Image Credit: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Even by the high standards of ’80s cartoons, Thundercats was pretty bananas. Mixing futuristic science-fiction with sword-and-sorcery fantasy, the fondly remembered series also featured an intriguing central plotline, in which the last survivors of a dying civilization flee to a mysterious planet called Third Earth. (Think Battlestar Galactica as re-enacted by the cast of Cats.) Cartoon Network will relaunch the show later this year, and the first official image of the new-look cast has now been released. Lion-O looks trimmer, more like a track star played by Matt Damon than a professional wrestler played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Cheetara’s costume is still magnificently revealing, but she’s replaced her bad ’80s hair with bad Ke$ha hair. Panthro looks like a cross between the Gray Hulk and Barret from Final Fantasy VII, and if you understand why both of those characters are awesome, then marry me. And Tygra looks basically the same. Thundercats, ho!
PopWatchers, are you excited about the Thundercats reboot? Think they’ll try to find a way to sex up Snarf? Am I the only one who’s worried Mumm-Ra might seem like an accidental Bin Laden-esque figure?
Thundercats HOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Hopefully no Wilykit or Wilykat. Or Berbils.
I liked the ThunderKittens…but maybe they could be less…annoying.
ugh…no berbils…
ive never heard the term thunderkittens
hi robbie am bigs thundercat fan
Hey, Hey, Hey nothing wrong with having the twins in it they made up the whole crew and the berbils were robotic bears (hi-tech ewoks)
are u serious the kittens made it fun to watch snaf snaf and slim yessssssss without them alot of T.C fans will b disappointed like the redoin of transformers they suck MTv spiderman nuttin like the 90s MTV cancelled if u dnt keep it oringinal not many want it
wilykit and wilycat are valuble parts of the team they may be the wimpiest but many of the adventures are caused by their mistakes
I like watching Thundercats
No, they are in it! :/ but hopefullly they should be less annoying! caught a video on youtube, from one of the creators. He was interviewed about snarf!! he’s there but he doesn’t speak -WIN- and he is cuter. I am so excited for this! watched the trailers on the fan page on facebook.. just SO awesome! it’s a prequel ( I think) before they left thundera, hence why Loin-o is a Teen
So over the whole Japanimation craze. They’ve butchered the look and essence of too many. Leave our cartoons alone already!
Totally agree.
Agree!
I love anime… but that doesn’t mean I want every cartoon to be remade to look like anime. Thundercats 80′s style was rad. The new look —bad Japanese knock-off.
it’s being animated by a japanese company though, so it’s not really a japanese knock off.
Oh dang… nevermind that bit then. *The More You Know* —star—*
My personally I like it. I think the american cartoons of having the heroes running around in their underware is getting tiring. Anime alway have better detail to the background and the world of a cartoon.
You guys do realize that the old series was animated in Japan by artists who now work for Studio Ghibli and worked on Hayao Miyazaki’s first film, right? So, technically it was already “Japanamation” Also, the tokyopop/Shonen Jump style is not the only style of animation that is done in Japan. Check out “Dead Leaves”, “Legend of Black Heaven” etc… Just saying, in this case it’s relevant to do a reboot with Japanese animators involved (It’s not just Japanese “style” much of the character design was actually done in Japan…). I realize Americanized anime-style stuff permeates the industry today, but in this case, it is actually relevant.
ifeel the same way
:l I agree, so many of my childhood memories like X-men, for example, don’t need to be remade into anime’s. haven’t they suffered enough through everyone else trying to ‘correct’ them?
I think its communism. The Japanese were cool to us and now that China thinks it got money we need to somehow all be punished? Up yours, Han. Bruce Lee kicked your butt way back in the early 70′s in a WB flick called Enter The Dragon. I think the west, now that we’re waking up, ought to pull rank and put these dudes on notice if the stuff don’t come out right. The only show I’ve seen so far that rocks is Voltron Force but that’s because the original characters are involved, aged and have new stories with young apprentices. Although it doesn’t tell the same narrated intro I like Swizz Beats’ theme. That’s the direction this show should take. Not go back a step and slap us all in the face calling Thundera a realm on Third Earth. Boo on the LOTR exclusivity. Where’s the sci-fi part then? How they ever gonna do a Silverhawks now?!
AGREE!!!
Emily I am so with you!!!
Totally agree! Lion-o looks too anime looking.
Uh… Thundercats was originally a joint US/Japanese project. IT WAS ALREADY “JAPANIME” TO BEGIN WITH, YOU NINCOMPOOPS!!
Give it a chance to run, and stop hating on new stuff just because it is new, you crazy kids.
But hey, if you WANT Lion-O to trot around in a belly-cropped shirt and underoos, speaking in slow motion, be my guest…
Right you are, GuNMouTH!!
