Sugar, spice and everything nice — and an accidental dash of “Chemical X.” These were the ingredients needed to create the beloved 1990s cartoon “The Powerpuff Girls.” Now, more than 15 years after its debut, the Cartoon Network has turned back to that formula for a new “Powerpuff Girls.”
A refreshing ka-pow of girl power, the original “Powerpuff Girls” aired from 1998 to 2005, when female superheroes were still a rarity. Created by Craig McCracken, the series followed the adventures of laboratory-generated super-powered sisters Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup as they “saved the world before bedtime.”
The show’s action was often paired with life lessons such as the importance of bathing, eating broccoli and not eating paste.
In the new series, true fans will recognize visual differences: Blossom’s more-rounded bow, Bubbles’ relocated pigtails and Buttercup’s new cowlick. Other changes go deeper.
“By developing them as stronger personalities,” executive producer Nick Jennings said, “and understanding them more as characters … I think you connect with them better.”
In one new episode, Buttercup (the team’s muscle) makes new friends and spends less time with her sisters. Blossom and Bubbles turn to villain Princess Morbucks to fill the void. This, of course, has disastrous consequences.
While monsters and villains, including Princess Morbucks and the classic Mojo Jojo, are still a part of the show, they are less of a catalyst for conflict. Today’s “Powerpuff” baddies are more a consequence of a normal situation that somehow gets out of hand.
Or, in the case of new villain Manboy, an old-world example of hyper-powered masculinity. The Brawny Man-looking bad guy has the power of a man, but the size of a boy. “Manboy is a perfect kind of villain for us,” said Jennings. “He’s an old-thinking type of male character set into this modern-day world.”
Jennings and the “Powerpuff Girls” crew are very aware of the messages they are sending. Featuring three female superhero protagonists may have been considered progressive in 1998, but modern Cartoon Network series such as “Adventure Time” and “Steven Universe” have set the bar higher with more feminist and gender identity themes.
And while the show runners are mindful of their target demographic, they don’t believe in shying away from more complicated themes, with a proper approach.
