Jo's Opinion 04: Animaniacs Reboot Review

[@SAClassHunterZero]

“If you sacrifice timelessness for relevancy, you will accomplish neither” QUOTE OF THE YEAR. NO, THE DECADE.

[@mikitamiridoka3990]

AGREED

[@mikeval1525]

Cool

[@thebiggestturdonthiswebsite]

music to my ears

[@BibleAlivePresentations]

Excellent quote and review!

[@tntradernox3654]

This critique should be sent straight to WB. It was critical but fair.

[@ladyirisbits9793]

The original Animaniacs made references to contemporary figures, but even without knowing who they were (which was my case) it was still funny because of the situations, and even after they are not relevant, it will keep on being funny

[@JoannaDavidovich]

That's a good point.

[@traceyroberts-jones6236]

@@JoannaDavidovich Teen Titans Go is the worst show ever

[@philipkippel3615]

@@traceyroberts-jones6236 No it’s not! Shame on you for saying that! 😡 The Animaniacs reboot is worse and so is other true trash like Family Guy! 😡

[@traceyroberts-jones6236]

@@philipkippel3615 Teen Titans Go is truly nothing but trash

[@pwcorgi2000]

@@philipkippel3615 I agree. I have not seen a reboot that l like, equally or better than it's original.

[@st4rsnraindrops]

I definitely agree with a lot of your points regarding the reboot, *especially* how they wrote the Warners in particular. I kinda do like how Yakko was shown to be... more emotional. It’s a nice change of pace. However, I do miss his snarky, witty self. It feels so much like he and Dot constantly fight over who should be the “leader” of the trio as well. And while I do enjoy that Dot is shown to be more than just “the cute one”, I don’t like how she’s kind of in the main focus. All three of them should have equal spotlight. Anyway, great video!

[@fanimation1603]

Agree I liked how they showed that Yakko has anxiety especially shown in the halloween episode it was one of his fears and the pun gun made me laugh a lot...another thing is that I like how Dot is seen as having wit but they didn’t have to change the line in the theme...and poor Wakko is barely shown most of time is just him being jealous of Yakko...

[@PPOshipper101]

Agree

[@Escarianoavieso]

@@fanimation1603 The Pun Gun scene was well staged and animated but I found it too long and a bit cruel (at one point Yakko actually dies). I especially didnt like that it took place in an episode that was mostly based around Yakko and Dot forming a team and being good siblings while they tried to solve the mistery of Wakko's doughnuts.

[@fanimation1603]

@@Escarianoavieso Agree on that part even though the episode was meant to be of Wakko he ended up not having the spotlight as much unlike his brother and sister.

[@colleen4ever]

Finally someone who is NOT falling all over herself about this reboot and is seeing it our way! Thank you!

[@metaboiii6693]

4:09 EXACTLY!!! The gross outs in this reboot was just unnecessary and NEVER called for! I NEVER expected those things to be in Animaniacs in general!

[@metaboiii6693]

4:21 Mine neither.

[@metaboiii6693]

Tom Ruegger and his team would've done MUCH better if they would've 👏HIRED👏THEM👏BACK!!!

[@thelegendarysupersaiyan691]

You do know they are zany to the max right?

[@colleen4ever]

@@thelegendarysupersaiyan691 Ya can;t tell in this.

[@goonerbear8659]

I was wondering if the original was as gross as the reboot while watching it. I had assumed it was and that I was more tolerant of it as a child because I liked gross-out humor. Good to know that no, it never was that disgusting. On the whole, I liked it, though I enjoy the kinds of things that hit the meta marks they did, and on examination, yeah, I did have to know the original to get a lot of the comedic value.

[@shadyday2122]

So sad the amount of passion went into the animation and music, but the writers only ever watched ren and stimpy and like 1 minute of animaniacs

[@janf.2323]

I feel like they watched Cow & Chicken too, which was from the 90s.

[@colleen4ever]

Actually the Head Writer on this worked for Family Guy. Enough said,' TOM RUGGER COME BACCCK!!

[@BugsyFoga]

colleen which era of family guy though

[@colleen4ever]

@@BugsyFoga Does it matter?

[@antoniozangrandi210]

I mean, that's what you get when you put a Family Guy writer to showrun Animaniacs :/

[@ricklugo9121]

That's the worst, being a fan of something and having to dismiss it in the present just saying "I guess that isn't meant for me". (looking at you Star Wars)

[@colleen4ever]

The ORIGINAL was meant for everybody and it STILL IS. THIS...not so much.

[@TheRoyalBurral]

Ever since I finished watching the reboot I felt mixed on it and I couldn't figure out why at the time. Once you said the bit of "It's 30s characters bringing their sensibilities into the 90s, but the reboot is the 90s" along with most of your other points, it finally hit me why I felt the way I did. Very well said review

[@RaveDX]

Jo summed up why most reboots these days don't hit the mark perfectly. They focuse too much on being relevant rather than meeting timeless. Beautiful.

[@mattkugelman4369]

Well to be honest it is kind of hard when your predecessor basically started it, it’s like miles Morales being Spider-Man, he wants to be just as good or at least close to it, but with what Peter did he had a lot to live up to

[@colleen4ever]

@@mattkugelman4369 Simple solution..GET TOM RUGGER BACK!!

[@mattkugelman4369]

@@colleen4ever ok you obviously seemed to have failed to see my point, and I seem to remember you constantly going around the comments going off on how “horrible” this show is maybe let me have my opinion so I can respect and tolerate yours

[@YaBoiPhil]

Thank you! Its smaller details like that, that throws the whole thing off for me. A lot of folks like to overstate the adult humor of the original while forgetting they weren't anymore political than the standard Looney Tunes shorts. It's more focused on being the "Modern" Animaniacs, than taking the heart and wit of the original into the newer era

[@knackname6053]

I hated the side character design and no one was saying anything about it. I had to go back and watch the old episodes to make sure that the design wasn't always like that and I wasn't crazy

[@colleen4ever]

The head writer worked on Family Guy. Enough said.

[@lakamokolaka]

I am glad to know I wasn't the only one to notice some of these werid changes to the warners. Like this feels more like a fanmade parody on youtube than what the series actually was like.

[@MatheusNiisama]

When they announce the reboot, you were one of the first things that came to mind, cause I remembered from that old video you made that you have such a high regard for Yakko.

