Many hilarious moments and comments that I enjoyed a lot! I'd love for them to make a stupid comedy that stays true to how obnoxious the things were in the episodes. The dad guy can be Willem Dafoe maybe as some of the lines seemed to me like he would be able to make them funny. I'd even want the messed up weird in-family racism stuff as a joke lol The characters seemed so stupid and funny, it almost seemed like some kind of Austin Powers thing.
This show was one of if not THE best animated shows of the 80’s. Mighty Orbots is also up There but that was only 13 episode. Bionic Six is beautifully animated for all 65 episodes. I loved this show as a kid. I never even realized how much better of a name “Smart-1” is over “I.Q.” But Michael did you ever think that the non-pattern superhero names were because they weren’t trying to hide their superhero identities - but their civilian ones! How many meals did Jack cook that no one ever got a chance to eat? They didn’t want to be Sharp’s muscle - They just wanted to be a family! I mean - they never even got to finish their ski trip from the pilot episode, darling!
Bionic Six and Mighty Orbots were both animated by the Japanese studio TMS. TMS also worked on Akira, Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers, Visionaries, Adventures of the Gummi Bears, and the first season of DuckTales.
Loved the show has a kid, and nearly 30 years later, every now and then the chorus from the theme song will randomly pop into my head. Bionic Bionic six oooooouuuuu ooouuuuuu. We fight together. We fight for right. Bionic bionic six oooouuuu oooouuuu We are so proud to be A super future family.
Until this the only thing I remembered about the bionic 6 was that the toys were diecast metal and you got in a lot of trouble when you hit your brother with them.
I swear seeing this cartoon, and one of my brothers having at least one of the figures. When you mentioned the die cast parts it triggered a latent memory!
I actually chuckled at JD’s disappointment when he got turned down. I imagine his lines were delivered with the subtext of him mourning just how dense the girl he was pining for really was. He was more bummed that she somehow thought JD and IQ were two different people than he was that she didn’t want to go out with him. For a smart guy like him, dating someone with the observational intelligence of a box of rocks would be torture.
"what makes a person stupid is when they deny the stupidity they like..." Kinda how I got aware of RetroBlasting. His TF video caused a big rant on one of the FB groups I was a part of. Watched it, loved it! Been an adict ever since
Honestly, how many people's faces do you recall in a crowd at the subway? I wouldn't expect the six Bennets to be a family just by glancing at them. But I also think that this show plays with just how self-absorbed, self obsessed, and willfully ignorant of one's surroundings most people are, especially in the 1980s when this show was written.
@@AWW8472 " how many people's faces do you recall in a crowd at the subway?" me personally? very few if at all, but there are many people with keen eye and memory, and many of them reporters and people in law enforcement, more so in a future where EVERYONE is has video cameras that fit in your pocket and record everything under the sun at all times.
In elementary school, you don’t really follow or notice many plots or continuity issues, it’s all about the action and toys. I used to pretend I had bionics and could turn them on at will…that was just a kid using fantasy to enrich the world that he/she is in. Although I can see the flaws now, this cartoon will still always have a special place in my heart.
Exactly! The truth is you could easily pick apart most cartoons from this era trying to rationalize the logic. This review, while not objectively wrong in the criticisms, ultimately comes across as nitpicky more than anything. You had to embrace the suspension of disbelief with most of these cartoons made for kids.
@@Awesoman I when I rewatch them I have to do the same thing. Before it got taken out on the Mobdro streaming app, there was stream every Saturday and Sunday for like 4 hours they would show random 80's and 90's cartoon. It was great you never knew what they would play, sometimes it was Bionic 6, thundarr the barbarian, and so many others. It was like reliving my Saturday mornings as a kid in the 80's and 90's
Maybe kids don’t notice minor continuity details, but they certainly pay attention to plot. My favorite cartoons then and now are those that had the best stories (well, and animation/design).
This reminds me of Black Canary. Her " disguise " was simply a blond wig and a change of wardrobe. I would love to hear a regular citizen catch sight of Black Canary in the field; and say " Oh, Dinah! About that order of roses for the wedding, this weekend.....?"
Never had the toys, but I loved this cartoon as a kid. In Buffalo, it was on channel 29 every morning at 5:30 a.m., right after Spiral Zone, and I would get up that early to watch it because it was the best looking cartoon on TV. None of the criticisms detailed here bothered me at all.
Yeah Spiral Zone that was great I mentioned that as I tried to get a limited edition set somebody was pushing on DVD. That was some great stuff though with many others around tha ttime.
Bro , everypoint u made is valid but when your 6 years old and this show came on TV , it was the coolest cartoon to watch. Just the intro brings back crazy nostalgia. I'm 35 now and it just hit different when u are a little kid. We all know all these 80s show scripts made no sense but it was a fun time.
When I was eight and nine years old, I watched this cartoon at 6 AM every weekday from its debut in the fall of 1987 through the fall of 1988. I loved it. I had every figure except IQ, whom I could never find. Sadly, the figures rusted pretty quickly. I even had the elaborate playset, which, unlike most playsets of its era, required tools to assemble.
I was a freshman in high school when this was on the air. Watched it every morning before school. I was heavily into karate at the time, so Karate 1 sold me on it.
