Why Leon- Error of The Savannah Is Good and Why You Should Give It a Try

Why Leon- Error of The Savannah Is Good and Why You Should Give It a Try

Hi! I'm Matthais the Critic! I review stuff because I want to!

In my previous post, I started talking about a series of 3 minute episodes by Teletoon+ and Studio Hari called Leon- Error of The Savannah. As far as I know, it's been playing on Discovery Kids for quite a while, and it's all over YouTube. I absolutely went on a rant about how good it was. You're probably thinking, how can a series of shows only 3 minutes long be any good? Well, everyone likes the original Looney Tunes, right? They play them for an hour on Cartoon Network, don't they? Well, this show is like Looney Tunes for the people of today. There' something different about it that's very nostalgic and yet gives a brand new feeling to it. 

First of all, let me go on about the amazing CGI again. I mean, look at it! In HD, it's phenomenal! You can almost reach in and touch them! (I know, that expression has been used a hundred times by everyone for everything, but it still works). I can't get over how cool that opening is. Just seeing him run with all the other characters watching is cool. The CGI also helps bring to life all the action in the show. The entire world has so much depth in detail that is unprecedented in any non feature length film cartoon. Take Kung Fu Panda Legends of Awesomeness or Dreamworks Dragons Riders of Berk and compare it to Leon. I'm sorry, but I believe Leon has better animation, but that may be just because the episodes are really short so they can afford to go all out.

Also, I have to admit the music is pretty good. The intro music great. The drums combined with the twanging string instrument set up the mood of the show: an exciting three minutes that will be funny but full of surprises and also fast paced.

So, let me do my best to analyze this show for you.

So, the show stars Leon, a lion with extremely bad luck. However, he makes up for that in endurance and immortality, seeing as he either falls of a cliff or is crushed by a boulder or both once per episode! His best friend appears to be a red Sparrow. What does Sparrow do? Act as his hair clip. You see, Leon has an interesting mane which features a cowlick that covers his eye. We even see this at the end of the intro, where Sparrow pulls up his hair so we can see him eye to eye. This is probably the moment when you realize that this lion isn't as awesome and insuperable as the bodacious intro makes him out to be.

So when the show begins, we see Leon napping on a rock under a tree, which is effectively his house. That's what I like about this show, in just a couple of 3 minute episodes, this whole world of a Savannah is built for us. After watching a couple of episodes, you get a sense of where everything is. You got Leon's sleeping rock and shady tree, the nearby cliffs, a rectangular shaped rock formation that kinda looks like a soccer goal (and is actually used as one!), a human camp complete with food supplies, tents, and a campfire (we are to assume the humans abandoned it I suppose), a magical spring marked by a shrine of three masks, and the local watering hole. The locations never truly change, and they are all always being revisited. It really sets up the setting of this world and adds some depth to the story. You can't help but wonder what area Leon will visit next.

And another thing, the fact that every episode begins with Leon napping is not a bad thing. First, it gives us an idea of the show's formula. Step 1 is that Leon is napping. Step 2 is that something gets his attention. This is usually an annoying animal or the smell of prey. This is genius! Most animals in cartoons don't act like an animal would. Sure, a real lion wouldn't do many of the things Leon does, but the thing is, is that Leon has the mindset and personality of a real lion. Unlike Wile E. Coyote, who is a super genius who mail orders crazy gadgets from Acme, Leon actually behaves like a wild lion. He sleeps during the day, and only moves about when he is disturbed or when prey is nearby. He doesn't have to act like a human, a lion can be more than interesting enough. But that doesn't mean he has to be just an average lion. Leon is imaginative. If his attempts aren't working, or if something strange is going on, he has no problem trying to adapt or use more inventive measures. He doesn't have to build an Acme contraption to get us laughs. The way he reacts to the other animals and his environment is funny enough. In fact, the hilarious things the characters do make it unnecessary for Leon to do anything over the top. All he needs to do is interact with what's around him in an attempt to achieve his goal, which is usually getting a square meal.

