Master Ky: The Pre-Series is exactly what it says on the tin, created by Kyzer Preston. The series takes place in early 200X, where Kyzer - The Protagonist of the story, goes to school for the first time. He ends up meeting and befriending an optimistic girl named Doshia and together, they fight crime in an Imagine Spot as Master Ky and Rose Red. However, it turns out that superheroes and supervillains were Real After All; as Dr. Ivan Madman attempts to crush them with a giant Killer Robot. Although, hope isn't lost and Punchtice saves the children at the last second!
After defeating Ivan, he tells the children a bit about himself and H.A.R.A. (Or Hero's Association and Restitution Academy). Kyzer's future dream is now to be the next chosen one soon.
After the first short, the show starts to get a slight Retool and becomes a surreal adventure/action animated series about the strange part of Houston named Hometown; located somewhere within Texas. The series also starts to incorporate more Black Humor, deconstructed lessons, and lore within its shorts; becoming more in line with the main series it is a prequel of.
The first short was released on February 25th, 2023 and can be watched here.
Tropes
- 2D Visuals, 3D Effects: The robots are animated in CGI while everything else is animated in 2D.
- Affably Evil: Dr. Crazyguy from the Imagine Spot.
- All Myths Are True: Superpowers existing, random creatures and beasts roaming Hometown, you name it.
- Ambiguous Time Period: 200X.
- Animesque: Subverted in the Imagine Spot - which is supposed to look more anime-like, but kind of fails due to
No Budget. - Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: This is slightly downplayed. Punchtice states that H.A.R.A. was made to take care of evil villains, threats, and jaywalkers.
- Art Evolution: See how the newer◊ designs◊look◊ in comparison to the ones used in the first short and you can tell that the next short will be better than the first one.
- Art Shift: To the more Animesque designs of the Imagine Spot from the simplified style of the real world.
- Author Avatar: Kyzer Preston.
- Cerebus Syndrome: The series is planned to get darker and have more surreal and dangerous adventures behind it, along with lore and more threatening villains.
- Covers Always Lie: Subverted. The poster shows Kyzer, Doshia, and V drawn in a more detailed and Animesque style than the more simplified, cartoonish style the actual show is in. But it should be noted that this is also a case of What Could Have Been.
- Creative Closing Credits: A New Friend and onward has a glowing blue and green meteor traveling through the cosmos. Averted for Made It To a New School, which only has black and white credits.
- Darker and Edgier: The first short is fairly lighthearted and filled to the brim with
Narm due to pacing issues and an Amateur Cast. But the 2nd short and onward are planned to be darker than the first short and filled with more lore. Likewise, the humor also starts to get more irreverent and sometimes delves into Black Humor or Leaning on the Fourth Wall territory. - Elemental Powers: Vee.
- Emotional Powers: Most of Vee's powers are controlled by her emotions.
- Episode Title Card: Subverted for Made It to A New School; which has one,◊ but not on the short itself. Played straight for the later shorts.
- Evil Laugh: Both Crazyguy and Madman. Crazyguy's has more of a goofy tone to his, while Madman's has some extra Large Ham backed into that laugh.
- Extra-Strength Masquerade: Mythical creatures, robots, monsters, elemental humans, dragons, and tons of other crazy things exist in Hometown.
- Fictional Province: Hometown is a fictional place in Texas.
- Imagine Spot: Kyzer and Doshia fight crime and stop bad guys as Master Ky and Rose Red in their imagination.
- Irony: Paired with Foreshadowing. In the first Imagine Spot, Master Ky and Rose Red face off against Dr. Crazyguy. Guess what kind of villain ends up attempting to crush them minutes later?
- Limited Animation: Due to a small budget and team (consisting of only 2 animators and a background artist), the first short's animation is quite limited.
- Medium Blending: Animated with 2D rigging via After Effects, 2D "tradigital" animation via Toon Boom Harmony, and CGI.
- Non-Standard Character Design: In Short 2, Punchtice is drawn in a more detailed, comic book superhero style in comparison to the more simplistic style of the other characters. The Ice Cream Man is also drawn in a style heavily reminiscent of early Disney movies and Fear from Inside Out.
- Prequel: To Master Ky.
