Today is National Donald Duck Day, and I would say that Donald Duck was one of my favorite Mickey Mouse characters growing up. And as an adult, I fell in love with the rebooted version of DuckTales. So today, I wanted to talk about why I think DuckTales is a great show and why you should check it out.
1. Original and Fresh
If you asked me why reboots fail, my answer would be that they try too hard to recreate something that could only exist when it was created. That does not apply to DuckTales, because when I finished the reboot and wanted more, I tried to go back and watch the original. It was a totally different vibe. For that reason, I would argue that the new DuckTales is successful because it was a unique work of art and I could not name something similar to it in the time that it was made.
2. Great Plot Development
From when the show started to when the show ended, I always was excited to see what happened next. Whether it was the bits of chronic tension that tied together the whole series, or the acute tension that existed for the sake of the episode, DuckTales writers did a phenomenal job of feeding the viewers the bits of information that they needed while also leaving them wanting more at the end of an episode.
3. Memorable Characters
While DuckTales gives viewers the opportunity to get to know more about main characters Donald Duck, Scrouge McDuck, Hewey, Dewey, and Louey, it was also exciting to meet and get to know characters like Webigail and Launchpad McQuack. Launchpad actually might be my favorite character from the show, and I would argue that I would have loved to get more of him throughout.
4. Consistent Storytelling
I’ve already talked about how well the plot is developed, but the way the story unravels for a viewer is smooth and consistent. As the discovery aspect unfolds for the viewer, there is the perfect amount of time to chew and absorb all the bits of information and speculate what could come next. The only exception to this is the last season, where things feel a bit rushed, but I suspect that is from Disney deciding to pull the plug on the show (which was and still is a bad choice on their part).
5. It’s Fun
Honestly, it’s a children’s show, so it should be fun. There is an advantage to having a show about mystery and adventure, and it manages to do this without making the viewer feel anxious, which is something that I feel is rare these days. The animation and art are beautiful and kept me engaged as a viewer, and the scenery was always changing because of the adventure aspect of the show.
6. As Scrouge McDuck defrosts his heart, you discover the heart of the show.
Honestly, as I think about what art should be, it should speak to people. And this show spoke to me on such an emotional level that it has become one of my favorites. While Scrouge starts out seemingly as a Scrouge in the beginning, as the story plays out, viewers get a deeper sense of why he might be that way. The show never felt like it was trying hard to do the cool or trendy thing and win hearts. It’s just a show that had heart, and attracted more.
Have I convinced you to watch DuckTales (If so, I’ve attached the first two episodes in this post, since they’re free on YouTube)? Who is your favorite Disney character? What are you watching now? I would love to know in the comments below!
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To be continued,
Kristi My
Kristi My Dao 