The basic premise of this show is Men In Black but with video games and that alone had me intrigued. The show itself though, while definitely being stronger than Nickelodeon's recent output, is held back by basic writing, unfunny humor, and the worst written rival character since Dio from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.
Glitch Techs stars Hector Nieves (High 5) and Miko Kubota (Me KO), 2 teens given the opportunity to fight glitches that take the form of digital monsters. High 5 is likable enough with his knowledge of video game mechanics and his eagerness to learn. However, it's the Costello to his Abbott that really steals the show. Miko is a wild, rambunctious, and fun character that loves her job as much as she loves playing video games. In addition to that, she's very relatable to me as she's the middle child in her family and her relationship with her siblings and mother bring out the most heart in the show.
Visually, this is up there with some of Nickelodeon's best animation. The vibrant colors and fluid movements bring make the action scenes pop and the animators get really creative with the battles. The character designs bear similarities to series co-creator, Eric Robles' previous Nicktoon, Fanboy and Chum Chum. This time around, the characters are designed more for an action show as opposed to a slapstick comedy. Characters have more human-like body structures, yet every now and then some cartoony faces and gags are thrown in for an attempt at humor.
The writing and storytelling in this show is surprisingly basic. The plots of each episode are simplistic and predictable, and they drag because of it. It wouldn't be much of a problem if the supporting characters were as interesting or fun as the main characters. Sadly this is not the case. Phil is nothing more than the typical boss who gives the assignments and commends the heroes on a job well done. BITT is just another A.I. that's only there to do what he's programmed to do. Miko's sisters and mother are handled better, but only in subsequent episodes after their first appearance. And Ally is Miko's digital companion pet, because why not? To be fair, Ally does make for a cool pet, but when a bird is the best supporting character on a show, that's not good.
Then there's Mitch Williams, the one character that single handedly brings this show down. Seriously, if it wasn't for this one character, I would've been more kind to this show. Mitch is every bit as unlikable as Miko is fun. He's rude, selfish, egotistical, stubborn, careless, a liar and a cheat. While he occasionally gets dunked on, the fact that he get's off Scott free just makes me hate him even more. If he was the villain, or working for the main villain of the show and was working under cover, that would make sense. But rather than take that route, the showrunners felt as though he has to be a mainstay for the main characters to overcome. If the goal was to make the character unlikable, it backfired because he makes me want to stop watching. If this show gets another season, I would like to see Mitch get fired or have his memory wiped. Or better yet, just write him out of the show entirely; no explanation, he's just gone and he's never coming back.
4 years after being picked up by the network, it's unfortunate that Glitch Techs wasn't as good as I thought it would be. With excellent animation, solid voice work (especially from Monica Ray as Miko), and 2 likable leads, I'd forgive the basic writing if the supporting characters were more interesting or funny or if the plots weren't so predictable. But what truly brought this show down a rating in my book is the very character of Mitch Williams. While it's definitely one of the better Nicktoons in recent memory, it's unfortunately in the same camp as The Loud House: a great premise with a disappointingly average execution :/
Glitch Techs stars Hector Nieves (High 5) and Miko Kubota (Me KO), 2 teens given the opportunity to fight glitches that take the form of digital monsters. High 5 is likable enough with his knowledge of video game mechanics and his eagerness to learn. However, it's the Costello to his Abbott that really steals the show. Miko is a wild, rambunctious, and fun character that loves her job as much as she loves playing video games. In addition to that, she's very relatable to me as she's the middle child in her family and her relationship with her siblings and mother bring out the most heart in the show.
Visually, this is up there with some of Nickelodeon's best animation. The vibrant colors and fluid movements bring make the action scenes pop and the animators get really creative with the battles. The character designs bear similarities to series co-creator, Eric Robles' previous Nicktoon, Fanboy and Chum Chum. This time around, the characters are designed more for an action show as opposed to a slapstick comedy. Characters have more human-like body structures, yet every now and then some cartoony faces and gags are thrown in for an attempt at humor.
The writing and storytelling in this show is surprisingly basic. The plots of each episode are simplistic and predictable, and they drag because of it. It wouldn't be much of a problem if the supporting characters were as interesting or fun as the main characters. Sadly this is not the case. Phil is nothing more than the typical boss who gives the assignments and commends the heroes on a job well done. BITT is just another A.I. that's only there to do what he's programmed to do. Miko's sisters and mother are handled better, but only in subsequent episodes after their first appearance. And Ally is Miko's digital companion pet, because why not? To be fair, Ally does make for a cool pet, but when a bird is the best supporting character on a show, that's not good.
Then there's Mitch Williams, the one character that single handedly brings this show down. Seriously, if it wasn't for this one character, I would've been more kind to this show. Mitch is every bit as unlikable as Miko is fun. He's rude, selfish, egotistical, stubborn, careless, a liar and a cheat. While he occasionally gets dunked on, the fact that he get's off Scott free just makes me hate him even more. If he was the villain, or working for the main villain of the show and was working under cover, that would make sense. But rather than take that route, the showrunners felt as though he has to be a mainstay for the main characters to overcome. If the goal was to make the character unlikable, it backfired because he makes me want to stop watching. If this show gets another season, I would like to see Mitch get fired or have his memory wiped. Or better yet, just write him out of the show entirely; no explanation, he's just gone and he's never coming back.
4 years after being picked up by the network, it's unfortunate that Glitch Techs wasn't as good as I thought it would be. With excellent animation, solid voice work (especially from Monica Ray as Miko), and 2 likable leads, I'd forgive the basic writing if the supporting characters were more interesting or funny or if the plots weren't so predictable. But what truly brought this show down a rating in my book is the very character of Mitch Williams. While it's definitely one of the better Nicktoons in recent memory, it's unfortunately in the same camp as The Loud House: a great premise with a disappointingly average execution :/