Now that we know Leon, what about his prey? Well, Leon's main quarry happens to be The Springbok, a type of antelope that's good at jumping. And what I love about this show is that they actually use this fact very well. The Springbok is able to escape Leon every time by jumping. And no, the animators are not exaggerating those jumps! Springbok antelope actually can jump 13 feet into the air! Wow, Leon does have his work cut out for him. And, of course, being a cartoon, it's the same Springbok every time, adding the excitement of a never ending rivalry to the mix. So, I suppose you could consider The Springbok to be the "Road Runner" of this show, but I wouldn't. You see, the Road Runner is cocky and really annoying. You want the Coyote to catch him. However, The Springbok actually has to make an effort to escape Leon and has many of close calls. Therefore, you don't hate the Springbok and end up wanting him to escape Leon so you can get a couple of laughs as he slips right out from between Leon's paws. And then, when Leon's attempts backfire and extreme slapstick ensues, you feel good laughing, knowing that Leon's okay and will be back next time for another round of "Catch the Springbok." With the Coyote, you constantly feel bad for him while wanting to smack him for being so intelligently stupid, while at the same time wanting to just shoot the Road Runner. With Leon, you can laugh at him without feeling bad while admiring the smooth moves of the Springbok, and after the show, you can't wait for the next episode!

Leon will occasionally go after other prey once in a while. He'd never pass up a juicy egg, no matter what kind, but they always hatch on him. But his second favorite prey, right underneath the Springbok, is the Zebra. And what I love about the Leon vs Zebra episode, entitled "High Pitcher," is that they do something very original and unexpected. Rather than just have Leon fail at catching him, it turns out that the Zebra's high pitched whinny is torture to Leon's ears. See? They actually give Leon new challenges in every episode!

Another good thing about this show is that there are A LOT of other good characters who aren't just prey. For example, they actually give Leon rivals. That is a master stroke of genius! Leon's main rival is The Hyena, and this girl is pretty much Leon's equal. These two are always either competing for food or fighting over something. And when Leon gets his share of abuses, she's the first to burst out laughing. However, it turns out that the Hyena is just as much as an "error" as Leon! Therefore, by the end of the episode, these two have both been dived-bombed, beaten, crushed, smashed, trampled, or brushed. Expect them both to have fallen off a cliff at least once by the end of the episode. A lesser rival is The Cheetah, who clearly doesn't have the endurance that Leon has, so Leon is still the toughest cat on the Savannah despite his failures. Then there's the Chimpanzee, who is on a mission to annoy Leon until he pulls his own mane out. Being a clever Chimpanzee, Leon can never outsmart this little guy, and always ends up the looser. There's even a Crocodile who absolutely will not let Leon ever take a drink of water from his watering hole.

But wait, rivals aren't the only characters here! There's the Senegal Parrot, who proves the show has continuity by torturing Leon's sensitive ears like the Zebra; The Gorilla, who's kind of like the big brother/mentor to Leon; the Warthog, who is the only one who actually is afraid of Leon; the Buffalo, who is always ready to ram anyone 50 feet into the air if they dare to disturb his naps; and the Hippopotamus, who seems to have a strange attraction to Leon. Seeing Leon being chased and nearly crushed by that huge Hippopotamus is absolutely hilarious.

In addition, Leon actually has a love interest! To tell you the truth, episodes with the Single Lioness are the weakest ones of the show, seeing as there is practically no slapstick in them at all. In fact, these are the only episodes where you actually feel bad for Leon. In one episode, he apparently is trying to impress her by taming animals. She just smiles and walks away, leaving Leon to be sat on by an elephant. It also has scene where his pet lizard eats her pet lizard, which really isn't that funny. And the worst episode of the series has to be the one where The Gorilla tries to get Leon to behave in a manner that will get him the girl. He even styles his hair (The Sparrow has a day off!). It actually works on her, but then the episode falls apart due to miscommunication, making that episode fairly pointless. But even still, it had funny parts. The part where we get a montage of Leon's mane styles was quite humorous.

In fact, the show even has a very funny and surreal running gag that as Leon's doing his thing, he'll occasionally spot a bunch of black and white birds taking advantage of cartoon logic and cartoon physics. Sometimes they'll be dueling with light-sabers, other times they'll be hitting Blocks right out of Super Mario Bros., they even once came out of a giant bird shaped plane once! These birds are mind blowing! The three things I mentioned are tame compared to some of the things they do, and it turns out that Leon is the only one to ever see them. And what's more, he never responds with more than just a curious look or a "whatever" look. Is he hallucinating? Are they just in his head? Nevertheless, they're just for laughs.