I am so sorry to have missed the premiere, thank you Michael for this long awaited feature! I also noticed that Bionic Six also uses a lot of the music and sound effects used by other shows like The Real Ghostbusters. I am still floored to this day by the detail of the animation. You can only got that level of quality nowadays from a top animation studio in Japan with a high budget. Love how expressive the Bennets are. Even the background one-off characters are better animated than the usual Saturday morning cartoon.
Undeniable facts and criticism of Bionic Six.....sad yet true. One of the best review of an 80's cartoon. Michael....it was...."equally well-executed."
Another great video by Retroblasting. I am a child of the 80s and saw this show growing up. The "secret" identities and naming convention was weird to us too but my friends and I didn't care because the show rarely came on, intro song was catchy, and the animation was superb.
Bionic Six was one of my all time favorite cartoons growing up in the 80s. The animation was really well done and the storylines and characters were so cool. Definitely a product of the 80s but in the best possible way. I think it’s so awesome that RetroBlasting is finally doing a video on the Bionic Six! It’s been a long time coming!
@@thepayne7862 Same here. I never noticed they were a mixed race family because they never threw it in our faces the way they do now. I’m sure nowadays it would be criticized for having white parents.
I really liked the show growing up. Yes, like most 80s cartoons when you sit down and analyze it, it doesn't make sense, but to me that's part of the charm of these shows. There was one episode that stands out to me, Scarabs crew infiltrates a school for children with special needs. Glove bonds with one boy who is confined to a wheelchair and thinks he's worthless, even though he's very handy like Glove. In the end the Bionic 6 save the day but not before Glove makes a replica of his gauntlet for the young boy telling him he isn't worthless.
This was great-just hilarious. My brothers and I watched this show in reruns in the late 80s and early 90s and remembered it fondly. We loved the cheese theme song, too. I have not watched it in decades, holy cow was this video enlightening and funny. Stellar work, Michael. Long live Retro Blasting.
I use to watch the show often during its original run. I had the episode “Extra Innings” on tape and watched it often. I agree with a lot of the points made but did not noticed them at the time. Great review.
Lol, yes! That, the Mystery Men clip, and the Murder By Death mention made me genuinely smile ☺️ Guess it’s safe to say Scarab won’t be going to Statesville Prison, along with Martin, Dutch Gunderson, Lana and Sally Decker 😆
Great video Michael. I'll probably leave this in the good feels of my memories and not revisit this with grown up eyes. I loved how the toys had metal bodiesas well as clear plastic sections. They'll felt so much more substantial than my other action figures because of the heft. Now to wait for Tyler from Fans of Power to see this. Lol
I commend you Michael for not only sitting through all 65 episodes of a show which is stupid but even paying attention and taking notes on every single episode! That is real dedication. Thank you for doing so I don't have to sit through rewatching Bionic Six again. The cool intro is what I remember most and it's best to leave it at that. The toys were cool and heavy with die-cast metal parts. I had most of the Family along with the Van from an amazing toy lot on ebay which I received about 2 decades ago, but ultimately decided against keeping the Bionic Six and sold them to someone who would appreciate them more than I did.
They definitely need to put this out on Blu-ray Remastered, it was a gorgeous show and one of my favorites as a kid. The beautiful animation was done by TMS Entertainment who had done a number of American cartoons including Inspector Gadget, The Real Ghostbusters, Rainbow Brite, DuckTales, The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Tiny Toon Adventures, Batman: The Animated Series, Animaniacs, and Spider-Man: The Animated Series. As well as many Japanese anime such as Akira, Lupin 3, Detective Conan, Megalo Box and Dr. Stone.
@@kaylemathewcomendador6964 But there is a reason people still talk about transformers, he-man , turtles, gi joe and starwars: The movies and cartoons from the 70s and 80s. Even succesfull modern movies like the MCU movies basicaslly cover comic storylines from this era. Lets see if NEW franchises last as long.
@@alphatrion100 I’ve seen a good amount of people online still talking about modern shows like Gravity Falls, Steven Universe and OK KO. So I’m not sure what your talking about at the moment. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.
I felt the bots master toon from the 90s drew a lot of inspiration from this show. Innovative animation, blue and yellow colors (with splashes of red), sports theme member(s), karate/ninja themed member, memorable theme song... well, maybe I was one of the few that saw the similarities.
Born in the 80's, grew up watching all the cartoons, forgot about Bionic 6 until I watched a small report on a touch-sensing bionic attachment for those who've lost limbs, Immediately remembered Bionic 6, pulled out laptop to watch the series all over again (30+ yrs later), clicked the first video that popped up (this one) and Thanked God that I was educated about the garbage we enjoyed yet played a role in messing with our minds LMAO! thank you for your dope and hilarious efforts .... I'm watching the rest of your videos!
Bionic Six is one of my favorite cartoons of all time! I loved every minute of it!! The title itself was a portmanteau of The Bionic Woman & the Six Million Dollar Man. Genius! Anything from TMS in the 80s & 90s was the gold standard in animation! They animated an overwhelming majority of the cartoons I watched as a kid! From the DiC cartoons and Disney Afternoon lineup of the 80s to the Warner Bros. cartoons of 90s. Lupin the 3rd and Space Adventure Cobra (the same character designer for Bionic Six). I still have my fan-made DVD set until an official set is released. If Mighty Orbots got one, then this surely has a chance!
