Michel: Episode 1 Commentary

The Island of Fairies

I can see this series is clearly intended for young viewers. The Pokémon-style influence is there, with all the fairies ready to battle, and to add to that Michel can fuse with them. The potential for a line of toys includes not only the fairies, but Michel fused with them.

After seeing this first episode, my hopes of character building have dropped to zero. I expect to see a second-rate series, but I’ll wait until I’ve seen more episodes before I pass judgement. It was only after this that I noticed the colorful “ADV Kids” logo on the box. I have no problem with watching the series, and I’m sure I’ll enjoy it. I simply put some expectations a little higher than I should have. Now I can lower them to the proper location, and re-adjust as necessary.

The episode leaves a number of second-rate series questions. For starters, if the Black Hammer’s robot broke out of the museum after stealing the “Smile of Cleopatra” diamond, how did the brothers get the robot into the museum in the first place?

I can accept Kim talking with the brothers during their chase scene, as there could have been a Zoids-like manner of communication between the vehicles. However, when Salome is talking with Kim, the former with the diamond, the latter flying at a distance, how are they hearing one another?

The big one for me is how Kim says Salome will try again for the Tree of Life. Salome must not have had a chance to see how the tree was dying because of her actions. If she knew the tree would die soon after she uprooted it, would she keep trying? Would she really take the tree knowing it’d die away soon after? What kind of worth could it hold to her that way, other than as wood for the fireplace?

I’m going to explain away all these inquiries by saying, “Well, this is a kids’ series, after all.” Were this a “serious” series instead, I imagine this first episode would have been stretched out longer, drawn out a bit. The events could split over two episodes. The midway point ending the first episode would be Kim’s discovery that the Black Hammer gang followed her to the island.

Looking at the episode for what it is, I was surprised to see the police scene in the big city at the beginning. I was expecting to see a fantasy world. With Kim’s brown hair and green eyes, it’s hard to imagine her as a Korean girl, and as I originally thought Michel would be human as well, him with his blonde hair, I was all set for a fantasy world. Instead, it appears the series will take place wholly on the Island of Sitel. I trust there’s enough to the island to fill up 26 episodes, but will proceed with caution.

I like the idea behind Kim’s gun. It gives her a projectile weapon, it can dismantle metal structures it seems, but it doesn’t have people (nor animals or nature I image). It’s essentially a harmless-yet-useful weapon. Of course, I predict the fire spirit can use its flame and get a direct hit on someone without actually harming them. This is a kids’ series, after all.

I’m going to accept the story of the birth of the Earth’s nature without question.

I don’t expect to write anything on further episodes unless there turns out to be a worthwhile story to write about.