Squall died, and everything in the second half was just a dream. I actually believe this one. Can't think of any others I actually believe though. The Rugrats one was depressing.
Personally I blame Tommy Westphall from "St. Everywhere" from the 80's for it's all a dream theories, because it has the most strength Copypasta'd from wiki Westphall, who is autistic, played an increased role in St. Elsewhere's final episode, "The Last One", one interpretation of which is that the entire St. Elsewhere storyline exists only within Westphall's imagination.[1] As characters from St. Elsewhere have appeared on other television shows and those shows' characters appeared on more shows, and so on, a "Tommy Westphall Universe" hypothesis (postulated by Dwayne McDuffie) argues that a significant amount of fictional episodic television exists within a fictional universe imagined by Tommy Westphall.
I always figured that Gloomsville was named after one of Ruby's ancestors who were some kind if wealthy industrialist and that's the family home Ruby and her friends are living in. That's why none of them need jobs and she gets to do the announcer gig at town events. Ruby is just living her best life, slowly working through the family inheritance looking after her friends.
If it HAD to make sense - that would fit! But it's never given any context into their living condition, due to being a cartoony world where good friends just live together. :)
I remember going through a phase for a bit where I was obsessed with the “secret royalty” trope n wrote a fanfic where Ruby was the secret princess of Gloomsville with her moms (yes you read that right) the queens who brought her to life from an old doll using magic, since she’s supposed to be a doll. The only one who knew was Poe who was the former royal advisor n close friend to the royal family who was trusted with the princess’s safety, while she figured out what it meant to be a Gloom and how she was meant to someday rule. I got rid of it so no one ask about it.
I think its actually Misery because there is one episode where Misery leaves for a few days and the weather changes completely getting all sunny and bright implying she puts the gloom in gloomsville quite literally
I'm glad this series has gained more attention lately. The characters were so lovable and the music is so good and catchy, especially the songs sung by Misery. I would love to see more merchadise with Ruby because the character designs and aesthetic of the series looks so good.
Creepy Theory/Easter egg : Frank and Len were not born as conjoined twins. They have stitches on their body connecting their two halves together. There is even a scene with them as babies with the visible stitches. Someone surgically conjoined the two together as infants.
Ruby Gloom has at least 3 distinct canons. There's the old Hot Topic era stuff, the Books(each of which kinda change a few things), and the show. The website fleshes out the lore of the first two, it's kind of crazy
Frank and Len aren’t conjoined twins, when they take their shirt off you can see stitches between them meaning they were born separately and sewn together at some point, their skin coloration may even point to them being undead. The biggest mystery in Ruby Gloom is who sewed them together!
Not a monster to sew them if, say, the alternative was neither making it. Maybe they only had enough viable organs between them for one body, so a desperate decision was made.
@@goteamslugs Of course you're right from an out-of-universe perspective, but from an in-universe perspective it still happened. Just because the creator/designer never came up with (or just never shared) an official answer doesn't mean that in-universe there isn't an answer. Will we ever know that answer? probably not, because of course as you said they didn't come up with deep lore for the cartoon show. Trying to figure out an in-universe reason for something to make sense in-universe doesn't necessarily mean you think the out-of-universe creator intended for that detail to be looked into and put clues in. If you don't like that kind of analysis and theory that's fine! But you don't have to rain on the parade of everyone who *does* like to think about the further implications of things that the show creators clearly didn't.
@@ThornShadowWolf Right. Just respect the creator's original vision, and don't accept theory as fact. After all, we all know how we feel about our "baby". ^u^
Actually they been stitched since together since they were babies because in one episode there recalled a memory when they were little and they still had stitches also IM SO GLAD IM THE ONLY ONE WHO NOTICED
I’m surprised you didn’t bring up the theory of Ruby being a literal doll, like a Ragdoll, it’s one of the more popular theories I’ve seen online about her (though personally, based on some of her facial features and pale skin, I’m more inclined to think of her as a porcelain doll, less Raggedy Ann and more movie Annabelle, but hey, I’ve seen dolls that are a combination of fabric and solid material, we can have both) along with Misery being a fairy, specifically a banshee I’m also glad that I’m not the only one who missed the Frank and Len/Franklin joke for YEARS. I always assumed it was a Frankenstein joke, since the two are not naturally conjoined, but stitched together (and even more disturbingly, SINCE THEY WERE BABIES. *Something* is up with those two.)
@@starryeyes1190The official site called Misery a banshee, but to be honest based on her and her family’s appearance (permanent tear streaks, sickly skin, and long wet looking, slightly unkempt hair) and the fact that wherever she goes she brings heavy rain and bad luck, I’m more inclined to believe she and her family are the Japanese Yokai Ameonna (rain women).
Other than her eyes, there's nothing else doll-like in her appearance. Her favorite hobby is baking. Ruby isn't really . . any particular thing. I believe she's what's called a "token character".
The writers called Misery a banshee, but she and her entire family are more accurately the Japanese Yokai Ameonna (rain woman) who are known for bringing storms and bad luck. As for most the characters being children living in a large mansion: Ruby is assumed to be the heiress of the mansion, we don’t know where her parents are (but then again we don’t meet any parents in the show even when Misery’s entire family came for a visit), Ruby herself welcomes anyone to live in her home whether temporarily or permanently; Skullboy is believed to be an orphan with amnesia, as he doesn’t know anything about his past; Iris is an adrenaline junky who likely left home in search of excitement; Frank and Len were traveling musicians before settling down in Ruby’s garage; Misery’s family traditionally stay away from each other as when a group of them are together in one place for too long catastrophic natural disasters happen; Boo-boo was hired to haunt the estate by Mr.White and Mr.White (who have likely been haunting the estate for a long time); Poe, Edgar, and Allan are adults (hence why they have their own house separate from (but still part) of the main estate); while Doom-Kitty and Scaredy-Bat are teenagers; lastly Mr.Buns is an enigma of a being that happens to inhabit a stuffed sock rabbit.
What gives me unease is how only one location is ever shown. And that’s the mansion. We rarely see other places and it almost makes it feel like this is the only building structure in Gloomsville.
@@JGProductions6581 not exactly, Gloomsville is like one of those Victorian cities where you have a market place and town houses, while mansions and other personal properties are alone with large acres of land surrounding it, so the mansion only seems like the only building in town because the gang hardly venture beyond the land that’s part of the property. The closest exception we have to another house on that land is Mr. Mumbles’ glass house, which was most likely the mansion greenhouse, and considering Ruby basically rented out her garage to Frank and Len, the bird house to Edgar, Allan, and Poe, and possibly the cemetery to the Skeletunes, that would make Mr.Mumbles another housemate rather than an actual neighbor.
@@kalkuttadrop6371 True but no one else in her family was shown to have anything similar, in fact her cousin Morose (while awake) was show to have a similar singing voice to Misery (while asleep).
I LOVED this show, still do honestly. The attention and heart put into the characters and cozy gothic vibes were so lovely. I especially liked Skullboy, the whole "trying to figure out who his is" schtick really appealed to a pre-teen kid.
13:30 Okay, I'm going to build on your theory. If Misery is a deity, then wouldn't that mean her extended family are deities too? I can't recall which episode it was, but in one of them, some of Misery's family members come to stay for a while and everything gets worse (like, "the house will fall apart at this rate" kind of worse). Thus, I theorize that all of them are deities of misfortune of some sort, with our Misery bringing endless clouds and rain. The others would cause other misfortunes. The best thing I can compare this idea to is the Greco-Roman muses where all were deities of the arts, but each had a specialization such as theater or singing. These are all deities that bring misfortune, but the kind of problem they cause changes for each individual.
I watched all episodes of Ruby Gloom on TH-cam out of curiosity and enjoyed it. Also brought about a deeper fascination with creepy and cute aesthetics along with Monster High😊 Regarding theories, it's speculated that Ruby is a living doll evidenced by her hobby in sewing and stitch-like markings around her eyes, not to mention Misery is believed to be a banshee (TV Tropes classified her as possibly a banshee since she has a destructive wail whenever she sings awake)
Other than her eyes, there's nothing else doll-like in her appearance. Her favorite hobby is baking. Ruby isn't really . . any particular thing. I believe she's what's considered a "token character".
