The Wuzzles: Isekai, Fatphobia, and the Worst Friendgroup You Ever Did See

As I make this blog, I immediately find myself faced with a problem. In archiving my thoughts on these series, I realize that a lot of my thoughts are either A) me quoting the show or B) me making inside jokes only my friends would understand.

Also my takes on some of the early shows came from late 2020. People who knew me around this time may recall that I was quitting antidepressants and experiencing withdrawal effects, and I think it shows in my behavior and even my writing.

6:22 PM · Oct 6, 2020 "butterbear is the nubfb taco of the gang"

Also. I don't want to explain what an object show is to you guys...

Nonetheless, let's get into The Wuzzles. 

I think when I was younger, particularly a teenager, I had this sort of idea that 80s cartoons like the Wuzzles were this very saccharine cutesy bull designed to sell toys. I think that whole opinion changed when I watched The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin for the first time. Teddy Ruxpin was a really fun show. It wasn't overly edgy, but it did have a bit of an attitude to it, particularly with the snark coming from characters like Tweeg.

I bring this up because the Wuzzles also has that sort of attitude. Except it's not good.

In the first minute of the first episode, we are introduced to the narrator of the show. From what I recall the narrator has less impact the further we get into the show, but I think he's worth noting because he's the first person you meet

6:00 PM · Oct 6, 2020 "WHY DOES THE NARRATOR SOUND LIKE MORSHU IF HE WAS A NORMAL GUY?"

6:01 PM · Oct 6, 2020 "wuzzles are a little bit [morshu voice] MMMMMMMMMMMM 

 

you know "

6:04 PM · Oct 6, 2020 "I AM GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH THI SMAN...... HE'S LIKE AN ISEKAI PROTAGONIST"

6:04 PM · Oct 6, 2020 "I AM 47 SECONDS IN TO THIS SHOW"

6:12 PM · Oct 6, 2020 "the narrator has decided to do sports commentary....."

12:14 AM · Oct 7, 2020 "the last time i saw this land of wuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuz"

12:16 AM · Oct 7, 2020 "guys i need you to understand this is basically an isekai but like. the person who got isekai'd was the narrator. like it's so jarring how much of a human man he is."

The narrator is probably one of the funniest characters in the show because of how human he is. It's as if he's your last tie to humanity as you plunge deeper into the Land of Wuz. Which is absolutely unnecessary because this is a show for babies. Nonetheless, he does give off the vibes of an isekai protagonist. Sorry Anne and Luz, looks like this unnamed jerk beat you out for Disney's first isekai protagonist.

As for the other characters, there's Bumblelion: a lion/bumblebee hybrid who is the defacto leader and looks like Gobo Fraggle

8:30 PM · Oct 6, 20206 "bumblelion looked familiar too me... then i realized. it's you. you shitty little beacon of sin. i'll get you."

 

 

 

 

 

Next up is Eleroo: An elephant/kangaroo hybrid, notable for his pouch

6:09 PM · Oct 6, 2020 "this character is transgender"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Butterbear is next, butterfly/bear hybrid, and notable for being The Girl of the show. If you've seen one, you've seen them all.

Next up is Moosel, a moose/seal hybrid voiced by Bill Scott of Rocky and Bullwinkle fame, who has an active imagination and a very difficult time telling fantasy from reality. His friends consider this a flaw that needs to be improved on rather than... An Actual Mental Illness

1:04 PM · Oct 7, 2020 "i think moosel is the closest we're gonna get to decent psychosis rep in a kids show"

Speaking of friends who consistently point out your flaws. Hoppopotamus. She's a rabbit/hippo hybrid who wants to be a star. She acts somewhat motherly and also has a big crush on Bumblelion. She's got a lot more personality than Butterbear, as well as actual wants and desires. However, since she's fat and therefore undesirable, it's seen as a joke.

Finally. Rhinokey. He's a rhino/monkey hybrid, and unfortunately has the most about him in the show. He's rich. He has a car. He's something of an Uber Driver before those things existed. But most importantly, he's a comedian. He's our comic relief. He brings the comedic attitude I mentioned prior. However, the way I talk about him implies that his jokes are not funny, but it's more than that.

Most of his jokes are about Hoppo.

12:26 AM · Oct 7, 2020 "wow... hoppopotamus fat joke i hate it here.... :-("
12:26 AM · Oct 7, 2020 "WOW RHINOKEY MADE ANOTHER ONE I'M GONNA END HIM."
12:32 AM · Oct 7, 2020 "the entire ep is like. fat jokes... i rlly hate it here"
12:38 AM · Oct 7, 2020 "i have been watching this at 2x bc lit every other joke this ep is a fat joke and it's sooooooo painfulllllll"

All of these tweets are from the second episode, Hooray for Hollywuz, during which Hoppo decides she wants to become a movie star. The entire rest of the episode is Rhinokey making snide remarks about Hoppo's weight, or her weight being the butt of a slapstick joke. It's not good...

6:17 PM · Oct 6, 2020 "i really hate rhinokey i hope they kill him off in the finale"

The hatred between these two lasts the whole show

9:42 PM · Oct 7, 2020 ""is that a fat joke" THE SHOW IS AWARE RHINOKEY'S FATPHOBIC JOKES ARE TASTELESS....."
10:28 PM · Oct 7, 2020 "rhinokey and hoppopotamus really hate each other...."

Honestly though the whole friendgroup is fucked

10:22 PM · Oct 7, 2020 "why are these guys friends"

There's also the villain, Crocosaurus... a crocodile/dinosaur and his two underlings: Flizard (frog/lizard) and Brat (Boar/...Dragon????). Honestly they were incredibly forgettable save two things

6:23 PM · Oct 6, 2020 "we just met the villain and he's anti capitalist"
9:58 PM · Oct 7, 2020 "brat really just did drugs.... on screen..."

In case you thought I was lying here's Brat getting high on laughing gas:

 

The episode this is from, episode 6, is actually Rhinokey-centric. It's about a big race in town that Rhinokey is not allowed to compete in due to almost killing Bumblelion.

9:55 PM · Oct 7, 2020 "rhinokey just committed vehicular manslaughter"

Anyway, I don't think The Wuzzles needs a villain. There's enough drama in that whole friendgroup.

I guess the last ep I wanna talk about is episode 7, where Bumblelion watches a cartoon about a guy named "Buck Swashler" and tries to save Butterbear from a witch who Butterbear is just chillin with. 

10:02 PM · Oct 7, 2020 "we're on episode 7. bumblelion is kinning"
10:07 PM · Oct 7, 2020 "he is straight up trying to kindate butterbear"

Overall, it was nowhere near as saccharine as one would expect, but it was to the show's detriment. A lot of the characters were rude as hell, particularly Rhinokey. Also Rhinokey shouldn't have been in Ducktales because he's the worst one, but my opinions on the characters they put in Ducktales will be later down the road

6:16 PM · Oct 6, 2020 "also all the characters have wings but they are purely accessory"

Overall Rating for the Wuzzles: E Tier