If you haven't checked out X-Men '97 yet, I'd strongly encourage it LOL.
Posted by LeftSmile806@reddit | Xennials | View on Reddit | 132 comments
So, as a dude in his 40s, without kids.. I don't watch cartoons. I feel like this whole MANGA thing that adults are into is past our generation, but maybe that's just me. Anyway, I had subscribed to Disney Plus to check out something else, and saw this. Holy cow. Not only a huge nostalgia boon, but just a really well written and funny show "Give them the forecast!" LOL. Any of you that watched this every saturday morning (all of us amr?) will enjoy this continuation. It's all the same voice actors too!!
Groundbreaking-Step1@reddit
"I'd strongly encourage it, hahahahahahahaha!!!!"
PhatDaddi@reddit
I practically binged this and I never binge anything. Also, Cyclops in that first episode...fuck yeah.
Seattle_chickey@reddit
CoronaCurious@reddit
zoddie3@reddit
All I can think of. A masterpiece of an episode.
LeftSmile806@reddit (OP)
I literally cried
zoddie3@reddit
I mean, Magneto saying "Do not be afraid" in German? Good gods.
And I let out a soft, audible >!"oh no... oh no...he's going to charge the whole damn thing" 3 seconds before Gambit did it.<!
And the episode closing with Rogue saying >!"Sugar...I can't feel you." I just lost it.<!
Seattle_chickey@reddit
Yeah that wrecked me. I had to go outside and get high and mourn my teenage years
CoronaCurious@reddit
Same š®āšØ
IroesStrongarm@reddit
The 90s X-Men cartoon was my favorite growing up. This reboot is excellent as well. That said, in case anyone doesn't know, this one is not small kid friendly, they definitely aged it up with the audience.
IceSmiley@reddit
I know the old show dealt with mature themes like bigotry and the black Civil Rights movement, like how the mutants were treated as second class people and people fighting against that.
The new show is different?
Yagoua81@reddit
Goblin queen is wearing a spicy outfit. It still deals with the stuff you mentioned the violence and sex appeal are greatly ratcheted up.
SpaceAdventures3D@reddit
Goblin Queen's outfit is tamer than what she wore in the comics.Ā Ā
JGG5@reddit
Yeah, it's a lot more adult-themed, and goes into some of the darker and more violent material from the '90s comics. The network suits wouldn't even let them use the word "kill" on the '90s version of the TV show... this series has no such hang-ups.
thecrookedcap@reddit
The show also gets plot points with lasting consequences that the Saturday morning cartoon format wouldnāt allow for.
zoddie3@reddit
It's not different but it doesn't pull punches like the old cartoon.
Sad-Structure2364@reddit
Shoot I didnāt know that, Iām going to have to give this a watch!
zoddie3@reddit
I watched the original series with my 10 (at the time) year old, then we watched season 1 of the new season when he was 11 and a half or so. We both absolutely loved it.
I_got_banned_once@reddit
Even retching at times
mattchewy43@reddit
Is there anything more millennial/xenial than ending a sentence in "LOL"? Lol
Tofuloaf@reddit
I think referring to anime as "manga" is much more of a xennial marker.
For people who didn't grow up in English speaking countries, Manga Entertainment played a huge role in introducing anime to anglophone audiences, and in particular, the idea that animation could target adult viewers.Ā
There were more than a few anime that enjoyed success in the west before Manga Entertainment, but they were thought of as cartoons that just happened to have been animated in Japan. Manga Entertainment helped establish Japanese animation as a distinct category in English speaking markets.Ā
tacofever@reddit
I don't know about that; we were the original weebs.
LeftSmile806@reddit (OP)
It was way more niche back then
tacofever@reddit
Indeed, I remember paying something like $40 in 1991 money for a single anime VHS tape
rmagere@reddit
Silly me as I simply thought OP is not into reading manga rather than he used manga to mean anime š
Traditional_Cat_60@reddit
Starting a sentence with āLikeā
mattchewy43@reddit
Like for real lol
tacofever@reddit
Fuck that, some of us are still holding onto proper English and definitive statements without wishy-washy suffixes. We'll get no help from GenZ, to whom proper grammar is, at best, just a suggestion or, at worst, classist/racist... lol
Shit, I fucked up the landing.
Millkstake@reddit
I've been trying to break myself off the habit but now I fear I just come off like a dick
mattchewy43@reddit
To be fair you probably are lol
LeftSmile806@reddit (OP)
Take it easy yāall Lol
zoddie3@reddit
I tell all my friends that Episode 5 of that show was the best episode of television I saw in 2024. It's art. The pacing, the music, the action, the twists and turns... It's fantastic.
The whole season is shockingly good. I'm hoping that the new season with the new show runner is as great as season 1.
My and my middle schooler can't wait to watch it.
