Koala Man

Ok, I may be a sucker for adult animation, and also for Australian culture. So I was pretty much destined to enjoy this show. What I didn't know is that I'd enjoy it this much.

It's not based on bits like Family Guy, and it's not as smart as "Rick and Morty," some may see it as a desperate grab for American attention by throwing all this Aussie culture in their faces to woo them, with funny little cultural things like "showbags" and "sausage rolls" and other Aussie quirks, along with character donning the striking and appealing Aussie accent. But some of us are suckers for it, because let's be honest, our own culture is usually boring to ourselves. And Australians are, well, COOL to us yanks. Believe me, that accent holds a lot of power over us. It's more exotic than anything in Europe. So congrats Hulu, you did your research, and you found something that would catch our attention.

The show centers on Koala Man, the not-so-covert identity of a local family man who is a lot like Stan from "American Dad," but only the Australian version. He's a stickler to rules, and prides himself as being the head of a family, which he loves about as much as rules themselves. He exists in what appears to be an alternative reality of Earth, where strange things happen like animals talking, aliens screwing planets, and psychic powers are actually real. It's a wild world, and it's all in Australia. It certainly feels like Australia's trying to teach America and the rest of the world something about Aussie culture. I have always enjoyed Australian cinema, and this comes as a fresh addition to the adult animated comedy scene.

Gives the superhero comedy gene a fresh new start. The characters are justified by who they are and what they do and still feel relatable at the same time. The Australian setting really helped elevate the series and makes it feel exotic like most titles set in Australia. The co-creator of Smiling Friends really know how to make me feel.

Koala Man/Kevin may be hapless, but you feel for him for his journey to be the hero the entire town needs, despite looking at him as a joke everywhere. The trouble the town goes though feels like fresh new takes on problems only superheros must solve.

I think you should give this one a shot.

I am not going to go too in-depth with the show simply because I am more of a movie critic, but overall I think Koala Man deserves a hell of a lot more than it received. Most people never gave the show a chance before flocking to Twitter to complain. I recommend watching it to the end because the show starts to shine later in its run, and then judge it for yourself.

Here is my judgment, one thing I liked about Koala Man is how it's a tamer and more extended version of a Cusack show which gives it charm within itself. It can be heartwarming and funny simultaneously, which can be a powerful tool in storytelling (especially adult animation). One thing it could work on is hooking the audience sooner. The first two and a half episodes are slow, but as you continue to watch, you can see how Cusack's ability to create an arced story within longer episodes develops and strengthens. This made the season's middle and end very good.

Koala Man is fun, and I hope people stop hating on it so it can get a second season. With even more experience under Cusack's belt, Koala Man could develop into something magically insane.

So after watching the entire series in one sitting, I can syat that it's failr enjoyable. For non-Australians, there are alot of jokes and references some people can't understand, but regardless of the cultural differences, it's a bloody good time for everyone to enjoy the absurdity of the show.

Though the general art style of the characters is based of oversaturated adult animated sitcoms, there are plenty moments of animation that stand out. Though it makes sense, by means to keeping Cusack's art style seperate from Smiling Friends and YOLO Crystal Fantasy.

Main characters are enjoyable to watch, despite having the cliche basis of a somewhat dysfunctional family to go through many experiences, they're charming as they are. Side characters are also enjoyable too, with small moments to shine for comedic relief.

It gets pretty ridiculous in the last 2 episodes, but in a good way that leaves alot of room of character depth and expanding it's own world. Can't wait to season 2 and what Michael Cuscak and the rest of the cast and crew can offer!

It is criminally underrated and I was absolutely in love with it.

The optimistic side of Adult Animation is hard to come by and it's obvious Micheal Cusack understands how to balance his shows even when it's flying into absolute absurdity.

Everything feels somehow grounded in a weird reality. Nothing makes me think "this is out of place". It seems episodic and like a continuation of a story all at once, almost like a South park episode without cynicism.

The characters are all likable and very down to earth even with the absurd quirks they have.

The voice acting is incredibly natural, that's why I enjoyed smiling friends so much when it dropped.

I am realizing how much I hate polished dialogue because this feels so real even in the most unreal setting you can present.

In most TV shows they can't capture some of the raw chats people have with eachother. Misunderstandings, random pauses, breathing audibly, small skips in words. All gets highlighted in these shows and it makes it feel much more natural even if it isn't a flawless flow.

The art style is super cute and I have 0 complaints but it is reminiscent of Family Guy and other similar adult animation styles which isn't bad. Just formulaic. The characters designs aren't overcrowded, they are simple but distinct. I never find myself asking "who was that again" because of how unique each design/personality is.

I could give this show a million praises. The only thing I'd argue is poor is rewatchability. I wouldn't watch it multiple times over unless I was sharing it with someone else.