I always assumed that both Ruby and Misery were basically reincarnations of the embodiments of Joy and Sadness. Especially after the musical number "Dark and Dawn" where they specifically say "I'm the Dark. I'm the Dawn. After all, it's in our job description."
I always thought Frank and Lin are not conjoined twins, but a kind of Frankensteins's monster because of their drastic physical differences. On that point, I also think they are both dumb and telepathically linked because they each have a single half of 1 whole brain.
This show was both insane and wow to watch as a kid back when Netflix was new, remember that me and my sister would watch it when it was on Netflix at the time and jam with the theme song that still rocks. Also Misery was my favorite too as a kid.
OMFGGGG FOR YEARS I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO REMEMBER THE EDGAR AND ELLEN SERIES BUT FOR THE LIFE OF ME COULD NOT REMEMBER WHAT THE NAME WAS?!! THANK YOU SO MUCH
I never liked scary things, even Monster High-type, and somehow Ruby Gloom felt just really pretty to me. I loved the design of Ruby, I still adore her eyes. The style is so unique I can’t even describe what I like so much about it.
Indeed! On one of the behind-the-scenes sites, one of the art directors talked about how they worked to prove that gloom aesthetic can feel bright and cheery. =)
Does anyone else remember the Disney animated show "The Buzz on Maggie"? It was a cartoon that followed a teenage girl fly (yes, a literal bug) and her friends. I think they had a band together as well. The theme song is always stuck in my head!
I LOVED RUBY GLOOM AS A KID!!! i remember finding it on Netflix a long time ago & i was hooked. such a fun silly show especially if you're in a spooky but goofy mood for the Halloween season XD i STILL unironaically listen to Misery's song from the musical episode... such a banger
Each character is actually a monster! Ruby: Human/ragdoll Doom kitty: Cat Scaredy-bat: Bat Boo-boo: Ghost Edgar Allen and Poe: Ravens Misery: Banshee, not a god Skull boy: Skeleton Frank and Len: Conjoined twins Iris: Cyclops And finally, Mr Buns: Possessed doll
Ruby Is Actually A Ghost Who Was Once A 5 Year Old Girl Who Died At Auschwitz And Someone Carried Her Ashes To Gloomsville Where She Was Buried To This Day
Ruby Gloom is such a throw back, but I swear a wave of nostalgia hit me when you brought up Edgar and Ellen. I can't remember if I ever watched the show, but I loved those books. On another note, if you need another alternative kids' show, Making Fiends is a pretty great choice
And just when I return from Hot Topic after getting the best Ruby Gloom t-shirt! Thank you! 🙏 Also, in terms of theories, the only thing I could think about was the possibility of Ruby Gloom being a ragdoll character because she was able to create Mr. Buns out of socks very quickly and her and everyone else is aware that he's able to move on his own after his creation.
Oh, I love Ruby Gloom! I'm so happy it seems to be getting some attention lately. October is my birthday month and Halloween is my favourite holiday so anything with the vibes Ruby Gloom has is right up my alley. Scaredey Bat is one of my favourite characters actually, but I think that's just because bats are my favourite animal. And you don't see a lot of cute bats in cartoons so it was another point in the show's favour.
This show is so cozy!! I still wish to live in that mansion. I think its thanks to this show i’m a sucker for those gothic mansions. I read somewhere that Ruby is actually a doll, but the post that I read also made comparisons to TNBC’s Sally, so Ruby and Skullboy is like this version’s Sally and Jack
I've spent the majority of 2021 trying to find this show again but no one I knew, parents or friends, remembered this show so I was rummaging through the internet the best I could when I didn't remember a thing besides Misery's design. I'm so glad I finally found it through a random fanart post on instagram in early 2022 and ended up watching it (so glad it's on TH-cam). And the, I believe, "pilot" that I found from a few years before the show came out was something that I loved. I'm genuinely happy I watched this show on tv when I was a kid
My dad was weirdly obsessed with this show. Like e he watched it more than I did. Probably because Nightmare Before Christmas is his favorite disney movie and he felt it was similar? I personally loved the intro song, it’s a bop. Misery is indeed the best character :D
Omg I LOVE Ruby Gloom! I always had the theory that Ruby had issues with anxiety that caused her to try to fix everyone else's problems, while never focusing on herself. A bit less cool of a theory, but its a relatable one
I for a bit had a theory that she could secretly be depressed and hides it well by being nice to others and when she is not onscreen she is crying or something.
I have a fan theory that everyone from total drama island and 6teen are in the same universe, and they all died horribly in mall/theme park/tropical island and thus must live out their days suffering the endless repetition of everyone saying "we're going to die" or "i'm so dead" right before the commercial break. Fool proof theory.
My theory is that Misery and Skull Boy are actually related. My evidence is that when Skull boy built a time machine to see his ancestors, but he saw Misery's ancestors, the machine wasn't wrong. It worked fine when Poe saw his ancestors. And Skull Boy is a deceased skeleton, so we can't prove it wrong. And I believe the males (that all died in quick sand) were all human and not banshee. It's possible that Skull Boy is one of the males that died and somehow came back to life with no memories. Also, he was kinda adopted into Misery's family when they visited. I think it was a dream episode, but i don't remember who's dream was it.
i actually remember rewatching some of the episodes with my dad as we talked about the show, and i’m pretty sure around the episode before we found out Ruby likes Skullboy i had said something along the lines of “i’m glad they never went into the whole love interest thing as they did with most kids shows” i live to regret my statement to this day
I loved the show as a child the second i saw that you had posted about it made me incredibly shocked and surprised im happy that this show is becoming more popular and well known in the eyes of others.
This show really makes me miss family members I had to go No Contact with, bittersweet stuff, but I’m excited to watch regardless ❤ The writing on this show was awesome :,)
7:57 Hello Kitty is not a human it's a mistranslation because english doesn’t have a word for, essentially, an anthropomorphic animal that is understood to not actually be an animal. She's basically like Mickey Mouse, he's a mouse in name and physique only.
I like to imagine Ruby split herself, a goddess who in part became the moon ever looking down, and in part sent herself down to be an equal, with no memories in that half. Also I'd sooner say her friends weren't alive to begin with, but Ruby had changed that intentionally so than that they were brought BACK to life. Perhaps her parents were her opposite, bright and sunny exterior but horrible deep down. Maybe they left Ruby's life early on, how doesn't matter for now I would say, and so Ruby, in her love of the darker things, found a way to make a place where she doesn't need them anymore. Where the fridge is forever stocked, where she has a variety of friends, where the whole town's Gloomsville, and they're happy to be that way. Her own small little pocket world within the wider world. As for Misery we can say between her cloud cover and her extended family maybe she came along before Ruby was fully done because she sensed Gloomsville being created and just Wanted to move in but she's still be Someplace even if Ruby hadn't existed at all.
i have real mysteries for you about it 1, how did they come to live together? 2, teaching the bat to fly skull boy shows a family chart, but few episodes later he says he has no family/parents, and in one episode he makes a robot father for himself, but most times he is just guessing about what kind of people he is possibly related to. 3, nobody except for misery and po have family. 4, there are times misery is happy and smiling.
Ok, it’s my first time here and I was just watching the video and then boom! 1:58 I was not expecting to see such a beautiful person, I just gasped hahaha
I think Gloomsville and Miseryville are sister cities and thus both are a form of the afterlife because every theory about cartoons has to involve death although in the case of Miseryville it was meant to literally be hell before they made it a Y7 show instead of PG
When I saw the Video recommended, I was like "Oh my god, I remember Ruby Gloom, it was so nice" it made me remember that I owned two Shirts when I was a Kid and that I keep forgetting this Show until it pops back up somewhere which I think is sad (which fits with Ruby Gloom tbh).
I did not expect to be hit with such nostalgia rn! I found this show thanks to a friend of mine years ago and i ended up watching the whole series. its insanely cute while being the right amount of spooky! I've always adored Ruby's design, shes just so cute! Also yesss misery was my favorite character too! That same friend gifted me a custom doll of her for my birthday one year and its been my cherished possession since! 😊
Yay, I’m glad someone talked about Ruby Gloom. I loved watching it as a kid and still wish it had more episodes since i love the animation and the characters, especially Misery.
