My overall rating of "Animaniacs (2020)"'s Season 1: 5/10.
"Animaniacs (2020)" (at least so far) isn't quite as varied as its preceding version was, with only two segments: the Warners themselves and Pinky and the Brain. That's enough to carry the show: the Warners can be placed in any setting to deliver either a normal story or some musical number; and Pinky and the Brain *did* very much carried a show on their own, though they're definitely much more formula-based. In this episode both of their segments are competent at worst. However, there was space for more characters, more types of sketches. After all, who'd say no to more Rita and Runt, for instance? Well, the show's budgeting department, I guess. But you can always come up with new stuff, right? Well, they didn't quite do that with "Starbox and Cindy". It's somewhat of a borrowed formula from "Pinky, Elmyra&the Brain" - and possibly, though I've not watched them and thus can't confirm - from "Invader Zim" and "Kid vs Kat". But there's just something about it.
The segment's intro is an epic, pathos-filled narrative of an evil, conquering-and-destroying alien civilization converging upon Earth with a massive fleet. The sentient life is slated for consumption once the grim commander Starbox, the pointman of the invasion, sends the signal from his landed saucer. The fleet will only begin the conquest once the signal is received, and will wait until then. Only, the aliens are toy-sized, and commander Starbox is kidnapped by a little girl before he can send the signal, his saucer left behind in her sandbox. The intro is amazing and just keeps putting a smile on my face on rewatch. The idea that Earth is about to face apocalyptic annihilation it can't fight back against or prevent - only, the apocalypse can't begin while the commander is dressed up or flung around by a cute toddler, is so hilariously absurd and yet compelling that you can't help but feel invested. Cindy coos uninterruptedly as the wordless but expressive Starbox surmounts obstacle after obstacle just to try and reach the signal pad in his saucer. The artstyle of the segment is very different to the rest of the show, it's softer, smoother and more pastel in colour. There is something very comfy and pleasant about that aesthetic and Cindy herself - again, juxtaposed so well against that evil alien Dan Dare Starbox, his predicament and Earth's possibly delayed doom. Bizarrely, though, the segment is never followed up on in this season, and my hopes aren't too great going forward. Maybe it just uniquely appeals to me and most fans hated it, but I feel like "Starbox and Cindy" every other episode would be pure gold."We're waiting, we're waaaaiting!"
"Animaniacs (2020)" (at least so far) isn't quite as varied as its preceding version was, with only two segments: the Warners themselves and Pinky and the Brain. That's enough to carry the show: the Warners can be placed in any setting to deliver either a normal story or some musical number; and Pinky and the Brain *did* very much carried a show on their own, though they're definitely much more formula-based. In this episode both of their segments are competent at worst. However, there was space for more characters, more types of sketches. After all, who'd say no to more Rita and Runt, for instance? Well, the show's budgeting department, I guess. But you can always come up with new stuff, right? Well, they didn't quite do that with "Starbox and Cindy". It's somewhat of a borrowed formula from "Pinky, Elmyra&the Brain" - and possibly, though I've not watched them and thus can't confirm - from "Invader Zim" and "Kid vs Kat". But there's just something about it.
The segment's intro is an epic, pathos-filled narrative of an evil, conquering-and-destroying alien civilization converging upon Earth with a massive fleet. The sentient life is slated for consumption once the grim commander Starbox, the pointman of the invasion, sends the signal from his landed saucer. The fleet will only begin the conquest once the signal is received, and will wait until then. Only, the aliens are toy-sized, and commander Starbox is kidnapped by a little girl before he can send the signal, his saucer left behind in her sandbox. The intro is amazing and just keeps putting a smile on my face on rewatch. The idea that Earth is about to face apocalyptic annihilation it can't fight back against or prevent - only, the apocalypse can't begin while the commander is dressed up or flung around by a cute toddler, is so hilariously absurd and yet compelling that you can't help but feel invested. Cindy coos uninterruptedly as the wordless but expressive Starbox surmounts obstacle after obstacle just to try and reach the signal pad in his saucer. The artstyle of the segment is very different to the rest of the show, it's softer, smoother and more pastel in colour. There is something very comfy and pleasant about that aesthetic and Cindy herself - again, juxtaposed so well against that evil alien Dan Dare Starbox, his predicament and Earth's possibly delayed doom. Bizarrely, though, the segment is never followed up on in this season, and my hopes aren't too great going forward. Maybe it just uniquely appeals to me and most fans hated it, but I feel like "Starbox and Cindy" every other episode would be pure gold."We're waiting, we're waaaaiting!"