LeftSmile806@reddit (OP)
You weren't kidding. Your comment got me pumped for it and it's still resonating. A tragedy yet inspiring and perfect.. I even teared up. I never thought that would happen.
zoddie3@reddit
I absolutely teared up.
While watching an X-Men cartoon. Crazy. I re-watched that episode a couple of more times alone because I was so impressed. It even made me listen to Ace of Base for a few days.
LeftSmile806@reddit (OP)
Such a great band. One of a kind sound really
D34N2@reddit
Regarding anime, I'm a late 70s Xennial, and I remember watching Sailor Moon and Dragonball Z in high school. But I didn't get into any other anime until many years later.
vikmaychib@reddit
Perhaps is an American thing, anime was a cornerstone of kids entertainment in Latin America since the late 80s. In South America there are Xennials that grew up watching back to back Captain Tsubasa, Saint Seiya, Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z. And since sexism and homophobia was still rampant, as a guy, you had to watch Sailor Moon secretly.
Edexote@reddit
Same thing in Portugal. I watched all those shows when I was a kid.
D34N2@reddit
Yeah, I grew up in Canada, and only a few television channels with anything worth watching in the 80s and 90s.
CoronaCurious@reddit
Episode 5 šš
LeftSmile806@reddit (OP)
Masterpiece
coolpartoftheproblem@reddit
whereās my boy nightcrawler gd it
LeftSmile806@reddit (OP)
He's in it. Makes his appearance in episode 5 and is as good as ever.
gbyrd013@reddit
Itās awesome! although not a fan of who they killed off so early on.
LeftSmile806@reddit (OP)
shhhh I'm only a few episodes in unless you are talking about The Man.
violetmarie11@reddit
Oh boy, I can't wait to see what you think later once you've watched all of it! It gets SO GOOD.
LeftSmile806@reddit (OP)
I just got finished watching it and y'all are right. That episode was perfect albeit a tragedy. I even cried..never thought that would happen in a cartoon, but it did. It was that good. A lot has to do with Gambit was my favorite as a boy. Man.. this still stings, but in a good way.. that's how good that was.
Suitable-Peanut@reddit
Dude. It gets SO GOOD. Go watch it all tonight
LeftSmile806@reddit (OP)
Iām hooked. They even have Ace of Base in the soundtrack on one of these episodes lol
pheezy42@reddit
the name is Gambit. remember it!
LeftSmile806@reddit (OP)
mon ami
DBE113301@reddit
Does Wolverine get his ass handed to him in every episode like the fox kids cartoon? If so, I'll pass.
LeftSmile806@reddit (OP)
No, and I don't even remember happening when I was a kid. I remember he was always an Ahole towards Cyclops and bantered between Gambit.
Darkpriest667@reddit
It's so good, I binge watched the entire first season last year and am about to binge watch season 2 :-)
thecrookedcap@reddit
Loved it so much. The only real complaint with ā97 is the speed with which it went through a number of big arcs - my theory is that with only one season being certain they wanted to make sure to tell certain stories. With two more seasons being produced hopefully the stories can get more breathing room.
pug_fugly_moe@reddit
Does this have the same theme music??
Scalytor@reddit
I'm a dude in my 40s and all I watch is cartoons. I have a young child, but she watches Spongebob and I watch stuff like this. It's all great up until you go online and try to find communities to share your love of the thing and it's nothing but grown men crying about woke this, woke that. Anyway, there's lots of good stuff out there these days aimed at our generation!
antisocialnetwork77@reddit
Watched it twice, made me very happy!
sleeperninja@reddit
Felt like a soap opera to me, I couldnāt stick with it.
Seattle_Lucky@reddit
I will only watch this completely out of order, to the point where I have no idea if thereās a common storyline. Thatās how I watched them in my youth.
LeftSmile806@reddit (OP)
LOL so trueĀ
tasteofhuman@reddit
No thanks. >!Rogue & Magneto 𤢠Killing off Gambit š”!<
LeftSmile806@reddit (OP)
I knew I shouldnāt have removed the black bars⦠wahhhhh Gambit is my favoriteĀ
JGG5@reddit
tasteofhuman@reddit
There are a million story lines in the comics that the writers arenāt using. There was no need to use that one. Also, Morph was very dead for a long time in the OG series. No reason to think they wouldnāt do that here.
Channelten@reddit
They hate you, for you speak the truth.
TALieutenant@reddit
Born in 1982.Ā I keep meaning to watch this.
In regards to the anime/manga thing, it definitely has blown up!Ā Ā I remember back in the late 90s, Suncoast (the video store RIP) only had like one shelf in the back and the selection wasn't the greatest. Went to the same mall a few months back and theres an entire anime store.
