Invader Zim: Complete Invasion

Invader Zim has to be one of my favourite shows. It's one of those things that has an almost cultish effect on people, well the people who get into it anyways. There are so many awesome quotes in this show... like classic, change you're life-funny quotes. Me and my brother sometimes have Zim quote battles and see who can come up with the most quotes. And we say them to each other in everyday conversation, or even if we aren't talking, a quote from Zim will break the silence. It's like this when I find other people into Zim too. When I find out they love it too I'll say a quote and they'll say one back to me... it's like finding a long lost sibling, I love it.

The show itself seems like it's going to be slow-paced when you start watching it, and I guess it can be a bit. It also has a kind of dark atmosphere, so it is to be watched in moderation. I wouldn't recommend watching a whole season in one go unless you're in the mood for it. If you watch too much at once the atmosphere will get to you a bit and the pacing can be depressing, which is an odd contrast to the comedic aspect of the show. The characters are amazing. Zim is introduced as an idiot, an outcast, and really bad at what he was meant to do, but I don't think he is the failure we would think he is. Zim reminds me of how geniuses are thought to be crazy be those around them and only later are they appreciated. Zim is not a genius, but I do think that he's under estimated by everyone on the show. He is successful if some of what he sets out to do, but he's like the coyote from the roadrunner show, he's just got bad luck. Dib, Zim's nemesis, is most relatable because he is the second main character of the show and we get to see his personality the most of all the characters. Even though Zim is the main character we don't really relate to him and get inside his head but almost see him through the eyes of someone else. In the episodes focusing on Dib, maybe it's because he complains out loud a lot or because he's always searching for something, but it feels more like we are going on the adventure with Dib rather than watching from a distance like with Zim. Dib is also unappreciated by the other characters, but like zim he's actually really smart and not crazy at all. Gaz, Dib's sister, is a great character and I wish there were more episodes focused on her. She's really irritable, but she's not like any other person on the show in that she has this inner strength, which sets her apart as the odd one out. An example of this would be the episode where Pustulio (Zim's pimple) was hypnotizing everyone, but it didn't get Gaz because she didn't give it the time of day. She is shown in this way in a lot of episodes. I guess the fact that the show's focus isn't really on her, even though she is one of the main characters is almost an example of her character. Her reluctance to engage in anything makes her a really interesting, and though we'd like to see more of her, maybe the fact that we can't is evidence of her personality. And of course there's Gir, Zim's robot. ... Little need be said of Gir other than the fact that Gir is awesome. If there was no Gir the show wouldn't be what it is and a lot of the comedy is because of Gir, not all, but a lot. Unlike the other characters, it seems Gir's only purpose is for comedic effect. Gir lightens the dark atmosphere of the show.

Invader Zim is like metal (the music) in that it has a core of die hard fans, but the rest of the world kind of does really know about it. It's a hugely funny show. The comedy is kind of dry and satirical, and slightly over the top and... awesome. Just awesome. The pants command me! Don't ignore my veins!!