A Review of Rocket Boy and Toro

 

As you may know, I've stated that the late 2000s was one of my least favourite eras in animation; and the one year that arguably epitomises that notion was 2007. When you look at the trends and news in the history of the medium, chances are

people will point to that very year as to where it all went wrong. Seriously though; 2007 was not a good year for animation, to say the least. Throughout this year, almost every animated film that was out was in CGI. Any movie that wasn't CGI was overshadowed (with the exception of 'The Simpsons Movie'). Dreamworks Animation released 'Bee Movie' and the third Shrek film, both of which are some of their weakest offerings. There was even a film adaption of the game 'Elf Bowling' for Pete's sake. But the state of television animation wasn't any better. Many of the cartoons that defined the early 2000s were already or on their way out, there was an over-saturation of Flash animated cartoons, and many of them ranged from mediocre to subpar. It wasn't even a good year for Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network, 2 of the biggest companies in children's entertainment. Nick would reject 'Adventure Time' in favour of 'Fanboy and Chum Chum', and we all know how they betted on the wrong horse. As for Cartoon Network, it was the year where they made their first live-action series; I repeat CARTOON Network made their first live-action series, which would lead to a dark period which we won't talk about here. It was also the year Jim Staples resigned as president after a bomb scare misunderstanding in Boston. There was also 'The Nutshack' which is known as the first animated show to be made in the Philippines (much to our regret). I haven't seen it, but I'm well aware of its notoriety. But throughout all this madness, there was a silver lining. After all, this was the year that gave us 'Phineas and Ferb', which would become Disney Channel's longest-running hit. We also got 'El Tigre: The Adventure of Manny Rivera'; the first Nicktoon to be created by a Mexican couple, even though it only lasted for 1 year. And no matter how you feel about it; you can't deny that 'Chowder' used different animation techniques, and how surreal and meta it could be with its humour. Needless to say, it was quite an awful year for animation in general. One cartoon that was created in one the darkest times that came and went was 'Rocket Boy and Toro'.

Created by Joo Young Sam, this show was a co-production between Imagestone Inc. and Cosgrove Hall. You may know the latter company for their work on such British cartoons as 'Danger Mouse', 'Count Duckula' and the stop motion Wind in the Willows specials. Unfortunately, that's all the info that I could find about its production. That and this pilot short, that offers the proof of concept. 

I can assume because cartoons like 'Robotboy' and 'I Got a Rocket' was the flavour at the time, network executives thought why not have a show that combines both of them, and take the plot of 'Futurama' while they're at it. As for my own experience with it, well this aired when I watched children's cartoons less and less. I would catch it incidentally but I didn't think much of it for a very long time. Only because it was on for a short period before it started being brought up again. Also keep in mind that whatever was made during that aforementioned year, didn't air effectively till a year after. But was Rocket Boy and Toro an experiment that was light years ahead of its time, or was it a worthless pile of scrap metal that deserved to discarded into that black hole of obscurity? As the main character would say, Power Up!

In a galaxy far, far, far, far, far, far, far away. . . .there lives a robotic young boy who has a rocket for a head, hence he's called Rocket Boy. His main mission is to deliver packages and parcels to many different planets with the aid of his robotic co-workers, boss and pet sheep, Toro. First off; I don't get it. Why call the sheep 'Toro'? That's the Spanish word for 'bull'. Shouldn't it be called 'oveja'? Or did they think it wouldn't sound as marketable? Anyway, as we follow his adventures, an evil genius cyborg called Dr Square and his rusty henchmen are always trying to capture our titular character to find out the secrets to his speed. In this fight between good and evil, Rocket Boy and the gang always find a way to defeat Square and get out of any bad obstacle. While also trying to accomplish any goal. Now stop me, oh-oho stop me if you've heard this before? I've mentioned before how the concept of this show is kinda similar to 'Futurama' with the intergalactic delivery company (and to a lesser extent, 'The Brothers Flub'). But there's another sci-fi property that it reminds me of. 

