I had to order the
Dexter's Laboratory DVD set from Amazon .. local Burbank stores were 'sold-out' of it
on the release date (not terribly surprising, since Cartoon Network Studio is based here).
I
am surprised to hear of anyone having 'no desire' for the series on DVD, though.
DL was (arguably) Cartoon Network's 'flagship' original series for nearly five years .. and for good reason. It's amazing to me that it has taken this long to get a major home video release (Prior to this, the only 'legit' release on Region-1 DVD was a short-lived Columbia House subscription series, almost 8 years ago .. though, the first two full seasons got DVD sets in Australia, awhile back).
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But, yeah;
Sym-bionic Titan has been
very enjoyable, thus far!
I try to catch the series on TV, over the weekends .. but Cartoon Network's website always has the previous week's episode available for streaming, in case I miss it.
Even though the show is
highly derivative of multiple anime/tokusatsu series over the decades, it manages to distill its many clichés and references into something that feels 'fresh'. Its styling is deceptively simplistic; lending itself well to the ever-changing moods of its storytelling -- by turns creepy, exciting, melodramatic, and (occasionally) goofy.
Illana is likewise my favorite of the three, with Octus a close second. Lance (at least, thus far) is a
cliché of a cliché .. the brooding anime-action-hero-with-a-tortured-past.
It may (or may not) be intentional -- but the three main characters seem to parallel the heroes of Osamu Tezuka's early anime series
Wonder 3 (aka
Amazing 3) .. right down to the aspect of each representing brawn, brains and emotion (body, mind and heart)!
The giant robot fights and transformations also owe much to many japanese shows .. but the CG elements employed in the Titan deserve special mention, since they are so well-integrated into the show's illustrative design.
I also love the many little 'easter-egg' anime/movie references peppered throughout the series. Cameos from the Yamato's wave-motion gun,
Gatchaman's Dr. Nambu, and even the bank-robber/terrorists from
Die Hard just make watching the show that much more fun.
One cliché that seems to be 'missing' from the show is the normal earthling friend(s) who share the aliens' secrets, and who helps to protect their identities from the inquisitive. Perhaps this is something that will be added later in the series .. or in a future season.
Though, there
are the two earth-based paramilitary factions which are seeking the trio .. we haven't seen anything of them, recently.