Hey, folks. Welcome to Toony Tuesday.
Imagine Drake & Josh...
but younger...
and Mexican...
and mash it with Gravity Falls.
It's Victor and Valentino.
Created by Diego Molano, this Cartoon Network Original follows two newly-minted stepbrothers in the small Mexican town of Monte Macabre.
Victor is brash, mischievous, overly-confident, spontaneous and not very bright;
Valentino is kind, smart, humble, sensitive and a bit of a milksop.
Together, they're a bit of a mismatch. But when they find the door to some really strange goings on in the village, they team up to investigate and come closer to the solving what the taco is going on in Monte Macabre.
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| The Duo and The Other Main Characters |
Other characters include:
*Grandma Chata -- the boys' blind and stern yet sweet grandmother, whom they stay with in Monte Macabe. She's also either an undead spirit taking the form of a human (as revealed in the pilot) or someone who is more than implied to have some supernatural powers (as shown in the series proper).
*Charlene -- a young girl who likes the dark and macabre a little too much ... and it shows.
*Pineapple -- Charlene's big and scary-looking but kind and sweet-talking brother, and her minion.
*Maria Theresa -- Their spiteful grandmother, proprietor of a popular local taco joint and Chata's bitter rival.
*Julio "Don" Jalapeno -- Local seller of jalapenos and very much attracted to Grandma Chata (he shows this by sweating like a pig in her presence).
*Xochi Jalapeno -- "Don" Julio's cool yet intimidating daughter, known for tending to supernatural plants and Salsa dancing.
I have a bit of frustration with this one.
When I watched the series' pilot, it was increíble (incredible). Shocking plot twists, twisted humor and beautiful Mexican folklore all wrapped in a delicious spicy, cheesy, meaty package (yes, like a burrito). I laughed, I almost cried, and I rejoiced at it all. And the twist at the end was breathtaking. I though from this, this show is gonna be one of my favorites this year.
Sure, it's easy to compare it to Drake & Josh and Gravity Falls like I just did earlier in the review. But on its own merits, it could work well enough to be a series to watch, love and remember.
Then came the series itself and... Ay Dios Mio, what happened?
All following episodes so far felt... less exciting, more middle-of-the-road and very vanilla, and they don't have the brutal dark look and feel of the pilot (at least halfway through). And this would've been pretty fine had I not watched the pilot. There aren't many scenes with tense awe-taking scares, insane brooding animation, risks that felt genuinely low-key uncomfortable yet high-key funny or genuinely dramatic lines. Now here, while there are some scenes and lines that are genuinely funny, the moments of folklore aren't scary or dramatic -- and that's if there are any at all in a given episode. I kinda do expect to see some of what we saw in the pilot seep in more and more gradually as the series progresses, but for me, Victor and Valentino isn't a series I would see myself waiting with baited breath to watch every week. I'd rather sit on it until a few episodes before the first season finale (and hear other people's opinions of the season) to see where it all goes.
As for the hermanos principales (main brothas)...
Victor was a bit of a brat during the pilot. Hating Valentino, messing up Chata's taco stand, getting his new brother involved with finding a chihuahua-like supernatural being, then facing off against more supernatural beings, and almost getting Val killed by getting his soul deteriorating by said supernatural beings. Fortunately, he reformed enough to help save Val by giving the beings a taco to give Valentino his life back; so he does care about Val deep down. Seemingly that would be the start of some good character development for Victor. Nope. He became more of an asshole through his mocking and taking advantage of Valentino, his smart-ass mouth getting him and Val into trouble, and lazily avoiding work or other actions involving other characters. Sure he has his moments of being a softie, but the things Vic does or says can be really obnoxious and eye-rolling. While he was like this in the pilot, the fact that he became more obnoxious and haughty during the series so far is a big turn-off to me (his voice doesn't help, either).
It's like he's a human, Central American Rigby.
(I do really like his poncho though.)
Valentino on the other hand, is a much more likable character; he's sweet, smart, caring, and always willing to lend a helping hand. Sadly, he's not very popular and is alone in some regards, including literally. And he goes through some really bad crap thanks to Victor--including almost dying in the pilot, but always keeps it in there. There are many times where I wish he was my best friend -- and others, my step-brother.
This is where my comparison to Drake & Josh comes in, and not just on a superficial level. But at least they're kids, and they can and will go through development to become more well-rounded later on.
And the side characters... all of them are very likable.
* Grandma Chata is very sweet, aloof on the surface--but sharp inside; and her supernatural prowess was something out of left field. And watching her sudden shouts during regular episodes still scares me -- even when I expect them to happen. It's the voice ...
* Don Jalapeno is that guy you don't want as your grandfather but wants to be the cool old guy that sells you what you need (specifically the vegetable that's in his name) and doles out great advice on the supernatural stuff surrounding Monte Macabre -- too bad he's ignored by everyone on that regard (yeah, apparently I love typing it as much as I love thinking of it...) Also, when he's near Chata, he seems to act extremely nervous. Maybe that anxiousness is actually fear of her hidden form and he's really aware of it. Who knows?
* Charlene is creepy, morbid, scary and questionable. Charlene is also funny, charming, unforgettable and lovable. She's one of the best characters -- if not the best character -- in the series.
* Pineapple is something else. His methods for going about are undeniably weird (like his speaking in few-word sentences), but his huge and threatening, yet friendly and slightly goofy attitude is something to behold. Plus, his (nick)name of Pineapple is somewhat awesome.
The animation is very good with Lush bright colors, the episodes so make a perfect representation of Mexican culture. As for the characters, they're a great representation of Mexicans -- although I hope there certainly aren't a lot of people who like Victor.
* Maria Teresa is simply hilarious. Her snark and share give me life and her rivalry with Chata is close to legendary.
* Xochi is a badass. You don't want to mess with her or underestimate her; she can kick ass with the best of them. And when she's on your team, she's a team player to the letter.
These characters are well-liked and well-crafted, and they help make a fun series even more fun. I want this series to be successful. I really do. And I really hope the later episodes in season one and beyond do pick up the paces, the stakes and the folklore scares to bring it back to the pilot. I don't know if it was a CN executive thing or something intentional on the part of Molano and the producers-- but either way it did squander the potential of the series at the start, but I'm optimistic to hope things turn right back as the series progresses.
So short(er) consensus: I really like Victor and Valentino. Just not as much as I'd want to admit.
That's my review of Victor and Valentino.
This has been Toony Tuesday.
Thank you for checking in.
I'm Andrew... Abyssinia! And may the good toons be yours...!
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