Cybersix

TMS produced this late 90's Canadian adaptation of an Argentinian comic and it shows. The silky smooth action animation rivals that of Batman TAS of the same period and this is the series' best aspect. Every episode features at least one elaborately staged and beautifully shot action set piece which would have been insanely complex and expensive to shoot live action. The look of the series is an odd mix of comic strip art - hairy arms are depicted as dark dashes! - with extraordinarily detailed backdrops. The city setting is a marvel in itself, a blend of the old world with its dilapidated opera house, narrow streets and open air market stalls and mad science cybernetic modern. A character appears to be strolling through MGM Paris of the 1930's only to run across a killer robot. The stories never get quite as complex as the best of Batman TAS, but they are consistently well-plotted and watchable. Suspense abounds and there are some frightening moments, but no excessive violence amid the often wild action. The characters are a bit superficial and their interactions can be a bit simplistic but even this aspect of the show exceeds typical teen cartoon standards. The series' major theme is a positive one for young viewers, that even something created for bad purposes (such as the main character herself, a bio-cybernetic construct) is not inherently irredeemable. All shows should be this humane in this age of dark and gritty superheroics. As of this writing, Cybersix is streaming on Tubi.

I watched this show at the recommendation of one of my Reddit friends, who said this is "girl-focused." This show, I admit, doesn't really compare, stylistically to Kipo or Cleopatra in Space, for instance. Even so, worth watching for the fun of it and to see the kickass cross-dressing woman (one of the protagonists), Cybersix, who fights evildoers and wants to do good, in action. It has a comical villain whose plans are always foiled, with the protagonist (an artificial humanoid) working with a buff man, Lucas, occasionally an orphan boy named Julian, and Data-7, Cybersix's brother, whose mind is inside a panther. This show, which aired in September and October 1999, has serious 90s vibes, reminding me of the antics of Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego? which aired from 1994 to 1999, the episodes which can all be found on YouTube. With that, I'd still confidently give this show my recommendation, especially since it was planned for more than one season but production conflicts prevented it. The wonderfulness of the show is why it is a cult classic among some. Due to the 90s vibe, that's why I am putting this at the rating of 9.

As an animation junkie, I was pleased as punch to find the show "Cybersix" on Canada's Teletoon station...the animation is done in part by a company called TMS, who did the best work on my favorite show, "The New Batman/Superman Adventures".

The work on "Cybersix" is better.

The characters move with a fluidity and grace that I've hardly seen in any animation, American or otherwise. If the scripts were half the equal of the animation, it would be one of the best shows ever put to video.

Yeah, the scripts are pretty weak. The story is very hard to understand, but that's what's to be expected when you deal with so many bizarre characters. They include the son of a famous super-villain, a reporter, a black panther, a homeless child, and the hero, Cybersix, who apparently owes her superpowers to the fact that she's a robot. Strange? Check it out.

Cybersix had that touch of light heartedness which was enjoyable to watch. It was really unfortunate that the series had to end with just one season. It felt like so many things were left unexplored, and it could have easily become an adult animation show by just taking the plot elements a notch up. I wish the series get a reboot in the future.

Based on an Argentinian comic involving Nazis, prostitutes, and mad science it's nothing short of amazing that this managed to squeak by the Fox Kids censors. The show animated by TMS who animated Batman: TAS and Animaniacs is absolutely beautiful with graceful movements elegantly choreographed upon the gorgeous backgrounds making up the fictional city of Meridiana. As an example of sheer tradecraft and technical skill Cybersix has few equals(except for maybe the Spawn animated series). The story however is where things become less polished the premise is certainly one that we've seen before where a creation(in this case Cybersix) rebels against an evil creator, but many details feel like they're either not expanded upon enough or are just flat out missing. In the first few epsiodes Von Reichter makes a good impression as an antagonist, but whatever good will is soon squandered as the true antagonist of the series is his whiny, arogant, brat of a son Jose who often feels like he's at a marked disadvantage to Cybersix because he's incapable of projecting menace or threat(especially with how often the show will put him in humiliating slapstick). Also the villains aren't given any depth mainly because they can't. In the original comic it's made clear that both Jose and Von Reichter are Nazis and there are some allusions to that in the show(such as Jose goosestepping when he walks), but because the villains have such a taboo connection in the comics the creators just pretend it doesn't exist so the villains never really achieve the level of depth we'd seen in contemporary actions shows like Batman: TAS. That's not to say that there were never moments of complexity on the show, episodes such as Terra and Daylight Devil put Cybersix into intriguing moral quandaries where Von Reichter's creations questioned their mission in trying to destroy Cybersix but for the most part many of the aspects were often avoided. As it stands, Cybersix is a flawed bu entertaining series.