80s and 90s cartoons weren't known for their narrative writing. They were superficially flashy and made to sell toys. Just like most 80s cartoons, it was good kids fun without the thinking
Firstly, woo! Bionic six is out “cue the church music and doves” . Secondly, while the show may not have been amazing, at least the animation was good 🤣and hopefully the toys are better. Also the abject awkwardness of the closing shot had me dying. Great video to shed some light in a show from a bygone era and a I can’t wait for part 2.( also also, great to see Tim in a main line video finally)
I knew next to nothing about this show. I don't know if it was in a strange timeslot where I always missed it, but like Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors, Dino Riders, and a couple of other popular cartoons I did not watch these as a kid. I'm so glad I got to see this review of yours Michael, even still. Well worth the wait whatever the issues were lol.
Fantastic Video Michael! In Germany, Bionic Six was fairly popular and featured prominently on Saturday mornings, but I never saw the toys. In the German Version (die sechs Millionen Dollar Familie = the six million dollar family) the names where changed, and I think they were slightly better: Bionic one = Bionic one Mother one = Bionic two Sport one = Baseball Rock one = Rocky (sometimes wrongly pronounced Roxy in some episodes) IQ = IQ Karate one = Kamikaze So the parents are „numbered“ and the kids have Codenames matching their personality / gimmick / hobby
Hi Micheal, I don't know if you read these. I get the enjoyment of analyzing and critiquing these shows. But do you ever shut off that side of your brain and watch it with the mindset of the target demographic? Say 7 to 12 years old.
I’ve wondered the same thing. Saying it’s dumb because it was meant for kids is a bit of a lazy aside, but it’s also true. There are a lot of absurdities in cartoons that children just take for granted as part of the fantasy element, they’re not meant to make sense to adults… that’s what makes them a thing apart from adult (as in mature) entertainment. Michael is thorough per usual and very insightful about the holes on his reviewed material… but he doesn’t seem to have much time for the spirit in which many of these materials are given… ‘Still love his stuff, though…
16:54. Gotta correct you there Michael. The Invisible Woman from the Fantastic Four has the ability to create invisible force fields and turn herself or other things invisible. To my knowledge, she’s never had the ability to project illusions or images of things that aren’t really there.
I like bionic six, but I think you hit the nail on the head when you said that what we actually like is what we wish the show had been according to the stuff we DO remember, like the really cool intros. That's very insightful!
I was born in the late 70s. So I was in the key demographic for all the big cartoon/toy releases of the 80s. Masters of the Universe, GI Joe, Transformers, Ghostbusters, all of it. But Bionic Six was hands down my favorite. Give us a home video release Universal!
Hahaha! That was fantastic, thanks Michael. One of the best things about your channel for me is your objective criticism of things that as adults should be obvious but you take it to the next level and analyze everything in the subject. I respect that even though I may not agree with everything, that’s what having an opinion is about. You were on point with this topic and I really enJoyed this video. Cheers!
Great video. I have fond memories of the cartoon, but then I only saw a few episodes. I caught it watching satellite feeds back when home dishes were huge and you had to wait for them to rotate to watch different stations. The animation was and is lively and gorgeous. I took it all at face value and loved every second of it. And the theme song still pops into my head. Seeing this, I'm glad I didn't know what channel it was on or when. I would have watched it all and be looking back on it in a completely different light.
Damn. You're a 100% correct. Up until now, I remembered the Bionic Six as an unappreciated gem, but as the video went on, I realized I couldn't remember a single episode of it, possibly because it was so inane. Still, what a kickass intro.
I always thought Meg was modelled on '80s Meg Ryan. After your review, I am certain of it, seeing as they didn't bother putting much thought into codenames etc. SOME CREATIVE OR OTHER: "This character is modelled on Meg Ryan, so what should we call her... ?"
You could have just called her Evil Lynn haha I'm sure it was all based on popular or well known people like maybe Karate One is Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan? Its like Captain Planet ripped off the Bionic 6 having Gaia or so the leader instead kinda.
Hello from Singapore, we had this here when I was a boy. I loved this show and had the whole family in action figure form. They were amazingly poseable, even by today's standards, and they were die cast metal. They had chrome components underneath translucent plastic to depict their bionic components, and the body sculpts were amazingly detailed. I honestly think they were the best toys from the era.
You got a cool name does it mean anything specific? I was never able to get the toys but they sound like they were really cool. Even the Centurians were pretty hard to get. I think my friend had the Mask ones I had some metal ones for some weird line one squad was in blue it had like a playset can't remember.
@@Daoloth I have a channel focusing on tabletop miniatures and other hobbies! So rolling dice is part of my brand. The punk is mainly to denote that I'm not aligned with particular brand or style. You might be referring to Diaclone? I also collected Visionaries. It was a great line of toys.
@@DicePunk That is cool I thought it might be like rolling dice I was into some Games Workshop games. When they came out like Space Hulk, Advanced Heroes Quest, Blood Bowl I still have most of them with a few teams like Dark Elf Cowboys or Terminator Squads for Chaos with a few painted Minotaurs I used as my PC for it. I got ADnD stuff or some other games I think too. I remember it was some sorta like Falcon base. It had like the stuff on the back that explained the thing. I'd have to find the figures they are metal smaller than 3 inch if remember right. Some sorta Falcon or grey or red outfit on somebody hard to know for sure. Other things I know were like Men from Mac or something but they were plastic. This was kinda like GI Joe military type of thing but smaller sized and scaling.
