I poured coffee over my cereal this morning ...and it's now become my new favorite breakfast! :9
In light of today's card, I'd say breakfast was magically delicious, save I didn't have Lucky Charms---I had Reeses Puffs (I'm collecting the Lil' Yachty boxes---two down, two to go!) ^^
Anyway... the subject today is 'The Magician': a French, magic-themed hero character.
HYPOTHETICALWATCHER: "This is a furry site"
Yes, and I'm a furry uploading art to it. *eyeroll*
HYPOTHETICALWATCHER: "You're not a furry just because you have a rodent as your avatar"
Friend, I'm as much a furry as you are, with your sparkledog costume and chew-toy collection. Either way, I've drawn enough animal ACOs to've earned myself a human entry (besides, humans are apes---we eat bananas and throw waste at each other; we're animals, too!). ^^
Anyway...
I remember seeing ads/bumpers for 'The Magician' on Fox Kids in the late 90's, but I don't think I watched even a single episode then ...if I had, I'd've remembered it---it's THAT bad (I recently watched a few episodes via YouTube)! XD :P
So, who's The Magician?
I dunno many details, and despite this series having three creators in its credits, it doesn't seem to know much, either.
Now, I'd say before God and the devil both that I've neither seen every episode of 'The Magician', nor do I intend to, however I did read a synopsis for each of its 39 episodes ...and none imply any origin or backstories.
The Magician's name is Ace Cooper. Cooper is both a resident TV/stunt magician and superhero of Electro City (Electro City truly needs a hero---its police force is the shoot-now-ask-later type). :P I say 'superhero' because Cooper does seem to possess some real magical powers, in addition to some know-how in practical prestidigitation (the latter is reserved for entertainment, and the former for crimefighting).
Cooper has a hero costume, which magically appears on him when Cooper says the phrase,
"Magic force, reveal the power within!"
Not that Cooper needs a costume, as he makes no effort to conceal his identity (the costume has no mask/Cooper's crimefighting is public knowledge). :p
And, no, I've no idea what the 'magic force' is or where it came from, but it seems the magic force isn't Cooper's alone. Yago, a rival magician of Cooper, seems to have this power also. There is a bit of history between Cooper and Yago. We're given a little backstory in the 5th episode, 'Masters of Magic'.
Here's what we get (in a flashback),
YOUNGCOOPER (to Yago): "I'm interested in magic; could you teach me?"
*Young Cooper demonstrates some of what he knows via a simple handkerchief trick*
YAGO: "You won't impress anyone with simple tricks like that, young man. Believe me, for your own good, choose another line of work"
Yeah, dude, the kid admitted his need for training (fine help you are). :P
*flashback ends ...yes, that's all we get here*
Anyway, that's the best I could find insofar as Cooper's backstory. I'm sure there're other bits scattered through the series (giving it benefit of the doubt), but there's no hints given in 'The Magician' Wikipedia article or its fandom page,
First, we're given little reason to care about the characters---the ones who aren't cliche simply lack depth and/or personality, such as the protagonists.
The villains and their powers/motives aren't handled any better. :P
Perhaps some of this can be attributed to the dub work (again, this was a French series), but only so much, I'd say.
What about the magic?
Cooper's powers could be described as anything the plot calls for ...save for those awkward moments when Cooper 'forgets' he has powers, so his sidekick Cosmo can save him (usually when the stunt shows are sabotaged by the villains).
The way magic is used and appreciated in this universe is also strange and conflicting to me.
For example, the series is taking place in a future timeline, wherein hover cars are a thing. One of Cooper's stage tricks was making a vehicle levitate ...which it could do anyway---it's called starting its engine. Adding to the awkwardness is the fact of the trick being done with practical effects---no actual magic was involved! :p
So what counts as impressive or entertaining there; the fact that magic WASN'T involved, in a world wherein magic exists/is common knowledge?
When 'real' magic happens, it's usually in the form of appear/disappear, make-something-float, shooting fireballs (like the Mario Bros), and/or whatever a given situation requires. Granted (and this is to the series's credit), the element of magic isn't overused (that I've observed), but there don't seem to be any rules in place when it happens.
The writing has a very first-draft vibe to it. It's hard to explain, but some sequences and events happen without contribution to the plot. Some others are either difficult to understand and/or carry more weight than they should (ie., the viewer may find themselves asking, 'I get what's happening, but why does this guy care?', and the like).
Overall, 'The Magician' simply wasn't very good (how's that for eloquence!), but the series has an amatuerish charm to it ...though I have no real interest in seeing more episodes, I could see myself potentially enjoying a binge-watch of the series if, say, a bad cold saw me confined to a bed (I discovered the anime 'Peach Girl' this way). :p
In closing, I think most viewers of Fox Kids in the 90's remember Batman: the Animated Series, the X-Men, Spider-Man, and perhaps even the Superman cartoons ...but 'The Magician'? Not so much it seems (and I understand why).
Well even still for me, even if I had a reference of a human character I still probably couldn't do it. But then again I say that, and I probably could anyway ;^ ^ Lol. Who knows maybe one day I'll challenge myself.
Well even still for me, even if I had a reference of a human character I still probably couldn't do
