Okay, it's not that underrated. But it's still pretty good. Ruby Gloom is a cartoon about the titular cheerful and ill-named girl who lives in a mansion of ghoulish monsters. "Slice of Life" may be the best way to describe the genre. The cute flash-animated visuals remind me of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, but four years earlier. In similar fashion, the animation is serviceable, but the wholesome characters and writing are the main attraction.
Ruby Gloom, the "Happiest Girl in the World," is a Perky Goth who acts as The Heart and the voice of reason in the mansion. Contrast is a powerful tool, so her bright attitude stands out in the dark and spooky Gloomsville. She lives with her pet cat Doom, a Silent Snarker who pushes the boundaries of how far violin chords and charades with a tail can go on their own. Ruby also knitted a plush rabbit named Mr. Buns, which might be alive. Hard to tell.
Her monster friends comprise the rest of the main cast. For example, Skull Boy is a skeleton. Like most skeletons, he has no family, so he seeks out who he is by trying various professions. Usually, this lets him fill whatever role the episode needs him to, but his identity crises also surprisingly lend the show occasional pathos. Frank and Len are some kind of two-headed monster who play guitar. Their ditzy squabbles remind me of Winnie the Pooh's deliberations with himself. While their music is a nice touch, I'm especially impressed by how well their songs are woven into each episode. They once wrote a lullaby about sinking ships and arsenic. And yes, they had a benevolent reason.
And then there's Misery, who steals the show. She appears to be a banshee, one that's a lightning rod for misfortune. And actual lightning. Her family has long been cursed with a history of disaster, and attracting lightning. It's the genetically high metal content in their blood. But that doesn't stop her or her friends from pushing through it together. She perseveres through her fate-induced slapstick with a half-sullen, half-deadpan resignation that's (thunder)strikingly comical. Of the cast, she's the greatest foil to Ruby, and is the closest thing in general to an actual "dark side" in the series. But Misery herself is friendly at heart, so the show lands squarely on the optimistic side.
Conversely, Iris the cyclops feels like the weakest character. In large part, she's meant to be an excitable Genki Girl akin to Tigger or Pinkie Pie, but lacks the colorful design, exaggerated animation, or hammy voice acting to sell it. The well-named Scaredy Bat, the melodramatic raven Poe, and the prankster ghost Boo Boo round the rest of the main cast out, although the latter is more of a side character.
Overall, Ruby Gloom is an undervalued feel-good cartoon. It would be nice to see a revival of some kind, maybe a new season, movie, or reboot. But if not, it was still a very bright spot in animation.
Very Underrated, Wholesome Show
Ruby Gloom is the greatest show ever made.
Okay, it's not that underrated. But it's still pretty good. Ruby Gloom is a cartoon about the titular cheerful and ill-named girl who lives in a mansion of ghoulish monsters. "Slice of Life" may be the best way to describe the genre. The cute flash-animated visuals remind me of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, but four years earlier. In similar fashion, the animation is serviceable, but the wholesome characters and writing are the main attraction.
Ruby Gloom, the "Happiest Girl in the World," is a Perky Goth who acts as The Heart and the voice of reason in the mansion. Contrast is a powerful tool, so her bright attitude stands out in the dark and spooky Gloomsville. She lives with her pet cat Doom, a Silent Snarker who pushes the boundaries of how far violin chords and charades with a tail can go on their own. Ruby also knitted a plush rabbit named Mr. Buns, which might be alive. Hard to tell.
Her monster friends comprise the rest of the main cast. For example, Skull Boy is a skeleton. Like most skeletons, he has no family, so he seeks out who he is by trying various professions. Usually, this lets him fill whatever role the episode needs him to, but his identity crises also surprisingly lend the show occasional pathos. Frank and Len are some kind of two-headed monster who play guitar. Their ditzy squabbles remind me of Winnie the Pooh's deliberations with himself. While their music is a nice touch, I'm especially impressed by how well their songs are woven into each episode. They once wrote a lullaby about sinking ships and arsenic. And yes, they had a benevolent reason.
And then there's Misery, who steals the show. She appears to be a banshee, one that's a lightning rod for misfortune. And actual lightning. Her family has long been cursed with a history of disaster, and attracting lightning. It's the genetically high metal content in their blood. But that doesn't stop her or her friends from pushing through it together. She perseveres through her fate-induced slapstick with a half-sullen, half-deadpan resignation that's (thunder)strikingly comical. Of the cast, she's the greatest foil to Ruby, and is the closest thing in general to an actual "dark side" in the series. But Misery herself is friendly at heart, so the show lands squarely on the optimistic side.
Conversely, Iris the cyclops feels like the weakest character. In large part, she's meant to be an excitable Genki Girl akin to Tigger or Pinkie Pie, but lacks the colorful design, exaggerated animation, or hammy voice acting to sell it. The well-named Scaredy Bat, the melodramatic raven Poe, and the prankster ghost Boo Boo round the rest of the main cast out, although the latter is more of a side character.
Overall, Ruby Gloom is an undervalued feel-good cartoon. It would be nice to see a revival of some kind, maybe a new season, movie, or reboot. But if not, it was still a very bright spot in animation.