Random Nostalgia: Powerpuff Girls

I'd first like to apologize for taking so long to post another post. I've been pretty busy over the weekend with the tournaments. Anyways, I've just decided to revisit a show that I loved in middle school. At that point, "The Powerpuff Girls" was already done with its six seasons. So my sisters bought the DVD set for Christmas so they could watch it again but I eventually watched the show again. And I loved it. The writing, the animation, and the characters were spot on. So let's go right in.

But I'd like to have a bit of background. This show has had such an impact that almost everyone heard of it as a kid. So this started off from a concept from the great Craig McKracken who made three cartoon girls as a gift to his brother. His brother encouraged McKracken to pursue making a television show and eventually "Whoopass Stew" was created. At first, this show was gritty and dark with disgusting imagery. The test audience didn't like this and thus "The Powerpuff Girls" were born. This show was targeted for a wide audience and succeeded based on the following it has now.

When I was a kid, this show actually scared me. I kept hearing that this show was just for little girls and at the day care I watched an episode. Keep in mind, as a kid I was easily traumatized and the episode being shown featured a clown. I hate clowns. So I kinda avoided the show because I could never watch it in its entirety and I was an easily impressionable kid.

So when I was in 6th grade and I had the opportunity to watch it, I just jumped in. And I was hooked. Surprisingly, I found Townsville to be really dark in some episodes. I noticed that there was a lot of moral and ethical dilemmas being sprinkled into the episodes. Some of the humor was strangely adult like how a kid told Professor Utonium that she was an "accident" by her parents. The allure of this show came mainly from the fact that it was so funny and it wasn't entirely targeted for little girls. In one episode, the girls travel forward in time and view the aftermath of Townsville after the girls weren't able to stop the bad guys. The imagery and the raw emotions being portrayed throughout all of this was truly horrific and the inclusion of Him sealed the deal on how nerve-wracking the episode was.

I expected the series to be one note. Bad guy comes, Powerpuff Girls strike back. Yet there was a lot of variation in the episodes. One notable episode that was probably one of the funniest was when Mojo Jojo was babysitting the girls. Some nice things I found was how the girls knew more about Napoleon than he did, the reference on Ocarina of Time, and that TV show that was in it. References in the show are used to amuse the audience since these references are often blatant and entertaining like how the girls defeated a monster by using the huge machine like the Power Rangers.

The variety we got from the episodes allowed for true character development and individual character dilemmas. The episodes that were serious in tone focused a lot on thought-provoking messages. The episodes that are funny are just awesome for how the humor helps the atmosphere. The writing in this show is exemplary since every episode feels distinctive and progressively better. There is a huge room for the show to expand upon since this is marketed as for children above 10 years of age. Even cartoons like Batman only had a Y7 rating. Thus, the show is grim and violent at times when it is necessary. The animation isn't afraid to pull any punches and the distinctive style and mood reflects how Townsville truly is a living, breathing place.

Overall, it's the myriad of good feelings and distinctive style that sets "The Powerpuff Girls" apart. This show has gained great recognition for being an astounding cartoon. I was sad to see the show so progressive being halted. It's one of the best cartoons I've ever had the pleasure of watching and its disjointed style makes it a treat to watch.

Rating: 9ish/10