Thundercats to be rebooted on CN

[Grimpond]

Link! (http://weblogs.variety.com/on_the_air/2010/06/cartoon-network-and-warner-bros-revive-80s-toon-thundercats.html)

This time around, "ThunderCats" will sport a heavy anime look, thanks to Warner Bros. Animation's collaboration with Japan's Studio4°C ("The Animatrix").

So, I'm not sure how to feel about this. I mean, I loved TC. Don't get me wrong. But should I be looking forward to this? I dunno :ohdear: I don't remember much of the "plot" except that they were always fighting Mum-Ra and stuff. I guess I'm just not sure how well it will stand up nowadays.

[synkr0nized]

I can't watch Thundercats anymore unless the point is to remind myself how awful it is. Granted it was the shit when I was like 3 but the voice acting and predictability of children's cartoons makes it nigh unbearable these days save for some "lol Mahmut" moments.

Making it into an animu is probably not going to make it better.

[bluestarultor]

Well, it sounds like a lot of good people are working on it, but I wonder if they're combining the right pieces.

You can bet that a lot of people are going to hate the new style, for one. Thundercats had a distinctive look to it, even though it was standard technical quality for the animation at the time. They were all fairly realistic and Western, while anime generally is more cartooned and distinctive in its own right.


I also wonder if they're partly missing the point of the original. The words "sharp new telling" make me cringe and the mention of the lessons makes me imagine a sledgehammer.

Other words that worry me are "realistic cat-like characteristics inconceivable in previous incarnations." They had claws and feline markings and that's all they needed. If they give them kitty faces, there is gong to be Hell to pay. It especially worries me that they're adding stuff that they think was technically impossible before, because you can draw damn near anything traditionally that you can digitally, and I shudder to consider what that might mean.

[Grimpond]

Well, it sounds like a lot of good people are working on it, but I wonder if they're combining the right pieces.

You can bet that a lot of people are going to hate the new style, for one. Thundercats had a distinctive look to it, even though it was standard technical quality for the animation at the time. They were all fairly realistic and Western, while anime generally is more cartooned and distinctive in its own right.


I also wonder if they're partly missing the point of the original. The words "sharp new telling" make me cringe and the mention of the lessons makes me imagine a sledgehammer.

Other words that worry me are "realistic cat-like characteristics inconceivable in previous incarnations." They had claws and feline markings and that's all they needed. If they give them kitty faces, there is gong to be Hell to pay. It especially worries me that they're adding stuff that they think was technically impossible before, because you can draw damn near anything traditionally that you can digitally, and I shudder to consider what that might mean.

And then I spent ten minutes looking back at your avvy

[Kyanbu The Legend]

They might add on to it. Fix up the plot, add some depth to the characters. Maybe even throw in a few Anime original characters.

[synkr0nized]

Why not just make a new, better show?

[bluestarultor]

And then I spent ten minutes looking back at your avvy

I know, pot to the kettle. :rolleyes:

That's my honest opinion, though. The particular character I have up has nothing to do with it (he's there just because).



@ synk: Because then they wouldn't have the built-in nostalgia market.

[Kyanbu The Legend]

Why not just make a new, better show?

Because everybody knows about Thundercats. Remaking an Icon is easy money.


But there was a Thundercats sequel series that was planned a year or two ago that got canned before it was even made. It was American based.

So chances are this might get abandoned too.

[Lumenskir]

@ synk: Because then they wouldn't have the built-in nostalgia market.
Yes, that coveted 6-12 nostalgia market.

I would buy that argument for movies (because parents determine who pays for those) but I remember having quite a bit of control in what I watched on Saturday mornings.

As regards the cartoon itself...I honestly can't remember, but was the He-Man remake any good? That's like the closest analog, right?

[Premmy]

I liked the He-man show, it was allright.

[Kyanbu The Legend]

He-man remake was alright. Not great but not bad either.

You know what really deserves a remake more then Thundercats?