@@DicePunk Yeah I just wish I got more metal Games Workshop figures before they went to that crappy resin I got some unopened packs I seen selling for 100 or more dollars for blisters. So I don't think I'll open them to finish my marine squad they were all random cheap grab bags. I still have an original Realm of Chaos Book that cost me like 50 even Slaves To DArkness which has the other 2 Chaos Gods sells for that or more today. I only got the one with Khorne in it with I think the God of Change the Bird one. As I think Slaanesh with Nurgle were the other book. I think I got the sets but missing a piece of the board. Yeah I'm sure if I can find the name of those toys it will be like well known. I remember recently I found the Vykings with Barbarians game were like Crossbows and Catapults :). That explained what one dragon I had was as it launched those blue circle pieces hehe. I kinda gave up for a bit when they were doing COPPA thinking all these types of channels would be gone. I"d probably sell most my stuff if I was able to know somebody who really wanted would get or display them. I think I have a few conversions for Chainsaw Loonies in Blood Bowl. Then a few where like madea cape out of clay or something. My friend could make stuff using molds but he kinda quit all that so its a shame. Its cool he could copy any actual figure doing that to make it in metal. I had wanted Lightning Claws or the Thunder Hammer ones. I got 2 full Terminator Squads for Chaos then like 2 stray figures one is a Cyclone Terminator the other like generic with Storm Blaster. Then I got a few marines but I never finished my squad those plastic arms tend to fall off the metal too. It was cool when I used to play in leagues for a local comic shop I would usually always win hehe.
I missed this during Iconicon Michael and I'm so glad I watched it now. As for Bionic Six. I remember seeing a few episodes and then stopping around halfway through for many of the reasons you brought up. BUT AT LEAST THE ANIMATION WAS GREAT!
I only ever saw a few episodes as a kid but those made an impact on me. And with a new Silver Hawks animated show coming.. maybe the Bionic Six with get new missions one day.
Dr. Scarab as an imitation of George C. Scott...I always thought Scarab being the most affable and sardonic villain of 80's toytoons was the one saving grace for watching the show, but for some reason I never actually made that voice connection. Scarab, you magnificent bastard, I read your book! (And this, coming from one who recognized Fat Cat on "Chip & Dale: Rescue Rangers" as an imitation of Zero Mostel...)
Good for you. I enjoyed the movie too. I get so tired of people telling me something is bad & that I shouldn't like it. Also, don't feel the need to call it stupid. If you like it, it's okay to just simply enjoy it without feeling the need to insult it. 😉
That. Was. Hilarious. Very clever writing and top notch delivery. No denying it was an in depth analysis of the show. Full credit for all that hard work. Never seen this as a kid but glad I missed it. And that ending. Oh that ending. The joy. Your joy yes but I did get joy from it.
First I was like, "Whew...that gentrification bit didn't age well." then I thought, "Oh wow, I didn't remember them making fun of their own kids like this." and finally I thought, "Oh yeah, I remember even though the animation was stellar the bad guys were so glaringly stupid it felt wrong and almost like bullying for The Bionic Six to beat them up every episode."
This show is my guilty pleasure. As a 80’s latchkey kid. I watched this eating my instant oatmeal, grabbing my necklace key, then riding my Kmart bike to school…. Yes I wore Denim/ sweater/ jacket vest. It had a Megadeath Peace Sells backpatch.
I had Mechanic as a kid. I thought he was awesome because he had big metal feet. Also, the way his hands were sculpted he could hold all kinds of stuff. I liked the figure a lot.
I had Rock 1, FLUFFI, and all of the villains when I was a tot. My best friend had Karate 1 and Sports 1, and probably more of the hero toys, so it was cool to occasionally get to play with practically the whole set. The mix of die cast metal, plastic and clear plastic seemed so cool to me as a kid. I wish those toys survived. FLUFFI managed to survive a decade later but I generally lost toys are comics due to moving a lot. When I'd revisit the show on Sci-Fi or early downloads, the secret identity thing stood out but after growing up on other stuff like He-Man, I'd just assume there was some kind of visual changes that the audience weren't seeing and I went along for the ride. I really wish the show made it to some kind of home media if only to see the great animation in the best quality. This and Mighty Max.
I remember little parts of this from my childhood, but after watching just two episodes on TH-cam, I support everything you said. Lol! Moreover, Samurai Pizza Cats made a gag that I more think pointed to this show (as they also had little dogs about other 80s cartoons), pointing out that nobody recognized them out of uniform, citing it was a quirk of the show... Maybe it was about He-Man, but it also fits this perfectly. ;)
It was the 80's...Entertainment over logic...but, they did nail diversity along with great animation long before it were in conversation. Even better when it was done innocently for character distinction.
I remember Bionic 6 being sold all over here in Ontario, Canada. I want to say I remember the cartoons. I still remember Zellers trying to sell loads of Fluffies years and years after.
Bionic 6: You don’t need logic when you have FAMILY.
Vin Diesel for Bionic 6 live-action?
So I guess this cartoon was a big influence for the Fast and furious franchise.
It subverts expectations in that way
Your comment belongs in the Bionic Six theatrical trailer.
Works for Fast & Furious.
I'm a total nerd and not afraid to admit it, the theme song still gives me chills.
I think they should play it on loud speakers over really hot countries or places experiencing a heatwaves in that case.
I agree
me as well
Memory unlocked. This and thundercats was just the best. What a time to be alive.