By watching a few episodes, you could guess what it is? If you haven't already, the plot bears a resemblance to 'Star Wars'. I mean think about it, a young hero, the sci-fi setting, the old master, the ragtag group of companions, the dark overlord who wants control of the hero. I'm not accusing this show of being a rip-off, it could be a coincidence even (like with those aforementioned cartoons). My best guess is that Rocket Boy was simply inspired by Star Wars and just wanted to give its own spin on the concept, as it is with those tropes. This show's approach to the genre is much more child friendly by comparison. Even so, I think that gives it more opportunity to be a sandbox of world-building possibilities, to tinker with space fantasy concepts and story ideas. It likes to take parts from sci-fi series' and re-construct them together. It tries to present its own technology with the colourful devices. And I am aware that there's nothing new under the sun, and that many stories are retelling the same ones. Even the original SW trilogy lifted

from a lot of various sources. However, upon further inspection you'll see a proverbial chink in its armoured plate. By recycling tropes, it would become typical. It promises a creative goldmine, but somewhere along the line the storytelling gets rusty. The writing doesn't do a lot to stand out, and what it does to stand out hold the stories back. It follows a good vs evil plot, but it convolute itself with scientific mumbo jumbo. The cool parts tend to be clouded with how directionless and cockamamie this can be. It wants to convey its concepts to kids, but any child who isn't into sci-fi might not be fully invested (or even pay attention). If the show wanted to do something unique with its genre, maybe it could've worked better if it did more to fuse it with another genre. A sub-genre if you will. Rather than just have a galaxy full of robots, why not make it more steampunk, add a swashbuckling angle. I could see these stories working as space westerns. I'm not saying this is how the makers should have made the series like, nor am I saying I could've made it better. But it would've made it more interesting. I usually love it when futuristic stories delve into history, as I do with period pieces delving into contemporary themes. But whatever, I should judge this project for what it is, rather than what I want it to be. One episode I recommend seeing is probably 'Junk Mail'. In theory, these storylines and jokes could be well constructed. They're just missing that component for them to click well.   

That being said, the dialogue doesn't do justice to its world building. It's can be basic as basic instinct (or programming in this case). Simple dialogue is fine when its expository. So long as it's followed by a clever line, whether it be a joke, a poetic quote or a play on a familiar saying. It can be effective so long as the voice actor delivers a good performance. For the most part, the characters play it straight. But the humour is fine for children, the jokes and quips from the characters can be decent. Much of it comes from their reactions. It's more giggle worthy. Contrast and compare. The reason why Star Wars (and the like) has endured for years is because the dialogue is part of its identity. It knew how to project philosophy and mythology into its whimsical story telling. Futurama is regarded as a great series in its own right is because it's comedy comes from how it respectfully lampoons the same genre, as well as society in general. Although its predictions can be absurd, the humour was balanced out with emotional character moments. It helps that writer David X. Cohen used his knowledge of science, as well as his degree in physics to apply into its jokes. Those things are essential part of these respective worlds. When compared to another cartoon from the era 'Captain Flamingo'; even that had some clever lines and jokes at least. Even when its ideas weren't as fully hatched as it could be, there at least was an attempt to make jokes from the hero concept. Like that, this show simply doesn't match the same quality. Perhaps the crew was trying to think outside the box. But as a result; they seem to remain within the box, while trying to manoeuvre it around.

You'd think a show that takes place in outta space (well I'll be, that rhymed) would lead to many vast, imaginative worlds. When it comes to their animation, Cosgrove Hall were mainly known for their in-house style that started with a Mouse (Danger Mouse that is). But over the years, they would soar out with a wide array of artistic and

distinct styles. Here though, the art style seems very simplistic and primary, as if it's geared toward younger audiences. If I could describe the art direction, I'd call it abstract. The character designs are built from geometric shapes, thus they convey a shape language. The combination of different shapes illustrate facets of their personality traits. Like how friendly characters appear round, while more sinister characters are composed of sharper shapes. While the backgrounds have these gradients; there's a contrast of bright, luminous colours and the deeper tones of the galaxy. Though its use of saturation can look better in some place than in others, I kinda like the variety here. While it follow certain design principles such as form, pattern and contrast. The perspective can look contorted in certain areas, in order to be stylistic for style's sake. Even the props can look like they defy basic perspective and space. As if the artists threw those rules to the wind. (Unless that's by design). That's not to say a simpler art style can't work, as there have been better examples of a more simplistic style in years since. Adventure Time would prove this down the line; with its dot eyed designs and spontaneous body language. Even Cosgrove Hall already tackled a similar setting with 'Captain Star'. Both of these managed to be effective, as they were drawn with enough depth to follow the principles of animation. It has a vibe akin to 'Kaput and Zosky' (like anyone also remembers that show as well). 

But looks aren't everything, is there a functionality to the show? Considering this is a Korean co-

production, the character movements on the characters are analogous to that of an anime (particularly on the mouth movements). Some might find the motions to be choppy and janky, but at the very least it doesn't feel artificial or robotic (even more than the artists intended). There're times when the secondary movements employ squash and stretch, as well as smears. Now this was one of the few cartoons at the time that wasn't animated using Adobe Animate, considering most cartoon characters at that time moved in an artificial, robotic manner; it's funny how Rocket Boy avoided this. It might have used some tweening, but I don't notice it. This was also during a time when traditional animation was seen as obsolete. I'm not saying it's terrible or counter-productive, the movements aren't exactly fluid or too jerky is all. Maybe it's a good thing these character movements weren't done in Flash, as it only could have been used for complex shapes. There are bright sparks to the animation, you'll find colour schemes that can look pretty good and make use of its shapes. The visuals might function as they should, but it's less concerned with its overall form. 

