'Be Cool Scooby Doo' "The Curse of Kianaku" (2017)
Opening thoughts: 'Be Cool Scooby Doo' was a lot better than expected, a case of never judging a show when advertised by its animation style and Season 2 was a better and more consistent season compared to the first. "The Curse of Kaniaku" was however a bit of a disappointment. Season 2 was a much improved and more consistent season than the first and settled a good deal quicker, but that improvement was not that evident here. "The Curse of Kaniaku" is far from a terrible episode and has a lot to recommend, especially the setting, villain and character moments. It just could have been a lot better, with a much stronger mystery and if more was done with the subplot that intrigued on paper.
Bad things: Am going to begin with listing the flaws. It is too short, it definitely would have fared better if spread over two parts. That way, the final quarter would not have felt as rushed as it was. This was especially obvious in the denouement, where the perpetrator was one of the most predictable of the season in a case with too few suspects and the motivations not delved into enough. The trap was pretty uninspired too.
It also felt very short on mystery, with it taking a little too long to set up and seemed to focus more on character moments and less on its over obvious and underwritten mystery. Daphne and Velma's viral subplot sounded very interesting in concept, but for my tastes it was too much of a missed opportunity. It could have been fleshed out more and it would have been better and interesting if the writers had stuck with the original idea of Daphne being more conflicted and reserved about the situation (which would have given the two's relationship more complexity and nuance) rather than the overdone and simplistic subplot we got.
Good things: However, there is a huge amount to like. Absolutely loved the setting, which is bursting with vivid Oriental colour and atmosphere. Loved even more so the villain, who is both sinister and fun and is the standout on the animation front. This is an aspect that is better than usual, with more attention to detail and richer colours while also looking less rushed. There are some great character moments and scenes, Shaggy and Scooby continue to be funny and endearing and their chemistry has so much heart.
Everything in the arcade is a sheer delight, full of energetic action and genuinely funny and not cheesy humour. The dance off is priceless and the chase scene is more creative than most for the show. Daphne's quirk is cute and amusing, while also not being exaggerated or repetitive. The voice acting is right on, Matthew Lillard continues to deliver as Shaggy.
Closing thoughts: Overall, decent episode but a little disappointing as well.
6/10.
Opening thoughts: 'Be Cool Scooby Doo' was a lot better than expected, a case of never judging a show when advertised by its animation style and Season 2 was a better and more consistent season compared to the first. "The Curse of Kaniaku" was however a bit of a disappointment. Season 2 was a much improved and more consistent season than the first and settled a good deal quicker, but that improvement was not that evident here. "The Curse of Kaniaku" is far from a terrible episode and has a lot to recommend, especially the setting, villain and character moments. It just could have been a lot better, with a much stronger mystery and if more was done with the subplot that intrigued on paper.
Bad things: Am going to begin with listing the flaws. It is too short, it definitely would have fared better if spread over two parts. That way, the final quarter would not have felt as rushed as it was. This was especially obvious in the denouement, where the perpetrator was one of the most predictable of the season in a case with too few suspects and the motivations not delved into enough. The trap was pretty uninspired too.
It also felt very short on mystery, with it taking a little too long to set up and seemed to focus more on character moments and less on its over obvious and underwritten mystery. Daphne and Velma's viral subplot sounded very interesting in concept, but for my tastes it was too much of a missed opportunity. It could have been fleshed out more and it would have been better and interesting if the writers had stuck with the original idea of Daphne being more conflicted and reserved about the situation (which would have given the two's relationship more complexity and nuance) rather than the overdone and simplistic subplot we got.
Good things: However, there is a huge amount to like. Absolutely loved the setting, which is bursting with vivid Oriental colour and atmosphere. Loved even more so the villain, who is both sinister and fun and is the standout on the animation front. This is an aspect that is better than usual, with more attention to detail and richer colours while also looking less rushed. There are some great character moments and scenes, Shaggy and Scooby continue to be funny and endearing and their chemistry has so much heart.
Everything in the arcade is a sheer delight, full of energetic action and genuinely funny and not cheesy humour. The dance off is priceless and the chase scene is more creative than most for the show. Daphne's quirk is cute and amusing, while also not being exaggerated or repetitive. The voice acting is right on, Matthew Lillard continues to deliver as Shaggy.
Closing thoughts: Overall, decent episode but a little disappointing as well.
6/10.
