Powerpuff Girls

This is a really great cartoon about test tube triplets with superpowers. The girls, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup were born in a freak chemical experiment combining sugar, spice, everything nice, and an accidental dose of chemical x. The girls use their super powers to save their city, Townsville, from the numerous villains that try to rob the townsfolk, take over or just destroy the city. And each episode you can be sure that the day will be saved thanks to the Powerpuff Girls!!! In most episodes anyway.

This show is so exaggerated it's almost a satire of the superhero genre. That's not to say the show doesn't take itself seriously, because it does. It's a legitimate show in its own right with original characters and problems (as much as that's possible), but there's also a sense that they play up every theme in the show. The characters personify their personality traits in an almost hyperbolic way. A good example of this is the way Mojo Jojo talks. He doesn't just speak, he states something, and then restates it, either explaining it or using more expressive words, which is an example of his personality. The up-tight genius that pays too much attention to detail, to the point where he over does it. The characters are all subtly well-thought out in this manner.

The show itself is pretty clever. Sure, when you look at it to looks so childish and cheery (almost falsely so), and on some level it is, but there's another level of the show to be appreciated if you look for it. For example, the show plays around with different animation and film styles, paying homage to some of the styles that have come before. There's actually a whole episode shot like a silent film, one shot with the old west in mind, etc.

Also, this show has one of the most terrifying villains I've ever seen, Him. Him is an amazing villain, probably the scariest super-villain in your father's eyes as he's a cross-dresser. Looking back I can't believe I didn't question it when I was younger... In addition to Him, Mojo Jojo has to be one of my favourite villains of all time. He's like Wlie E Coyote, but with a voice. Diabolical, intricate, genius plans executed energetically, that always backfire. One of my favourite episodes shows us the life of Mojo, and he's like a crotchety old man who just wants to eat breakfast, read the paper, and kill him some Powerpuffs- 'Just Another Manic Mojo' is the episode's title. But really, they're all gems.

If you're a fan of cartoons you'll like this one, and if you like superheroes you'll like this too. Fun for all ages, this is a great show.