Now, one more thing about this show is that rather than give Leon an unnatural attribute, like Wile E. Coyote's genius brain, or a tragic flaw, like Wile E. Coyote's dependence on Acme to supply him with insane gadgets that never work, the show keeps Leon real: an intelligent lion doing what lions do. That doesn't mean the show has to be kept boring. The show goes into the surreal many times. It's got aliens, that magical spring I mention earlier, winds strong enough lift boulders, even a magical magnetic meteroite. For example, in "Electroshock," when a lighting strike gives him lightning powers, Leon doesn't mail order or build an evil robot. He simply sticks his head in a log and uses it to aim his lightning bolts at the Springbok. When the surreal happens, Leon goes with it, but doesn't over do it like the Coyote. And what's more, it actually works better for him. The Springbok actually has to make an effort to dodge Leon's lighting attacks. Sure, Leon ends up failing, but he actually had a good plan going on.

Basically, what makes this show so charming is that it's about an average character living in a world where strange things will occasionally happen. If something weird happens, he goes with it. He's imaginative, he'll try new things if he thinks it can help him. For instance, The Lizard of the Savannah can hypnotize his locust prey with a dance. So, Leon tries it. When it doesn't work, he forces the Lizard of the Savannah to do it for him. This ends badly for Leon, of course, but at least you can follow his logical street smart thought process.

My favorite episode of this series shows how they don't even have to go overboard with craziness. Just add something new in Leon's world, and fun and adventure is sure to occur as he adapts to it. In "As Seen On TV," Leon and the Hyena enter the human camp and find a TV. That's funny by itself. Who brings a TV on an African safari? How is it even working? Anyway, after a few "Animals Cannot Comprehend TV" jokes, and a shout out to Lady and the Tramp, a nature special comes on showing a lion and a hyena working together to successfully take down a springbok, something these two could never do by themselves. Could a hyena and a lion hunt together? I didn't think they could.  Anyway, I like how they actually tell the real Springbok to keep quiet so they can concentrate on the show. So, after seeing the power of team work, the two rivals actually decide to work together to catch the Springbok. WOW! Character development! In a series of 3 minute shows! That is mind-boggling! I won't spoil the ending for you, go ahead and watch it.

Well, there are two things I wanna mention last. First, I think it's clever that Leon's best friend the Sparrow always knows when to fly away so he doesn't get mixed up in Leon's daily dosage of pain. Leon should use him as a danger detector as well as a hair clip. Second, during the credits, we actually get an explanation to why Leon doesn't starve to death. With most cartoon characters who are never able to catch their food, it is never revealed what they eat. However, in the credits, we see Leon chewing on what looks like fruit of some kind. He's living off of fruit? Well, okay, better than nothing. And at least he can tell that mouse who's boss.

So, that's it. That's my opinion on this show. I'd suggest checking out HAIAH2's YouTube Channel. It has a lot of episodes.

Top 5 Tortured Mute Immortals

Matthais the Critic- Top 5 Tortured Mute Immortals

It's me! Matthais The Critic! I review stuff because I want to! 

Alright, so, you all remember Wile Coyote from the Looney Tunes, right? The poor foolish genius wh just can't catch that Road Runner? Well, this poor guy actually started a whole genre of animated comedy! A genre I like to call, "The Tortured Mute Immortal." I call it that because the character is tortured in ways not only a cruel but also defy the laws of physics, the character can't talk, and the ways he is tortured are so insane that the only way he could've possibly survived it is that he was immortal. Sure, the first and last parts could be chalked up to cartoon physics, but still.

There are more of these than you think, so I'm gonna count down the Top 5. So, sit back and get ready to feel some major sympathy, because these are the Top 5 Tortured Mute Immortals!

NUMBER 5: The Eggo Moocher

You probably don't remember who this guy is, so let me remind you. You see, the Eggo Moocher appeared in a series of hand drawn Eggo Waffle Commercials in 2009. He was a man who was always trying to steal his daughter's Eggo Waffles.

Wow. . .what a jerk. . .

I mean, come on! Just go to the store and buy another box!

But luckily for the girl, this guy always goes to pretty weird and extreme lengths that always backfire on him.

In the first commercial, the Moocher tries using a lasso to. . .wait. . .how do you lasso a flat plate of waffles? That makes no sense!

Anyway, it ends up going out the window and catching a passing truck, which sends the Moocher out the window when the rope gets caught on his leg.

In another commercial, he tries using a vacuum to suck the waffles into his mouth, but ends up sucking the dog into his face instead.

But my favorite has to be when he uses a jack to lift the counter up so that the waffles will slide towards him. But then the girl takes the waffles away, and a series of heavy objects slide into him instead. But get this, not only do kitchen appliances come down, apparently this family keeps bowling balls and an elephant on the kitchen counter as well! Man, that's gotta hurt. . .

