Sorriso Metálico

I find this show intriguing. I mean, here's this girl who has braces and feels that life is ending, but she can only see the bad side and not the good. The braces give her a conscience, a sense of direction. Sure, they get her into trouble sometimes, but they help show here wrong from right in some weird way. Sharon is like most (not all) girls at 13. Boy crazy, struggling to fit in and feeling like a loser. She deals with real issues, has real beliefs, but at the same time struggles with conformity. Its not all about the Braces, but trying to fit in when it seems impossible. But she learns her lessons and when she gets them off she'll be grateful, like me, and all the other former "bracefaces" out there. :) Go Sharon.

Braceface is the story of Sharon Spitz, a naive teenager who lives in your everyday town and experiences everylife teen experiences. The premise is to give insight on the most common situations younger people can soon find themselves in and have fun while doing it. It's an enjoyable show, and I like the vivid colors used for animation. All in all, I give it 3 licks of flame out of 4.

Watching Braceface is about so much more than watching a girl deal with her braces. It's all about being teenaged (or pre-teen) and the issues that come with it. Boyfriends, rivals, parents, embarrassment, friendship, insecurities... it's all in there. Most young people who watch Braceface should be able to identify, if even just a little, with one of the show's characters. The braces are just a mechanism of mischief. All in all, Braceface can get pretty deep (for a cartoon) and can make you look at yourself differently. It's much needed positive entertainment, compared to other pre-teen and teen offerings. As a mother, I am proud that my daughter has chosen to watch a show that she can actually get something out of for a change.

The first time I saw this show I loved it right away. It deals with teenage problems that, let's face it probably any teenage girl would go through. Sometimes it can be a bit childish, but it only makes it more humorous. It has a great voice cast, especially Alicia Silverstone. I love Braceface and I hope it continues, it can be a great show for any teenager.

Reading through the comments, it is surprising how many simply do not like this show. This is fine, but it would be simply unfair if it is assumed as comparable to other teen cartoons, this is somehow uniquely bad. It is not. In fact, the show is fairly enjoyable, providing an uplifting message that being an ordinary teen is fine, and that all those little dramas that are deemed horrible at the time will generally work out okay. Not much of an edge and it's fairly predictable, but its heart is in the right place, and for a cartoon, it is good 1/2 hr. show.

I write this as an adult by the way. All the same, why all the complaints about Sharon? The voice is a bit annoying, but actually it is also a bit interesting -- distinctive and catchy. The show also does not really find braces horrible -- clearly, Sharon's life turns out fine, but surely teens in her place will find braces annoying and at times horrible to contemplate. This is realistic. And, yes, teens (and adults!) are often self-centered etc. Sharon in the end also turns out to understand the needs of others. She basically is a fairly realistic form of a semi-popular teen with various hang-ups and so forth.

As compared to other Disney (and teen) programming, it is probably in the middle of the pack. I class it above Lizzie McGuire, especially the later years when she is more Hilary Duff (star) than ordinary teen, though that show has stronger supporting characters. Nothing special, but fairly enjoyable, and not a bad Alicia Silverstone effort ... the woman surely did worst, lol.