[@yepsilon2898]

Honestly, I did enjoy the Animaniacs reboot buuuut I also agree with some of your points. It definitely feels like this was aimed more for adult or the kids who are now adults who watched it in the 90's. I was fine with the "darker" tone of some episodes but they do feel a bit off in some cases. As you mentioned the episode with The Brain mind controlling Julia was kinda rough. Although it seems like they might be setting her up as a returning foil to Brain. At least I hope so. My MAIN critique of the show, however is that they reaally need some of the old characters back. Every episode of the reboot followed the formula of Warner Sibs/Pink and Brain/Warner Sibs. Only ocassionaly would they have a new character segment. So, over all, I'm just hoping they add more of the old cast and make the Warner siblings more child like. Here's hoping season 2 mixes it up.

[@DrCaesarMD]

I had fun with the new season, but a lot of that just comes from familiarity. The reboot focuses so hard on "staying relevant" that a lot of it's political/modern references feel grossly pandering and tired - NONE of them were funny. It was often a very pathetic attempt at humor. What remains aside from that is often still not funny - I agree that the shortest ones are often the best. "That's not the issue" is my favorite segment from the entire season, it genuinely felt like it could be from the original show. I just wish the rest of the season was as good.

[@Nonjola]

My biggest issue with the reboot is the absence of all the other supporting characters. I think Tom Ruegger had some ideas for the other characters like Hello Nurse being the CEO of Warners, Squit running the flock because the Godpigeon has retired, and Slappy trying to get her nephew Skippy out of the house because he is an adult now.

[@philipkippel3615]

I fully agree. Shame on them for excluding all of the original supporting characters and segments! They’re just as important to the franchise and the show feels absolutely empty without them! To make matters worse, Wellesley Wild and his crew hate the original show and they have even mocked those original supporting characters and called them “lame”! And the removal of Hello Nurse, both the character and the gag, is genuinely sexist! Let Yakko and Wakko fawn over beautiful women again! They need to reboot Animaniacs again to retcon the current reboot and put Tom Ruegger back in the drivers seat so he can incorporate all those wonderful bits of character development that he has suggested. Plus the humor in the current reboot is too woke-Animaniacs is supposed to be against Cancel Culture and political correctness! Wild and crew completely miss the point of the show and do not understand the characters and how to write for them properly!

[@mechajay3358]

This is Fair and Balance Review. I agree with the points you made. This doesn't feel like Animainiacs, it feels like Animainiacs mixes in with Ren and Simpy gross out humor with a dash of Family Guy meta humor and it's only going to appeal to those types of viewers.

[@colleen4ever]

#notmyAnimaniacs

[@jakoblinton2053]

As someone who adores the original and enjoyed the reboot, I must say I agree with most of your points. The only thing I don't nessecarily agree with is it having a cynical attitue towards the original. I found the hunter episode to be a bit of neat fanservice more than anything. I honestly believe the writers tried TOO hard to recapture the feel of the original and focused on the wrong aspects. Most of the more well-known jokes from the OG series tend to be the meta jokes, adult humor, or political stuff, despite them not really being that prevalent. I believe the writers of the reboot just figured, "well if we make all the jokes like this, then people will love it.", not realizing that those joke were usually the exception to the rule.

[@makhirot1983]

I think the disgusting humor got out of hand.

[@colleen4ever]

It DID!!!

[@princesspeachfan100]

Also, it's not Animaniacs, they tried to add Teen Titans GO! toilet humor and stuff in it, it DOESN'T work. T_T If Tom Reugger was in charge, they wouldn't have added all that stuff in there like they did. T_T

[@strawberryfieldswhenever]

It was definitely the worst part of the reboot. There were moments that felt more like they belonged in Season 6 of SpongeBob instead of Animaniacs.

[@princesspeachfan100]

@@strawberryfieldswhenever Yeah, exactly. :/

[@monobro141]

@@strawberryfieldswhenever i Want to shoot myself every time spongebob season 6 is brought up and disgusting humor is shown it's not funny it is gross

[@Nico-hm2mk]

I liked this. It was a negative review sure, but I could tell that you did not enjoy being negative. You only wanted to point out the flaws in a reboot of a show you loved.

[@JoannaDavidovich]

Thank you for understanding.

[@Freezient]

I like that they changed Dot’s part on the intro, but she was always both witty and cute, in the new intro its like they feel the need to tell that when we already know that being cute doesn’t make her less witty, she was also very narcissistic its her whole thing. Also i had a feeling that Dot took Yakko’s role in this reboot

[@colleen4ever]

She did!! It;s like they swapped places! I want my cute Dot back! (no reflection on the Great Tress McNeille. You;re still the Queen, I still love you. You did the best you could with what you had.)

[@spritesensation]

I personally disagree with you I prefer the og dot overall

[@dcscruz2970]

@@colleen4ever they did it since now people want more female main characters who are witty

[@colleen4ever]

@@dcscruz2970 But she was ALWAYS witty and so were her brothers!

[@dcscruz2970]

@@colleen4ever Now version of witty is always aggressive

[@2060useX8L]

I don’t know about anyone else, but I feel like Wakko didn’t get as much screen time as the other two, and Wakko is my favorite.

[@colleen4ever]

Ironically Wakko was everyone;s favorite in the original!

[@starthefrakkfangirl6094]

Me too I love Jess Harnell's voice works.

[@spritesensation]

Dot got too much screen time imo

[@fenrir-art4742]

Wakko is awesome. I really disliked what happened to the show thanks to Hulu and the Family Guy staff who worked on it.

[@spritesensation]

@@fenrir-art4742 also wakko isn't british anymore

[@omnipotenttit3240]

I hope you start getting work at big studios on the regular. You're a highly skilled artist and I think you'd make an invaluable contribution to any show or movie you got your hands on. You seem like the sort of person who'd make a great showrunner, if that's something you want

[@JoannaDavidovich]

Thank you! But I'm honestly more excited at the prospect of making original stuff. I have a looong list of things taking up brain space...

