I first came across this show while I was channel surfing through the cable program that I just recently received. Since I've only seen a partial portion of the show, the plot and the concept were abstruse to me. My first impression of "My Life as a Teenage Robot" was indifference; I thought it was one of those shows that Nickelodeon inserted just to fill in the gap for their TV schedule. However, I discovered that my assumption had been wrong.
The subsequent week, I watched the show again and again and again.. I just totally became addicted to it! Rob Renzetti did a marvelous job(along with his other fine works such as "The PowerPuff Girls", "Dextor's Laboratory", and other Cartoon Network shows); I believe this is one of his greatest work ever. The story revolves around a semi-angst teenager, named Jenny, whose covetousness is to be accepted in her society. The only thing that's different from Jenny and everyones else is that... well she is a alien/monster fighting robot formally known as XJ-9. The repressive milieu which she resides in usually has her mother forbid her to do anything but save the world and go to school. The tasks that she must accomplish in order to save the world often hinders with her teenage life. She wants to become a real human and just enjoy her life like any other teen. This show's concept is similar to other films such as "Pinocchio", "Astro Boy", "A.I", etc. Just like those films, Jenny acquires knowledge as she gains experience even though Miss Wakeman clearly states that she would be a teenager forever, but metaphorically she is growing up.
Other characters include her next door neighbor and best friend, Brad. She admires Brad because she believes he represents the paradigm of all teenagers; being cool, popular, and acquiring stereotypical teenage quality. However, in veracity, Brad would rather go on adventures like what Jenny does everyday of her teenage life. There's also the mischievous Tuck, who is also known as Brad's brother. Of course and then there's Miss Wakeman, the mad scientist who created XJ-9. At first Miss Wakeman's perspective of XJ-9 was just merely an evil-fighting invention, but her perspective changes as she starts acknowledging Jenny as her daughter. The voice(along with the accent) of Miss Wakeman depicts her disposition perfectly! Also who can ever forget the Jenny-obsessed underdog whom everyone loves, Sheldon. His attempts to get Jenny's attention are just down-right hilarious!
The animation of this show is pretty much similar to Renzetti's other cartoons. The animation is drawn simply and the colors blend in with the environment. This show also has tons of cultural reference as well, including literal and pop culture. For example, in one of the episodes, they made an allusion to "Catcher in the Rye" and "The Boy who Cried Wolf". This show contains a variety of genres, tons of humor, plenty of action, and even a little romance and drama.
Even though I still haven't seen most of the other episodes, "My life as a Teenage Robot" is in one of my top TV shows list. In my notion, this show is much superior than the other flamboyant shows on Nick such as "Spogebob Squarepants" and "The Fairly Oddparents".(Although I have heard substantially positive comments about 'Invader Zim', I really can't compare it with other shows, since I have never seen it for myself) So don't feel reluctant to watch "My Life as a Teenage Robot", you'll be surprised on how much you'll be entertained. Hopefully the DVD will come out soon and that Nick won't cancel this outstanding cartoon.