The actor who voices Madame O is called Jennifer Darling...that has to be an inside joke
Ohh I get it Darling..
LOL
Darling was in the Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic woman series.Was even a fem bot at one point.
Maybe I always thought it was like Mommy Dearest or supposed to be like some old female actor who said that.
Wait... that name sounds familiar.... oh yeah, she was the sultry Dia in Mighty Orbots
I busted a gut laughing at: “Gentrification-new from Milton Bradley!” Good work, Michael. Loved this!
Many hilarious moments and comments that I enjoyed a lot! I'd love for them to make a stupid comedy that stays true to how obnoxious the things were in the episodes. The dad guy can be Willem Dafoe maybe as some of the lines seemed to me like he would be able to make them funny. I'd even want the messed up weird in-family racism stuff as a joke lol The characters seemed so stupid and funny, it almost seemed like some kind of Austin Powers thing.
This show was one of if not THE best animated shows of the 80’s. Mighty Orbots is also up
There but that was only 13 episode. Bionic Six is beautifully animated for all 65 episodes. I loved this show as a kid. I never even realized how much better of a name “Smart-1” is over “I.Q.”
But Michael did you ever think that the non-pattern superhero names were because they weren’t trying to hide their superhero identities - but their civilian ones! How many meals did Jack cook that no one ever got a chance to eat? They didn’t want to be Sharp’s muscle - They just wanted to be a family! I mean - they never even got to finish their ski trip from the pilot episode, darling!
Bionic Six and Mighty Orbots were both animated by the Japanese studio TMS. TMS also worked on Akira, Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers, Visionaries, Adventures of the Gummi Bears, and the first season of DuckTales.
My lord michael took so many notes he wore out the black pen and had to get a blue one.. that's dedication..
I wonder if this is the case with all the other series he's reviewed? the taking notes part...
Am I the only one who wants to see those notes? #ReleasetheMichaelNotes
@@Jshaw71 I'm guessing yes...
Loved the show has a kid, and nearly 30 years later, every now and then the chorus from the theme song will randomly pop into my head.
Bionic Bionic six oooooouuuuu ooouuuuuu.
We fight together.
We fight for right.
Bionic bionic six oooouuuu oooouuuu
We are so proud to be
A super future family.
Now the theme song is stuck in my head again. Thanks. 😆😆😆😆
Right there with ya. Even to this day I'll sometimes cry out, "B-b-b-band! B-b-band Droids!" when excited about something.
@@Hinatachan360 lol what can I say I like to spread the get a theme song stuck in your head love around.
Same here, your not alone
Until this the only thing I remembered about the bionic 6 was that the toys were diecast metal and you got in a lot of trouble when you hit your brother with them.
I swear seeing this cartoon, and one of my brothers having at least one of the figures. When you mentioned the die cast parts it triggered a latent memory!
I actually chuckled at JD’s disappointment when he got turned down. I imagine his lines were delivered with the subtext of him mourning just how dense the girl he was pining for really was. He was more bummed that she somehow thought JD and IQ were two different people than he was that she didn’t want to go out with him. For a smart guy like him, dating someone with the observational intelligence of a box of rocks would be torture.
I'm sure in the lost episodes IQ gets her pregnant then dumps her while JD gets her on the rebound her trying to get child support from IQ too.
Think about how Rob Simmons thought of Dia when she turned down a date with him for The Mighty Orbots Commander (also him).
"what makes a person stupid is when they deny the stupidity they like..." Kinda how I got aware of RetroBlasting. His TF video caused a big rant on one of the FB groups I was a part of. Watched it, loved it! Been an adict ever since
" is everybody in this universe terminally stupid" that's going to become a new meme.
Thats my new favorite phrase.
Honestly, how many people's faces do you recall in a crowd at the subway? I wouldn't expect the six Bennets to be a family just by glancing at them.
But I also think that this show plays with just how self-absorbed, self obsessed, and willfully ignorant of one's surroundings most people are, especially in the 1980s when this show was written.
@@AWW8472 " how many people's faces do you recall in a crowd at the subway?"
me personally? very few if at all, but there are many people with keen eye and memory, and many of them reporters and people in law enforcement, more so in a future where EVERYONE is has video cameras that fit in your pocket and record everything under the sun at all times.
@@artsveiman7776 Lucky for them, this is the future of the past!
*"This prison won't let me die"*
Marvel's Darth Vader comic runs in a nutshell; I'm not complaining though
In elementary school, you don’t really follow or notice many plots or continuity issues, it’s all about the action and toys. I used to pretend I had bionics and could turn them on at will…that was just a kid using fantasy to enrich the world that he/she is in. Although I can see the flaws now, this cartoon will still always have a special place in my heart.
Exactly! The truth is you could easily pick apart most cartoons from this era trying to rationalize the logic. This review, while not objectively wrong in the criticisms, ultimately comes across as nitpicky more than anything. You had to embrace the suspension of disbelief with most of these cartoons made for kids.
@@Awesoman I when I rewatch them I have to do the same thing.
Before it got taken out on the Mobdro streaming app, there was stream every Saturday and Sunday for like 4 hours they would show random 80's and 90's cartoon.
It was great you never knew what they would play, sometimes it was Bionic 6, thundarr the barbarian, and so many others. It was like reliving my Saturday mornings as a kid in the 80's and 90's
That's true, and I think it's fair to still be fond of such shows.