[@omnipotenttit3240]

@@JoannaDavidovich I can't wait to see what you make in the future! I look up to you a lot :)

[@JoannaDavidovich]

@@omnipotenttit3240 That's a wonderful compliment- I will do my level best to live up to it. :)

[@flashfoxart]

I can definitely agree with most of your points, especially trying too hard to be relevant. The constant references to bad writing almost sounds like a cry for help from the writers themselves. I have to wonder if they are being forced to write in a way they would not prefer because the executives are demanding it. Also agree with some things being too dark, too gross, too naughty for Animaniacs. I found myself being surprised at what they did sometimes. Naughty jokes used to be more elegant, like "Conjugate? I've never even kissed a girl!" Overall I'm still enjoying it. It's not as good as the original, but what ever is?

[@colleen4ever]

Hell Maurice LaMarche even called Tom Rugger to apologize about him not being in the reboot. Whats that saying when one of the VOICE ACTORS hates the reboot?!

[@sondradaviss2667]

@@colleen4ever wait Maurice lamarche doesn't like the animaniacs reboot

[@colleen4ever]

@@sondradaviss2667 Apparently not if he apologized to Tim Rugger.

[@CooperGal24]

See, THIS is exactly WHY Tom Rugger should’ve been asked to help with the writing of the episodes! Also, the rest of the characters that didn’t appear in the show.... It’s more like The Warner Show, not Animaniacs. I guess some changes are “ok” due to this being 2020, like you really can’t call the ladies Nurse or stuff like that. I remembered watching the 107 Facts on Animaniacs, it was explained that the only kind of jokes no one can write on the show is fat people jokes. I agree with how the writers wrote the Brain. He explained how he was abused to feel helpless and never wanted to feel that way, but then he did the same thing to Julia via mind control. I think if Tom Rugger COULD be brought into the team, he could write newer stories for not just the Warner Siblings and Pinky and the Brain, but for the rest of the cast as well. So yes, I think Tom Rugger should make a comeback and write the stories again, even if it’s for a comic book series, or even a tv series for a tv channel like Family Discovery, Cartoon Network or even the Boomerang cartoon app. Yes, the art designs and animations are amazing, but come characterizations and story plots.... the new writers are just trying to hard. They even had Brain say HELL in one segment, which shocked me! The Ass word I get because it’s a reference to a donkey, but this is different. I just hope the writers can study up on the original episodes and learn from Tom Rugger, why the original series WAS a beloved nostalgic hit.

[@JoannaDavidovich]

With regards to Brain and Wakko saying "hell"- I agree it was shocking, but what's worse is they were throwaway lines. If you're going to cross the line, make it funny!

[@CooperGal24]

@@JoannaDavidovich I’ll give the writers one thing though. Dot’s got her own solo edutainment song, although it needs to be better times is instead of being so short. And Rob Paulson was awesome when it came to rapping!

[@colleen4ever]

Or better yet, fire this new guy and GET TOM RUGGER BACK!!!!

[@princesspeachfan100]

@@colleen4ever EXACTLY.

[@philipkippel3615]

NONE of the changes are okay!

[@Paego_]

When the reboot was announced I was excited to see how you would react, and after watching some of it I I gotta say, I think you're right. The reboot isn't bad, but it isn't animaniacs. It's just different, and I think you nailed it in explaining how its different.

[@Master-Works]

I missed Rita and Runt. They were my favorite segment

[@dorkymations4432]

One of the main reasons the new Freakazoid episode worked is because they brought back the original creator to work on it ,the Animaniacs reboot crew treated him like garbage and did not let him contribute in any way(he wrote an article about it).I am not saying that you can't make a reboot work without the original creator but it would certainly help.

[@littlezorkie9311]

The way you deliver your critique in the most “disappointed mother” way 😂😂😂 but seriously this critique is really great. I agree wholeheartedly

[@JoannaDavidovich]

"I'm not angry, just disappointed." ;)

[@spritesensation]

3:30 this one hits me hard because he was like a father to the warners of sorts, and you could tell that they cares for each other.

[@Sakanero]

It doesn’t surprise me that the contempt for its original counterpart that permeates a lot of shows ended up in animaniacs as well. Good video.

[@lemonflavoredink854]

I agree with a lot of your points. Honestly, what bothered me the most was the gross out humor and the amount of political jokes /references. I was also disappointed that the other characters weren't really apart of the show and the CEO was just there. I did enjoy seeing the Warners more and loved that their designs pretty much stayed the same, but their zany personalities were really watered down. I still liked the reboot, but it definitely doesn't have the charm of the original.

[@jostansbandc1876]

SO. MUCH. POLITICS.

[@colleen4ever]

Tom Rugger would have taken shots at BOTH parties and SPREAD IT OUT!!

[@AlonzoMarquisGraychipmonk]

The original was always left leaning in their defense.

[@colleen4ever]

@@AlonzoMarquisGraychipmonk No it wasn't!! It was ALWAYS fair and neutral!!

[@BUdraw81]

By far one of the best reviews I've come across for the "ANIMANIACS" reboot. Excellent critique Joanna!

[@JoannaDavidovich]

Thanks Brad!

[@Negameleon]

It feels like the development of this show didn't future proof itself, one can tell it began somewhere around 2017-2018. It has all the hallmarks, the ironic detachment, overwritten, crass and gross for the sake of it, references so dated it makes the Simpsons feel topical. Even I, as a fan of Family Guy didn't really enjoy it (maybe by a sort of self imposed Stockholm syndrome relation with the show) it just comes across as a smug, soulless show, so I appreciate that this video exists cause it just left me feeling like I missed out on something I didn't get as soon as I finished it.

[@JoannaDavidovich]

I feel ya!

[@thebiggestturdonthiswebsite]

this show just isn’t animaniacs. It feels like family guy combined with power puff girls 2016, as much as I love ren and stimpy, this isn’t what animaniacs is,The original was a looney tunes inspired variety show, the reboot feels like it was written by peter griffin (because it technically was lol)

[@philipkippel3615]

@@thebiggestturdonthiswebsite Speaking of Looney Tunes, Pete Browngardt’s Looney Tunes Cartoons feels more like a variety show than Animaniacs 2020. Even Jellystone feels more like a variety show than Animaniacs 2020, what with Jellystone featuring a huge ensemble of characters whereas Animaniacs 2020 eradicated most of the supporting cast from the OG Animaniacs series.

