You wouldn't figure a show that's basically Scooby Doo with a dad and ten children for being so damn good, but this one is. It follows a format, but it never gets boring or stale. Why?
Character realism.
That's right, in a show where ten children supposedly have one basic personality trait each, the characters are far from being hopeless stereotypes who are nothing but their basic personality trait. And when those traits are played up, it's endearing and amusing rather than Character Exaggeration.
Sibling Rivalry? Shockingly nonexistent. The kids have their arguments and differences: Henry facepalms and groans at Stanley's antics, Mimi and Scooter argue over the former's bossiness, Tom and Alan kid their tomboy sister Anne about her gender. But at the end of the day they're mere pokes and jabs; no siblings will get along perfectly 100% of the time and it's clear that Henry values Stanley as a partner, Mimi bosses Scooter out of childish love, Alan and Tom think of Anne as their equal. Oh, and Anne the tomboy and Suzie the girly girl do NOT have the stereotypical sisterly rivalry, which is super refreshing.
And while they're eager to help solve the cases they understand that Pop knows best; their wanting to help him is out of admiration and adoration, not "we must prove ourselves better than the adults". Charlie is a good parent who wants what's best for his kids, but he's not hard-nosed and stern about it. And despite Asian culture dictating boys are superior to girls, he values his daughters as much as he values his sons.
The Asian stereotypes are nonexistent. Mr. Chan does tend towards fortune-cookie proverbs, but it's portrayed as sage wisdom. The kids' Chinese heritage is acknowledged, but lacks the usual unfortunate racial stereotyping you might see elsewhere. The songs are pretty catchy, too.
It's far from perfect, of course. The chase scenes often feel a bit random, like they're trying too hard to fit with the Scooby motif. Some of the otherwise harmless gags can feel overused or out of place (see the entry for Conflict Ball). And this being Hanna Barbera, the animation can leave something to be desired.
But all in all, it's a fun show with likeable characters. Definitely worth checking out.
Lives up to the "Amazing" part of the title
You wouldn't figure a show that's basically Scooby Doo with a dad and ten children for being so damn good, but this one is. It follows a format, but it never gets boring or stale. Why?
Character realism.
That's right, in a show where ten children supposedly have one basic personality trait each, the characters are far from being hopeless stereotypes who are nothing but their basic personality trait. And when those traits are played up, it's endearing and amusing rather than Character Exaggeration.
Sibling Rivalry? Shockingly nonexistent. The kids have their arguments and differences: Henry facepalms and groans at Stanley's antics, Mimi and Scooter argue over the former's bossiness, Tom and Alan kid their tomboy sister Anne about her gender. But at the end of the day they're mere pokes and jabs; no siblings will get along perfectly 100% of the time and it's clear that Henry values Stanley as a partner, Mimi bosses Scooter out of childish love, Alan and Tom think of Anne as their equal. Oh, and Anne the tomboy and Suzie the girly girl do NOT have the stereotypical sisterly rivalry, which is super refreshing.
And while they're eager to help solve the cases they understand that Pop knows best; their wanting to help him is out of admiration and adoration, not "we must prove ourselves better than the adults". Charlie is a good parent who wants what's best for his kids, but he's not hard-nosed and stern about it. And despite Asian culture dictating boys are superior to girls, he values his daughters as much as he values his sons.
The Asian stereotypes are nonexistent. Mr. Chan does tend towards fortune-cookie proverbs, but it's portrayed as sage wisdom. The kids' Chinese heritage is acknowledged, but lacks the usual unfortunate racial stereotyping you might see elsewhere. The songs are pretty catchy, too.
It's far from perfect, of course. The chase scenes often feel a bit random, like they're trying too hard to fit with the Scooby motif. Some of the otherwise harmless gags can feel overused or out of place (see the entry for Conflict Ball). And this being Hanna Barbera, the animation can leave something to be desired.
But all in all, it's a fun show with likeable characters. Definitely worth checking out.