In a world...where heroes come together...to save the day...and also eat, breathe and hang out...one boy, has the excitement, confidence and determination to one day be like them.
But first...he must get some planks for his mommy.
It's OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes.
Created by yet another CN classic underling turned graduate (specifically former Adventure Time and Steven Universe writer, co-EP and animator), Ian Jones-Quartey, this Cartoon Network Original centers on KO, a wide-eyed, enthusiastic, precocious and optimistic young boy with only one dream: to be a hero (to be specific, the world’s greatest hero). One day, while hanging with his mom Carol at her place of business at a strip mall that is the superhero merchandising mecca, Lakewood Plaza, he visits a bodega where heroes get their gear. And after meeting the store’s two workers (and new friends) Rad and Enid, and its owner Mr. Gar, K.O. begins his journey to become a high-level hero.
I LOVE THIS SHOW!
It’s so exuberant, enjoyable, and edge-of-your-seat exciting. But this being light and bright isn’t why I love this one (well, not the only). [I can enjoy a dark cartoon almost as much] It’s also perfectly action-packed and amazingly influenced in action-based anime. The action scenes aren’t too violent but are also a joy to watch. And from a production standpoint, it’s an absolute gem.
The original music (which, I think, is like contemporary jazz or disco) is, like on Steven Universe, an audible masterpiece from opening theme through a typical to closing theme. In fact, the closing theme is sung by Jones-Quartey
’s former boss, Steven Universe creator Rebecca Sugar. It’s sweet, fast, fun and super catchy. (How’s that for returning the favor?) And the opening theme is just as fast, fun and catchy. When you see it, you feel pumped-up for whatever epsiode is about to begin. Even if that episode starts slow, you can’t stop that pump-up. (?)
And then there’s the anime-based animation. Sure, all of it looks like it was drawn by a 12-year-old with a great big and surprisingly consistent imagination, but it’s fantastic nonetheless. The movements of the characters are so fluid, you’d think you’d see colorful water spilling out of your electronic device. The establishing shots and backgrounds look straight out of a manga (and I say this proudly as someone who’s never read from a manga before!), and the characters’ reactions are accurate for whatever scene they’re in. While fuzzy and adorbs along the edges, everyone definitely looks ready to kick butt at any moment. And when that happens, you forget the sweet-and-soft-serve ink and paint, and do nothing but go slackjaw and awe over the mindblowing drawings of the fight scenes. And it’s not hard to melt after seeing major characters in heartwarming moments. Or K.O. in any scene.
Also a joy to watch are the main characters.
In their own ways, they command the screen and my attention.
-Enid is deliciously sarcastic and uncaring, but her glimpses of care, worry and love for her friends is absolutely sweet. (Not to mention she’s super badass)
-Radicles (also known as Rad) is almost addictive as a character. His self-bragging and showing off is not only funny but also so well-acted-out, you’d also think it was actually true.
-Mr. Gar (the former two’s boss at his bodega) is a true-blue ice-cool hero. He
-Mr. Boxman is the series’ main antagonist. He makes robots sent direct to the heroes to fight our heroes (main and side), but he has his plans for domination set for creation. His also hates love and affection (Plus, he’s voiced by VA legend Jim Cummings. That is automatically an awesome plus) .
-Carol, K.O.’s mom, is one sweet, loving mother and definitely has her son as one of her major priorities (if not her top priority). Her talk with him in “Let’s Be Heroes” in which he wants to be like the major heroes he looks up to was not only sweet but pretty awesome too.
-And lastly (but not leastly; he’s literally at the top as our protagonist), K.O.
He has big dreams to be a high level hero. But he has a lot to learn first.
He’s bright, wide-eyed, optimistic, charming, funny and (even though he’d probably hate it) kind of adorable too. Just look at his face at any point of any episode, with any disposition.
These characters (and many more in this hero-home future-world) are voiced well by great actors, including creator Jones-Quartey (who voices Rad), Ashly Burch (Enid), David Herman (Gar), Jim Cummings (Lord Boxman), and Stephanie Nadolny and Courtenay Taylor (BOTH AS K.O.). It has happened a lot of times, where I'm mesmerized by the whole cast of a cartoon, and this is the latest of these. I just love the performances of everyone involved.
I have nothing much more to say here. PLEASE WATCH THIS SERIES!!
It's really good, it's really fun and it's really exciting too.
It's on YOUR Cartoon Network! (Don't know where the Your part comes in, it's just something they do now, so I'm mocking it.) Please give it the utmost attention and respect it deserves. And please watch it enough to get the network to cut off the incessant repeats of Teen Titans Go!... but not enough to get this to be the new schedule monster... but I can handle this one, because this is actually really good...
Seriously, give it a watch, you'll definitely enjoy and love this...
This has been my review of OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes....
And this has been Toony Tuesday...
Thanks for checking in. I'll be back net week with a recollection of the reboot of DuckTales.
Woo-oo! Indeed.
I'm Andrew, and may the good toons be yours...! ....
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