Title: Young Justice
Genre: Superhero, Action, Adventure, Sci-fi, DC Comics
Overall Rating: 4 stars out of 5
General Set-Up: It has been many years since the Justice League was founded, and new heroes are rising up to replace the old--but not just yet. The League has run into a dilemma, a group of heroes that are more than just mere sidekicks, but not yet ready for the responsibility to be full-fledged members of the Justice League. The solution that the Justice League has come up with is to make a team of these heroes and teach them the values of the Justice League. But most importantly, it will test these heroes to see if they are really ready to defend the world.
Characters: This show has many characters, and the cast continually grows as the show progresses. The first three protagonists met are Robin, (Batman’s apprentice) Speedy, (Green Arrow’s apprentice) and Kid Flash (Flash’s apprentice). These three heroes make up the first team of the Young Justice League (just called ‘the team’). Every protagonist is well written, each with their own personalities, quirks, and aspirations. There is not a single character that I did not like, or even a single poorly written character. However, the show is based on the assumption that you know the backstories of many of its characters. While not as popular character’s backstories are explained, (such as Aqua Lad, Miss Martian, Superboy, etc.) many are not (Kid Flash, Speedy, Robin, etc.).
The one major grievance I have with some of the protagonist in the show, is that the show ended before many of them got any development. While all the main heroes in the first and second seasons were well fleshed out, the show simply ran out of time to develop some characters. A few times the show introduced a character (on the assumption that there was going to be a second season) but never got back to that character. (Yes, I’m talking about you Kal’el!)
As for the villains, well, they work as villains. Both well-known and lesser-known villains made an appearance in Young Justice. While for the most part they played the typical villain role (get the crud beat out of you and pretty much never be seen again) a surprising number of the cast repeatedly tried their luck against our heroes. While the ‘larger plan’ is never fully revealed due to the third season being canceled, the villains and organizations that make an appearance are very interesting and entertaining.
Plot: As far as superhero shows go, this is one of the most balanced plots. It balances between the drama and struggles of being on a team and the villains well. It deals with themes such as responsibility, respect, teamwork, morality, and identity. And that is just the beginning. Much less repetitive than its predecessor Justice League (2003), Young Justice has a larger plot woven throughout its episodes. But the background plot does not feel forced and neither do the smaller arcs within the series.
What I’m trying to say is this: It has a deep, well balanced plot that will keep any fan of superheroes interested. It doesn’t matter if you liked the prequels or not--this is a whole new way of looking at the Justice League. Young Justice focuses on the inner struggles of characters, explores the difficulties of working on a team, and chronicles the team's struggle to keep the earth safe.
Ending: The show ends abruptly with no third season. It is very obvious that there was meant to be a third season. While the ending of the show answers many of the questions, many more are still unanswered. The villain’s full plan is not fully revealed, nor do many of the character’s ongoing inner battles reach their conclusion. While the ending is not satisfactory, I still highly recommend checking the show out. In addition, I have heard a rumor that Netflix might purchase the rights and make a third season. But that is, after all, only a rumor at this point.
Sound:The voice actors did an amazing job. Everyone’s voice seemed to just fit. It is one of the few shows that I can honestly say every voice actor was in the role made for them. None of the protagonist's voices felt too over-the-top, too childish, or too old. In almost every show that I have watched, there is at least one voice that just feels out of place in the English. In Fullmetal Alchemist it was Alphonse, in Ouran it was Honey. I could go on, but I think that you get the point. Every character--even the villains--had good voice acting with a variety of voices and speech mannerisms.
But one thing that really bugged me was a character later on in the series; a girl named Sam from Japan. Now, I’ve been to Japan and know some Japanese. I know how a native speaker of Japanese sounds and how a non-native speaker of Japanese sounds. The voice actor chosen to voice Sam was anything but a native speaker of Japanese. I could hear an accent from somewhere in the deep south through the poorly written Japanese. And only one word was said in Japanese (for the most part): Sumimasen. This means “I am sorry,” and that phrase was grossly misused in the second season of Young Justice. But on the other hand, there are thousands of Japanese dubs in anime that fail at English that bad or worse.
Animation: The animation was very similar to the style of the two prequels, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, but also added in styles used in the popular series Teen Titans. Combining these two styles (plus a good budget never hurt) the visuals are amazing. In particular the body proportions are more realistic in Young Justice than in Justice League or Teen Titans. The animation is more serious than that in Teen Titans, never using the chibi style, but less rigid or “traditional” as the animation used Justice League. I felt that it fit the story well--plus semi-realistic body proportions and no fan service!
I was very impressed with the designs of the costumes used in the show. While some were the traditional costumes, such as Superman and Batman, most of the other costumes had a modern feel to them. DC, like Marvel, doesn’t have the best track record making female costumes that are *ahem* practical. However, Young Justice did a fantastic job of doing that. The costumes are not low cut, and because of that seem to radiate readiness for battle and a tone of seriousness instead of just trying to get views.
Things to watch out for: The show is violent (it is a superhero show after all) but does not have any gore.
Other Media: It has two prequels, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, and one sequel, Legion of Superheroes. While none of these are “direct sequels/prequels” of Young Justice, they follow the DC comic timeline loosely. If you like Young Justice, you will like Legion of Superheroes because they share many of the same elements. In a way, Legion of Superheroes (which came out first) became the blueprint for what Teen Titans and Young Justice could be, breaking away from the superhero stereotypes found in Justice League.
Where to watch it: Young Justice is currently streaming on Netflix.
Recommendations: Justice League and Justice League Unlimited
Legion of Superheroes
Teen Titans
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