Almost forgot: Oban Star Racers
Another capsule review.
The animated series Oban Star Racers was recommended to me some time ago, and I just got around to tracking down and watching it recently. I liked it quite a bit, despite the contrived nature of the basic premise (champions are summoned from around the universe to compete for the Ultimate Prize... by racing hovercraft, Phantom-Menace-style).
While the series' tight dramatic structure and pacing contributed greatly to my enjoyment, the thing that really captured my interest was the character development. The cast members all have fairly straightforward motivations, but they're handled in a way that largely sidesteps cliche. Molly, the main character, has some complexity to her emotionally-wounded-teenager portrayal, and that plays out in an interesting and unexpected way during the show's final act. Her backstory is also handled very well, through some of the best use of flashbacks I've ever seen. The main conflict between her and her father occasionally strains belief (one of the only substantive criticisms I have of the show), but for the most part, she comes off as realistically flawed while still being likeable.
One thing that did bother me was that none of the characters have noses! That design decision was such a nagging annoyance, much like the squared-off fingers in Disney's Atlantis. I'd also really hoped that a character who leaves the cast at the end of the first act would return at the end, but was disappointed.
Man, this felt really inarticulate. I need to get back in practice.
The animated series Oban Star Racers was recommended to me some time ago, and I just got around to tracking down and watching it recently. I liked it quite a bit, despite the contrived nature of the basic premise (champions are summoned from around the universe to compete for the Ultimate Prize... by racing hovercraft, Phantom-Menace-style).
While the series' tight dramatic structure and pacing contributed greatly to my enjoyment, the thing that really captured my interest was the character development. The cast members all have fairly straightforward motivations, but they're handled in a way that largely sidesteps cliche. Molly, the main character, has some complexity to her emotionally-wounded-teenager portrayal, and that plays out in an interesting and unexpected way during the show's final act. Her backstory is also handled very well, through some of the best use of flashbacks I've ever seen. The main conflict between her and her father occasionally strains belief (one of the only substantive criticisms I have of the show), but for the most part, she comes off as realistically flawed while still being likeable.
One thing that did bother me was that none of the characters have noses! That design decision was such a nagging annoyance, much like the squared-off fingers in Disney's Atlantis. I'd also really hoped that a character who leaves the cast at the end of the first act would return at the end, but was disappointed.
Man, this felt really inarticulate. I need to get back in practice.