As far as the post-1975 (the period where the series became hit-and-miss) Pink Panther cartoons go, Toro Pink is somewhere in the top middle, and while it's neither among the best or worst of the Pink Panther cartoons overall it is vastly improved on the previous two 1979 Pink Panther cartoons Pink Breakfast and Pink Quackers.
The animation is less than brilliant, Pinky is very well drawn and his expressions are done wonderfully as always but the colours are both flat and gaudy, the backgrounds are sparse and takes simple to extremities and nearly everything looks so scrappily and hastily drawn with very little smoothness or care. The story also generally feels rushed and predictable, with one not being able to help being reminded of Bully for Pink. And the incidental music does get a little repetitive at times, with a lot of it being recycled themes from previous cartoons, and in comparison to the 1964-1975 cartoons it's somewhat too brassy and modern, compared to the slinky elegance of the early outings.
On the other hand, the theme tune is a justifiable classic and it was nice to hear more of it in the actual cartoons than most of the later Pink Panther cartoons. While there were reservations about the music, it does actually also work better than most of the later Pink Panther cartoons, Toro Pink has have a good number of tense, as well as fun, scenes between Pinky and the bull and the aggressive, loud but very energetic scoring actually managed to add a lot to their effectiveness. So while I am not a huge fan of the music style of most of the later Pink Panther cartoons, Toro Pink is one of the few occasions where it works considering the subject. Toro Pink, despite not having the most exceptional of stories, is one of the funnier later Pink Panther cartoons (much funnier than the previous two 1979 cartoons), the final gag is hilarious and the bullfight scenes have a real ferocious tension, a tension that has not been seen in the Pink Panther series for a good while.
Pinky is cool and charismatic in the Matador role, having great comic timing even while silent and he is as always immensely likable. The bull, while not as terrifying as the bull in Bully for Pink (which had a more imposing character design), is nonetheless a character that generates some nail-biting suspense and terror and also brings great amusement without being too goofy. The Little White Man has little to do but is good support where you can understand his frustration.
All in all, decent Pink Panther cartoon but not a great one. 7/10 Bethany Cox
