Sym-Bionic Titan

Sym-Bionic Titan, made by the creator of other highly regarded shows such as Samurai Jack, appears to be one of the most heralded cartoons in recent years. I have seen it on more than one occasion being called "the American counterpart to Neon Genesis Evangelion," which, if you don't know, is popularly regarded as the greatest Japanese Anime and one of the best TV series of all-time. So how could I not give this show a chance?

However, on the internet you can find people with irrationally enormous devotion to anything. Even I have my pet "classics" to champion (12 oz Mouse being probably the most irrational among them). First of all, comparing Titan to Evangelion is unambiguously the most off-point parallel I have ever encountered. Aside from a few superficial allusions to Eva, there is nothing about Sym-Bionic Titan that connects it to Evangelion. I'm convinced the individuals who have equated the two shows were employing some exceedingly straight-faced satire. The level of character development in Titan isn't any different from the rest of the shows in its ilk. To compare it to Evangelion based on a few occurrences of character development is asinine.

What it is, in reality, is a show in the ilk of Danny Phantom or My Life as a Teenage Robot. It may also connect closely with some of the other action/comedy cartoons that Cartoon Network shows, of which I am not extensively familiar. You can tell what the Sym-Bionic Titan's disposition will be before you even watch. In the US, more story-driven action shows are generally given stronger, more realistic animation, and episodic comedies are given looser, goofier and simpler animation. Like the rest of its genre, this show combines cartoon school drama plots with super-human fighting. It's a pretty satisfying show to watch, and I'd probably put it up there with Danny Phantom, which is quite decent praise.

In the best episode, our team befriends this unimaginably adorable little living time bomb of ultimate destruction. Awwww...

It's a quality show, but it's a show like Gargoyles, i.e. I think people must rate it with a different scale than I do. I guess I just don't appreciate the cartoon sitcom + action combination genre as much as some. In my mind, a good action show necessitates an immutable emphasis on an overarching story and ethos, which is exceedingly rare to find in a sitcom. And on the sitcom level, the action seems pointless and takes time away from more sitcommy pursuits. Sym-Bionic Titan is a charming show that I enjoy watching, but it's not about to enter my tv pantheon.

Normally I wouldn't write a review about a show that I don't rate highly (if I wrote reviews for all the 3 star shows I watch, my blog would be covered top to bottom in them.) But given the hype around this show, I just wanted to have my say. I wouldn't take my ranking very seriously per se', since this isn't an area of expertise for me. Now when I talk about live action sitcoms, or adult cartoons, or Neil Young songs... I'm at least in a position to judge them with an adequate knowledge base. I do watch a lot of shows in this action/comedy cartoon genre, but I've never stared at them with the critical eye crucial for genuine assessment.