| The Powerpuff Girls | |
|---|---|
_reboot_logo.svg){kind=logo} | |
| Created by | Craig McCracken |
| Based on | The Powerpuff Girls by Craig McCracken |
| Developed by | |
| Directed by |
|
| Voices of | |
| Narrated by | Tom Kenny |
| Theme music composer | Tacocat |
| Opening theme | "Who's Got the Power?"(performed by Tacocat) |
| Ending theme | "The Powerpuff Girls"(lyrics and performed by Tristan Sedillo and Hannah Watanabe-Rocco) |
| Composer | Mike Reagan |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 119(list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producer | Pernelle Hayes |
| Running time |
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| Production company | Cartoon Network Studios |
| Original release | |
| Network | Cartoon Network |
| Release | April 4, 2016 (2016-04-04) – June 16, 2019 (2019-06-16) |
| Related | |
The Powerpuff Girls is an Americansuperheroanimated sitcom developed byNick Jennings andBob Boyle forCartoon Network. It is areboot of theanimated series of the same name created byCraig McCracken. It followsBlossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, a trio ofsuperpowered girls living in the city of Townsville who are frequently called upon by the townsfolk to protect its residents from evil. The girls were created in a lab by the scientist Professor Utonium, who sought to create the perfect little girls by usingsugar, spice, and everything nice along with the accidental addition of the ingredient Chemical X, the source of the girls' superpowers.
It was first announced on June 16, 2014. A year later, it was announced that it would feature new voice actors for the main characters. The series premiered on April 4, 2016, and ended on June 16, 2019, lasting for three years.
Despite an initial positive reception in Europe, the series was met with negative reviews from critics, viewers, and fans for its animation, writing, and deviations from its predecessor.
The Powerpuff Girls featuresBlossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, three superheroes whose purpose is to reduce crime while living a normal childhood.[1]
Cartoon Network announced on June 16, 2014, that they had rebootedThe Powerpuff Girls in a new series, which was to be produced byCartoon Network Studios. In their 2015upfront on February 19, the network announced thatNick Jennings, who was an art director onSpongeBob SquarePants andAdventure Time, would be its executive producer.[1]Bob Boyle, who previously has producedClarence, has createdJetix'sYin Yang Yo! andNick Jr.'sWow! Wow! Wubbzy! and also former producer and art director ofButch Hartman's animated seriesThe Fairly OddParents andDanny Phantom, would also produce. Meanwhile,Craig McCracken, the creator of the original series, would not work on the series. McCracken has stated on Twitter that the executives at Cartoon Network had considered bringing him back to do the reboot, but his contract withDisney Television Animation prevented him from doing so.
Amanda Leighton,Kristen Li, andNatalie Palamides were announced as the new voice actors of the main characters, playingBlossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, respectively,[2] replacing the original voice actorsCathy Cavadini,Tara Strong, andE. G. Daily.[3] However,Tom Kenny reprises his roles as the Mayor and narrator, whileTom Kane reprises his roles as Professor Utonium[4] and Him. Meanwhile,Roger L. Jackson reprises as Mojo Jojo andJennifer Hale reprises as Ms. Keane, but not as Princess Morbucks.[5] In April 2016, Jennings revealed that the producers had considered bringing back the original voice actors for the new series, but decided that recasting the roles would infuse new energy.[4]
After the network revealed multiple promotional images from the new series in June 2015, writers from news sites described the visual look as similar to the original series,[2] despite the 15th anniversary specialDance Pantsed, which was broadcast on January 20, 2014, featuring a different art stylerendered in 3D.[3] On May 26, 2016, Natalie Palamides confirmed that the series had been renewed for a second season.[6] The reboot had a crossover withTeen Titans Go! that aired on June 30, 2016.[7] On September 17, 2017, a new and fourthPowerpuff Girl namedBliss was added in a 5-part special of the reboot, "The Power of Four". Prior to the announcement, a one-shot footage of Bliss was leaked on Cartoon Network Russia.[8][9] The show's villainess Sedusa was confirmed to be excluded from the reboot as a new character Bianca Bikini took over her role as the main villainess.[10] Some of the older villains, with the exceptions of Mojo Jojo, Princess Morbucks, and HIM, are given limited appearances for few episodes as new villains are introduced for this reboot.
