Dan Vs.

What's not to love about this show? It's got action, slapstick, observational humor, a weirdly sympathetic antihero on a mission of rage and vengeance, and a generally insane yet somewhat accurate depiction of life in Los Angeles. By that I mean that things tend to catch on fire with no provocation - but it's also the only cartoon I've ever seen that depicts day-burning street lamps in the scenery. That's attention to detail right there, to say nothing of the scenes in the show you can actually identify as real LA places. Sig alerts, sequestration, Silicon Valley; they might as well say "shot on location," because it's basically the real world in irony-laced ink. You can also play "who's that voice?" with the frequent guest VAs. The writers do an excellent job of keeping the characters consistent and the character development progressing smoothly, and the show has a definite continuity, but one that doesn't impede just jumping in anywhere.

Other reviewers have some discouraging things to say about the Flash animation, but having been raised on Homestar Runner and other web cartoons I can tell you that as Flash animation goes, this show is just about top notch. And the Dan Vs. animators manage to largely avoid the phenomenon of significant asset reuse that seems to plague most other symbol-based cartoons (Jimmy Neutron, Foster's Home, et cetera). This might be due to the background art having this funky watercolor style that scintillates into the character art.

Everything else positive I could say about the show has already been said by others. I'm just telling you what I've noticed. It's a great cartoon; watch it.

What I love about Dan Vs. is the maintenance of its writing quality through each episode. Rather than what's expected from viewers, the writers often take the series in a whole different direction, tackling such concepts as "The Wolf-Man" or "The Catburglar", so the show is unexpected and refreshing. Not only that, but surely (even though you may not be a rampaging jerk hellbent on vengeance in regards to everything you deem has wronged you), we can all relate to Dan's shenanigans one way or another.

You basically have the three main characters: Dan (voice-talented Curtis Armstrong), his friend Chris (Dave Foley), and Chris' wife Elise (Paget Brewster). Dan is an anti-hero in his own right and easily becomes one of the most hilarious characters on the show. Chris is a pushover known for his excessive eating and some of the humor stems from this fact. Elise often disapproves of Chris' constant aiding of Dan's schemes, but will occasionally join in if she has something to gain by it (as is the case in the pilot episode). This keeps the episodes varied and adds a touch of adventure to them.

The jokes are cleverly-written and - since the show was originally intended to be a live-action sitcom - you get that same sort of vibe in them, mainly stemming from Dan's witty intelligence... or a lack thereof. (Though you really have to love Dan's social commentaries.) While the character designs are great (particularly the main characters), the animation (which is done entirely in Flash) is occasionally shoddy and would need some improvement. Other than that, the show is generally visually-appealing and manages to pull off quite nicely.

I first viewed this show after seeing several promos of it back during the beginning of 2011, when The Hub was a fairly new network. Most often, people tend to skip this show in favor of The Hub's more prominent programming - such as My Little Pony. While I hold no grudge against these shows in particular, I would recommend thinking "outside the box" and giving this one a try. Not the best cartoon by any means, but one that manages to surpass other recent releases.

Dan Vs. is a very good show. It is better than anything Seth MacFarlane could come up with. Seriously, Family Guy is a has-been, American Dad! is a never-was, and The Cleveland Show is just plain pathetic/racist. Dan Vs. reminds me of the great turn of the century animated series. This includes Duckman, Dr. Katz, early Family Guy, Dilbert, Mission Hill, Father of the Pride, Pinky and the Brain, The Critic, Stressed Eric, Clerks, Home Movies, Game Over, The Oblongs, Baby Blues, etc. It is curious that it is on The HUB, which mainly targets children. I guess it is one of those shows like Eeerie, Indiana. They appear to be kids shows, but if you watch it, you will know they are definitely not. Curtis Armstrong is a star on the rise, and Dave Foley and Paget Brewster are already household names. There is plenty of dark humor, as well as subtle socio-political commentary. Mandel and Pearson obviously know their stuff. Great job guys!

Dan vs. is very original and entertaining. The characters are very familiar to views because we all know someone that takes EVERYTHING personally. Thankfully, most of those people just go thru life sulking and unhappy. Dan, on the other hand, takes it to the next level and plots real revenge. His buddy Chris, who's laid back and mostly cares about his next meal, is always along for the ride, usually as a chaperon to Dan's antics. This show is very funny and even kid-safe. Dan is a human version of Daffy Duck run amuck, and Chis is the easy-going, if not as clever, Bugs. I miss the old days when cartoons were witty and smart without resorting to shock value. Curses to The Simpsons and Family Guy.

I checked this show out after The Mysterious Mr Enter review it. And I'm glad I did. Dan vs. is one of the most underrated and funny shows I have ever seen. The humor is well thought out and smart. The show unlike a lot of other adult animated cartoons doesn't make a lot of references to real world events which makes it more enjoyable. There's not much more I can say except that it's really funny. Definitely check it out. You won't regret it.