Last week, Cartoon Network released the first clip of the upcoming “Powerpuff Girls” reboot.
The series has been completely revamped and everything is different, but they’re still trying to pass it off as the same show we knew and loved during our childhood. But can it really hold a candle to the original?
Let’s start with the animation. Buttercup has a cowlick. Bubbles has those blue hair ties in her pigtails. Blossom’s the only normal looking one but even she looks off (maybe it’s her red hair bow – it looks bigger). But it’s not just the girls in a new form – their entire environment seems to have changed.
Based on the clip revealed to us, the animation looks like a mismatched cross between “Steven Universe” and “Teen Titans Go!” While the animation looks much better than that of the 2014 reboot (that CGI was awful!), it still lacks the same charm that the original series had. Townsville doesn’t seem to have the same lore that we look for in “The Powerpuff Girls.”
Then there’s the voice acting. All of the original voice actors are back – except for those of the girls themselves. Where are Cathy Cavadini, Tara Strong and E.G. Daily? While Buttercup’s voice was OK in the initial clip (can’t really judge the other two yet), it just wasn’t the same. When asked about the reboot, Tara Strong said on Twitter that they would have been happy to return; only they were never asked to come back. Instead we get three random newbies. I would have understood if the producers reached out to the three of them and were blown off, but they didn’t even try. Even if budget was an issue, they should have paid whatever money they needed to get them back. It would have been worth it, because they’re awesome. Even if they were all famous now and more expensive, they should have adjusted the budget to make them affordable.
There’s also the whole issue with Craig McCracken (the original creator of “The Powerpuff Girls”) not working on the show, but that happens fairly often with reboots and revivals.
The new “Powerpuff Girls” series will air on Cartoon Network sometime in 2016. I’ll probably watch at least the first episode or two, because I am a huge “Powerpuff Girls” fan but also because I’m curious about the new series — I’m not really sure if it’ll hold up well. I sure as hell don’t want to see another “Teen Titans Go!”
What do you think of the upcoming “Powerpuff Girls” reboot? Are you excited for it? Do you think it’s going to suck? Answer in the comments!