The series premiered in the United States onCartoon Network on April 4, 2016. It also premiered in Canada onCartoon Network on the same day.[11][12] The series was released across theAsia-Pacific region on April 9, inItaly on April 21, inGermany on April 23, and inAfrica on April 30.[13][14][15][16] In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it premiered onCartoon Network on April 25 and on November 7 onCITV and aired on its sister channelBoomerang on October 17, 2016.[17][18][19] In Australia, the series premiered onCartoon Network on April 9 and additionally airs on9Go!.[20][21] In the Philippines, it debuted onCartoon Network on May 2, 2016, in English. On free TV, after theoriginal TV series of the same name that run from 1998 to 2005, it premiered on October 15, 2016, on5 (now TV5 since August 15, 2020) as one of the two new Cartoon Network shows on the channel along withWe Bare Bears and is dubbed in Filipino/Tagalog.[22] Both shows also premiered onCNN Philippines as part of their morning block starting September 1, 2018, alongside two other shows from Cartoon Network:Ben 10 andAdventure Time. However, they are broadcast in Filipino dub.[23]
The series also premiered in the United States and Latin America on Cartoon Network's sister network,Boomerang on November 1, 2016.[24]
The series also premiered in the Middle East onCartoon Network Arabic on April 29, 2016. It debuted in India onCartoon Network in 2016 and 2017 and is broadcast on the country's Cartoon Network HD+.
In mainland China, the series was aired onHaha-Toonmax TV (formerly Haha Children's Channel and Shanghai Toonmax Cartoon TV).
The series was met with mixed-to-negative reviews from critics and fans. Henry Solotaroff-Webber ofThe Badger Herald enjoyed the series, saying "Overall, this new rendition of a classic animated program is a triumph in my eyes. It recaptures much of what made the last show so important for kids to see while still thoroughly scratching a nostalgia itch for those looking to go back."[25]IGN gave the premiere episode "Man Up" an 8.0 out of 10, saying "While the new voice cast will take some getting used to, and the absence of Cathy Cavadini, Tara Strong and E.G. Daily is strongly felt, the show still manages to capture the essence of the Powerpuff Girls."[26]The Nerdist gave the first two episodes a 4.5 out of 5, saying "if you loved the original show, chances are you'll love these new episodes."[27]Screen Rant gave it a positive review, saying "Although the revival doesn't quite hit the mark on what made audiences fall in love with McCracken's original series, The Powerpuff Girls is an excellent addition to the franchise."[28]Collider gave it 4 stars, saying "it's worth viewing the new version of The Powerpuff Girls on its own merits because it's a solid cartoon that delivers on its promises."[29]
The Occidental Weekly lamented that the series "lacks the impeccable comedic timing and wit of the original" and called the voice acting "mediocre at best", while also criticizing the writing, which it deemed subpar.[30]Slate was critical of the show's "self-conscious feminist overtones", and compared the show unfavorably to the original, particularly the second-season episode "The Powerpuff Girls' Best Rainy Day Adventure Ever".[31]Polygon criticized that the show lost what they considered made the original so special: "fighting seems like an afterthought, as if Cartoon Network wants to keep the Girls a safe distance from the fray", and that the show was a "step backward, not forward".[32] Jessica Swartz ofInverse said that new viewers might not know who the villains are or what their motivations are, as no introduction was given to the characters. Swartz also went on to say that the show focuses too much on the main characters, and overall called it a "mediocre cartoon".[33] Shelby Watson ofThe All State praised the show's voice acting, but criticized the increased focus on the girls' domestic lives rather than fighting crime, and was especially critical of the animation, writing: "The animation is beyond lazy... the art direction itself is catastrophic. Animators routinely forget their own rules on how to animate their characters, leading to a disjointed style that just comes across like the animators don't care." Watson also noted other technical issues in the series, such as inconsistencies in character design or misuse of perspective, saying that they "shouldn't happen in a professional studio."[34]
Despite its mixed reception and low ratings in its native United States, the reboot has been received higher viewership in Europe since being broadcast onfree-to-air networks in the United Kingdom, France and Poland.[35][36][37]
Before the series aired, Cavadini, Daily, and Strong were displeased to learn the main characters had been recast; Strong called it "a stab in the heart" on Twitter.[3] Strong had announced after the upfront in February that this was a "strictly creative" decision by the network,[38] though in June of the same year said that the network had never contacted any of the three actresses prior to the decision to recast.[3] In an interview withThe Comic Book Cast in May 2015, Kenny claimed that McCracken "does give it his blessing",[5] but in May 2016 McCracken denied doing so on hisTwitter posts, commenting that he had never given the new reboot his official blessing. McCracken said that he wished that Cartoon Network had stopped their plans for a reboot of the originalPowerpuff Girls property but also acknowledged from a financial view why the new series was commissioned.[39][40] However, at the 2017New York Comic Con, Strong stated that she had no ill will towards the new cast and had given the show her blessing.[41]