Mother fucking Swat Kats Radical Squadron! That's what!

That show nearly topped Scooby doo back in the 90s before it was screwed over by the network for being "too violent".

NO ONE REALLY DIES IN THAT SHOW EXCEPT FOR MAYBE 2 BACKGROUND CHARACTERS AND MAX AND MOLLY!!!!!!!!!

Violent my ass. Ted canned it to show off his money and protect Scooby Doo from being topped.

[bluestarultor]

Yes, that coveted 6-12 nostalgia market.

I would buy that argument for movies (because parents determine who pays for those) but I remember having quite a bit of control in what I watched on Saturday mornings.

As regards the cartoon itself...I honestly can't remember, but was the He-Man remake any good? That's like the closest analog, right?

You have to remember that the little kids of yesterday running around with Liono action figures and jumping on couches have become the reluctant adults of today who are wishing they didn't have to sit in a cubicle and kiss ass for less than they're worth and still have Liono standing on a shelf at home. Hell, I have a Blinky from Bucky O' Hare, myself, and I'd be on a remake of that like white on rice.

The target demographic, as they stated, is not just the kids of today, but also the kids of twenty years ago who now have the money to pay to cling on to the last scraps of their childhoods.

[Bells]

http://i49.tinypic.com/setywx.jpg

Ah c'mon it could be worse...

Now a whole new generation can grow awkwardly aroused by Cheetara

http://i47.tinypic.com/iyemi1.jpg*

*= Actual still from an episode


EDIT: Placed the pictures on Tinypic, cause NonCon happiness is a major issue in my day.

[Kim]

Why is it so damn hard for you people to throw an image on an imagehosting site?

[tacticslion]

He-man remake was alright. Not great but not bad either.

The newest He-Man was better than the the old one, in terms of character depth, but was also, really a show aimed at and for kids, with some subtlety and clever humor thrown in for the adults that wouldn't have flown in the original.

As for why... in addition to the nastolgia market (the primary value), there's also those kids-of-yesterday who are parents-of-today, and who remember "man, I liked this as a kid, and it was decently safe, so, this new one should be too". Plus they get to give their kids toys and enjoy it themselves. Then there's just "hey, that was a really good plot concept that was never developed fully, so let me try my hand at it". I mean, kids-of-yesterday sometimes grow up to be producers/developers-of-today. I don't know if this happened, but it's possible. Bascially: fan fiction! :D ... :) ... :( ... :crying:

Final: Blues, are you serious? Bucky O'-stinkin'-Hare?!?! I thought I was the only one that remembered that... thing... anymore. I don't know that I watched the show much (my memories are hazy), but I used to have a ton of figures.

[Magic_Marker]

And the next generation of furries is born....

With that out of the way, I'm not sure if I like this. I mean, Thundercats was good when I was a kid, but I haven't watched it since so I have no idea if it was actually *good.* N'ah mean? It did teach me about racism and why it's like, bad and stuff. So it can't have been all bad.

[bluestarultor]

http://i49.tinypic.com/setywx.jpg

They turned Liono into an anorexic kitty Kenshin. :(

Blues, are you serious? Bucky O'-stinkin'-Hare?!?! I thought I was the only one that remembered that... thing... anymore. I don't know that I watched the show much (my memories are hazy), but I used to have a ton of figures.

Hey, I used to have the first issue of the comic! My mom threw it out, though. :crying:

And the next generation of furries is born....

With that out of the way, I'm not sure if I like this. I mean, Thundercats was good when I was a kid, but I haven't watched it since so I have no idea if it was actually *good.* N'ah mean? It did teach me about racism and why it's like, bad and stuff. So it can't have been all bad.

It's really no better or worse than the standard of the time, which is to say it was terrible by modern standards. The animation was choppy, stuff changed colors mid scene, the voice acting was wooden and most of the cast was played by like three people, there was always a somewhat hamfisted lesson (it could honestly have been worse), and every episode ended with everyone laughing at some lame joke.