The Eggo Moocher. . .he kinda deserves it, don't ya think?

Girl: "'Leggo my Eggo!"

NUMBER 4: Bernard the Polar Bear

This show is REALLY popular on YouTube.

This character is the star of the computer animated show "Bernard," which is produced by the Korean company RG Animation Studios. The episodes are each three minutes long, and are pretty much all slapstick. Very violent slapstick. Seriously, I really don't think kids should be watching this.

Anyway, one thing about Bernard is that it never really has an actual focus. Bernard can be in the arctic, in the woods, on a farm, in a gym, in the city, on island, the list goes on and on. Usually Bernard is trying to get something done or is going on some kind of adventure, and, of course, he always end up getting severely injured!

You know, unless Bernard is trying to do something normal, I can't really feel sorry for him. For example, during the episode where an elevator keeps closing on him, or when a treadmill keeps malfunction on him, I can pity him. But when he's trying to climb a mountain with his bare bear claws, or when he's skydiving but forgets his parachute, I just wanna smack him! 

"BERNARD! You have eternal bad luck! You are cursed! Why are you putting yourself in dangerous situations! It is always going to end badly for you!"

I mean, doesn't he realize nothing goes his way? He doesn't have to go on adventures. He could easily just stick to a 9 to 5 job. Sure, the coffee machine would probably shoot 1000 degree coffee at him, but at least then he's trying to stay out of trouble! But these other times, he's just asking for it!

Bernard the Polar Bear. . .boy is he dumb. . .

Bernard: (Donkey noise as he falls through the air)

NUMBER 3: Scratt from the Ice Age movies

Oh my gosh, these people at Blue Sky are SICK!

I've never seen a character be tormented so much! I mean, oh my gosh, what the heck is this? What did this little saber toothed squirrel ever do to another living creature? All he wants is a acorn. Is that wrong in any way? NO! Oh, but everything seems to think it's funny to have him get kicked, stomped, crushed, stretched, and thrown off cliffs!

Sure, he almost had a girlfriend in the third movie, but noooooooo, he had to go back to chasing acorns instead! Why? I don't think it's funny. I think it's sad and annoying!

He actually dies and goes to Heaven in the second movie, but he actually gets pulled out and brought back to life by that stupid sloth!

And what has to be the worst of all is the end of the fourth movie. He slows up in Scrattlantis, where he finds more of his own kind and a fortune of acorns. . .and he sinks the entire place and somehow makes all of the squirrels disappear! That is just so. . . .arrgh! It's stupid! 

And another thing, is the acorn cursed or something? I mean, whenever he tries to bury it, something explodes or the ground opens up or lightning strikes him! Why does he go back to that? Why doesn't he stay with his girlfriend? Urrr! It makes no sense! Can't he find something else to go after? In my opinion, this little fella is just a greedy moron who doesn't know his own good.

Scratt. . .he's a greedy slob.

Scratt: (Falls of a cliff) AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

NUMBER 2: Wile E. Coyote from the Looney Tunes

You didn't think I could do this without mentioning him, did you?

As I said, this guy invented this genre. In fact, I'd say he perfected the art of falling off cliffs! Just as Team Rocket perfected Blasting Off!

When you hear that twinkling sound effect and see that sparkle in the sky, you think of Team Rocket.

When you hear that whistling sound followed by a low boom and see that circle of smoke at the bottom of a ravine or cliff, you immediately thin of Wile E. Coyote.

This guy is a riot. And what's more, you're actually rooting for him all the way! You understand that all he wants is meal or Road Runner, and you want him to catch the Road Runner so he can eat. This guy is a genius, able to come up with complicated plans which actually should work. However, the laws of physics are always defied so he can get hurt.

For instance, at one point he lowers a stick of dynamite to the Road Runner with a fishing pole. The fuse actually goes up the line, along his fur, and into the box of dynamite his tail is sticking in, and it blows him up. Another time, he pushes down a detonator for some dynamite, and the detonator explodes! Or how about this one: he paint a tunnel onto a wall so the Road Runner can run into it, and the Road Runner actually goes through the painted tunnel! The Coyote tries it, he just hits the wall, and then the Road Runner comes back out and tramples him!

