#Velma loves her friends but shows affection by being rude

[chiptunepacifist]

Scooby Doo Mystery Incorporated: An analysis of characters and bonus thingies

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So I finally finished “Scoobert Doobungi: Mystery incomporial” and I fully agree with the statement that it is the best Scooby Doo series. It perfectly nails the horror aesthetic, has some of the most unique monster designs almost on par with “Where are you”, and actual stakes that constantly keep you engaged with the show. However, I don’t think it’s perfect. It’s definitely good, but not the grandiose masterpiece I head people claim it to be

A lot of my issues with the series come down to its potential not being fully realized. I think the concept of a Scooby series with a ongoing plot has so much potential and wild ideas to give, and this show has a lot of ideas, but it’s in the execution of those said ideas that has the whole thing to kind of crumble

Firstly: The Mystery Gang. I can see what they tried doing here. Much like “What’s New Scooby Doo” they attempted to give the characters more unique character types for new gags and to further their relationship with each other. This aspect of relationships is extended on much more in this show and I admire that a lot. It plays into the center theme of togetherness the show clearly is trying to tell, however these new additions can become very grating after a while.

Fred— I think he definitely has the most focus compared to the rest of the gang, and I think this makes sense due to him being the leader. My main issue however is just how unapologetically self-centered he can be. His whole shtick is his love for traps, and this joke is repeated throughout the WHOLE series. They don’t do anything to differentiate the joke, it’s always “That Fred boy and his traps god damn”. It honestly becomes an issue and it leads to that being the only thing he cares about truly, and I’ve heard this defended as a part of his arc and how it’s clearly an alagory for addiction, and fine. Say that it is, my issue is that he doesn’t change at all by the end of the series. He’s called out for his obsession and selfish behavior but he doesn’t do anything to ramify his actions, he goes back to being the same.

This further touches on my biggest problem with the show, it feels like it’s trying to be both a story-driven show and a episodic show. This divide of desires made it kind of a chore to binge watch, as the characters rarely go through any big changes that makes their arcs meaningful. At the end of the day, it will always be Scooby and the gang solving mysteries. The ongoing plot is really interesting but it rarely affects the characters in a way that means something for the structure of the show.

This issue most likely exists because stuff like Gravity Falls or Steven Universe weren’t around yet, story driven animation wasn’t as established as it is now and because of that the show constantly feels like it has an identity crisis as it balances all of its really interesting concepts together but they don’t build up to anything.

Daphne— I think a big focus was put into making her not the damsel in distress that they forgot to give her an actual identity of her own. Her whole thing through the series is that she is an outcast within her family and doesn’t fit in like her sisters, however A. We never have that focused on to create a purpose for its inclusion and B. Daphne isn’t crafted to fit into this narrative. If she’s supposed to be an outcast, then make her character into something of an opposite to her family. Having her less rude than her family is not writing a character, it’s writing a story vehicle. Daphne being a clothe centric popular girl was cliche, yes, but it was a personality. The only thing I associate with her in this show is her romance with Fred. (This is not ok, btw. I dunno if you knew that so I might as well label it here in the parentheses, but hey what do I know)

Velma— I think that Velma’s arc through the series feels the most complete out of any of the other characters. Throughout the show we see her use her intelligence as a way to justify her sarcastic and rude behavior. She’s shown to be bossy and immature at times of stress, and as the series progresses she learns to be more caring for her friends and furthermore has to come to terms with the fact that monsters actually exist and her intelligence can’t be used to solve everything. One thing I will say however, is that her relationship with Shaggy didn’t feel important whatsoever and went nowhere. I think maybe they intended it to be juxtaposed with her and Marci’s relationship, but because TV was scared of those new foundled g a y s at the time they didn’t let those ideas fully blossom which kind of blows. So yea, Velma’s the best part of the series and i will fight with that opinion till the day I die

Shaggy and Scooby— You’re probably wondering “Why are these two lumped together” and aside from my hands getting tired of typing, it comes down to the fact that these characters didn’t really change much from their previous incarnations. I think Scooby has been made more cuter, which works for him, but aside from that not much has really changed for the two

SD:MI is a good show, and I’ll most likely make a post in the future detailing some of my favorite aspects, dont let me opinions ruin your enjoyment of it. I just think that it has a lot of elements that for me personally bogged down the enjoyment. I wouldn’t try binging the series in a sitting if you plan on watching it, I think spreading it out makes for a more enjoyable experience even with the plot aspects.

Because I’m a basic bitch, my number rating for this show is a 7.5/10 (that’s not a bad thing trust me)