The season one episode "Horn, Sweet Horn" received scrutiny from the media after the episode's handling oftransgender themes prompted criticism from LGBT viewers.[42] Sulagna Misra, writing forFusion's official website, described the character Donny as an "interesting metaphor for transgender identity" but saw poor judgment in the choice to present the transformed character as a monster. She found the larger topic of identity reversed by making the plot so "convoluted" and preferred if the character's monstrous transformation had been a temporary gag instead.[43] Marie Solis ofMic also viewed the episode as a failed attempt to convey social issues, on par with the "Twisted Sister" episode from the 1998Powerpuff Girls series, in which the main characters conjure up a mentally challenged and physically deformed sister.[44] Dorian Dawes of the magazineBitch was extremely critical of the episode, calling its message questionable and dangerous in the wake of theHouse Bill 2 controversy. Dawes denounced the episode as irresponsible to the series' primary demographic and felt it was written solely to make the producers feel righteous about their inclusion of transgender themes.[45] One of the writers has claimed to have not intended to imply any subtext and blamed the advertising surrounding the episode.[46]
One of the female characters, Ms. Bellum, was written off the show. In an interview with theLos Angeles Times, Nick Jennings explained "We felt like Ms. Bellum wasn't quite indicative of the kind of messaging we wanted to be giving out at this time, so we sort of had her move on... And that was a good choice I think on our part".[10] This change caused a negative response from critics and fans of the original show, who complained that the removal of Ms. Bellum's character (as well as villainess Sedusa being completely dropped from the show) negated the feminist message of the reboot.[47]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Short Form Animated Program[48] | Nick Jennings,Rob Sorcher,Brian A. Miller, Jennifer Pelphrey, Curtis Lelash,Bob Boyle, Pernelle A. Hayes, Haley Mancini, Kyle Neswald, Benjamin P. Carow, Jake Goldman, Julia 'Fitzy' Fitzmaurice,Robert Alvarez & Richard Collado (for "Once Upon a Townsville") | Nominated |
| 2017 | Gracie Awards | National Family Series[49] | The Powerpuff Girls | Won |
| 2018 | Annie Awards | Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production[50] | Mike Reagan & Bob Boyle (for "Home, Sweet Homesick") | Nominated |
The Powerpuff Girls reboot has seen twoRegion 1 DVD releases, sixRegion 2 DVD releases, and twoRegion 4 DVD releases. All of these have been presented in16:9 aspect ratio formats.
| DVD title | Season(s) | Episode count | Total running time | Release dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiara Trouble[51] | 1 | 12 | 132 minutes | February 14, 2017 |
| The Last Donnycorn[52] | 1, 2 | 12 | 143 minutes | August 15, 2017 |
| DVD title | Season(s) | Episode count | Total running time | Release dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Important Friends[53] | 1 | 4 | 44 minutes | July 4, 2018 |
| Battle![53] | 1 | 4 | 44 minutes | July 4, 2018 |
| Cute Trouble Edition[53] | 1 | 4 | 44 minutes | July 4, 2018 |
| Hidden Secret Hen[53] | 1 | 4 | 44 minutes | July 4, 2018 |
| Always Gently Knows[53] | 1 | 4 | 44 minutes | July 4, 2018 |
| DVD Box[53] | 1 | 20 | 220 minutes | July 4, 2018 |
| DVD title | Season(s) | Episode count | Total running time | Release dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiara Trouble[54] | 1 | 12 | 132 minutes | December 1, 2016 |
| Season 1[55] | 1 | 39 | 470 minutes | October 25, 2017 |
Before the series premiered, a toy line for the series was announced to be released in 2016 bySpin Master, with more toys released in 2017. The toys include the new 2-in-1 playsets and more.[56]
AMcDonald'sHappy Meal promotion for the series ran from June 14 to July 5, 2016, in the United States, including mini action figures, rings, and collectibles.[57]
On August 24, 2018, twoLego sets were released in the United States and United Kingdom.[58][59][60][61][62][63]
In April 2016, it was announced that a line ofPowerpuff Girls reboot comic books would be released in July of that year, being published byIDW Publishing (who also published comic books for the original series).[64]
Cartoon Network released five mobile games based on the series, titled "Flipped Out", "Glitch Fixers", "Mojo Madness", "Ready, Set, Monsters", and "Monkey Mania". The latter two are free, but the former is $2.99. All games are available on both theApple App Store andGoogle Play.[65][66]
A pair ofPowerpuff Girls-themed packs for the toys-to-life video gameLego Dimensions were released on September 12, 2017. These include a Team Pack, containing playable Blossom and Bubbles figures and constructable Octi and PPG Smartphone items; and a Fun Pack, containing a playable Buttercup figure and a constructable Mega Blast Bot. The packs add a newPowerpuff Girls-themed open-world area and battle arenas to the game.[67] Also, there was a crossover exclusiveTeen Titans Go! episode forLego Dimensions that included the "Powerpuff Girls" fighting theGremlins in Jump City.[citation needed]
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