Adult Animation Spectacular! - Tooned Up #4
Welcome back to another episode of RPC’s animation show, Tooned Up! Today our host, Mike, is joined by Cameron, Jacob, Kristal, Josh, and Keona as they look at some of the best adult-oriented animated TV series around, like Harley Quinn, Rick & Morty, and the brand new Hulu original, Solar Opposites! But first, they regale us with some Ducktales and talk about the reboot of that beloved Disney show! Join us, won’t you?
I have to apologize, dear readers, for dropping out of this episode and for any mic issues I may have had. Unfortunately, it seems my microphone was acting up yet again, so I might have to get a new one. Regardless, it’s an awesome episode, so please listen!
Anyway, as you all know by now, I like to use the show notes to share my opinions on some of the topics we mention in the show. So let’s talk about Harley Quinn! My history with the character begins with her initial appearances in Batman: The Animated Series, way back in 1992. I’ve always been a huge fan of Batman, so I loved that series, and I feel that it has earned its legendary status over the years since its release. One of the best aspects of the show was that characters were allowed to evolve and grow over time, including Dick Grayson, who started out as Robin and eventually became Nightwing, as he did in the comics. Then we saw Tim Drake, whose animated incarnation was more an amalgam between Drake and another comic character named Jason Todd, at least in terms of Tim’s origin story. Lastly, there was Barbara Gordon, who first appeared as Batgirl in “Heart of Steel, part 1,” an early episode of the series.
The show did an excellent job portraying the heroes of Gotham City, but it also spent time examining the rogues gallery that Batman and his partners faced. Of course, there’s the spot-on portrayal of Two-Face, the Penguin, and Mister Freeze, but the real stand out of the show was the Joker. Not only did the producers have the brilliant vocal performance of Mark Hamill anchoring the character, but they also created a sidekick for him, the maniacal yet endearing Dr. Harleen Quinzel, also known as Harley Quinn. A criminal psychologist who eventually succumbed to her twisted love for the Joker, Quinn became the closest thing to a “lover” that the Joker has ever had (until Punchline debuts in the current comics, that is), but it’s not exactly a Harlequin Romance in the traditional sense. The Joker, after all, is a narcissistic, toxic person, and any sort of romantic entanglement with him will surely end in disaster.
Throughout the original Animated Series, it seems that Harley realizes this on some level, as her misadventures with Poison Ivy and Catwoman prove. After her introduction in the comics (if you can, go find her original series and the Jimmy Palmiotti/Amanda Conner run, because they’re great reads), eventually DC Comics moved her away from Joker and into a more anti-heroic (as opposed to purely villainous) direction, leading to her appearances in the Suicide Squad and Birds of Prey films. Margot Robbie’s portrayal of Harley is definitely deserving of praise, though the films themselves aren’t perfect, by any means. For the record, I enjoyed them both, but can see the flaws, particularly in Squad. I still had fun with it.
But I digress. We’re here to talk about the new Harley Quinn animated series, after all, and I can say one thing about it: it’s very, VERY adult-oriented. We’re talkin’ “TV-MA, DLSV” here. Blood and guts and cursing out the wazoo. Which is definitely how I like it, but yeah, tell the kids to go watch the Dora the Explorer movie or Trolls World Tour or something. This ain’t for them.
On a purely surface level, the Harley Quinn animated series may seem ultraviolent, irreverent, chaotic, and way too liberal with the swearing. It is all of these things, but it’s also a well-written investigation of Harl’s character, and the extent to which she can grow outside of her toxic relationship with the Joker. Quinn might be a bad guy, but she really isn’t all that evil. She doesn’t go out of her way to murder people, especially innocents, and she certainly isn’t as cold and egomaniacal as the Joker himself. She’s chaotic as hell, and definitely unhinged, but she’s also likable and charming to a degree. Actress Kaley Cuoco strikes a good balance of both sides of Harley in the series, and while I don’t think she does as good a job with the vocal performance as the great Arleen Sorkin or Tara Strong or even Margot Robbie… She handles things well. I’m not saying she should’ve gone full Lucille Ball with it, but Harley’s original voice and accent are so tied into the character’s identity for me that to hear someone voice her more naturally is a little off-putting. Still, I’d say it’s a good performance overall.
Where the show falters a little is in its lampooning of every single DC character in the book, including Jim Gordon, the Gotham police commissioner. He’s a bit too over the top and uncharacteristically emotional, and while I get that they’re going for irreverent comedy in this show and they want to roast every sacred cow in the DCU, I still think it’s overboard. On the other hand, Alan Tudyk’s Joker is just a horrible, despicable person, which hits the nail on the head. Again, I’m running into the same problem I’ve always had with the DC animated universe post-Bruce Timm and Paul Dini’s tenure: If I see the Joker, I always hear Mark Hamill, so anyone else just isn’t going to reach that height. It’s a subjective thing, I know, and I love Alan Tudyk as an actor. His performance here is right for what they’re doing with the show, so I’m okay with it.
However, the show completely wins me over with its portrayal of two characters in particular: the Damian Wayne incarnation of Robin as a precocious 12 year old who’s obviously in over his head with this superhero stuff (and voiced by Jacob Tremblay, which is spot on casting) and the amazingly deadpan version of Poison Ivy, voiced by Lake Bell. As much as Gordon’s persona on the show hit me the wrong way, Ivy did the opposite. She’s less villainous and more of a misunderstood anti-hero who just wants to hang with Harley, her best friend (and perhaps more; we shall see) and the person she believes in wholeheartedly. Their friendship is the narrative center of the series, and Ivy clearly wants to see Harley grow and thrive. It’s honestly kind of sweet. And Lake Bell is utterly perfect and the ideal voice for Poison Ivy, if you ask me.
I know it may seem like I’m harsh with the show, and I do have some nitpicks and issues with it, but as it stands, I’m enjoying the Harley Quinn animated series. If you’re curious about it, definitely give it a shot on the DC Universe streaming service or when it airs on Syfy.
Oh, and one final note: I watched Solar Opposites in more or less one sitting, and while some of the humor was hit and miss for me, I really enjoyed episode seven, so give that series a whirl. The last three episodes stand out among its eight-episode-long season.