Hear! Hear! I agree with you GuNMouTH!! It makes me wonder just how old these idiots are when they first saw the original. You can tell it was “Japanimation” in the 80s. Heck, most cartoons in the 80s and 90s were!
Wow. Just how old are you? The original Thundercats was done in anime style. “Japanimation” was a big deal back then. The artwork and etc. were done by the USA and Japan studios. In fact, most cartoons in the 80s were done in USA and Japan.
Oh that comment was for Emily in “Wow. Just how old are you?…….”
I agree Emily. I for one hate anime with a passion and seeing a classic like Thundercats being anime-styled steams me off.
then have the americans remake those cartoons themselves!!
AMEN
Funny you say that, since the original Thundercat’s cartoon was drawn in Japan in the first place! LOLOLOL!
Where’s Snarf!
Honestly, it looks pretty good. I hope it is more of remake than a reboot.
snarf is in it i saw the concept art he looks alot cuter andsmaller
Thundercats HOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
excited for the reboot, not excited for the japanization animation of it.
Thundercats HOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
i’m just happy that wilykit and wilykat are literally out of the picture.
They’re not. This picture doesn’t show the entire cast, but I hear that the video presentation they did have all of the characters – including kit and kat.
Where’s Snarf?
Please no Snarf.
No Snarf, no show.
In reality, I’m kind of interested in seeing this, but now that I’m not 6 years old, I wonder how much appeal this will still hold. Not loving the japanazation of the characters at all. They have a lot of work left to do to win over the fans now closing in on or in their 30′s. Then again, they may just completly cut the cord and hope a new generation takes to them like we did and leave the old fans behind.
The thing I remember about ThunderCats was the extensive vocabulary. They used the word ‘reconnoiter’ (as opposed to just RECON) in a kids cartoon show. I actually learned words watching this show. Today’s cartoons are more about playing down to kid’s tastes, not building them up. Then again, this is also from the same generation of cartoons as ‘Samuari Pizza Cats’, so obviously not everything had redeaming quality…
there is snarf ive seen concept art
he is too cute to be snarf hes like a pokemon. by the way im 11 and what other 11 yr old do you know that know
about thundercats
Cheetara got hosed…she looks horrible…why cahnge what was a good thing? Not EVERYTHING needs to go to the Japanese anime school of drawing….
I hope they choose to honor and tribute the original theme song with something similar. CUZ I LOVE THE ORIGINAL THEME.
If this is a hit look for other 70′s and 80′s animated shows to be revived and updated.
So we can expect SilverHawks and He-Man? score
Jabberjaw represent!
they already redid he-man in the early 2000s i think i remember thinking it was something new i think kids mite think the same of this
They already did He-man, it only lasted a season.
OOOOHH, how about the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon? That never got a proper ending.
Heman has already been remade! I enjoyed the new series!!!
he-man was done on cartoon network and i hated it! i cant stand all these remakes but anime style. bring it back and leave as is or just don’t bother to bring it back STOP ruining my childhood memories
do not forget Thundarr the barbarian I will like to see that one too
If I remember correctly the art work wasn’t Anime and it didn’t last.
there was already a he man reboot it came out in 2002
The Real Ghost Busters, woudl love to see that one brought back up as well if were goign for 80′s cartoons
If you can honestly tell me that watching the original programs NOW (not just remembering them from when you were a kid 25 years ago) you don’t think that they need some updating to improve over-all story, character & plot development, balance family friendly action/violence with conflict resolution, and still maintain relevance and interest (as was done with the 2002 “He-Man” update and the current “G.I. Joe: Renegades”) then I feel sorry for you.
I accidently killed off my love of “The Transformers” by purchasing and watching the DVDs 10 years ago. The numerous reboots are just too focused on the human kids interacting with the robots and not the robots themselves for me to care (problem with not being 9 years old I guess).
Go Voltron (Lions not Spaceships version)
So over the anime look, Lion-O looks like Goku if mr po po turned him into a blue haired cat!! And Cheetarah does look like dirty Ke$ha!!
Yes I am not crazy about the Japanimation either. I’d be veryhappy to see no Snarf or the kittens – unless like someone else said they make the kittens less annoying and more of a contribution beside humor and trouble.
As for whom ever said the original fans were pushing 30 – well I watched the show as a kid and I’m 37 – the show premeired when I was 11. It’s older than you think
There is no ‘anime style’ of drawing. Regardless, the original Thundercats was also largely influenced by anime as well. So the complaint is moot. The problem is that they made Lion-o and Cheetara 10 years younger.
Having been corrected, Lion-o is actually supposed to be younger considering he was the prince and was ‘aged’ because he broke out of his ‘space pod’ or something when they were leaving his planet. It’s just Cheetara who’s younger. Hmm.