[@GreysToons]

I’ve been waiting for your take on this and I agree with every single critique you have. The reboot is basically what happens when you take a Family Guy cutaway gag featuring the Animaniacs and stretch it into a 20+ minute cartoon; overly meta, smug, flanderized, and cynical as all get out. And that in combination with the lack of character variety, uncanny human designs, gross out “humor”, unabashed partisanship, and desperate need to be topical made for a thoroughly disappointing experience.

[@FEARisCOLD]

I get they wanted to bring in new characters but animaniacs is just like looney tunes in that we love all the original characters. They make up the show, that’s why it’s called Animaniacs not the Warner Bros. So replacing them is like replacing Yosemite Sam or foghorn and adding new character . It’s weird and it’s not what we come back for. They could have kept the old and brought in new. Curious to see what season 2 will do.

[@mattkugelman4369]

Well considering the positive feedback managed to help it, I’d say we could get that old cast again, it’s like that show wabbit, after it became new looney tunes, at first it was just bigs and a group of new characters with a few old ones, but then eventually they brought all them back

[@Animaniacs11]

You should have called this "Jopinion"

[@lowcarbcomedy]

YES! That's what I actually named the file when I edited this. Well done tiny Elvira picture person

[@savvass2950]

@@lowcarbcomedy LMAO You avoided even mentioning "animaniacs" as part of the username!!! Nice touch!!

[@Animaniacs11]

@@lowcarbcomedy lol thanks

[@JoannaDavidovich]

We do actually call them "Jopinions" as shorthand- maybe I should make it official.

[@Animaniacs11]

@@JoannaDavidovich It has a nice ring to it

[@yellowcougar18]

This broke my heart. The trailer gave me a few worries, and you confirmed them.

[@MazAMaTaz]

Yakko’s my fave Warner too, and reboot Yakko just ain’t Yakko. 😭 It’s really a shame that a lot of these reboots rarely seem to get the writing right (especially with these shows that... y’know, have every opportunity to just rehire the writers from the original shows). Totally agree with everything you said.

[@PikaPetey]

I understand your critiques but as animators we have no control over writting. Im just happy to see such lovely animation. I would have loved to animate on this show.

[@qualitycontrol7735]

I am not entirely sure what point you're trying to get across by pointing out the artists have no control over the writing. She didn't really ever place the blame on the animators in her critiques, she even says that the artists can only do so much to make it a funny cartoon acknowledging that the artists are hardly to blame in this situation.

[@graycat7704]

Yeah same I’m confused by this comment like as a animator her self I think she understands that they have no control over the writing. She never once in this video blame the animators???

[@mickmons3267]

Loved the old Animaniacs, and I wholeheartedly agree with ALL of your points on the reboot. Concise, fair, constructively critical and informative observations overall.

[@orangefuzzz]

As a 41-year-old who loved the original: thank you. Thank you for so accurately summarizing my feelings. I don't want to dislike the reboot- and I don't HATE it (probably due to nostalgic guilt). I'm actually happy they're back. But it feels like a reheated McDonalds meal. Sure, it's McDonalds... but the texture of the reheated fries takes away from the overall experience. The large cast kept the energy varied and balanced. Slappy was my favorite and she gets no love in this reboot (aside from her head on a wall). I'm really hoping they use this past season as a springboard and really correct all this wonky stuff.

[@colleen4ever]

Get Tom Rugger back and they will!

[@mattkugelman4369]

Well I’d say as long they don’t pull a teen titans go and actually take the criticism well, and not just do constant jokes about how the fans are entitled jerks I’d say one can only hope

[@philipkippel3615]

@@mattkugelman4369 You’re wrong about Teen Titans Go! It’s better, actually funny and does not give in to Cancel Culture, unlike the Animaniacs reboot!

[@mattkugelman4369]

@@philipkippel3615 dude ttg is just modern family guy for kids, it’s relies on nostalgia, shock value, and gross out humor, and belittles both itself and its viewers out of a form of insecurity because they can’t take the criticism

[@s0undv01d]

Ok, I'm going to be sincere. I was so exited to see the new Animaniacs, I really was. I thought "Finally I'm gonna see the begining of a TV show that hook me three years ago!" And I saw it and I liked it...but no how I spected. Animaniacs made me laugh with silly things, not with jokes about the world now and the reminder that they are in a reboot. I totally agree with you, and I'll wait for this to be better!

[@lowcarbcomedy]

Great work Joanna. Now put this out of your mind and get back to that family of yours (And maybe a certain Avengers Animatic Video...😜)

[@JoannaDavidovich]

Dammit Zoki I'm an animator, not a magician! But also yes, you're right...

[@traceyroberts-jones6236]

@@JoannaDavidovich Hey Joanna, have you asked the Warner Bros people if they can bring Teen Titans back?

[@philipkippel3615]

@@traceyroberts-jones6236 Again, shame on you for hating Teen Titans Go! It’s actually a great and funny show, unlike the Animaniacs reboot! 😡

[@traceyroberts-jones6236]

@@philipkippel3615 It's actually the original 2003 Teen Titans that's truly great and Teen Titans Go is not funny at all!

[@TheGuyWhoGamesAlot1]

I am glad I wasn't the only one who felt that way about the show.

[@JoannaDavidovich]

We may be few, but we exist. :)

[@colleen4ever]

I am too. I felt so alone a lot of them time, So many people praising it and I was like, "Hello?! Donl;t you people remember the original?! Am I the only one that binged watched them to get ready for this?! I'm glad there;s someone who feels the same way I do!

[@JoannaDavidovich]

@@colleen4ever Yeah, and I understand that most other people like the reboot, but it is hard to take when you're told you're remembering the original show wrong or never understood it to begin with.

[@colleen4ever]

@@JoannaDavidovich How can I be remembering it wrong? I got the DVD's for crying out loud and I was binge watching them the week before the reboot came out!

[@JoannaDavidovich]

@@colleen4ever LOL! I feel like I have every episode transcribed on my very soul, so yeah, those comments irk me slightly. ;)

[@fanimation1603]

I think it kinda just lost it’s charm...hopefully it gets a little better and not gross jokes because it is a little weird,they need a little more zanyness to the Warner’s character...the only favorite part I liked is the scene where brain talks about why he takes over the world and the Halloween episode where one of Yakko’s lines was “do you think I’m funny”...Great review👍❤️

[@kittenclaws5775]

Much agreed with all points! Animaniacs was special because it had just so much to love. The remake feels like Ren and Stimpy, which I liked when it came out and I thought I was cool for watching it. But I never re-watched Ren and Stimpy, I have loved Animaniacs ever since.