Maybe kids don’t notice minor continuity details, but they certainly pay attention to plot. My favorite cartoons then and now are those that had the best stories (well, and animation/design).
This episode was brought to you through miracle of modern science:)
This reminds me of Black Canary. Her " disguise " was simply a blond wig and a change of wardrobe. I would love to hear a regular citizen catch sight of Black Canary in the field; and say " Oh, Dinah! About that order of roses for the wedding, this weekend.....?"
Never had the toys, but I loved this cartoon as a kid.
In Buffalo, it was on channel 29 every morning at 5:30 a.m., right after Spiral Zone, and I would get up that early to watch it because it was the best looking cartoon on TV.
None of the criticisms detailed here bothered me at all.
WUTV 29 had great cartoons when we were kids.
@@duggywild The best!
We got channel 29 in Toronto it had everything
Yeah Spiral Zone that was great I mentioned that as I tried to get a limited edition set somebody was pushing on DVD. That was some great stuff though with many others around tha ttime.
I had bionic 1 (the dad), karate 1 and sport 1. Kinda cool the way the figures were part metal and that clear plastic to show their “bionics”.
Holy cow the wait was worth the entertainment in this video. I laughed far too many times out loud
No it just took place during like 2020 or 2021 I forget what year they claimed ;).
The X-Men were basically recruited to fight Xavier's best friend and his brother.
@@russellharrell2747 "What are you doing, step-bro?"
Mighty Orbots had some top tier animation too and the intro for that is great as well.
Bro , everypoint u made is valid but when your 6 years old and this show came on TV , it was the coolest cartoon to watch. Just the intro brings back crazy nostalgia. I'm 35 now and it just hit different when u are a little kid. We all know all these 80s show scripts made no sense but it was a fun time.
The 80's was the greatest time to live. The Bionic 6 is just a small sample 👌
When I was eight and nine years old, I watched this cartoon at 6 AM every weekday from its debut in the fall of 1987 through the fall of 1988. I loved it. I had every figure except IQ, whom I could never find. Sadly, the figures rusted pretty quickly. I even had the elaborate playset, which, unlike most playsets of its era, required tools to assemble.
Soooo much #nerdenvy...
I was a freshman in high school when this was on the air. Watched it every morning before school. I was heavily into karate at the time, so Karate 1 sold me on it.
I am so sorry to have missed the premiere, thank you Michael for this long awaited feature!
I also noticed that Bionic Six also uses a lot of the music and sound effects used by other shows like The Real Ghostbusters. I am still floored to this day by the detail of the animation. You can only got that level of quality nowadays from a top animation studio in Japan with a high budget. Love how expressive the Bennets are. Even the background one-off characters are better animated than the usual Saturday morning cartoon.
Undeniable facts and criticism of Bionic Six.....sad yet true. One of the best review of an 80's cartoon. Michael....it was...."equally well-executed."
> Chopper did an impression of a motorcycle engine.
> Everyone was offended!
I'm surprised nobody made a Speed-Buggy" reference.
The Motorcycle SJW are coming to get you
Another great video by Retroblasting. I am a child of the 80s and saw this show growing up. The "secret" identities and naming convention was weird to us too but my friends and I didn't care because the show rarely came on, intro song was catchy, and the animation was superb.
Bionic Six was one of my all time favorite cartoons growing up in the 80s. The animation was really well done and the storylines and characters were so cool. Definitely a product of the 80s but in the best possible way. I think it’s so awesome that RetroBlasting is finally doing a video on the Bionic Six! It’s been a long time coming!
Great show, also back when i was a kid didn't even notice that it was a mixed race family.
@@thepayne7862 Same here. I never noticed they were a mixed race family because they never threw it in our faces the way they do now. I’m sure nowadays it would be criticized for having white parents.
@@archangel5627 And for the parents being cis.
It's funny, I had the reverse experience... saw the show (when it premiered) before I became aware they even had toys (about 10 years later).
I really liked the show growing up. Yes, like most 80s cartoons when you sit down and analyze it, it doesn't make sense, but to me that's part of the charm of these shows. There was one episode that stands out to me, Scarabs crew infiltrates a school for children with special needs. Glove bonds with one boy who is confined to a wheelchair and thinks he's worthless, even though he's very handy like Glove. In the end the Bionic 6 save the day but not before Glove makes a replica of his gauntlet for the young boy telling him he isn't worthless.
This was great-just hilarious. My brothers and I watched this show in reruns in the late 80s and early 90s and remembered it fondly. We loved the cheese theme song, too.
I have not watched it in decades, holy cow was this video enlightening and funny. Stellar work, Michael. Long live Retro Blasting.
Didn’t realize all these plot holes lol but as a kid this was my favorite show and still love it to this day! 🙌🏽
I use to watch the show often during its original run. I had the episode “Extra Innings” on tape and watched it often. I agree with a lot of the points made but did not noticed them at the time. Great review.
Great Police Squad ending Michael!😄
Lol, yes! That, the Mystery Men clip, and the Murder By Death mention made me genuinely smile ☺️
Guess it’s safe to say Scarab won’t be going to Statesville Prison, along with Martin, Dutch Gunderson, Lana and Sally Decker 😆
I appreciate your honesty and fully agree with you on folks remembering the intros better then the actual shows themselves.
