I was expecting to hate this like every other human being who even as so looked at this. I'm mean the art style really gave off that Family Guy/American Dad energy and I just thought it was just gonna be more family-friendly version of those shows. But after watching all of it, it's easily in my top 3 Scooby-Doo series.
I remember when this came out, everybody online threw fits and called the show terrible. My theory for how it got so much hate on release can be boiled down to 2 reasons. First and foremost is the art style. Yeah its not that great and I guess people just assumed the same thing I did before I even watch it. Second thing is that it came right after Mystery Incorporated and I guess people got mad that it wasn't as smart or nuanced as Mystery Inc., evening we were pretty spoiled to get that show in the first place and just hated it without giving a proper chance. Listen this show and Mystery Inc. are 2 wildly different shows and trying to judge this show with Mystery Inc. as you're basis is pretty dumb. Like judge this show for it is, not for what it isn't.
I kept waiting for the show dip in quality or become less and less funny later on, but anything it got better has it went on. One thing I like about this show are the new characterizations for the gang. Fred was shockingly really good. I like how he's more of the straight man and has to try to lead all these weirdos who don't even listen to him. He might just be my favorite iteration of the character in a comedic context and as much as I love Mystery Inc.'s Fred, I don't think he would really work in this context because everybody would a weirdo. Daphne in this is undoubtedly the best incarnation of her character. I mean what competition is there. Mystery Inc. Daphne's entire character is just fantasizing over Fred and doesn't really have anything else going for her. In this however, she's fun and kooky, something I wanted for this piece of cardboard of a character. I enjoyed most of her gimmicks and very little of them were actually annoying. I wish I had someone like Be Cool Daphne in my life. Velma was also very entertaining. I love how she's the Meg equivalent in this show and constantly gets tortured for just existing like when everybody jumps on her back and she just has to carry everybody. Shaggy and Scooby are the ones who have changed the least out of the others, but I still get laugh out of them every once in awhile
I've been watching much Scooby-Doo content and to find a show that's at least 70% enjoyable is practically a miracle. Not every joke lands and I didn't feel like a full episode needed to be 22-minutes and it probably be more favorable if they opted 2 11-minute segments. Also when they try to add more story driven elements in the last few episodes feels a bit disingenuous because they didn't do the work for setting up a compelling story (like Mystery Inc. and Rise of the TMNT for example) and feels a bit tacked on. But there's plenty of other episodes that are really good episodes with mysteries I didn't see coming, probably because i'm losing my edge with this guessing game.
So yeah, pretty good show and definitely the most over-hated piece of Scooby-Doo media ever made. I can see why people might dislike, but if people actually consider this worse than "Shaggy and Scooby-Doo: Get a Clue!", turn out you're location I just wanna talk