[@mattkugelman4369]

I enjoyed both and I like this reboot, because I do actually like most of that ten and stimpy-esuqe, not all of it, but I do enjoy it

[@philipkippel3615]

Well, the current showrunner of the reboot is Wellesley Wild, a former Family Guy writer. They need to fire him and bring back Tom Ruegger!

[@LizzieShiro]

I was the most scared about the score tbh. I kept reading that initial composer for the show was a genius, and he practically made the original 90s show. But I was so relieved to hear the score of the reboot. The song at the end of the first episode, however... not the best.

[@LizzieShiro]

@@kachowtime I personally didn’t like it, but I’m glad you enjoyed it.

[@EazetheSleaze]

I couldn't agree more. It looked liked Animaniacs, but it just didn't feel like Animaniacs.

[@philipkippel3615]

Two other key ingredients from the original show that are largely absent from the reboot: 1) More genuine heartwarming and tearjerker moments. The original show and its crew did a great job of balancing humor and heart, whereas Wellesley Wild and his crew seem completely incapable of genuine heart-tugging emotion. Look at segments like "Little Drummer Warners", "Bumbie's Mom", "One Flew Over the Cuckoo Clock", "A Gift of Gold" and most of the Rita & Runt segments, for example, which prove that even a comedy show is just as capable of tugging at the heartstrings and making people shed a few tears. I'm not saying that the reboot doesn't have such scenes at all, but compared to the original show, the balance of humor and heart isn't quite as there as it was before and the emotions are not as genuine as before either. 2) The Warners acting like the Marx Brothers, who they were partially inspired by. The Warners act more like the Three Stooges than the Marx Brothers in the reboot.

[@Andybowbandy]

I feel you sister. I wrote something similar to my friends about the show how it was way too political and didn't branch very far out to other things like celebrities or your random jerk off the street that didn't have to be anything special like gun violence, or Trump = Bad (it's old joke gone sour makes u angry more than just to laugh and have a good time). Though they did write it in 2018 which was all the craz 2 years ago, so I don't know why they thought repeating all the same crap from 2018 would be funny 2 years later. The last thing is no one can really bring back the Looney Tunes style of comedy back cuz the world's too seitive to take that kind of crap and cancel it before it sees the light of day.

[@dylanmcartoonell1536]

Then my friend, explain the new Looney Tunes shorts that came out this year? XD

[@Andybowbandy]

@@dylanmcartoonell1536 For me the HBO Max LT are more like the Looney Tunes show not enough slap stick or lack of heavy objects that really feels like it makes an impact, no guns from Sam and Elmer (thier main thing), the LT are more like characture giving them less of their recognizable character, and they don't have that Mel Blanc charm. So no I would not call that Looney Tunes of the Golden Age. Though I do have give credit to it being pretty good with their cleverness of jokes but none of them have reached "The Opera singer" levels of funny I guess I should say none are rememberable. I will say the Tweety Bird ones are pretty good and Daffy acts more like the old old school Looney Tunes which isn't bad but I prefer Chuck's Jones Daffy than this one.

[@dylanmcartoonell1536]

@@Andybowbandy I don't see how it's anything like The Looney Tunes show. That show put the characters into a grounded sitcom format, this series was more about putting them into the kind of scenarios we'd see in the old shorts.

[@Andybowbandy]

@@dylanmcartoonell1536 Yea my bad shouldn't have compared it with that, but do u still get the point that I was trying say?

[@dylanmcartoonell1536]

@@Andybowbandy I don't agree honestly.

[@ChuckyChickenCartoons]

Well said, Jo! It’s kinda sad to see how they treated the Warner’s like they were the Griffin’s.

[@colleen4ever]

The Head Writer DID work on Family Guy!!

[@mattkugelman4369]

Honestly I still prefer this over modern family, if any reboot feels like modern family guy, it’s teen titans go

[@philipkippel3615]

@@mattkugelman4369 You’re wrong! Don’t even compare TTG to Family Guy! They’re nothing alike, you knucklehead! 😡

[@georgeleslie7307]

12:12 Absolutely this. Granted everyone who worked on the show is super talented in their own right, but there’s this cynical attitude to the original constantly prevalent that’s not really funny to say the least.

[@artistexhale]

Wow, The reboot has really missed their chance on hiring you as a main writer...Or at least creative consultant ^^

[@GanonGhidorah]

Finally, someone is being _objective_ about this. I feel like too many people are blinded by nostalgia and shower too much positivity onto this show, without looking at it for what it is. And the excuse they _always_ give was that, "The original show was like that." No...it wasn't. The show understood there was a time and place for political humor; other times, they would just be doing zany adventures where they would usually fall into the same formula of karmically punishing some arrogant jerk, or historical figure. But the thing about it; there was nothing _exclusively 90s_ about the show - apart from Bill Clinton, but what kid is even gonna know _WHO_ he even is before an adult tells them? This show seems _exclusively 20Teens_ in a desperate attempt at relevancy. And worse, it seems to have taken example from the _worst_ of the animated shows of the 2000s without _learning_ from those shows' mistakes...For example; _nobody likes gross-out!!!_ Nobody likes poorly animated characters who are _designed to be ugly!_ As for other things, like the jokes of _sexual nature._ There were times in the original series where _sexual innuendo was used_ but I feel back then it was used more _tastefully._ And it was done by the characters that had more of a sarcastic bend - like Yakko. But Pinkie - who is supposed to be naive and ignorant of the world around him knowing about it, robs him of a lot of "innocence." And hell, back in the day the references were more double entendre and built off an intentional misunderstanding - "conjugate," "pianist," etc. etc. But I feel the _worst_ thing about this series - apart from it's apparent _contempt_ for it's predecessor...Is the fact that it's trying to _jump the gun._ It's trying to steer into the skid; get out ahead of the pack. In short; it's trying to circumvent criticism of the show. The show is a soulless cash-grab; a desperate attempt to cash-in on these popular characters for money, when frankly a reboot of the show is just _not needed._ (And I'm tired of hearing that it is because "2020".) The show thinks that by admitting that it's a shameless cashgrab, that somehow makes criticizing it as such _irrelevant._ ...Unfortunately that's not how it works; the attedge goes - "Pointing out your problems does _not_ make them go away." I don't see the series staying much longer; I doubt that it will get renewed for a third season; but if it does, it will have to move past the political humor and know when the time and place for it; it will have to revive a lot of the old cast to take the burden off the Warners and the Mice to keep the show going; and most of all, it'll actually have to be _funny._

[@colleen4ever]

Now how can that happen...oh let me think...oh I know...BRING BACK TOM RUGGER!!!!!