I have two notable theories for this show because ever since I saw it on Netflix a decade ago (aka the only way we Americans got to see this show,,,), I have watched and rewatched this series so many times and loved it each time. I also do go with the theory of Misery being a banshee, but it’s not too detailed of a theory to get too into, since a lot of people already pretty much consider it canon. 1. The show takes place on a misshapen, far future, potentially post-apocalyptic Earth. I know it’s common to go with this explanation for any fantastical and unusual world, but I have evidence. First of all, the history is the same as ours, as we know from both Misery’s frequent references to historical disasters and the time travel, but the geography is distinct and unusual. In “Sunny Daze”, when Misery leaves, via a bus, the rest of the gang track her via hearing where the storm she brings goes over the radio. First we hear one of the announcers with an American Southern accent saying there’s a storm heading towards the south, then later we hear another announcer with a Russian accent saying the storm’s coming north. Scaredy Bat also counts the minutes in which they’ve stayed in Misery’s room away from the storm, and both broadcasts occurred within twenty-three minutes. Twenty-three minutes of traversing across, if Gloomsville is in Canada, three notably large countries, some separated by an ocean, by bus. Either she got launched across the ocean multiple times, or the geography in this world has been heavily altered (perhaps the ice bridge that used to exist between North America and Asia long ago exists again here). In addition, in “Deja Vu, Again”, we see the Gloomsville World’s Fair, where, excluding the main gang, there aren’t even enough people in the fair to fill up more than one stand. Sure, there are more people in the world outside of that small group, but a World’s Fair would presumably be a big event. Not to mention the fact that the technology is utterly confused, with a coal-powered amp that powers modern musical instruments, having small phonographs with earbuds, and using fireflies and candles for light, it’d be possible that being set far in the future, technology across the years became mashed together, the same way we’d fuse certain aspects of different periods within fantasy settings. 2. Misery and Skull Boy are distantly related. My headcanon regarding Skull Boy and his whole identity crisis is that he isn’t related to a ‘long line’ of anything…because his relatives are as diverse as he is with various occupations and lifestyles that he’s likely tried out. But in “Time Flies”, when Skull Boy time travels to try to meet his ancestors, he keeps running into Misery’s ancestors. Skull Boy claims it’s because he saw her ancestors in a slideshow, but hold on a second. When Poe is given the cap to think of where to go, he goes to Edgar Allen Poe’s study…where one of Misery’s relatives is there once again, as revealed at the very end. Could it be that he thought of Edgar Allen Poe’s study and Skull Boy’s ancestry in the same thought? Especially since Poe was not there at the slideshow? Also worth mentioning is that in “Disaster Becomes You”, Misery notes that all the men in her family died via quicksand, except for one. Misery frequently brings up her own family while Skull Boy frequently brings up his lack of one, and this particular note sticks out, especially since we don’t know who that one male is. And finally, one last note is that in “Skull In The Family”, Misery is the one who determines that the family claiming to be Skull Boy’s are impostors. This theory unfortunately does make “Ruby Cubed” kinda weird in hindsight, but still, it does feel like a setup for a reveal without the reveal itself. I have watched this show too many times.
The entire show always gave me a sense of unease, mostly because it usually doesn’t show other locations other than the mansion. So it kinda felt like it was the only building in the city.
Ruby gloom was my childhood and I was so sad when they stopped airing it all together. I really hope that the channel that was airing it starts again now its near halloween
This show is like Strawberry Shortcake (the old good version(s) ) and The Nightmare Before Christmas had a baby and yes, it's awesome, and deserves more recognition like this!
That did not feel like thirty-two minutes . . Right. Cartoon shows like this just exist in their own world - there doesn't have to be a deep explanation for everything. People say it's messed up how Frank and Len are stitched - but see, it's really all for the purpose of aesthetic. Nothing in the show is meant for any serious history or lore . . Furthermore "special magical stuff" is exactly what's going on - especially with fourth-wall breaking. Most notably the musical where Skull Boy and Misery are floating with no reason, and Misery is capable of singing despite being awake. Skull Boy even says: "Which usually happens right about now in a musical . ." Ruby simply didn't catch on to to what Frank and Len were getting at. That's really just it. Sorry, I love Scaredy's accent. He's my favorite. But Misery is my second. Great review! God bless and have a nice day! ^u^
I remember seeing the show back when it was on Netflix. (It originally aired in Canada but it was not picked up in the U.S. until Netflix) This is a series you can enjoy whatever you are a fan of horror or not, or what ever you are goth or not, and has a gothy fan of horror films I can say it is great. Its cute, the characters are relatable and it is emotionally honest. And Ruby and Skull Boy are an adorable couple. Although, one thing I felt that they missed the ball on are their names. I would have made Skull Boy's last name "Duggery", a play on the word 'skulduddery' which means to play a mean-spirited prank or underhand trick, and Iris' last name being "Cornea" or "Retina." Likewise, I would have had "Morose" as Misery's last name instead of a relative. At least, that is the only head-canon I personally stick to. And yes, the thing with Scaredy Bat being scared to everything got old fast.
7:58 that’s actual not really true. she’s a gijinka/anthro. the creators thought the best way to say that she’s not fully a cat was to just call her a human which confused more people. they didn’t want people to confuse charmy kitty and hello kitty as the same species but failed terribly.
I loved and binged this show when I found it in high school. I always looked for info on the show and couldn't find any fans or merch of it which made me so sad. So glad it is being recognized now. Also I am gonna check now but if not could you do a video on pucca and garu please.
If I remember correctly there was an episode of misery’s family reunion where she explain in episode that all of them got powers to the same level as her, and the last time they were together they caused a natural disaster.
I remember watching this show on Netflix when i was younger, and the only episode i remember is the ghost one because i thought the little ghost was adorable Also note, the reason why the ghost had to scare someone is because it would make him sort of solid like, like his parents
I loved this show and still do I just love the gothic and dark vibes it's just so cool to me in my opinion the characters are all unique in their own way and I just love the aesthetic and the designs it's just looks so cool in my opinion :)
oh this series was MY childhood/teenagehood! had a whole school supplies set with Ruby Gloom, and my, even at that point, oldass Nokia had a version of her theme as a ringtone. i can still sing a couple of verses from it by memory.
I always had the theory that Gloomsville Manor is a foster home and Edgar, Allen, and Poe are the caretakers based solely on the episode where we meet Misery's relatives, but still know nothing about her parents, or anyone's parents.
Me and my mother used to watch this a lot when I was a kid, I think it was on Netflix for a while, and on occasions, we would make references to it but over the years I've kind of forgotten it sometimes I remember it but I always kind of forget the name of the show; but this popped up in my recommended so thank you ^^
I recently got back into the show, i did watch it when i was younger on netflix, and now that the fixiation is back, my sudden new comfort is scaredy bat and i dont know why.
I love ruby gloom and its my childhood!! And i wanted to list what kind of monsters they are Runys is a guess Im also glad you mentioned scarygod mother Misery:banshy (an irish ghost thats whole thing is crying) Skull boy:skeleton (costume?) Iris: cyclops (duh) Ruby :zombie (seems most likely) Frank and lin: simense if you please Cat: bad luck charm Crow dude: also a bad luck charm The bat And the ghost (till i remember the names)
I watched this show a lot as a kid on public tv... I think they only aired 18 episodes over and over again, so as a child I had no idea how many episode there actually were.
