Megas XLR

Like many people, when I first heard about Megas, I was skeptical. I have never been a huge fan of giant robot shows (Voltron, Gundam W, Big O, and G Gundam being the exceptions) so I figured this would be nothing special.

Boy, was I ever wrong when I finally started watching the show.

Megas XLR is about a super robot from the future built by the destructive race known as the Glorft. With their next target being Earth, a human girl named Kiva steals the robot and sends it back in time. It's found in a junkyard in Jersey City by a slacker/gamer/anime fan/wrestling fan/gearhead named Coop and his girl-obsessed sidekick Jamie. Coop completely rebuilds the robot, using his car and various video game controls to pilot it. When Kiva attempts to reclaim Megas, she finds that she can't even pilot it anymore! Kiva then recruits Coop and Jamie to help her fight the Glorft, who have also traveled back in time to reclaim Megas.

The show parodies nearly everything from the 1980's to the present, be it movies, anime, video games, or whatever else the creators think of that day. The blend of action, comedy, and even some serious moments cause the show to be downright entertaining on nearly every level. If you have not watched Megas XLR yet, I advise you to give the show a try.

Ah, Megas XLR. Despite the TV-Y7 rating, in many ways it felt a show aimed at older audiences, not only because all the characters were adults, the sarcastic humor and the somewhat obscure references probably totally would get over the heads of the kids watching it back then.

I guess that was the reason of why the show was unfairly cancelled, despite the high ratings: It wasn't as "marketeable" as Ben 10, and (As the cancellation of Young Justice can confirm) the executives care more about toy sales than audiences liking a show, which is why so many terrible series are still on air.

But even if Megas XLR was never destined to become a super-marketeable franchise, it will always remain as a beloved cult-classic from the 2000s which is always fun to rewatch, like Drawn Together.

Cartoon Network could give it some love, instead of acting as if this series never existed.

I have never been a big fan of mecha cartoons. Sure I'd watch MS Gundam with my brother-in-law when staying at my in-laws house, but I was just NOT interested. When first saw the commercial for this 'toon, I bemoaned "Oh no! Not another one!" But one Saturday night, while half asleep, the show started. I was too tired to reach the three feet for the remote, and I was too comfortable to just roll over. So I watched the show. There was this one line (I can't remember for the life of me what it was, but it had something to do with video games [of course]), and It reminded me of something my husband would say and I started laughing so hard, I woke up and started watching the show. I've tried to watch it every Saturday ever since.

At first when I saw some commercials for Megas XLR, I thought it was a Transformers rip-off. But then I changed my mind about the show and watched a few of the episodes and it was pretty cool and it's funny too. The show is about two teenage slackers named Coop and Jamie who discover a giant robot in a New Jersey junkyard He attached his car to the top of the robot. But...then evil aliens called Glorft land on Earth. Now 3 total opposites named Coop, Jamie, and the robot's creator Kiva must team up to stop the Glorft(and many other evil forces) from obtaining "Megas XLR"! I think the Glorft character is a little weird but yet one of my favorite sci-fi villains! My favorite characters are Coop and Jamie. This show first aired on Cartoon Network's Toonami back in May 2004. This is one of my favorite shows on Toonami!

User Rating: 9/10

BOTTOM LINE: I DIG GIANT ROBOTS!

Megas got its start as a sort of You Pick short, and while it didn't make the final cut as I remember, it must have made a good impression. The suits in Atlanta wisely decided to run with Megas, one of their most brilliant decisions since the creation of Toonami and Adult Swim.

Absurdity is the key to humor these days, at least for me. And what could be more absurd then a couple of burned-out 20somethings in control of their own Mecha? And in Jersey, no less! Throw in a token Anime-style chick, insane villains, monsters, interplanetary hijinx, and (most importantly) a killer mock-metal soundtrack - These are a few of my favorite things... Whoops. Sorry.

And how about the details on the Megas! What geek WOULDN'T pimp out their own Mecha with flames, nekked chick reflectors, an 8-Ball gear shift knob, and Playstation Controllers? It's every nerd's dream come true.

You have GOT to love this toon. If you don't... Well, then, heck with ya. Mindless fun for everyone, Mecha destruction for the Anime geek in a lot of us, and oh, the METAL!

Wow. I used to LIVE for Saturday Mornings. Now I LIVE for Saturday Evenings. How corny is that...?