This guy cannot win! But then again, some times he can be so smart that he looses his common sense. Often, when something heavy is about to crush him, he'll take out an umbrella instead of, oh, I don't know, running away? One funny scene is when he's trying to get a mass of rocks to fall out of his stuck trap by pocking it with a pole while standing right underneath it! As expected, it all falls on him. You really need some street smarts Wile E. Also, you should stay away from Acme Products, cause they clearly aren't working in your favor.

I should probably mention that he has gone after Bug Bunny a few time, BIG MISTAKE! He actually talks in those episodes, and he's apparently aware of his genius and is insanely egotistical about it. Also, there is also a similar looking character that goes after sheep. Basically the Coyote with a red nose, Ralph E. Wolf tries similar schemes to capture sheep, only to be constantly caught and beaten up by Sam the Sheep Dog.

Look you guys, if you can order all of these crazy things from Acme, why not just order food!? Where are you even getting all the money for this anyway?

In the new Looney Tunes show on Cartoon Network, they've made some new computer animated Road Runner and Coyote shorts, but they don't seem to capture the magic of the original. They're still good, but not as good as the ones in the past.

Wile E. Coyote. . .if you're so smart, why not try THINKING!?

Wile E.: (Holds up a sign that says "In Heavens name, what am I doing?" right before a pile of boulders crush him)

Now, how could I possibly top someone as classic and original as Wile. E Coyote? Well, just watch!

And the number 1 Tortured Mute Immortal is. . . .

Leon from Leon- Error of The Savannah

I - LOVE - THIS - CHARACTER!

I mean, this lion is awesome!

His show is made by Teletoon+, a Polish studio. Wow, Poland. Who knew?

Now, first off, let's start with the intro. The first thing you notice. . .the animation.

That CGI is gorgeous!!! The first thing you see is the beautiful African Savannah at sunset. There are a few clouds and the sky, and the orange sun tints the sky and land a golden orange color. You see a flock of birds flying through the air as a fast drum beat starts.

And then, enter Leon.

He darts across the screen. Moving swiftly through the golden grasses. Parts of the screen shift to reveal more characters. First we see the Springbok, who darts away to escape the predator. Other characters take notice as he speeds by. The Warthog even flees in terror. The Hyena does what she does best and laughs. We then see Leon skid to a halt alongside a cliff. As the title appears, we see a red sparrow causally move aside Leon's cowlick so we can meet him eye to eye.

Now, this sounds more like an awesome adventure of an awesome lion. Unfortunately, the opening is lying to us. The Title Card reads "Leon," but the actual title will always be "Leon- Error of The Savannah." And, being an error, he can only fail in his attempts.

However, what makes him better than Wile E. Coyote and all of these others poor suckers is that Leon actually has an image to keep up. He's a mighty lion, he's supposed to be strong and awesome. He doesn't put himself in danger or create any crazy complex plans. All he wants to do is hunt, and he does it in a straightforward manner.

Also, Leon is a character who actually has a character. He has that signature cowlick, he has the personality of an actual lion, and he even has an actual friend in the red sparrow, and perhaps even the Gorilla too. He also has a love interest in the Lioness (Love Makes You Dumb unfortunately, because he's able to get her into the palm of his paw twice, but ends up totally screwing it up, which is sad because I think she genuinely likes him). He knows when he's bitten off more than he can chew and runs when danger arrives. 

And unlike Scratt or Bernard, he actually has a legitimate reason for his actions. He's a lion, he has to hunt, end of story. And he's not obsessed with hunting. In fact, at the start of every 3 minute episode, he's sleeping on his rock, and only gets up if someone's bothering him or if prey is nearby. He's not a genius like Wile E., but he doesn't have to be a genius. In fact, he has something that Wile. E doesn't have: Street Smarts/Instincts/Gut Feeling/The Ability to Think On His Feet. Not that Leon is always just a one trick guy, he will occasionally try to put together an imaginative scheme, but nothing so crazy that there are a million and one ways it can backfire. . .there's causally only one or two ways for it to backfire.

But, at the same time, we're not constantly rooting for him to win like we do for the Coyote, and that's a good thing! We don't want to get angry when Leon messes up or feel the need to smack him. Since his prey (Springbok, Zebra, eggs, Ninja Meerkat?) are pretty much interesting and likable characters, so you want to see them again so Leon can have another go at them.

There are lots of reasons why the show as a whole is good, but I'll save that for another post. So, that's my Top 5! I hope you enjoyed it, and please check out this show! Each episode is only 3 minutes long! Surely you have time for that!

I'm Matthais The Critic! I review stuff because I want to!