tek's rating: ½

The Powerpuff Girls, on Cartoon Network
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This ran for six seasons, from 1998 to 2005. (Though before that, there were a couple of shorts, which aired in 1995 and 96.) The opening theme has an intro that sums the show up pretty well: "Sugar... spice... and everything nice.... These were the ingredients chosen to create the perfect little girls. But Professor Utonium accidentally added an extra ingredient to the concoction- Chemical X. Thus, the Powerpuff Girls were born! Using their ultra-super powers, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup have dedicated their lives to fighting crime, and the forces of evil." I don't think there's much else I can say to describe the show's premise. It's very cute, and funny, and cool, something people of any age can appreciate. It has a very childlike feel to it, of course, but it also has enough wit, irony, and, um, knowingness, about it. It can even be a bit risqué at times; sometimes I think this works well for the show, sometimes not.

Anyway, aside from the girls and their "father," Professor Utonium, there's a pretty large cast of recurring characters. They live in the City of Townsville, whose mayor is simply called "The Mayor." He's pretty addle-brained. He has a very intelligent (and hot) secretary named Sara Bellum, whose face we never see, and who is often exasperated with her boss's dim-wittedness. The girls attend Pokey Oaks kindergarden, which is taught by Ms. Keane, and there are a number of students who are also recurring characters. And various other people around town I suppose, as well as a talking dog. And the show is narrated by, um, the Narrator. And of course there are lots of recurring supervillains, the main one being an evil monkey named Mojo Jojo. But there's also Fuzzy Lumpkins, Him (who is kind of supposed to be the Devil, I guess), the Gangreen Gang (the leader is Ace, the others are Snake, Grubber, Big Billy, and Li'l Arturo), and then there's Sedusa, the Rowdyruff Boys (who were created by Mojo Jojo), a spoiled little rich girl named Princess Morbucks, and others. As well as plenty of one-shot villains.

I'd like to say more, because it really is a great show. I love the action and the humor and the cuteness and everything... I also recommend the album "Heroes & Villains," which totally rocks. Plus there was a theatrical movie in 2002, which is a prequel to the series, about when the girls were first created. It rocks, so you should see it. There was also a Christmas special called The Fight Before Christmas in 2003, which was pretty cool. And there was an anime series called "Powerpuff Girls Z" in 2006-07, which I haven't seen, but would kinda like to. And there have been a couple of specials since the series ended, which I haven't gotten to see. "The Powerpuff Girls Rule!!!" was a flash-animated 10th anniversary special, which aired in 2008 in Europe, and 2009 in the U.S. (I don't recall if I was aware of it at the time, but I did still have access to Cartoon Network, so I don't know why I never got to see it.) In 2014 there was a CGI special, "Dance Pantsed," which I was definitely aware of, but by then I didn't have Cartoon Network, which is why I didn't see it. And in 2016, there's a reboot TV series (also called "The Powerpuff Girls"), which I will not be able to see, but I really hope to, someday.


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