LeftSmile806@reddit (OP)
Ah man I miss Suncoast. I remember in the back corner now there were those anime vids and close by was the smut section. Maybe my mind always associated the twoĀ
vikmaychib@reddit
What do you mean by manga thing?
LeftSmile806@reddit (OP)
The whole anime craze going on. E.G I was giving my nephew in his mid twenties some recommendations for classic films and asked if he had any recommendations and they were all Japanese anime stuff. Needless to say I didnāt watch them..maybe I will. I just donāt remember anime being this big when we were in our twenties but maybe Iām wrong and just wasnāt in the niche
HollowVoices@reddit
The terrible line delivery of "Come to me... my X Men." In the trailer really turned me off from wanting to see it. Reminded me of the voice acting from the original Resident Evil
LeftSmile806@reddit (OP)
It will give you chills when you see it delivered in context
LH99@reddit
Loved it. Except for the monkey paw wish for gambit to get more attention.
karaloveskate@reddit
Watched it, loved it.
tenro5@reddit
goater10@reddit
X-Men, Batman the Animated Series and Neon Genesis Evangelion were prime viewing for my teens.
Ltimbo@reddit
I watched neon genesis as an adult and thought it was the dumbest show ever. Mind you I grew up on ā90s anime and video games and still love them. Watching Shinji complain the whole time was torturous.
Yagoua81@reddit
First episode where the robot goes nuts and beats the angel? That was amazing, robots fighting monsters-really cool at the time. Rest of the plot was a wtf.
DHammer79@reddit
Who are the characters on the far left and upper far right?
Ingonyama70@reddit
Far left is Morph in their new design, which is more accurate to their comic book countrrpart.
Upper far right is Bishop with his new haircut.
BulimicMosquitos@reddit
Wasnāt Morph created for the animated show? They actually look like Caliban did back in the 80s.
Ingonyama70@reddit
Nope, and I was surprised by this too.
In the 1960s there was a character called Changeling, who was the very first shapeshifting villain the X-Men fought. He had a change of heart when he realized he was dying and undertook a special mission for Xavier, to impersonate him and die in his place on a mission against an alien foe (this would be pre-Shi'Ar)
Morph was adapted from Changeling in the 92 show, and then another version of the same Morph appeared in the multiverse book Exiles, where they became a mainstay of that team from start to finish. That's the appearance 97 Morph has adopted. And since they can become male, female, or anything in between, they identify as non-binary.
BulimicMosquitos@reddit
Interesting. I was a huge X-Men nerd during the early to mid 90s. Thought I knew just about every character until that point. Thanks for the info!
Ingonyama70@reddit
Oh, they've been a hyperfixation of mine since 1993 and I am STILL learning about cool new characters I've been heard of, LOL.
BulimicMosquitos@reddit
Thatās awesome! Is there any sort of reason that Morph looks similar to Caliban, or was that a sort of blank face similarity?
Ingonyama70@reddit
I think that part is just coincidence. Exiles Morph was supposed to be blank faced by design to look cartoony, and show his default face as a canvas for his shapeshifting abilities. Caliban is a Morlock who's supposed to look wretched (in his emaciated Morlock form) or threatening (in his beefy Deah form). Their similarities might just be coincidence.
BulimicMosquitos@reddit
Gotcha. AoA is when I lost interest in the comics, and couldnāt vibe with the art style.
PSN-Colinp42@reddit
The newer Morph was in Age of Apocalypse before Exiles - not actually the same version, but basically the same character.
LeftSmile806@reddit (OP)
To your point, I donāt remember them either and they are new to me
gellshayngel@reddit
I've been re-watching the original series just so I can watch this sometime soon.
DjCyric@reddit
The last season is sooooo bad. Its almost worth skipping and just say that the end of 4 was the finale instead.
Illystylez619@reddit
I LOVED X-Men '97. It was so good! I can't wait for the new season.
KitchenNazi@reddit
X-men 97 was great - lots of storylines from when I was a kid and actually read X-men/X-Factor!
Smokeythemagickamodo@reddit
Damnn, I need to watch this
Wak3upHicks@reddit
One of the guys who worked on that made an amazing DBZ fan animation called "Legend: A Dragonball Tale." love seeing people move into awesome jobs from their fan creations
freedraw@reddit
I expected this to be nothing but a lazy cash grab. By episode 5 I was texting my friends telling them they needed to check it out. It just hits so hard.
mistermatth@reddit
Iām the same age as you, married no kids. I would put this on Saturday mornings with a cup of coffee. Man it brought me back. Canāt wait for more.
originalbrowncoat@reddit
I can still hear the intro music!
do do do do DOOO do do
Chickenbrik@reddit
Funny enough itās what cost Disney the most money while producing the show
SteakJones@reddit
Check out Invincible on Prime.
Trust me.
GeetarEnthusiast85@reddit
Love this show!
6ory299e8@reddit
Better than the movies.
