/10)
In "News Channel Station News U.S.", a reporter goes to the shady parts of town to continue his own news segment. (6/10)
In "Jean-Luc and Dondoozat", one creature learns a valuable lesson about stealing toys at the other's expense. (6/10)

...my brain is dead. Maybe I'm just tired, but things seemed to get less interesting as the show went on. I mean, just look at the ratings I put. Sunday Pants is a weeeeiiird show. It felt like a fever dream. That doesn't mean it's bad, it's just... oh... it's something else, alright. This feels like an Adult Swim show more than a Cartoon Network original. Maybe it was always meant for Adult Swim anyway, because guess what? They get away with saying "hell" in later episodes! Yes, that's right. I watched more than one episode of this. It stays on about the same level of decency throughout. Nothing really shines, but nothing really crashes and burns either. As the ratings show, "Periwinkle Around the World" was my favorite (probably for the Chowder-esque animation and constant action), and my least favorite was "Crazy Demands" (it's 15 seconds and nothing really happens). I really don't know what to say except... lost... kenny... ah hell... drowning............

 

THE BOTTOM LINE: sunday pants more like sunday ok i guess

RATING: six sundays/out of ten (i really wanted to give this a seven but ehhhhhhhhh whatever hell kenny tom pants)

 

hey yo wheel bring me out of sunday funday kenny hell ahhhhhh greijfn venvadcansoinoncinoinva

 

Spoiler

hmm needs mor pants pleas

 

stay tune for dmanno's next sunday bashign glipglop

Edited July 10, 2019 by Jon Snow

[4EverGreen]

Just a little side note, "Bernard" eventually got its OWN cartoon series on a different network, because it originally came from the United Kingdom. And I actually DO remember "Show and Tell", just not as part of "Sunday Pants". Anyways, "Apple and Onion" is one of TWO cartoon shows that got ROYALLY shafted by Cartoon Network (the other is "Robotomy"), and left Cartoon Network actually WONDERING why its NOT doing better than Nickelodeon or Disney in the ratings war. Enough said, true believer!