Another Show like this I really love as a kid was 'die Schule der kleinenVampire' a German and Italian show about a school of vampires learning about what it means to live as their kind, a vampire hunter trying to get rid of them and his daughter who happens to be in love with one of the vampires
tbf, misery may be, like, an actual diety from a line of dieties, considering the episode where her extended family shows up, and one of them is a straight up Neanderthal/cave person. like, they're possibly immortal, have extreme effects on their surroundings, etc
RUBY GLOOM!!! AAAAH MY HEART ❤❤❤ I used to watch it as a kid, reciting episodes dialogues because they’re fun! My favorite characters are Frank and Len
As a Canadian I somehow missed hearing of this show growing up (probably something to do with overly concerned catholic parents) but I binged the whole thing this past week. Super fun! An excellent example of how much life and personality you can get with puppet rigged animation. Also, I will not tolerate this Scaredy Bat slander! /lh Love me a pathetic man (er, bat). It's really funny to me that you bring up the Scaredy Bat and Booboo dynamic and treat Scaredy Bat as the weak link, when I agree it's a dynamic that gets old, but *I* think it's more on *Booboo* for being a two-dimensional character. His whole thing is really just that... he's a ghost. He wants to be a good ghost. That's about it. He's a ghost that wants to scare people. No other character is *that* defined by what their species(?) is. Even the ones who do have gimmicks based on that, it's not their *only* personality trait. Like, there's the whole mafia thing, which could have had so much potential, but as you brought up they never really explore it! (tho I will say Mr White and Mr White gay rights 🏳🌈😎 /lh). Back on the topic of Scaredy Bat, I agree it is kind of strange that they gave him an Indian accent. My only idea is that they must have been trying to have diverse characters, in a weird 2000s-y way (cuz that's not Peter Keleghan's natural accent). Cuz I feel like Canada makes a big deal out of being multicultural, and that shows in several of its 2000s cartoons. Especially since they didn't really code him as Indian in any other way. I think maybe once they gave him a verse in a song that was in a more Indian style than their typical rock music. Like if they were trying to do a caricature of Indian people, I think they would have done more (and especially more in poor taste). It's very much a thing where you ask yourself "were they trying to do something racist?" and never get an answer. (I don't mean "did they set out to be racist" I mean "were they trying to do something that they didn't realize (or didn't care) was racist") Theory/lore/whatever-wise, I don't think they're actually kids. I did initially, as clearly they have more childlike personalities as is typical with shows aimed at younger audiences, but the more I think about it, the more I think they're just adults who have childlike interests or aspects of their personalities. They don't live with anyone obviously older than them, nor do they have adult accompaniment when they travel; they're the same height as every clearly adult character (the neighbor, Misery's older family members, Skullboy's fake family members, etc. also they're taller than the German children), and they're both trusted with and fully capable of handling tasks and endeavors beyond your typical child's capabilities. Heck, the first episode is about Ruby potentially moving out, and they make it pretty clear that she could just... do that. She has both the capacity and legal right to just do her own thing and go out into the world on her own. (This is less solid, but Misery also refers to Ruby and herself as roommates in that episode, which to me implies that they really are just adult roommates.) Frank and Len go on tour a couple times, Skullboy leaves to seek his fortune, Poe has stories from his youth, Ruby owns the house, Iris is off on her own more than not, they regularly host events for other townsfolk, friends, or family from around the world... they're definitely acting as independent adults. Outside of maybe Booboo who a) is significantly smaller than the Misters White, and b) is apparently just starting in the ghost business. I'd believe that he's a kid or teen. (Because there's some dick in the comments who keeps commenting everywhere about how "it's a kids show they didn't think that hard about it" - I *KNOW* they didn't think that hard about it. In fact, if anything they were probably designed to be children and then just became of indeterminate, nebulous age when they decided to have them act as adults (from a legal and societal standpoint) in the show. I *don't* care about the out-of-universe thought process (or lack thereof) that led to these decisions.)
honestly, I was like a 6 or 7-year-old watching this and just thought a lot of the characters were funny or very very pretty (like misery) and LOVED the theme song LMAO. but it's cool to hear this theory too!
I love the creepy cute aesthetic. There's so much of it in anime,which I love. But it's a stuggle to find it in Western animation so I love your deep dives.
I love the idea that most people in gloomsvile are deity’s, but I’d like to think they’re all such minor deities aside from misery (who I’d argue would be bad luck) that nobody really cares? Like in a world of odd magic who cares that the bat is fear itself?
I remember I was really sick for a whole week when I binge watched the entirety of Ruby Gloom for the first time. Good times. Except the being sick part.
9:00 there's a whole episode they go on a train ride to the next town over for I think Frank and Len's concert. Also the episode where Misery's family comes to visit.
Oh my GOD I knew this show existed because I had SO MANY MEMORIES OF IT but they were all too fuzzy so I’ve spent YEARS trying to grasp “god what was that show with the funky two headed guy and skeleton and cyclops” to no avail. 😔 I finally have closure.
10:19 it could be that stereotype where the character w indian accent is always so smart? Maybe their being smart characteristic makes them consistently cautious and theyre always meant to play the voice of reason. except in the lps mongoose's case, i think its the character trope of show off-ey character is always scared but pretends not to be in front of others.
actually I think Ruby isn't a human, but a ragdoll (or just a doll) because we see humans in the show (for example, Hansel and Gretel) and they have actual skin and look mostly natural, compared to Ruby that is.
I Think She Was Born Around Late 1939 When WW2 Was About To Start And When Deportations Happened Ruby Was Accidentally Separated From Her Entire Family And Sadly She Was Sent To Mauthausen And Was Probably Killed There
I strongly feel like Ruby Gloom is a sweet little witch who has familiars as friends (the raven, bat, her pet cat, and probably her possessed toy) and shes all about "positive energy" a common trait in good witches its no wonder why when things get chaotic she is the most level-headed and patient friend in the group who always like to keep the peace between her friends and always see the good in others.
This show is living in my head rent free ever since i first watched it as a kid. I really loved watching the show, because i was, and still am, a huge fan of the cosy Halloween vibes. But I also remember beeing so super scared of that one episode where the new neighbour moves in, and you see the siluets of Ruby's friends flying around in his house, i don't know why exactly, i just know that i was xD
I remember there being a song called pass the salt and the part where they started singing “chew with you” in a red and black swirly background and it zooming into Ruby’s mouth. That’s kinda one of the only traumatizing memories I have from this show.
"they're all dead" and "it's all a dream" are really two banes of every theorist's existence
the ed, edd & eddy theory 💀💀
Squall died, and everything in the second half was just a dream.
I actually believe this one. Can't think of any others I actually believe though. The Rugrats one was depressing.
They are all dead, dreaming and schizophrenic
"Theyre all dead"
-Holyshit! *looks at the characters* I wouldve never guess...
Personally I blame Tommy Westphall from "St. Everywhere" from the 80's for it's all a dream theories, because it has the most strength
Copypasta'd from wiki
Westphall, who is autistic, played an increased role in St. Elsewhere's final episode, "The Last One", one interpretation of which is that the entire St. Elsewhere storyline exists only within Westphall's imagination.[1] As characters from St. Elsewhere have appeared on other television shows and those shows' characters appeared on more shows, and so on, a "Tommy Westphall Universe" hypothesis (postulated by Dwayne McDuffie) argues that a significant amount of fictional episodic television exists within a fictional universe imagined by Tommy Westphall.
I remember way back when Netflix had user reviews that someone described this show as Strawberry Shortcake mixed with Addams Family.
I mean they're not wrong
That's actually a pretty good description.
reall
That’s actually pretty accurate
that’s a very clever way to put it 😮
I always figured that Gloomsville was named after one of Ruby's ancestors who were some kind if wealthy industrialist and that's the family home Ruby and her friends are living in. That's why none of them need jobs and she gets to do the announcer gig at town events. Ruby is just living her best life, slowly working through the family inheritance looking after her friends.
Right, that makes more sense. But then I want to connect Misery to Miseryville...
If it HAD to make sense - that would fit! But it's never given any context into their living condition, due to being a cartoony world where good friends just live together. :)
I remember going through a phase for a bit where I was obsessed with the “secret royalty” trope n wrote a fanfic where Ruby was the secret princess of Gloomsville with her moms (yes you read that right) the queens who brought her to life from an old doll using magic, since she’s supposed to be a doll. The only one who knew was Poe who was the former royal advisor n close friend to the royal family who was trusted with the princess’s safety, while she figured out what it meant to be a Gloom and how she was meant to someday rule. I got rid of it so no one ask about it.
@@Pastelglitterunicorn Interesting. that happens when you have a stepmom, and you're biological mom is still alive.
I think its actually Misery because there is one episode where Misery leaves for a few days and the weather changes completely getting all sunny and bright implying she puts the gloom in gloomsville quite literally
I'm glad this series has gained more attention lately. The characters were so lovable and the music is so good and catchy, especially the songs sung by Misery. I would love to see more merchadise with Ruby because the character designs and aesthetic of the series looks so good.