[@GanonGhidorah]

@@colleen4ever I didn't mention it, but yeah; the fact that this revival is happening _without_ Tom Rugger is really effecting - not just the show's quality - but how I _view_ it. He's the guy that created Animaniacs, and yet Spielberg is given all the credit just because he pushed money at the project. Now in this new reboot, he's getting nothing; no involvement, no how-do-you-do, no royalties. It's just Warner Bros being _so desperate_ for a hit, that they're willing to bring-back their old shows, but not dish-out the cash for their old creators. Plus, after what Warner Bros has done recently, the chances of them getting _any goodwill_ from fans is negligible.

[@colleen4ever]

@@GanonGhidorah What did they do recently? Besides this?

[@ZakaZ1996]

According to crew members, before this series was released, they spoke more highly of the 2nd Season than the 1st (which is kind of common that the first season isn't). I did like this reboot despite it's flaws, but I am interested in the 2nd Season more so.

[@Eraser_Tracer]

To me some parts of the intro don’t look like they work with the Warner’s new look, like they don’t look as innocent as they did in the old intro, and yeah I think your right they lost there innocence, I still like it but it doesn’t even compare to the original

[@ScatterbrainPete]

You know, after watching the reboot I thought it was fine. But after watching your review, I have to agree. Even though everything else about it was done really well, the writing and the overall direction did feel a bit off. The fact that they didn't bother contacting Tom Ruegger or any of the original writers, who are all more than willing to work on the show again and would've probably fixed those small issues, doesn't help either. I really hope WB and Amblin will realize their mistake and hire them for future seasons (assuming the reboot does well enough to go past season 2).

[@colleen4ever]

What does that tell you when Marice LaMarce hated this season so much he apologized to Tom Rugger!

[@ScatterbrainPete]

@@colleen4ever He did? Wow.

[@colleen4ever]

@@ScatterbrainPete Yeah, he did. That;s how Tom found out about it.

[@wesman0410]

@@colleen4ever way to lie asshole, maurice actually told tom about the reboot the day it was announced while he was shopping at the shopping mart, maurice has enjoyed his time on the reboot

[@Theriverdraws]

I personally enjoyed it, didn't love it, but enjoyed it. I'm happy that I saw animaniacs getting introduced to a new generation, or people who just never heard of the show before, or couldn't watch it. Saw a lot of folks enjoying the reboot and going watching the original :) That makes me happy

[@Chiscribbs]

Yes, 100% agree! I don't know how, but you literally took all of the thoughts I've had since watching the reboot and put them into words. This is so well-worded and detailed and every ounce of it TRUE. And I'm also really glad somebody else noticed the lack of reference to their origins, it really does feel as if the new reboot just...swept all the old show's lore under the rug and said "nah, we're not doing that." Yet, the gravestones in the theme song say "1930-1998", so you know it wasn't forgotten. It was deliberately ignored or just deemed unimportant, yet more proof that the writers *know* what made the original special and are just choosing not to follow its example. After hearing what Tom Ruegger, the original creator, would have done with the reboot, I have to say, I wish we'd gotten that instead of this. He would have had Hello Nurse be the new CEO, Skippy an adult and still living with Slappy, and best yet, the Warners would have been controlling the internet from inside the water tower all these years. That would have been so much more in-line with their characters and, in my opinion, more entertaining.

[@thesuperguy5557]

I still like the “reboot” but I kinda agreed with a lot of what you said like about how they seem to be wanting to replace dot with yakko as the leader of the group

[@cyboyentertainment92]

It makes sense why some of the writing feels like Family Guy. Wellsley Wild was involved.

[@mammon8683]

Animaniacs: OK Boomer/How Do You Do Fellow Kids Edition Or just the "Caught Up" Version, If you like? But yeah some of the background look like the leftover background characters from The Drawn Together Movie and Incase you ask Its one of the heads of Family Guy which does worry me.

[@c.ccarlhead5744]

Yes!! I greatly enjoyed the reboot but man do i hate those side characters...not a single one was appealing or funny..mostly just there to annoy or be a jerk to the Warner sibs and idk they just looked reallyyy gross. Nevertheless I really dig the reboot and hopefully it doesn't veer too much into Family Guy humor or style. I never really like Family Guy anyways

[@janf.2323]

You hit all the nails on the head. I've only managed through 4 episodes and I'm not happy. I also likened the art style to Spumco/John K and not in a complimentary fashion (full disclosure: I was a big fan of Ren & Stimpy back in the day, but outgrew it, esp after all the stories about John K came to light). The writing is really not good, and it breaks my heart given Animaniacs was one of my fave 90s thing (I was in my 30s and was a huge fan of vintage WB cartoons. Still am.) Thank you for validating my own feelings about this (a lot of my friends think it's brilliant. *sigh*)

[@SamuraiMotoko]

I thought the most dislaked sketch was Katie kaboom, but who really knows. its a mistery

[@JoannaDavidovich]

Maybe that's a toss-up... although I have to give the Hip Hippo cartoon "Noah's Lark" some credit- that one always had me laughing out loud, but not because of the Hippos.

[@beautatum6360]

Also on the subject of the designs looking "Spumco-Like" I'm going to contest that a little. They are going in that direction in terms of having more sardonic appeal... I give them credit that a lot of the characters at least look different from one another, right? That every character, even if they're only on-screen for a short time, has a specific look. But these kinds of designs would usually look better in Spumco cartoons... they'd look more anatomically solid and tangible... they'd have a more pleasing balance of shapes... the poses would usually be better... it's hard to explain. It's just little things that add up. It's worth noting that Katie Rice, a former big Spumco person who I really like as a cartoonist, actually directed a lot of these episodes. But you can't see her personal drawing style in any of them EXCEPT for the Starbox and Cindy segment. When I saw that I thought "OH THAT LOOKS LIKE HER!"