Jonestown_Juice@reddit
That's a low bar.
Inquivious@reddit
This cartoon shaped my childhood! Gambit, beast and nightcrawler are my favorites
LeftSmile806@reddit (OP)
Beast is great in this
Background-Step-8528@reddit
It was FOR US.
Max_W_@reddit
You should check out the Screencrush on YouTube . They discuss the comics it's based on and fill in lots of gaps and allusions.
myrdraal2001@reddit
I'm a geek. I love the show. You definitely need to have watched the old cartoon to know what's happening.
LeftSmile806@reddit (OP)
I disagree. I havenāt seen the old show since I was a teenager and all I remember is their powers and how Wolverine and Cyclops didnāt get along and how Wolverine and Jean have a thing.. thatās all you really need to know
drwebb@reddit
Really, I thought it felt like a sell out compared to the plot of the original show. Couldn't stand it. Disneyfied is my old description. I say this after I made my kids watch all of the old 90s ones in preparation for this. I was a huge fan of the OG though as a kid, and have been known to be a snob.
dragon34@reddit
I really want to watch this with my son when he's old enough. (He is 5, I am old) But I swear I only ever saw the Phoenix saga on the original one.Ā Like 5 times. That was the only reruns I ever caught.Ā I want to see the rest lol
Ingonyama70@reddit
The 92 show should be safe for him to watch. But yeah, use that parental discretion stuff they talk about when deciding whether to expose him to 97 afterwards.
Cheezslap@reddit
Excellent series, top to bottom. A little sad Steve Blum wasn't attached, but my wife and I both enjoyed it.
Ingonyama70@reddit
I was obsessed with the 92 series. I caught this as soon as it released.
Seriously, it's like a hit of nostalgia right to the nostrils. ESPECIALLY after all the comics I've read since the 90s show ended familiarizing me with the characters, inside and out.
The old show always handled the X-Men's "mutants as victims of prejudice" allegory reasonably well, but 97 went above and beyond. Subtlely went out the window and I couldn't have been happier.
Its 2nd season is due out this summer and I am so, SO excited for it!
Surfer_Sandman@reddit
Itās so good.
Millkstake@reddit
Okay LOL
ladydonttekno1@reddit
I never watched the original series (but I have seen the overdubbed I'M THE JUGGERNAUT, BITCH!) I've seen this revival mentioned favorably so many times, so I'm taking this as a sign to add both to my watchlist.
vinto37@reddit
Agreed. Solid reboot!
gellshayngel@reddit
It's not a reboot. It's a continuation of the original series.
vinto37@reddit
Fair
bh4th@reddit
I think ārebootā has lost a lot of its meaning recently. People keep using it to mean āsequel after an extended hiatus.ā
gellshayngel@reddit
Yeah, they really mean "revival".
xxMalVeauXxx@reddit
It was so good. I am absolutely thrilled to see it centered on Magneto too.
I hope it gets a bluray release.
Moxie_Stardust@reddit
Manga is not animated, that's the print version of anime, perhaps you mean anime. One of the first adults I knew that was into anime was my uncle in the 90s, he was in his 30s (back when it was often called Japanimation). Many of us grew up watching Battletech, and many of us watched Toonami on Cartoon Network. So I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "past our generation", but plenty of Xennials enjoy anime.
Konnorwolf@reddit
I watched it the second it was released.
I will watch anything animated if it's entertaining. Even more so if it's comic based.
Specialist-Leek8645@reddit
I'll have to chk it out. X-men was prob my favorite show ever. I also never got into Manga and it's more popular than ever. A few are cool but it's too loud, flashy and repetitive for me. Japanese animated films, however, are quite different. I love many of those but that's not what you asked.
rangeghost@reddit
Had fun with it!
Season 2 is supposed to be coming sometime this summer, too.
djsynrgy@reddit
Magneto was right.
Yeah. They've really done an excellent job with this. +1. š¤š¼
In RE: Manga, that was already a pretty big deal when we were teens. Non-Japanese kids had to be more dedicated back then, but the movement was already happening. Akira and Robotech kinda opened the door, then mid/late '90s stuff like GITS and Mononoke held it open. People would catch the movies/shows, then wanted to see the source material.
But to your point, it exploded in the wake of the Toonami blocks on Cartoon Network. That's when the big bookstores finally started stocking manga sections, IIRC.
AshDogBucket@reddit
They really made it for us imo.
JGG5@reddit
I absolutely loved X-Men ā97. It was basically all the ā80s and ā90s comic storylines the censors and network suits wouldnāt let them do on the Fox kids series. Evidently thereās a new season coming out this summer, too.
LeftSmile806@reddit (OP)
Heck yeah! I love it when I find a show and can binge it with the second season coming right up.
Paul_Smith_Hi@reddit
Amazing show!