I agree with everything you said about this show, yet I can’t help but love it. Great video as always Michael
Glove was voiced by Frank Welker and he plays a G1 Starscream chracter, how ironic
It's amazing how when you're a kid you never realise any of these loopholes we observe as Adults
Another great installment of the juggernaut amongst OBJECTIVE 80ies Cartoon review channels. great job once again , Retroblasting !
Great video Michael. I'll probably leave this in the good feels of my memories and not revisit this with grown up eyes. I loved how the toys had metal bodiesas well as clear plastic sections. They'll felt so much more substantial than my other action figures because of the heft. Now to wait for Tyler from Fans of Power to see this. Lol
I commend you Michael for not only sitting through all 65 episodes of a show which is stupid but even paying attention and taking notes on every single episode! That is real dedication.
Thank you for doing so I don't have to sit through rewatching Bionic Six again. The cool intro is what I remember most and it's best to leave it at that. The toys were cool and heavy with die-cast metal parts. I had most of the Family along with the Van from an amazing toy lot on ebay which I received about 2 decades ago, but ultimately decided against keeping the Bionic Six and sold them to someone who would appreciate them more than I did.
They definitely need to put this out on Blu-ray Remastered, it was a gorgeous show and one of my favorites as a kid. The beautiful animation was done by TMS Entertainment who had done a number of American cartoons including Inspector Gadget, The Real Ghostbusters, Rainbow Brite, DuckTales, The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Tiny Toon Adventures, Batman: The Animated Series, Animaniacs, and Spider-Man: The Animated Series. As well as many Japanese anime such as Akira, Lupin 3, Detective Conan, Megalo Box and Dr. Stone.
Most cartoons in the 80’s were terrible but at least we enjoyed them as kids,but the toys made it that much better. Great job guys well done.
Disagree. 80s cartoons were great. Cartoons Suck today!
@@alphatrion100 I’ve enjoyed some random stuff I’ve seen on TV lately. So I can’t relate.
@@kaylemathewcomendador6964 But there is a reason people still talk about transformers, he-man , turtles, gi joe and starwars: The movies and cartoons from the 70s and 80s.
Even succesfull modern movies like the MCU movies basicaslly cover comic storylines from this era.
Lets see if NEW franchises last as long.
@@alphatrion100 I’ve seen a good amount of people online still talking about modern shows like Gravity Falls, Steven Universe and OK KO. So I’m not sure what your talking about at the moment. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.
@@kaylemathewcomendador6964
Never heard of those
I felt the bots master toon from the 90s drew a lot of inspiration from this show. Innovative animation, blue and yellow colors (with splashes of red), sports theme member(s), karate/ninja themed member, memorable theme song... well, maybe I was one of the few that saw the similarities.
The Bots Master theme is pretty good imo
Long time coming. It would be funny to see Micheal with tights like those.
Silverhawks is a cartoon/toyline I had no idea existed until about ten years ago. Somehow it completely went under my radar as a kid.
I vaguely remember watching silver hawks, the only thing i really remember about it was the little educational part at the end of each episode.
29:43 I laughed and enjoyed the video throughout but nothing had me laughing more than this part. Awesome Mr. French
Born in the 80's, grew up watching all the cartoons, forgot about Bionic 6 until I watched a small report on a touch-sensing bionic attachment for those who've lost limbs, Immediately remembered Bionic 6, pulled out laptop to watch the series all over again (30+ yrs later), clicked the first video that popped up (this one) and Thanked God that I was educated about the garbage we enjoyed yet played a role in messing with our minds LMAO! thank you for your dope and hilarious efforts .... I'm watching the rest of your videos!
Michael that Millennium Falcon behind you looks amazing with that orange bulb!
Bionic Six is one of my favorite cartoons of all time! I loved every minute of it!! The title itself was a portmanteau of The Bionic Woman & the Six Million Dollar Man. Genius!
Anything from TMS in the 80s & 90s was the gold standard in animation! They animated an overwhelming majority of the cartoons I watched as a kid! From the DiC cartoons and Disney Afternoon lineup of the 80s to the Warner Bros. cartoons of 90s. Lupin the 3rd and Space Adventure Cobra (the same character designer for Bionic Six).
I still have my fan-made DVD set until an official set is released. If Mighty Orbots got one, then this surely has a chance!
Radical! And on my birthday, too!
That secret identity thing was HILARIOUS!! As a kid I never realized that myself.
80s and 90s cartoons weren't known for their narrative writing. They were superficially flashy and made to sell toys. Just like most 80s cartoons, it was good kids fun without the thinking
I keep hoping this series will come out on DVD. It's one of my absolute favorites...had all the toys.
Firstly, woo! Bionic six is out “cue the church music and doves” . Secondly, while the show may not have been amazing, at least the animation was good 🤣and hopefully the toys are better. Also the abject awkwardness of the closing shot had me dying. Great video to shed some light in a show from a bygone era and a I can’t wait for part 2.( also also, great to see Tim in a main line video finally)
I knew next to nothing about this show. I don't know if it was in a strange timeslot where I always missed it, but like Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors, Dino Riders, and a couple of other popular cartoons I did not watch these as a kid. I'm so glad I got to see this review of yours Michael, even still. Well worth the wait whatever the issues were lol.
Fantastic Video Michael!
In Germany, Bionic Six was fairly popular and featured prominently on Saturday mornings, but I never saw the toys.