[@PPOshipper101]

Thank you thank you thank you! You touched upon everything I liked and disliked about the reboot! Dislike: Yakko and Dot’s personalities being switched, Wakko just...there, too much self-awareness, mean-spirited siblings, lack of endings, gross humor, explained jokes, no reference to 30s, too much in today and not timeless, no wraparound segments, Like: cast, animation, music, score, e v e r y t h I n g I loved your videos before especially about Animaniacs and now I’m happy that we share the same opinions.

[@rosezalious6539]

This was an engaging and down to earth take on the reboot, and I appreciated your point of view, especially with the overall satirical and gross out humor. The hardest thing to do with a reboot, in my opinion, is modernizing it but keeping it nostalgic in the sense of relating to its roots. The siblings felt estranged from their roots, with the sibling dynamic changed up with Dot playing more of the leader, instead of Yakko and Dot butting heads more often. The music and animation I thought was well-executed overall, but the visual gags weren’t always on par with the older show. I like how Pinky makes a reference to the implied behavior of his relationship with Brain, but that comment feels undermined by the show forgetting it, then we’re supposed to feel bad for Brain when he confides Pinky about his personal struggles and backstory. Same goes for Yakko, he felt more emotionally aware in the reboot, aside from his wittier and sarcastic self. Great review!

[@Howdoyouchangepf]

I was really waiting for joe opinion on this and honestly while I enjoyed the series I do agree with her gripes

[@timmowarner]

I think I agree with everything you've said but still enjoyed it a little more than you did. I LOVE the new design for the Warners and actually enjoyed P&tB more in the new show than I ever did in the original (though Brain was a bit too evil a couple times.) Music is great but songs are REALLY weak (except for the very first song in the first episode which I thought was great.) And yeah, the gross out stuff and the ugly character designs are often a turn off for no real reason. Just everyone is ugly. My least favourite part are the abrupt endings. I think the first time I thought it was just a commercial break. =o) Overall though, I enjoyed watching them and am glad to see new Warner cartoons! I think they're best when it's just the three of them talking amongst themselves for some cute character moments. It's a totally different show featuring the same characters. Oh! The Ralph asleep in the guard booth cartoon featuring Dracula I thought was the high point of the entire series. It's SO well done with no dialogue at all. My favourite bit with dialogue I think is during Bun Control when Dot points out all the bunnies when they wake up and have breakfast. TLDR: The Warners look great and it's great to hear everyone's voices again. Cartoons are good sometimes but almost always far from great. (But the Warners look great!) Also, I like Pinky and the Brain more this time around. =o)

[@JoannaDavidovich]

Respect, Timmo! :)

[@sMyMe9540]

You just earned yourself a sub. You voiced all my thoughts perfectly! Animaniacs 2020 HAS no doubt been widely covered in the Internet, but I think you did it best. Well done!

[@Spongeton16]

If it makes you feel any better, the creator of the original animaniacs didn't even know about the reboot.

[@JoannaDavidovich]

The treatment of Tom Reugger has made me wonder about the industry as a whole. If he can't get a fair shake after all he's accomplished, what chance do we upstarts have?

[@mattkugelman4369]

@@JoannaDavidovich I’d say pretty slim, unless your willing to sell your soul, creative mind, and actual opinion to get in, in other words, they’d want you to be a expendable sellout, that’s why most people I’ve seen are or do independent based projects

[@JoannaDavidovich]

@@mattkugelman4369 I do think "independent" is the way to go.

[@Skizze37]

I'm frankly surprised that you weren't on the team behind this reboot! All your points were spot-on, well done!

[@c.ccarlhead5744]

I loved the reboot so much but yeah I was irked about some stuff that I couldnt really put my finger on it but you explained it very well. I miss just ...super strange specific stuff that bring a lot of charm to Yakko's character. I think we got a bit of that when in the reboot when he said "He's still practicing??? Well he'll get it eventually" referring to Dr. Scratchansniff. It just gave me a flashback to the old, clever Yakko I always knew. I hope they stick to that a little more because sometimes very specific strange quirks of the siblings make me adore them even more. I have no qualms if they bring out the more theater kid esque side of Yakko like in the mystery episode where he talks to himself as a suspect and constantly switches places..thats just SO him and I really want more of that. Totally agree on the gross out humor but most importantly the SIDE CHARACTERS. They are just...unbearable no charm really there. Most are uhh really gross looking I think they are going with that whole...everyone else is stupid and gross aside from our main protagonists which you really dont need to make everyone unappealing to separate the main characters from them. That's also a thing that brought a lot of charm to the original, side characters with their own motivations usually your typical ambitions and the Warner sibs just adding a dash of zaniness to their lives. I'm not one to constantly whine and moan about political references in fact its what made the original so darn cool that they arent afraid to speak politics and they do it with a lot of charm. I think this reboot could use a bit of work in how it addresses political stuff. As you said I really loved the ending segment with them driving the host of a political show crazy. Also Yakko gang rise up the boy has gone through it enough for one season

[@BovineDesigns]

I always think of your vids when I see Yakko

[@PerezosoDoom]

Cartoon Critics desperately want the reboot to be good. It is not, it totally reeks of Family Guy incompetence. Glad to see a well-made review for once.

[@starthefrakkfangirl6094]

Agreed.

[@colleen4ever]

Hear hear!!

[@darleneamador6422]

This was actually very insightful and thank you for explaining why it didn’t feel right! I had the same thought but I felt like I couldn’t say them because I didn’t watch the original when it first came out. Although I did watch it later I feel the vibe from where animanicas feels like “just that 90’s” show! So thank you!!!!

[@AT7outof10]

I have to break down all the things I wanted to comment on during this vid - I also did not like the trailers, its like they chose the stiffest scenes with some motion-tweening here and there; such a weird choice. -The Spumco comparison is so dead-on, I can't believe I didn't place it while watching. Yeah, the humans don't look like Loonytune/MGM/ect. caricatures. it doesn't help the sharpness and linewidth is noticeably different. -The gross out humor; lord in heaven... There's a reason I didn't watch Spongebob as a kid; and hopefully this reboot doesn't scare people away from giving the OG show a try. -The Warner sibs being mean to eachother for no reason is kinda painful to watch, they had skits where they'd argue or the "I'm Mad" song that was great; but damn, they seem to torture eachother MORE than others in the reboot. And last I wanted to point out how the hornyness has been removed. Thats a discussion people can have about if it didn't belong or wouldn't fly nowadays but there's no denying it was a noticeable part of the original. Heck, there's a reason ten minute long compilations are on youtube. (I mean, Pinky clearly is still making domestic partner jabs but thats cuz we all kinda get that vibe from them) Hrm, another Ren & Stimpy connection... Well hopefully this isn't the 'Adult Party Cartoon' of the Animanics franchise.