On the other hand, they didn't use as much stock footage as most anime, the battle sequences were pretty dynamic, the theme song was awesome, they had both a black guy who was unobtrusively black and also totally awesome and a blind guy who kicked ass that was added later on, and the black guy built all sorts of sweet gadgets that you could market to the kids.

They never did explain why Liono grew up when Wilykit and Wilykat stayed kids, though. At least not that I remember.

[Magus]

My total lack of knowledge of this show is revealed in that I could have sworn this "Liono" character was named Lionel.

Mum-Rah avatar has nothing to do with this, I've been meaning to change that to something I know about for a long time!

As for the updated look, it looks more like something I would go for if I were today's youth a lot more than what the original looked like, yeah.

[krogothwolf]

Why is it so damn hard for you people to throw an image on an imagehosting site?

We are very lazy?

Also, I always liked Pumyra better then Cheetara.

[The Sevenshot Kid]

They turned Liono into an anorexic kitty Kenshin. :(

Is that really a bad thing? Cause the last time I checked, Kenshin was awesome.

[Kim]

Both versions I'm seeing are pretty terrible.

[Kyanbu The Legend]

Why did they make Liono so thin. He's like a stick now compared to the old 80s american version. XD

[Donomni]

That's from a 2007 show idea.

From the looks of it, if the poster here (http://www.toonzone.net/news/articles/33702/warner-bros.-animation-announces-new-thundercats-series-for-cn-in-2011) is gonna be the new style, this show is gonna be pretty badass.

[Premmy]

this show is gonna be pretty badass.
Impossible, this is Thundercats

[bluestarultor]

Who wants to bet that "THUNDERCATS, HOOOOOO!" is either going to be dropped or "ho" is going to be replaced with "go?"

[krogothwolf]

Who wants to bet that "THUNDERCATS, HOOOOOO!" is either going to be dropped or "ho" is going to be replaced with "go?"

It might be Thunder, Thunder, Thunder, THUNDERCATS YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Or they might make it rap.

[Premmy]

THUNDACATS, HO!
WHAT!
THUNDACATS HO!
YEAH!
THUNDACATS HO!
WHAT?!

[Kyanbu The Legend]

That's from a 2007 show idea.

From the looks of it, if the poster here (http://www.toonzone.net/news/articles/33702/warner-bros.-animation-announces-new-thundercats-series-for-cn-in-2011) is gonna be the new style, this show is gonna be pretty badass.

Actually that was the sequel idea that WB came up with. It's the one they canned before finishing production.

It was suppose to take place after the events of the original. But the execs canned it without warning because they didn't like it enough.

[Donomni]

Well, fuck.

Now I really dunno.

[Magic_Marker]

THUNDACATS, HO!
WHAT!
THUNDACATS HO!
YEAH!
THUNDACATS HO!
WHAT?!

My gods. They are giving Panthro a grill and mad skillz, aren't they? They totally will, won't they?

Goddammit.

[Bells]

ind you that the studio that is making the new Thundercats also made the New Transformers.... so... yeah, expect that for visuals.

[krogothwolf]

My gods. They are giving Panthro a grill and mad skillz, aren't they? They totally will, won't they?

Goddammit.

I always thought they'd give Panthro a 'Fro!

[bluestarultor]

ind you that the studio that is making the new Thundercats also made the New Transformers.... so... yeah, expect that for visuals.

Just to expose my own bias, I despise the art style of that series.

Armada was made in Japan, too, but I liked how they drew things more on the realistic side of Japanese animation, which is to say the Cybertronians looked fantastic and the humans looked like humans generally do in contemporary anime, meaning stylized, but not terrible.

[krogothwolf]

Just to expose my own bias, I despise the art style of that series.


I have to agree, the art in that series made it difficult to watch. I didn't like how the transformers or the vehicles were designed.

They were horrible when brought out in toy form, those toys were so ugly looking.