Le Cuphead Show !

As of 2017, the run-and-gun game Cuphead has made quite the impact in animation, partially thanks to its tribute to the rubber hose era of American animation in the 1930s. Of course with its success comes a TV series spinoff, made for Netflix no less, along with the assistance of game creators Chad and Jared Moldenhaeur from Studio MDHR. With an announced 36 episode lineup and only 1/3 of those episodes haven released, the show has garnered fairly positive reviews, albeit with some criticism from snobbish animation enthusiasts. But as for how it works on its own, how is the show handling itself so far?

The Cuphead Show, at least as of this first season, follows the impulsive Cuphead and his cautious brother Mugman on random misadventures, including several that spawned from Cuphead owing the Devil his soul. As a fairly episodic series, the show spends a fair amount of time focusing on whatever shenanigans Cuphead and Mugman get themselves into. While sometimes feeling like filler in light of the first episode where the devil is introduced, the series does keep its main narrative intact in regards to how much trouble the devil truly is to the souls on the Inkwell Isle, if not the whole world. As for the other plots, they tend to feel standard to older cartoon tropes and TV episode formats such as a troublesome baby to a ferry boat club filled with ice cream to the cup's Elder Kettle caretaker mistaking them for believing him to be too old for his own good. Admittedly, the show is usually at its best when Cuphead and Mugman have to face the villainous Devil creeping up on them. By contrast, the brothers are fairly one note and don't offer much from your average cartoon protagonists in modern kids shows.

As for other notable aspects, the animation is well done for what the show is aiming to mimic: in this case, 1930s rubber hose cartoons. While there's a lot of rigging going on in the character movements, the work still pays off with fun motion and lavish poses, especially with the blend of stereoscopic stop-motion sets from Screen Novelties and overly colorful effects work. At times the recreation of older animation feels fairly unneeded, like the grain and old timey music, although that could be expected from paying homage by default. Perhaps most obvious with the creative animation comes from the cast, including Tru Valentino as Cuphead, Frank Todaro as Mugman, Joe Hanna as Elder Kettle, Luke Millington-Drake as the Devil and many more veteran comedians and VAs. Given the material on screen, a lot of enthusiasm is needed from the ensemble cast, and they delivered with hysterical spontaneity, even if there may be a bit too many Bronx accents here and there. Admittedly, newcomers could find more appeal in the artwork than the stories.

So while The Cuphead Show sort of has its trouble of finding its own identity in terms of narrative and character, the artwork on display, voice acting and help from its inspirations gives it just enough entertainment value for further viewings. With at least one more season expected sometime later on, there's definitely room for improvement and more down the road than meets the eye initially. I would say this is worth viewing for the time being, especially if you're a die hard fan of the original game (as overwhelming as it is). There can only be so much to expect in the future, so hold on tight for more to come.

I was so excited for the show. It had extremely high potential. The show has top-tier animation art style. That is the only thing that could keep me watching this show. It is geared completely for kids. Is most accurately a simple combination of SpongeBob and Mickey Mouse sadly. Not to say it is not original as it is very much so. They could have easily made something that still didn't have any mature content but was much more appealing and drawing in story to adult audience as well. There are some occasional notably clever and great dilague quicks and moments.

The Cuphead Show is a welcoming love letter to the rubber-hosed retro style of animation from the golden age era. It's fun, it's wacky, old school like, the characters personalities and voices are interesting, and beautifully animated. The stories are fun and adventurous which I like, but the plot could probably do better in the later seasons. I'm hope they would pay more respect to the original cult-hit run and gun video game. So far, that type of element is missing. Minor flaw, but the show is still worthy to fun even for the fans of the game, and fans of the old-school animation since it's glory begin in the 1930's.

The episodes are short and sweet, lasting around 12 minutes each, not counting the credits. It tells a stand alone story for each episode, following the two brothers and their mischievous, wacky and insane adventures, bringing in familiar faces from the original video game. It uses the effects, sounds and music from the game, while adding new tracks into the mix. They build on the characters, whom didn't even have a much of a voice cast in the game, but they do know, and it works wonderfully. The actors do an amazing job at capturing the essence and childishness of the two cups, while the devil and dice sound just as you would have imagined.

It brings over the classic cartoon art style from the game, while middling with modern humor and timing. Cuphead and Mugman have great banter, bringing with it some pretty funny and memorable moments, making you want to keep watching at the end of each episode. The animation is of course one of its greatest selling points, and it's a feat for the eyes. Looking like the game, something out of the animation from the 1930's, just modernized, paying homage to manny of the wacky set pieces and traits of that era of animation. Even if you haven't played the game, fell of it or know nothing about Cuphead, you will easily be able to follow the story and have a fun and light hearted time.

The show does a great job at taking the groundwork from the game and bringing the characters to life. Telling funny and charming short stories, about a cup, a mug and friends, which works wonderfully as yet another addition to Netflix's growing catalogue of video game adaptations!

8/10.

Cuphead is a celebrated video game, praised for being hand-drawn while said to be hard as nails. The game is so popular, we get a cartoon on Netflix called The Cuphead Show.

Basically, like the game it's based on, The Cuphead Show invokes the element of the golden age of cartoons, as after the amazing theme song, each episode opens with its own title card (designed like the old time Looney Tunes and Walt Disney ones), and the animation is basically as vintage-looking as those while still being digitally animated, as each episode shows Cuphead and his brother, Mugman, getting into various misadventures on the Inkwell Isles. Cuphead is the impatient star who decides to do stuff leading to such misadventures, despite the objections of the wise and understanding Mugman, who at the end, decides to go with it anyways, usually leading the two to danger, with villains like The Devil, boxing frogs Ribby and Croak, and King Dice, while meeting new friends like Miss Chalice.

This is actually a good cartoon. The voice acting is good, the humor is on par with the classics the game it's based on takes inspiration for. If there are a couple of things I don't like, it's the fact the final episode basically ends the season on a cliffhanger (which is basically annoying) and some of the episodes I do not like the plot of.