Hot topic has been making some more stuff
I agree a lot I loved the show and the characters
This show is my childhood and I'm happy it's coming back and getting recognized.
The show was created for the explicit purpose of selling merchandise lol
@@BEPSI.M00Nthis does put a smile on my face.
Creepy Theory/Easter egg : Frank and Len were not born as conjoined twins. They have stitches on their body connecting their two halves together. There is even a scene with them as babies with the visible stitches. Someone surgically conjoined the two together as infants.
I was just about to say that, in the sunny episode they are shirtless and the stitches are there.
That's really disturbing, but they seem happy together.
@@ariadnefrolich7243Frank and Len are such treasures, they're honestly so wholesome
They’re really the best
That’s messed up, but at least they both seem pretty content and happy
Ruby Gloom has at least 3 distinct canons. There's the old Hot Topic era stuff, the Books(each of which kinda change a few things), and the show.
The website fleshes out the lore of the first two, it's kind of crazy
Frank and Len aren’t conjoined twins, when they take their shirt off you can see stitches between them meaning they were born separately and sewn together at some point, their skin coloration may even point to them being undead. The biggest mystery in Ruby Gloom is who sewed them together!
Not a monster to sew them if, say, the alternative was neither making it. Maybe they only had enough viable organs between them for one body, so a desperate decision was made.
It's just their aesthetic look. There's no deep lore in a cartoony show like this.
@@goteamslugs Of course you're right from an out-of-universe perspective, but from an in-universe perspective it still happened. Just because the creator/designer never came up with (or just never shared) an official answer doesn't mean that in-universe there isn't an answer. Will we ever know that answer? probably not, because of course as you said they didn't come up with deep lore for the cartoon show. Trying to figure out an in-universe reason for something to make sense in-universe doesn't necessarily mean you think the out-of-universe creator intended for that detail to be looked into and put clues in. If you don't like that kind of analysis and theory that's fine! But you don't have to rain on the parade of everyone who *does* like to think about the further implications of things that the show creators clearly didn't.
@@ThornShadowWolf Right. Just respect the creator's original vision, and don't accept theory as fact. After all, we all know how we feel about our "baby". ^u^
Actually they been stitched since together since they were babies because in one episode there recalled a memory when they were little and they still had stitches also IM SO GLAD IM THE ONLY ONE WHO NOTICED
I’m surprised you didn’t bring up the theory of Ruby being a literal doll, like a Ragdoll, it’s one of the more popular theories I’ve seen online about her (though personally, based on some of her facial features and pale skin, I’m more inclined to think of her as a porcelain doll, less Raggedy Ann and more movie Annabelle, but hey, I’ve seen dolls that are a combination of fabric and solid material, we can have both) along with Misery being a fairy, specifically a banshee
I’m also glad that I’m not the only one who missed the Frank and Len/Franklin joke for YEARS. I always assumed it was a Frankenstein joke, since the two are not naturally conjoined, but stitched together (and even more disturbingly, SINCE THEY WERE BABIES. *Something* is up with those two.)
I thought that Misery being a Banshee was canon though? (Unless that's what you meant, sorry I couldn't fully tell)
@@stardust1815 It’s never directly stated in canon as far as I’m aware, but even if it wasn’t it still makes the most sense
Yeah I always thought she was a raggedie Anne doll come to life like Annabelle
@@starryeyes1190The official site called Misery a banshee, but to be honest based on her and her family’s appearance (permanent tear streaks, sickly skin, and long wet looking, slightly unkempt hair) and the fact that wherever she goes she brings heavy rain and bad luck, I’m more inclined to believe she and her family are the Japanese Yokai Ameonna (rain women).
Other than her eyes, there's nothing else doll-like in her appearance. Her favorite hobby is baking. Ruby isn't really . . any particular thing. I believe she's what's called a "token character".
OMFG SOMEONE FINALLY TALKS ABOUT THIS
Doom Kitty was always my favorite. She's just a mood. Followed by Ruby. She's just adorable
The writers called Misery a banshee, but she and her entire family are more accurately the Japanese Yokai Ameonna (rain woman) who are known for bringing storms and bad luck.
As for most the characters being children living in a large mansion:
Ruby is assumed to be the heiress of the mansion, we don’t know where her parents are (but then again we don’t meet any parents in the show even when Misery’s entire family came for a visit), Ruby herself welcomes anyone to live in her home whether temporarily or permanently; Skullboy is believed to be an orphan with amnesia, as he doesn’t know anything about his past; Iris is an adrenaline junky who likely left home in search of excitement; Frank and Len were traveling musicians before settling down in Ruby’s garage; Misery’s family traditionally stay away from each other as when a group of them are together in one place for too long catastrophic natural disasters happen; Boo-boo was hired to haunt the estate by Mr.White and Mr.White (who have likely been haunting the estate for a long time); Poe, Edgar, and Allan are adults (hence why they have their own house separate from (but still part) of the main estate); while Doom-Kitty and Scaredy-Bat are teenagers; lastly Mr.Buns is an enigma of a being that happens to inhabit a stuffed sock rabbit.
What gives me unease is how only one location is ever shown. And that’s the mansion. We rarely see other places and it almost makes it feel like this is the only building structure in Gloomsville.
@@JGProductions6581 not exactly, Gloomsville is like one of those Victorian cities where you have a market place and town houses, while mansions and other personal properties are alone with large acres of land surrounding it, so the mansion only seems like the only building in town because the gang hardly venture beyond the land that’s part of the property.
The closest exception we have to another house on that land is Mr. Mumbles’ glass house, which was most likely the mansion greenhouse, and considering Ruby basically rented out her garage to Frank and Len, the bird house to Edgar, Allan, and Poe, and possibly the cemetery to the Skeletunes, that would make Mr.Mumbles another housemate rather than an actual neighbor.
She does have a blood curdling scream like a Banshee
@@kalkuttadrop6371 True but no one else in her family was shown to have anything similar, in fact her cousin Morose (while awake) was show to have a similar singing voice to Misery (while asleep).
I LOVED this show, still do honestly. The attention and heart put into the characters and cozy gothic vibes were so lovely. I especially liked Skullboy, the whole "trying to figure out who his is" schtick really appealed to a pre-teen kid.
Indeed. ^u^
13:30 Okay, I'm going to build on your theory. If Misery is a deity, then wouldn't that mean her extended family are deities too? I can't recall which episode it was, but in one of them, some of Misery's family members come to stay for a while and everything gets worse (like, "the house will fall apart at this rate" kind of worse). Thus, I theorize that all of them are deities of misfortune of some sort, with our Misery bringing endless clouds and rain. The others would cause other misfortunes. The best thing I can compare this idea to is the Greco-Roman muses where all were deities of the arts, but each had a specialization such as theater or singing. These are all deities that bring misfortune, but the kind of problem they cause changes for each individual.
I watched all episodes of Ruby Gloom on TH-cam out of curiosity and enjoyed it. Also brought about a deeper fascination with creepy and cute aesthetics along with Monster High😊 Regarding theories, it's speculated that Ruby is a living doll evidenced by her hobby in sewing and stitch-like markings around her eyes, not to mention Misery is believed to be a banshee (TV Tropes classified her as possibly a banshee since she has a destructive wail whenever she sings awake)
Other than her eyes, there's nothing else doll-like in her appearance. Her favorite hobby is baking. Ruby isn't really . . any particular thing. I believe she's what's considered a "token character".
This show was insane it was such a weird art style but it grew on me. It’s just an acquired taste.
I always thought that Misery was a Banshee, because she’s always crying and brings about misfortune
she is
I always assumed that both Ruby and Misery were basically reincarnations of the embodiments of Joy and Sadness. Especially after the musical number "Dark and Dawn" where they specifically say "I'm the Dark. I'm the Dawn. After all, it's in our job description."
I always thought Frank and Lin are not conjoined twins, but a kind of Frankensteins's monster because of their drastic physical differences. On that point, I also think they are both dumb and telepathically linked because they each have a single half of 1 whole brain.
This show was both insane and wow to watch as a kid back when Netflix was new, remember that me and my sister would watch it when it was on Netflix at the time and jam with the theme song that still rocks. Also Misery was my favorite too as a kid.
