Powerpuff Girls Z is the spinoff of the classic Powerpuff Girls show created back in 1998. I admit that I initially liked the show when I first saw it. However, thinking back on it, the show is just mediocre. The biggest problem with the show is that it lacks the wit and cleverness the original show had. The premise of three normal girls who become the Powerpuff Girls instead of them being created with an experiment is a good idea. There's a lot of potential that could be done with the secret identity aspect where the girls can't tell other people of their powers. However, this isn't executed well as they pretty much have a Superman like costume and no one can tell the difference between them with a change of the costume (which is stupid). I'm not asking for the suits to cover them up completely, but at least a mask over their eyes would've been enough. It would've been cool if they eventually had to reveal their secret identity to their family for example. There's also the fact that their names are still intact as they lack an alter ego (at least in the dub. They do have normal names in the sub). Professor Utonium has a son now, and they both aren't that bad. Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup are faithful to the original for the most part, but it now feels like they're all equal instead of Blossom being the team leader like in the original, which is fine. Their powers are definitely nerfed compared to the original. While it does work, it can get repetitive. The villains are hit or miss. Fuzzy Lumpkins, The Gangreen Gang, and The Amoeba Boys are the same and are just there. Mojo Jojo is like himself but stupider. Princess Morbucks has more of a backstory of how she doesn't get her parents' attention as much as her older sister, which I wish was explored with more depth. Speaking of her older sister, she designs a suit of her own that beats the Powerpuff Girls. While it is cool, they never resolved it with a rematch or the Powerpuff Girls beating her older sister. Sedusa in this is better as she's given more of a backstory of how she's originally a normal girl that liked a boy, but didn't think she looked pretty enough. Her shapeshifting powers make her a decent villain for the show. While Him wasn't as good as he was in the original, he does play a larger role as the main bad guy, and it did give stakes to the show that it wouldn't usually have. Cody is a new character that has a backstory of being hospitalized that can turn into a beast with the black Z rays that affect town (that's how the villains become villains). It's pretty cool how well that character is done with his connection to Bubbles. The worst villain has got to be the Rowdyruff Boys. While they were decent in the original, they are downright unbearable in this show. These characters aren't a threat to the Powerpuff Girls. They just do stupid things like run around all over the place and steal the girls' clothes to taint their image (which somehow works). They could've been dealt with immediately but the show needed to stretch the conflict to 22 minutes, which is pretty painful considering these episodes could be as short as 11 minutes. It makes Mr. Freeze from Batman & Robin look like Heath Ledger's Joker from the Dark Knight. Fortunately, they are only the main villain in two episodes and they do become a threat in one of the final episodes of the show. But even that can't save the fact that the Rowdyruff Boys are the worst parts of the show hands down. As said earlier, Powerpuff Girls Z lacks the wit and intelligence that the original had. And that applies to the plots of the shows. It can be as stupid as Ken not believing in Santa to believing in him. He even goes to the moon without an astronaut suit to meet his mother (who can't always see him as she's an astronaut). I'm serious. This is a real episode. Another problem I have is its overdependence on the Black Z Rays, which affects every villain in town. It can range from a monkey becoming Mojo Jojo to something as stupid as a house having black Z rays. The show could have better villains or could even have the Powerpuff Girls fighting normal criminals from time to time. Overall, the show has its moments to shine like with the main characters and a couple of the villains. However, it is bogged down with stupid storylines and villains. A good Powerpuff Girls anime could've happened, but there's nothing more than hints of it here and there. I'd only suggest watching the first couple of episodes and then make the decision for yourself as to whether you should continue or not.