I've engaged into the show's factors, now it's time to give its characters their moment in the sun. 

Rocket Boy has a child-like optimism and

determination. Neither through a meteor shower, burning sun or darkness, he finds a way to outwit Square and achieve any commission. He upholds heroic values, there's a virtuous side to him in which he acts as a samaritan to his clients. As well as the various minor characters he encounters on his deliveries. Also, he gets the best lines. Speaking of which, you might find his voice familiar as it was provided by Lizzie Waterworth. Who you might recognise as the voice of the titular character of the Horrid Henry tv series. Toro is the animal sidekick whose dialogue may consists of bleeps and vicious growls; it's his actions and mannerisms that are enough to convey his personality. You might find it odd to see an earth sheep in a world populated by robots and alien life-forms. But because Toro is a metal eating sheep, this allows him to ward off against foes. As he's able to use his razor sharp teeth as a weapon and help Rocket Boy out of a space jam. They tried to make him the deceptively cute character with a dangerous attitude. Grandpa Sats acts as the team's elder and comic relief, as well as the one who runs the delivery service. He may crack jokes with his jolly grand-dad personality and he may be outmoded in the chrome dome. But he still got his leadership skills and he doesn't take things lying down. Crystalla is the girly girl member who has affection for our main character. She may lose patience with Toro and find him a nuisance. And she can become a damsel; she often learns something by the end of each episode. Vector is the mechanical mechanic of the group, whose personality trait is that he speaks like a surfer, like with his surfer dude lingo Bra! Like Brock from 'Pokemon' a less funny, less interesting version of 'Danny Vasquez'. 

Dr Square is the main villain whose evil powers come from his extreme intellect. He has a domineering, broadly built, sinister appearance and goes into fury whenever his plans to obtain Rocket Boy fail. He speaks with a regal, menacing

tone that can go childish at times. It makes it all the more funny when he and his henchmen are humiliated in a comedic fashion or say something goofy. While he falls into that category of villains who desire the series maguffin, there's a chance there would've been more to his diabolical plans. Its easy to make comparisons to Darth Vader, but perhaps the show itself had plans to develop Square and Rocket Boy's dynamic. Like it would be in that vein. Trash is the commander who provides the schemes and plans to capture Rocket Boy. He makes for a more comedic foil whose incompetence can blow Square's top. Along with his bumbling hench-bots. He can be subjected to slapstick and Square's demeaning/abuse. Its Trash's scratchy voice that's his most notable trait, and your feeling of them might vary. The rest of the minor characters/secondary antagonists have a purpose, even if they're mostly archetypes. Like how Arthur Green is the shady business rival, and a brutish one at that. As the dialogue depends on the voice actors' delivery to elevate it, do they succeed? They do their roles well actually. Theres an effort to give personality to these bots and they're subtle and charming enough. It's the villains' voices that chew the scenery with their exaggeration and quirks. Had the show lasted longer, these characters could've been much more well rounded.  

Overall; Rocket Boy and Toro may have the components to be a fun, unique take on the sci-fi genre. However, when you look at the whole package, it leaves a lot to be desired. The story is a bunch of tropes fused together. The animation seems childishly simple, but simplicity is its more effective factor. The characters can be entertaining and even likeable, but you want more development from them. They're parts that can spark the imagination, but they're also parts that could've been and have been done better elsewhere. I could see the ambition, a lot of it needed more fine tuning. Personally speaking; it might've not come out in the right time or place to be an animation fan. But it's good for children, which was the audience it was providing for. If they like it, then it must be doing something well. Though at best, it's only half as good as Cosgrove Hall's older works. As well as other animated shows from the decade for that matter. But if you're looking for a series that provides similar visual ideas, but done in a way that's more aesthetically pleasing. Then may I point your direction to 'Twipsy'. I don't know if it's a better alternative, but if not, you still got Kaput and Zosky. This show didn't fully deliver on its concepts, but it did what it can in a short course. So if I was to rate its goods and services; I'll give it.....

Sorry this analysis didn't arrive on time like I hoped. This seemed like a simple show in which I could get into the nuts and bolts of it. But I hope this would get my writing gears back and running. And that I brought more attention to this lost bit of animation history. Maybe you'll find it wasn't complete junk mail after all. Since you're here, I also hope that this can send my point across.