OMFGGGG FOR YEARS I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO REMEMBER THE EDGAR AND ELLEN SERIES BUT FOR THE LIFE OF ME COULD NOT REMEMBER WHAT THE NAME WAS?!! THANK YOU SO MUCH
I never liked scary things, even Monster High-type, and somehow Ruby Gloom felt just really pretty to me. I loved the design of Ruby, I still adore her eyes. The style is so unique I can’t even describe what I like so much about it.
Indeed! On one of the behind-the-scenes sites, one of the art directors talked about how they worked to prove that gloom aesthetic can feel bright and cheery. =)
I first watched the show in 2010 and I wanted to hate it but couldn’t. It kept me coming back for more.
Dude, this took me back to when I was a kid watching this with my little sister at 7 am every morning before summer camp.
Does anyone else remember the Disney animated show "The Buzz on Maggie"? It was a cartoon that followed a teenage girl fly (yes, a literal bug) and her friends. I think they had a band together as well. The theme song is always stuck in my head!
skull boy is not just a skeleton, he's a corpse wearing a skull you can tell from how his eyes blink
I LOVED RUBY GLOOM AS A KID!!! i remember finding it on Netflix a long time ago & i was hooked. such a fun silly show especially if you're in a spooky but goofy mood for the Halloween season XD
i STILL unironaically listen to Misery's song from the musical episode... such a banger
Each character is actually a monster!
Ruby: Human/ragdoll
Doom kitty: Cat
Scaredy-bat: Bat
Boo-boo: Ghost
Edgar Allen and Poe: Ravens
Misery: Banshee, not a god
Skull boy: Skeleton
Frank and Len: Conjoined twins
Iris: Cyclops
And finally,
Mr Buns: Possessed doll
Ruby Is Actually A Ghost Who Was Once A 5 Year Old Girl Who Died At Auschwitz And Someone Carried Her Ashes To Gloomsville Where She Was Buried To This Day
"edgy boys being edgy"
How did I forget Ruby Gloom existed?!!
I used to love that show.
Ruby Gloom is such a throw back, but I swear a wave of nostalgia hit me when you brought up Edgar and Ellen. I can't remember if I ever watched the show, but I loved those books. On another note, if you need another alternative kids' show, Making Fiends is a pretty great choice
And just when I return from Hot Topic after getting the best Ruby Gloom t-shirt! Thank you! 🙏
Also, in terms of theories, the only thing I could think about was the possibility of Ruby Gloom being a ragdoll character because she was able to create Mr. Buns out of socks very quickly and her and everyone else is aware that he's able to move on his own after his creation.
Oh, I love Ruby Gloom! I'm so happy it seems to be getting some attention lately. October is my birthday month and Halloween is my favourite holiday so anything with the vibes Ruby Gloom has is right up my alley. Scaredey Bat is one of my favourite characters actually, but I think that's just because bats are my favourite animal. And you don't see a lot of cute bats in cartoons so it was another point in the show's favour.
This show is so cozy!! I still wish to live in that mansion. I think its thanks to this show i’m a sucker for those gothic mansions.
I read somewhere that Ruby is actually a doll, but the post that I read also made comparisons to TNBC’s Sally, so Ruby and Skullboy is like this version’s Sally and Jack
I've spent the majority of 2021 trying to find this show again but no one I knew, parents or friends, remembered this show so I was rummaging through the internet the best I could when I didn't remember a thing besides Misery's design. I'm so glad I finally found it through a random fanart post on instagram in early 2022 and ended up watching it (so glad it's on TH-cam). And the, I believe, "pilot" that I found from a few years before the show came out was something that I loved. I'm genuinely happy I watched this show on tv when I was a kid
I forgot about the show sometime in 2012 and whenever I heard funky town it kinda reminded me of this show.
This just unlocked a childhood memory.
My dad was weirdly obsessed with this show. Like e he watched it more than I did. Probably because Nightmare Before Christmas is his favorite disney movie and he felt it was similar? I personally loved the intro song, it’s a bop.
Misery is indeed the best character :D
Omg I LOVE Ruby Gloom! I always had the theory that Ruby had issues with anxiety that caused her to try to fix everyone else's problems, while never focusing on herself. A bit less cool of a theory, but its a relatable one
I for a bit had a theory that she could secretly be depressed and hides it well by being nice to others and when she is not onscreen she is crying or something.
I have a fan theory that everyone from total drama island and 6teen are in the same universe, and they all died horribly in mall/theme park/tropical island and thus must live out their days suffering the endless repetition of everyone saying "we're going to die" or "i'm so dead" right before the commercial break. Fool proof theory.
My theory is that Misery and Skull Boy are actually related. My evidence is that when Skull boy built a time machine to see his ancestors, but he saw Misery's ancestors, the machine wasn't wrong. It worked fine when Poe saw his ancestors. And Skull Boy is a deceased skeleton, so we can't prove it wrong. And I believe the males (that all died in quick sand) were all human and not banshee. It's possible that Skull Boy is one of the males that died and somehow came back to life with no memories. Also, he was kinda adopted into Misery's family when they visited. I think it was a dream episode, but i don't remember who's dream was it.
honestly i always thought that Ruby's design also actually had elements of sugar skulls, but now i can see the ragdoll inspirations more
i actually remember rewatching some of the episodes with my dad as we talked about the show, and i’m pretty sure around the episode before we found out Ruby likes Skullboy i had said something along the lines of “i’m glad they never went into the whole love interest thing as they did with most kids shows”
i live to regret my statement to this day
I always thought Frank and Len were a type of Frankenstein cause you know, Frank
as a kid I was addicted to this show to the point of memorizing each episode word for word 😭scaredy bat was always my favorite
I loved the show as a child the second i saw that you had posted about it made me incredibly shocked and surprised im happy that this show is becoming more popular and well known in the eyes of others.
This show really makes me miss family members I had to go No Contact with, bittersweet stuff, but I’m excited to watch regardless ❤ The writing on this show was awesome :,)
Your theory of Misery being a goddess really got me thinking. I never thought of it that way and I love it so much! Keep up the good work!
Finally, someone made a video about this show.
And ofcourse it's always negative who does it
I'm so excited for this let's go!
7:57 Hello Kitty is not a human it's a mistranslation because english doesn’t have a word for, essentially, an anthropomorphic animal that is understood to not actually be an animal. She's basically like Mickey Mouse, he's a mouse in name and physique only.
I like to imagine Ruby split herself, a goddess who in part became the moon ever looking down, and in part sent herself down to be an equal, with no memories in that half.
Also I'd sooner say her friends weren't alive to begin with, but Ruby had changed that intentionally so than that they were brought BACK to life.
Perhaps her parents were her opposite, bright and sunny exterior but horrible deep down. Maybe they left Ruby's life early on, how doesn't matter for now I would say, and so Ruby, in her love of the darker things, found a way to make a place where she doesn't need them anymore.
Where the fridge is forever stocked, where she has a variety of friends, where the whole town's Gloomsville, and they're happy to be that way.
Her own small little pocket world within the wider world.
As for Misery we can say between her cloud cover and her extended family maybe she came along before Ruby was fully done because she sensed Gloomsville being created and just Wanted to move in but she's still be Someplace even if Ruby hadn't existed at all.
i have real mysteries for you about it
1, how did they come to live together?
2, teaching the bat to fly skull boy shows a family chart, but few episodes later he says he has no family/parents, and in one episode he makes a robot father for himself, but most times he is just guessing about what kind of people he is possibly related to.
3, nobody except for misery and po have family.
4, there are times misery is happy and smiling.
Ok, it’s my first time here and I was just watching the video and then boom! 1:58 I was not expecting to see such a beautiful person, I just gasped hahaha
I think Gloomsville and Miseryville are sister cities and thus both are a form of the afterlife because every theory about cartoons has to involve death although in the case of Miseryville it was meant to literally be hell before they made it a Y7 show instead of PG
When I saw the Video recommended, I was like "Oh my god, I remember Ruby Gloom, it was so nice" it made me remember that I owned two Shirts when I was a Kid and that I keep forgetting this Show until it pops back up somewhere which I think is sad (which fits with Ruby Gloom tbh).