[@colleen4ever]

Unfortunately I think it is. But that means it won;t last long.

[@Kneevirus]

Saying the background characters look like regular show background characters is an insult to regular show

[@davidm2364]

Excellent analysis. It’s interesting that they managed to miss the mark beyond a superficial level. “I don’t know why they included this new CEO if they’re not gonna use her for anything” - I can see two reasons.

[@RonaldMacK]

Well that's rather disappointing. I loved the series as a kid, and while the original had it's faults it's rather sad that instead of fixing them, they found a way to make new ones. Still, given how much they invested into the series it seems like a second season is quite possible, hopefully they'll fine-tune it and get it back on track. Also I hated Katie Kaboom more than the Hip Hippos, but to each their own. I still think you should'a called these segments Jo'pinion tho. C'mon. C'mooooooooooooon.

[@JoannaDavidovich]

Lol, it seems like there is a groundswell for a title change to "Jo'pinion." I decree henceforth it shall be so!

[@prowolf633]

This whole reboot was too-censored mess, the ensemble cast is half empty, the new characters are not so great, the animation is too angular, the after credit end tags are gone, and it’s attempting too hard to be political woke (there are ways you can do that while keeping the original’s charm!)

[@thechillman4893]

Even though I really like the original and the reboot, I gotta agree with your opinions. Especially the gross-out one. They don't really fit with what the Warners are.

[@spritesensation]

I thought I was alone! I feel like most good reviews are partly blinded by nostalgia

[@JoannaDavidovich]

I'm pretty nostalgic myself, but that's exactly why I didn't enjoy the reboot.

[@williamclarke3162]

Even though I do like the reboot (the Pinky & the Brain shorts are better than the Warners shorts and the second half of the season is a bit better), I am with you on most of the things like some of the supporting characters and some of their designs, over use of mentioning being meta and political humor as well as the grossout humor. Also, I'm so glad I wasn't the only one who noticed how more evil Brain is. Lastly, the timeless/relevant point....I'm surprised no one has used that

[@starthefrakkfangirl6094]

Nowadays everyone just wanna be trendy and relevant, with no charm whatsoever. Sad.

[@DerDrBach]

10:48 you were so right in that statement... I didn't even remember the hippos. I so agree with your opinion on the human character designs. I liked the reboot, not to a degeee of loving it, at all, the pinky and the brain segments were the best part. And, yeah. An excellent review, Jo.

[@DillonMaynard]

The Warner skits really suffer in the reboot. I wish they would've started using the side characters after episode 5.

[@graycat7704]

One more thing I thing one things that really stuck out to me in this video is the animaniacs is suppose to be timeless. This reboot is gonna age horribly

[@Andybowbandy]

Been waiting for this review

[@MBThomas]

Normally with show reboots, I try to go in with an open mind. That being said, there were points that you touched on that made me try to like the Animaniacs reboot. The music is brilliantly done, the animation and art style is consistent to a fault. And the Voice Actor's are having fun with what they're working with. I guess I want it to be great because that's how I wanted this year to end. After nothing but negativity from Big Bully 2020, The Warner brothers and their sister Dot escape their tower and whack it with their mallets and give us reason to laugh again. Well, I guess they succeeded in whacking 2020. Only the outcome is more tragic than funny. Even that part of me that takes gratification in observing people who have made worse decisions in their lives than I have my own, looked at me and said "Malcolm, you and I both know that you've pointed your nose up in the air at a plethora of shows that have had less problems than this." OH DEAR GOD, YOU'RE RIGHT! There's no reason for Background and Supporting characters this ugly unless you're a Ralph Bakshi movie.

[@vaneillav]

I do agree with some points you made But in the past,like the original, it always had political jokes, but yes there's more than it usually has but you also have to know in animaniacs they always made pop culture part of their humor,but what makes pop culture pop culture is US. We made pop culture,and part of said pop culture is politics, politics was everywhere you couldn't watch a video without an ad about voting for trump or biden,speaking of I'm pretty sure they were making this while the heat of the elections were coming up. So you cant really blame them that pop culture had alot of politics

[@BugsyFoga]

Kind of Sad that you couldn't enjoy the reboot.

[@zigzoinks5493]

Pretty much summed up my thoughts as well!

[@monobro141]

my only two problems 1 the everybody else except the main cast looks FUCKING AWFUL and 2 WE NEED THE REST OF THE ANIMANIACS

[@nestoons4539]

I totally agree the human characters are not fun to look at

[@MewPrincess2000]

I was wondering, have you ever watched Taz-Mania? If so, what do you think of it? I personally found it to be a really good cartoon and I have no idea why it doesn't get brought up as much as Tiny Toons and Animaniacs, since from what i've looked up, Taz-Mania got really good ratings when it was on

[@JoannaDavidovich]

I loved Taz-Mania! Fun animation, interesting characters- really unexpected take on Taz. I think it gets overlooked because it wasn't a co-production with Spielberg. Same with Histeria!, which was also a terrific show.

[@maicey_t.]

You put everything I feel about this reboot into words. Thank you.

[@stevensorace4441]

I’m definitely in the same boat Jo. I wanted it to be at least something I’d like, and though it’s familiar enough, the things you listed in the video really do take me out of it. This is a little strong to say but I watched Animaniacs to experience a joy for life’s absurdities but this one only seem interested in contempt. I’ll hope for its future though and for the artists on it who clearly had that a deep passion for it.

[@icecreamhero2375]

The reboot is pretty funny but the original is better. 7.5/10 In the reboot the animation isn't as good it's much stiffer and flatter. It's pretty mean how they snubbed Tom Rugger they could have at least made him a creative consultant or something. He said the Warners are out of character. They are supposed to annoy jerks in the name of good but here they are annoyed by pop-culture. I miss the other characters. The original had an SNL feel. They do go a bit overboard on the politics. Other than that it's hilarious.