One of the better cartoon shows out there

jetta81

I used to watch this show on the T.V. before I got rid of it. It's a good show, considering that each episode is only like 23 minutes which is a rather tight time frame. There are a few weird things about the show I noticed, like sometimes the animators reuse the same clip, or sometimes they use the clip and run it in reverse. There's also the thing where in the original Martin Mystery comics, Diana is actually Martin's lover, and they are not related. I am unsure as to why they made the two step-siblings in this series, although it was probably to stamp out any temptation to show any chemistry between the two.

However this show is definitely for kids, not that you cannot enjoy it as an adult. The entire show is generally light hearted and not serious, and the show lacks anything that I can really relate to, with a few exceptions like the disappointed father, although as the series goes on if you watch enough episodes, you do become a bit attached to the characters. There is nothing serious relationship wise as I mentioned already, since the show is aimed at children they probably just took that aspect out which makes sense. But with this said, the show is aimed at being a fun mystery/horror type show and it delivers just that. The suspense is well paced and the violence is minimal. Most of the time it's the leading up to whatever monster is causing the trouble that is more interesting than Martin and his team actually confronting the problem.

However being the kind of person I am, I look a bit too hard into the show. I'm not sure if this is intended but I can't help but feel kind of bad for Martin and Diana, especially Martin. Here is a teenager who goes to school and works a job. He saves lives and yet he's a total reject, as in all the girl's thinks he's some type of creep. And whenever he saves the girls that he likes, they just get memory wiped and they hate him again. And somehow, Martin keeps up a chipper attitude, seldom ever showing any signs of being sad. He does have friends, but they seem extremely minimal, and although Diana and Martin do care for each other as siblings, I find it hard to believe that they would ever offer each other any emotional support. The writers might not have been aiming for this, I'm not sure, but although the characters have kind of shallow personalities, if you look past the surface they seem quite a bit more deep and complex. But it is just a show, and I'm very sure I'm looking way too hard.

Bottom line is this is a show you would watch for entertainment purposes only, but you may be presently surprised by it, like I was, and if you can make the show deeper then it might actually be, like I did, it really rounds out nicely and you will be a bit sad the series are no longer airing.

score 8/10

jetta81 16 October 2011

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2503888/