I used to be obsessed with Ruby Gloom! Childhood memories have been unlocked.
I did not expect to be hit with such nostalgia rn! I found this show thanks to a friend of mine years ago and i ended up watching the whole series. its insanely cute while being the right amount of spooky! I've always adored Ruby's design, shes just so cute!
Also yesss misery was my favorite character too! That same friend gifted me a custom doll of her for my birthday one year and its been my cherished possession since! 😊
Yay, I’m glad someone talked about Ruby Gloom. I loved watching it as a kid and still wish it had more episodes since i love the animation and the characters, especially Misery.
13:54 Well, let's also not forget Ruby's last name. Sounds to me like her family was in Gloomsville since before there had been one.
I have two notable theories for this show because ever since I saw it on Netflix a decade ago (aka the only way we Americans got to see this show,,,), I have watched and rewatched this series so many times and loved it each time. I also do go with the theory of Misery being a banshee, but it’s not too detailed of a theory to get too into, since a lot of people already pretty much consider it canon.
1. The show takes place on a misshapen, far future, potentially post-apocalyptic Earth. I know it’s common to go with this explanation for any fantastical and unusual world, but I have evidence. First of all, the history is the same as ours, as we know from both Misery’s frequent references to historical disasters and the time travel, but the geography is distinct and unusual. In “Sunny Daze”, when Misery leaves, via a bus, the rest of the gang track her via hearing where the storm she brings goes over the radio. First we hear one of the announcers with an American Southern accent saying there’s a storm heading towards the south, then later we hear another announcer with a Russian accent saying the storm’s coming north. Scaredy Bat also counts the minutes in which they’ve stayed in Misery’s room away from the storm, and both broadcasts occurred within twenty-three minutes. Twenty-three minutes of traversing across, if Gloomsville is in Canada, three notably large countries, some separated by an ocean, by bus. Either she got launched across the ocean multiple times, or the geography in this world has been heavily altered (perhaps the ice bridge that used to exist between North America and Asia long ago exists again here). In addition, in “Deja Vu, Again”, we see the Gloomsville World’s Fair, where, excluding the main gang, there aren’t even enough people in the fair to fill up more than one stand. Sure, there are more people in the world outside of that small group, but a World’s Fair would presumably be a big event. Not to mention the fact that the technology is utterly confused, with a coal-powered amp that powers modern musical instruments, having small phonographs with earbuds, and using fireflies and candles for light, it’d be possible that being set far in the future, technology across the years became mashed together, the same way we’d fuse certain aspects of different periods within fantasy settings.
2. Misery and Skull Boy are distantly related. My headcanon regarding Skull Boy and his whole identity crisis is that he isn’t related to a ‘long line’ of anything…because his relatives are as diverse as he is with various occupations and lifestyles that he’s likely tried out. But in “Time Flies”, when Skull Boy time travels to try to meet his ancestors, he keeps running into Misery’s ancestors. Skull Boy claims it’s because he saw her ancestors in a slideshow, but hold on a second. When Poe is given the cap to think of where to go, he goes to Edgar Allen Poe’s study…where one of Misery’s relatives is there once again, as revealed at the very end. Could it be that he thought of Edgar Allen Poe’s study and Skull Boy’s ancestry in the same thought? Especially since Poe was not there at the slideshow? Also worth mentioning is that in “Disaster Becomes You”, Misery notes that all the men in her family died via quicksand, except for one. Misery frequently brings up her own family while Skull Boy frequently brings up his lack of one, and this particular note sticks out, especially since we don’t know who that one male is. And finally, one last note is that in “Skull In The Family”, Misery is the one who determines that the family claiming to be Skull Boy’s are impostors. This theory unfortunately does make “Ruby Cubed” kinda weird in hindsight, but still, it does feel like a setup for a reveal without the reveal itself.
I have watched this show too many times.
Ohoho, I loooove how much thought you've put into this! Really like it.
The entire show always gave me a sense of unease, mostly because it usually doesn’t show other locations other than the mansion. So it kinda felt like it was the only building in the city.
OH MY WORD I USED TO WATCH THIS SHOW!!!! I keep completly forgetting about it i used to love it so much!
Ruby gloom was my childhood and I was so sad when they stopped airing it all together. I really hope that the channel that was airing it starts again now its near halloween
My wife and i loved this on Netflix when we first met, so she hand sewed a Scaredy Bat olush for me. Love this show.
I love ruby gloom and I’m so glad someone’s talking about it !!
I ended up going by Misery because of her, she’s the silliest
the theme song slaps!
This show is like Strawberry Shortcake (the old good version(s) ) and The Nightmare Before Christmas had a baby and yes, it's awesome, and deserves more recognition like this!
That did not feel like thirty-two minutes . .
Right. Cartoon shows like this just exist in their own world - there doesn't have to be a deep explanation for everything. People say it's messed up how Frank and Len are stitched - but see, it's really all for the purpose of aesthetic. Nothing in the show is meant for any serious history or lore . .
Furthermore "special magical stuff" is exactly what's going on - especially with fourth-wall breaking. Most notably the musical where Skull Boy and Misery are floating with no reason, and Misery is capable of singing despite being awake. Skull Boy even says: "Which usually happens right about now in a musical . ."
Ruby simply didn't catch on to to what Frank and Len were getting at. That's really just it.
Sorry, I love Scaredy's accent. He's my favorite. But Misery is my second. Great review! God bless and have a nice day! ^u^
I remember seeing the show back when it was on Netflix. (It originally aired in Canada but it was not picked up in the U.S. until Netflix)
This is a series you can enjoy whatever you are a fan of horror or not, or what ever you are goth or not, and has a gothy fan of horror films I can say it is great. Its cute, the characters are relatable and it is emotionally honest. And Ruby and Skull Boy are an adorable couple.
Although, one thing I felt that they missed the ball on are their names. I would have made Skull Boy's last name "Duggery", a play on the word 'skulduddery' which means to play a mean-spirited prank or underhand trick, and Iris' last name being "Cornea" or "Retina." Likewise, I would have had "Morose" as Misery's last name instead of a relative. At least, that is the only head-canon I personally stick to.
And yes, the thing with Scaredy Bat being scared to everything got old fast.
7:58 that’s actual not really true. she’s a gijinka/anthro. the creators thought the best way to say that she’s not fully a cat was to just call her a human which confused more people. they didn’t want people to confuse charmy kitty and hello kitty as the same species but failed terribly.
I loved and binged this show when I found it in high school. I always looked for info on the show and couldn't find any fans or merch of it which made me so sad. So glad it is being recognized now. Also I am gonna check now but if not could you do a video on pucca and garu please.
If I remember correctly there was an episode of misery’s family reunion where she explain in episode that all of them got powers to the same level as her, and the last time they were together they caused a natural disaster.
I remember watching this show on Netflix when i was younger, and the only episode i remember is the ghost one because i thought the little ghost was adorable
Also note, the reason why the ghost had to scare someone is because it would make him sort of solid like, like his parents
I loved this show and still do I just love the gothic and dark vibes it's just so cool to me in my opinion the characters are all unique in their own way and I just love the aesthetic and the designs it's just looks so cool in my opinion :)
oh this series was MY childhood/teenagehood! had a whole school supplies set with Ruby Gloom, and my, even at that point, oldass Nokia had a version of her theme as a ringtone. i can still sing a couple of verses from it by memory.
I first watched Ruby Gloom way back when it was airing on YTV. My mom actually owns a Ruby Gloom backpack.
I love this cartoon, my little goth heart is soo happy when I found this. Then subjected my kids to it... so much goodness!
Negative, I love you for unlocking deep childhood memories of shows I forgot I watched. Also, love the new setup!
I always had the theory that Gloomsville Manor is a foster home and Edgar, Allen, and Poe are the caretakers based solely on the episode where we meet Misery's relatives, but still know nothing about her parents, or anyone's parents.
Me and my mother used to watch this a lot when I was a kid, I think it was on Netflix for a while, and on occasions, we would make references to it but over the years I've kind of forgotten it sometimes I remember it but I always kind of forget the name of the show; but this popped up in my recommended so thank you ^^
I love the new background, and Ruby Gloom shaped who I am today ❤
I recently got back into the show, i did watch it when i was younger on netflix, and now that the fixiation is back, my sudden new comfort is scaredy bat and i dont know why.
