Cartoon Profiles: Sushi Pack

Hm... A cartoon that is still on the air... (Until this Saturday, at least.)



(There's a better intro for this show, but YouTube doesn't have it.)

Unlike a number of the cartoons I've profiled here, this is definitely a kids' show through and through, and most adults wouldn't find anything to enjoy about it at all. Unless, of course, you're me. (Or one of a few other probably select individuals, by which I mean *ahem* unusual people.)

Sushi Pack is a hyperkinetic anime-influenced show which is pretty much a typical moral cartoon a la He-Man. It even, if I am not mistaken, hired the same psychological consultant as He-Man. No joke.

And it's the kind of cartoon that broadcast television really could use more of. It's not quite at the level of the classics, but it'll do if you want something new.

The Sushi Pack are a group of superheroes literally made of sushi. Since they're sushi, they're, shall we say, vertically challenged. They live in a donut shop (what), and their mentor is the donut shop's owner. They fight various comical cartoony badguys. And they have fun doing it.

Most of the little guys are vulnerable to heat, as they're uncooked fish who don't want to be cooked. Brilliantly, the tiniest member of the team is Wasabi, who as hot mustard is not vulnerable to even tremendous heat; his weakness is ice for some reason. (Wasabi is one of the best characters in the show. First off, he speaks only in burbles provided by Scott McNeil.* Second, despite his teeny tiny size, he seems to be the strongest member of the team. Third and finally, he does what he wants, such as stretching out his legs to crazy proportions with no explanation and banning littering on penalty of life sentences.)

The others are a little less brilliantly entertaining, but then there's the villains, who include Paradoxter ("It's a good thing I'm taping myself, or I'd just be some crazy man-ox talking to myself!"), the Titanium Chef (whose book of Chum Chop sounds like it's quite a nasty recipe book indeed), Sir Darkly (who is only happy when everyone else around him is sad-literally), and Apex (the awesomest of the lot, I believe another Scott McNeil voice and the craziest and smartest [sorta] of the villains-he's an alien four-armed samurai guy).

I'd write more if I could, but there really isn't a whole lot more to say-it's fun for fun's sake that any kid could watch.

*The others understand Wasabi's burbles-here's an actual quote in response to something he said which involved a broken boat and mortal peril: "Thanks, Wasabi, but I don't think a loaf of pumpernickel bread will help."

-Signing off.