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birdbo
Reviews
Unicorn: Warriors Eternal (2023)
Gorgeous animation, mediocre plot.
Doesn't the title really say it all?
I grew up watching Samurai Jack. My dad and I would tune in and watch every episode together. I still hold it in high regards as a staple of animated storytelling. So what happened?
I'll start with what I do like. Unicorn: Warriors Eternal shares some of the iconic Gendy artstyle, the gorgeous animation and thoughtful character design. The backgrounds are breathtaking, and the concept of using old cartoon/rubber hose style animation is appealing. I can appreciate the steampunk elements, too. I am fond of the fantasy atmosphere, and the concept of warrior souls being reborn across time to fight evil poses an interesting problem for the protagonist cast, especially Emma, who initially rejects this role. But oh boy, the pacing in this show is a mess!
From episode one, you're asking yourself, what is going on? It's all over the place. The action scenes are impressive, but often times things just happen out of nowhere. The dialogue isn't interesting. The characters themselves are disappointingly one-dimensional. All the depth and thoughtfulness of Gendy's previous works is gone. I understand that it's hard to work within the time restraints of an episodic format, but he's done it before! Maybe the concept was too broad for him to fully harness, but right now, it's just confusing. The plot is contrived, a pretty simple good vs. Evil, almost childishly simple.
Why is the villain a fox? What is the significance of the 9 tailed fox? Are we paying attention? What's the point?
Decent show, but not incredible. Watch it for the animation and not the story.
Clone High (2023)
Not awful, but not great.
Clone High is one of the most beloved cult classics from the early 2000s. Even after 20 years, it holds up pretty well. The humor is still on point and so bizarre that you have to laugh. All the designs were memorable and the cast was delightfully silly, with raunchy, absurd comedy that really did fell like all the worst highschool cliches personified. With that being said, what did I think of the reboot?
It's not terrible, but it's not great either.
I'll start with the character designs.
I've seen criticism about the new designs, some warranted. The decision to make the new clones very eye-catching is understandable, being that these clones are from 2023. They're meant to be vibrant and modern. However, some of the design choices are really lacking. I will say that I like Frida, as she is the one who fits with the original cast the most, and a wild color palette makes sense considering she is an artist. Topher Bus feels as if he could have been part of the original show. But designs like Harriet's stick out like a sore thumb. I don't know who designed her character, but she doesn't even look like she's from the same series.
The humor has also been toned down. I'm a Gen-Z guy, but there was something so refreshing about the original series's humor. It did include pop culture references, but not as much of a "hey! Look! That thing you know? Here it is!" Sort of way. The new show, unfortunately, does just that. Clone High wouldn't be Clone High without the pop culture, but the way it's executed in the new reboot is very different, to an exhausting degree. The bold humor has been watered down for modern day audiences, something they even poke at in the pilot.
And the most obvious criticism I see: Ghandi's removal.
This was done to save the show, since his character is partially the reason the original was canceled in the first place, following a hunger strike in India where Comcast's CEO was trapped in a building by protesters.
I do miss his character, and overall they have made references to him, but it's not the same show without Ghandi. Confucius is a pale imitation.
So, would I recommend this show? Not really. There are some moments where I did laugh, but overall, it's not really worth it. Go check out another show on HBOMAX (or just MAX now, which is stupid) by Gendi Tardikovski, called Unicorn Warriors Eternal. Or, just rewatch the old Clone High. It's there, too.