In my last blog post I went over the general premise, plot and structure of Code Lyoko Evolution [CLE], a show that continues the story of the original Code Lyoko cartoon. This post is largely going to contain analysis. Specifically, I am going to actually give an opinion as to whether or not this new series is watchable or not. If you don't know anything about the show, I highly advise you to look at the introduction piece and this post I've also done about the show a while back.
That being said, I do admit that I am operating in a biased perspective. I do not have as much experience reviewing television shows as I do video games. I never went to acting school or the like, hence my judgment on the show's acting will probably differ from someone who has experience in either creating or watching TV series, especially cartoons. I recommend you actually watching episodes 1 to 19 (maybe with the dub) here and judge for yourself. If you can't, however, here's one take on the series.
What Went Right
The Lyoko Graphics
If there is anything that is 'evolved' it has to be the animated portions of the show. This trend has been present in the original series, as the online versions of the characters revamped their outfits to appear more like actual digital warriors. But in CLE the graphics kicked it up a notch, resulting in an incredibly stylish presentation once there is business to be done in Lyoko. The design is catches the eye and the animation is incredibly smooth. The Lyoko Warriors appear even MORE badass than ever [can it be because the foreheads slightly shrunk?], and the neat little things such as the monster explosions, again, makes the CGI fighting look awesome.
The growing imperfection of the group
The original series had too much of that goody-good quality; most if not all the main characters in Code Lyoko are flawed but not that flawed. They may be unable to declare their love [Ulrich, Yumi], or be serious at the right time [Odd] but regardless the characters came off as angels and saints, something that didn't really suit well with me.
In CLE, you get the feeling that the characters in the gang are still largely good people, but the flaws have a bigger effect on the big picture. Ulrich still cannot declare his love for Yumi and vice versa, and Odd can still be a joker at the wrong time, but the issues grow beyond that now. For instance, Ulrich's distrust of William entering the group was so incredible that he went solo in Lyoko in one episode, giving XANA a better chance to win the day. Yumi's homework story scorched Ulrich to the point that the latter didn't want to even come to Lyoko during a mission. Jeremy is no longer the true Einstein of the group; that distinction goes to Laura, and thus he can actually make mistakes. In fact, it was his inability to comprehend what Laura is doing [because she was too fast for him] that rendered Laura invulnerable to the mindwipe. His lack of knowledge about the Cortex and Tyron makes him even more mortal.
Aelita has always been that 'perfect girl' who could do no wrong in the past. But she has completely changed, especially once Laura came into the picture. Once the calm, angelic figure, Aelita can now be pushy, demanding, and even mean. She is especially hard on Laura given how the former perceived the new kid as her replacement as backup techie and love interest to Jeremy. This pushiness can come at a price; in one episode, Aelita is so convinced that she is right that she does something against Jeremy's wishes, resulting in XANA gaining more codes [ie more power].
You still get the sense that the group is in the right; there is still no doubt about it. But, more than ever, you feel that for the gang to beat XANA, they have to address their inner faults [personal and collegial] just as much as they need to be sharp in combat against their nemesis. Cliched? Probably. But this trend is still a good step in the right direction.
Less Filler?
There are still episodes that do not mean much in the grand scheme of things, but you always get the feeling that the group is continually growing in knowledge and understanding about what it dealing with, be it XANA or Tyron. Every episode usually ends up with one tiny discovery, such as the Cortex and the ninjas who reside in it. More often than not XANA also gets closer from reaching full power because it was able to take some codes from the kids. Compare this trend to the very early seasons of Code Lyoko, which were truly filler for about 95% of the time. Because of the shrinking number of filler, I got the sense that the story moved a lot faster than before and thus got me interested in returning to the show and watching what the team learns next. Here's to hope that the ongoing subplot with Aelita's mother [who was presumed gone] could also be put to good use.
The Theme Song
Fans of the original show are most likely disappointed in the new theme song; but then again "A World Without Danger" is a pretty good intro theme to begin with. The new song has more of a techno feel, is much shorter, and has no lyrics. I know I am in the minority concerning the theme, but I actually like it. It plays to the technology/digital theme that will be prevalent in this show, and most importantly sets a tone of excitement in conflict; when you hear the song you imagine a grand conflict between the Lyoko Warriors and XANA.
What Went Wrong
The Dubbing
To be fair, I don't know if the show will get dubbed once the hiatus ends [whenever that may be], but the one dubbed episode already indicates some problems should that process go through. To the old fans of the show, the voices simply are not the same. Jeremy's voice to higher than normal, Yumi's is softer, and Aelita's sounds younger.
But then again, let's give the show the benefit of the doubt; assume that the new show cannot hire the old voice actors back for whatever reason. Even if we allow the show to re-explore and reinvent the cast in minor physical ways, the dubbing over is so obvious that it looks painful. The mouths and actual voices simply do not match.There are some other things I would like to change if I could regarding the voices. Yumi's voice actor, for instance, has to be replaced. The character has always been the tomboyish, I- give-no-crap personality. But now she sounds nothing like that. The instant when she was getting her codes drained away made her more like a damsel-in-distress that she never really was; it's just so out of character. William's voice projects an air of cunning and subtlety [think conniving politician or civil servant]; the problem is that William has always been more of loudmouth and someone who wears his emotions on his sleeve. To be fair, though, he still has that snarky quality about him. Odd, Jeremy and Ulrich's voice actors are the only ones that can actually channel the real personalities of their respective characters. This only becomes a real problem once the dubs are shown on TV channels; only time will tell if that will actually happen.
The Acting
The decision to have live-action in the real world as opposed to animation can and will always be questioned because that was not what the original series did in the past, not to mention the other failures of shows that shifted from CGI to live action [Dragonball Evolution, Last Airbender]. But the show could still help itself in those instances, because as far as I am concerned the acting could be better than it is [dubbed or not]. Probably because movie the actors are both young and relatively unaccomplished there is a lot of standing around during the dialogue sections, as if you're transported back in time to a school play with children not in their teens. Then again, it could be because it's hard to replicate the same gestures from animated parts without looking too out of place. Strong facial expressions are also lacking, in a way rendering the acting to be a bit robotic. I cannot really comment on the French voice acting because I don't know a lot of French, and thus it would be hard to judge it on its own linguistic merits.
The Verdict
The good and bad points in Code Lyoko Evolution are pretty defined. The show is at its best in the Lyoko world, showing off its gorgeous CGI and fight scenes. Characters are also more expressive [more gestures and facial expression] in those segments. Unfortunately you also need to get past a lot of the live action sequences to understand the plot of the week. The acting could use a bit more polish, and hopefully the actors can get better once they return and shoot more episodes. The production values in those real-world scenes aren't bad, but not eye-popping either.
All in all, if you take away the live action parts, you'll find a solid if hardly overwhelming action sci-fi TV show. But given that I have to review the show in its entirety, it is, as Matt Rorie puts it, Half-Good.
Have you watched Code Lyoko Evolution as well? What do you think about it? Am I right/wrong in the points I raise? Please leave your comments below.
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