I ain't a spring chicken, and next to grueling work my free time is limited. So I don't re-watch shows often. Amongst movies and series that I have re-watched more than twice are the likes of Better Off Ted, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, Hot Fuzz and Transformers Animated. But Skylanders Academy came, and I found myself watching it for the third time just last month. And the show only came out half a year ago! Heck, I subscribed to Netflix for a month just to watch it. If you never heard about Skylanders - don't worry. While I love the games, knowing about the universe isn't required for you to enjoy the show. Everything will be explained, the rest are nice easter eggs for us fans. The core characters are expertly chosen - we have the cocky and self-assured dragon Spyro, playful but top of her class Stealth Elf, stickler for rules veteran Jet Vac, dependable but easily angered Eruptor and slightly loopy Pop Fizz. Rounding up the cast are the wise yet quirky Master Eon and his faithful assistant Hugo, and on the villain side, the ever-plotting wannabee supervillain Kaos and his long-suffering butler Glumshanks. Each episode is expertly written and while moving along the main plot, devotes an equal amount of time for a one-episode story and character development. The humor is excellent and has its own style - it isn't typical slapstick or lowbrow stuff you would expect from many kids' cartoon. For example, Kaos berates Glumshanks for collecting colorful stones which are actually his anxiety medication. Or the whole episode dedicated to how a without his beard, Eon cannot hold the attention of anyone for his rousing speeches - when Kaos's spell ends up transplanting the beard as the bald Portal Master's new hair. I honestly can't wait for the second season, and hope that the show comes out on DVD/BR, as this is a series I want to own as a hard-copy.