I love ruby gloom and its my childhood!!
And i wanted to list what kind of monsters they are
Runys is a guess
Im also glad you mentioned scarygod mother
Misery:banshy (an irish ghost thats whole thing is crying)
Skull boy:skeleton (costume?)
Iris: cyclops (duh)
Ruby :zombie (seems most likely)
Frank and lin: simense if you please
Cat: bad luck charm
Crow dude: also a bad luck charm
The bat
And the ghost (till i remember the names)
I had multiple pieces of Ruby Gloom merch in the early 00s and I had no idea there was a show, I thought she was just a goth kid t-shirt brand 🙃
I watched this show a lot as a kid on public tv... I think they only aired 18 episodes over and over again, so as a child I had no idea how many episode there actually were.
So glad you’re covering a show I had watched when I was around 4 years old it’s so sweet to see
Another Show like this I really love as a kid was 'die Schule der kleinenVampire' a German and Italian show about a school of vampires learning about what it means to live as their kind, a vampire hunter trying to get rid of them and his daughter who happens to be in love with one of the vampires
tbf, misery may be, like, an actual diety from a line of dieties, considering the episode where her extended family shows up, and one of them is a straight up Neanderthal/cave person. like, they're possibly immortal, have extreme effects on their surroundings, etc
RUBY GLOOM!!! AAAAH MY HEART ❤❤❤
I used to watch it as a kid, reciting episodes dialogues because they’re fun! My favorite characters are Frank and Len
As a Canadian I somehow missed hearing of this show growing up (probably something to do with overly concerned catholic parents) but I binged the whole thing this past week. Super fun! An excellent example of how much life and personality you can get with puppet rigged animation.
Also, I will not tolerate this Scaredy Bat slander! /lh Love me a pathetic man (er, bat). It's really funny to me that you bring up the Scaredy Bat and Booboo dynamic and treat Scaredy Bat as the weak link, when I agree it's a dynamic that gets old, but *I* think it's more on *Booboo* for being a two-dimensional character. His whole thing is really just that... he's a ghost. He wants to be a good ghost. That's about it. He's a ghost that wants to scare people. No other character is *that* defined by what their species(?) is. Even the ones who do have gimmicks based on that, it's not their *only* personality trait. Like, there's the whole mafia thing, which could have had so much potential, but as you brought up they never really explore it! (tho I will say Mr White and Mr White gay rights 🏳🌈😎 /lh).
Back on the topic of Scaredy Bat, I agree it is kind of strange that they gave him an Indian accent. My only idea is that they must have been trying to have diverse characters, in a weird 2000s-y way (cuz that's not Peter Keleghan's natural accent). Cuz I feel like Canada makes a big deal out of being multicultural, and that shows in several of its 2000s cartoons. Especially since they didn't really code him as Indian in any other way. I think maybe once they gave him a verse in a song that was in a more Indian style than their typical rock music. Like if they were trying to do a caricature of Indian people, I think they would have done more (and especially more in poor taste). It's very much a thing where you ask yourself "were they trying to do something racist?" and never get an answer. (I don't mean "did they set out to be racist" I mean "were they trying to do something that they didn't realize (or didn't care) was racist")
Theory/lore/whatever-wise, I don't think they're actually kids. I did initially, as clearly they have more childlike personalities as is typical with shows aimed at younger audiences, but the more I think about it, the more I think they're just adults who have childlike interests or aspects of their personalities. They don't live with anyone obviously older than them, nor do they have adult accompaniment when they travel; they're the same height as every clearly adult character (the neighbor, Misery's older family members, Skullboy's fake family members, etc. also they're taller than the German children), and they're both trusted with and fully capable of handling tasks and endeavors beyond your typical child's capabilities. Heck, the first episode is about Ruby potentially moving out, and they make it pretty clear that she could just... do that. She has both the capacity and legal right to just do her own thing and go out into the world on her own. (This is less solid, but Misery also refers to Ruby and herself as roommates in that episode, which to me implies that they really are just adult roommates.) Frank and Len go on tour a couple times, Skullboy leaves to seek his fortune, Poe has stories from his youth, Ruby owns the house, Iris is off on her own more than not, they regularly host events for other townsfolk, friends, or family from around the world... they're definitely acting as independent adults. Outside of maybe Booboo who a) is significantly smaller than the Misters White, and b) is apparently just starting in the ghost business. I'd believe that he's a kid or teen. (Because there's some dick in the comments who keeps commenting everywhere about how "it's a kids show they didn't think that hard about it" - I *KNOW* they didn't think that hard about it. In fact, if anything they were probably designed to be children and then just became of indeterminate, nebulous age when they decided to have them act as adults (from a legal and societal standpoint) in the show. I *don't* care about the out-of-universe thought process (or lack thereof) that led to these decisions.)
honestly, I was like a 6 or 7-year-old watching this and just thought a lot of the characters were funny or very very pretty (like misery) and LOVED the theme song LMAO. but it's cool to hear this theory too!
I love the creepy cute aesthetic. There's so much of it in anime,which I love. But it's a stuggle to find it in Western animation so I love your deep dives.
YESSS! This was one of my favorite shows! It’s always fun to watch while painting
I love the idea that most people in gloomsvile are deity’s, but I’d like to think they’re all such minor deities aside from misery (who I’d argue would be bad luck) that nobody really cares? Like in a world of odd magic who cares that the bat is fear itself?
This show is the reason one of my cats is named Doom. The looks you get explaining it's from a kids cartoon are hilarious.
I remember I was really sick for a whole week when I binge watched the entirety of Ruby Gloom for the first time. Good times. Except the being sick part.
Thank god more people are talking about this show. It deserves more love
9:00 there's a whole episode they go on a train ride to the next town over for I think Frank and Len's concert. Also the episode where Misery's family comes to visit.
Oh my GOD I knew this show existed because I had SO MANY MEMORIES OF IT but they were all too fuzzy so I’ve spent YEARS trying to grasp “god what was that show with the funky two headed guy and skeleton and cyclops” to no avail. 😔 I finally have closure.
For some reason, I was only able to remember how Ruby and Doom Kitty looked and Scaredy Bat. Until I rewatched it again in 2020.
3:58
It’s a pun on Franklin? How did I not notice that until you said that?
10:19 it could be that stereotype where the character w indian accent is always so smart?
Maybe their being smart characteristic makes them consistently cautious and theyre always meant to play the voice of reason.
except in the lps mongoose's case, i think its the character trope of show off-ey character is always scared but pretends not to be in front of others.
I loved watching that show, it was on the french version of cbc, during the weekend.
And i loved the shirt i had it was so cool
I loved ruby gloom as a kid. Misery was my favorite character too. I was a goth in the making lol
actually I think Ruby isn't a human, but a ragdoll (or just a doll) because we see humans in the show (for example, Hansel and Gretel) and they have actual skin and look mostly natural, compared to Ruby that is.
I Think She Was Born Around Late 1939 When WW2 Was About To Start And When Deportations Happened Ruby Was Accidentally Separated From Her Entire Family And Sadly She Was Sent To Mauthausen And Was Probably Killed There
And When Mopey Learned About What Happened To Ruby She Moped And Chaos Happened And Became Like Misery
I strongly feel like Ruby Gloom is a sweet little witch who has familiars as friends (the raven, bat, her pet cat, and probably her possessed toy) and shes all about "positive energy" a common trait in good witches its no wonder why when things get chaotic she is the most level-headed and patient friend in the group who always like to keep the peace between her friends and always see the good in others.
This show is living in my head rent free ever since i first watched it as a kid. I really loved watching the show, because i was, and still am, a huge fan of the cosy Halloween vibes.
But I also remember beeing so super scared of that one episode where the new neighbour moves in, and you see the siluets of Ruby's friends flying around in his house, i don't know why exactly, i just know that i was xD
I remember there being a song called pass the salt and the part where they started singing “chew with you” in a red and black swirly background and it zooming into Ruby’s mouth. That’s kinda one of the only traumatizing memories I have from this show.
I wasn't aware Ruby was meant to be human. I always saw the idea that she was a doll that was brought to life.