In the German Version (die sechs Millionen Dollar Familie = the six million dollar family)
the names where changed, and I think they were slightly better:
Bionic one = Bionic one
Mother one = Bionic two
Sport one = Baseball
Rock one = Rocky (sometimes wrongly pronounced Roxy in some episodes)
IQ = IQ
Karate one = Kamikaze
So the parents are „numbered“ and the kids have Codenames matching their personality / gimmick / hobby
Hi Micheal, I don't know if you read these. I get the enjoyment of analyzing and critiquing these shows. But do you ever shut off that side of your brain and watch it with the mindset of the target demographic? Say 7 to 12 years old.
I’ve wondered the same thing. Saying it’s dumb because it was meant for kids is a bit of a lazy aside, but it’s also true. There are a lot of absurdities in cartoons that children just take for granted as part of the fantasy element, they’re not meant to make sense to adults… that’s what makes them a thing apart from adult (as in mature) entertainment. Michael is thorough per usual and very insightful about the holes on his reviewed material… but he doesn’t seem to have much time for the spirit in which many of these materials are given… ‘Still love his stuff, though…
16:54. Gotta correct you there Michael. The Invisible Woman from the Fantastic Four has the ability to create invisible force fields and turn herself or other things invisible. To my knowledge, she’s never had the ability to project illusions or images of things that aren’t really there.
I like bionic six, but I think you hit the nail on the head when you said that what we actually like is what we wish the show had been according to the stuff we DO remember, like the really cool intros. That's very insightful!
Hahaha I loved it! When is part 2 coming!?
As a kid, I had such a crush on Rock-1. I was 13, don't judge!
yeah well I had crush on Mother 1 cuss she was mre experince and I was only 9
That "Come on guys, there must be an outlet around here somewhere" edit made me spit my drink.
I was born in the late 70s. So I was in the key demographic for all the big cartoon/toy releases of the 80s. Masters of the Universe, GI Joe, Transformers, Ghostbusters, all of it. But Bionic Six was hands down my favorite. Give us a home video release Universal!
Hahaha! That was fantastic, thanks Michael. One of the best things about your channel for me is your objective criticism of things that as adults should be obvious but you take it to the next level and analyze everything in the subject. I respect that even though I may not agree with everything, that’s what having an opinion is about. You were on point with this topic and I really enJoyed this video. Cheers!
Great video. I have fond memories of the cartoon, but then I only saw a few episodes. I caught it watching satellite feeds back when home dishes were huge and you had to wait for them to rotate to watch different stations. The animation was and is lively and gorgeous. I took it all at face value and loved every second of it. And the theme song still pops into my head. Seeing this, I'm glad I didn't know what channel it was on or when. I would have watched it all and be looking back on it in a completely different light.
I never heard of the show until the Sci-Fi channel started airing it in the wee morning hours but I gotta admit the animation is excellent.
This iZ one of the pros of social media being able to go back and revisit childhood favorites like this
Damn. You're a 100% correct. Up until now, I remembered the Bionic Six as an unappreciated gem, but as the video went on, I realized I couldn't remember a single episode of it, possibly because it was so inane.
Still, what a kickass intro.
Excellent Bionic Six overview Michael! Great video!
I always thought Meg was modelled on '80s Meg Ryan. After your review, I am certain of it, seeing as they didn't bother putting much thought into codenames etc.
SOME CREATIVE OR OTHER: "This character is modelled on Meg Ryan, so what should we call her... ?"
You could have just called her Evil Lynn haha I'm sure it was all based on popular or well known people like maybe Karate One is Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan? Its like Captain Planet ripped off the Bionic 6 having Gaia or so the leader instead kinda.
Hello from Singapore, we had this here when I was a boy. I loved this show and had the whole family in action figure form.
They were amazingly poseable, even by today's standards, and they were die cast metal. They had chrome components underneath translucent plastic to depict their bionic components, and the body sculpts were amazingly detailed.
I honestly think they were the best toys from the era.
You got a cool name does it mean anything specific? I was never able to get the toys but they sound like they were really cool. Even the Centurians were pretty hard to get. I think my friend had the Mask ones I had some metal ones for some weird line one squad was in blue it had like a playset can't remember.
@@Daoloth I have a channel focusing on tabletop miniatures and other hobbies! So rolling dice is part of my brand. The punk is mainly to denote that I'm not aligned with particular brand or style.
You might be referring to Diaclone?
I also collected Visionaries. It was a great line of toys.
@@DicePunk That is cool I thought it might be like rolling dice I was into some Games Workshop games. When they came out like Space Hulk, Advanced Heroes Quest, Blood Bowl I still have most of them with a few teams like Dark Elf Cowboys or Terminator Squads for Chaos with a few painted Minotaurs I used as my PC for it. I got ADnD stuff or some other games I think too.
I remember it was some sorta like Falcon base. It had like the stuff on the back that explained the thing. I'd have to find the figures they are metal smaller than 3 inch if remember right. Some sorta Falcon or grey or red outfit on somebody hard to know for sure. Other things I know were like Men from Mac or something but they were plastic. This was kinda like GI Joe military type of thing but smaller sized and scaling.
@@Daoloth those are old school games!
Wow I really can't recall what toys those are. They sound familiar ..
@@DicePunk Yeah I just wish I got more metal Games Workshop figures before they went to that crappy resin I got some unopened packs I seen selling for 100 or more dollars for blisters. So I don't think I'll open them to finish my marine squad they were all random cheap grab bags. I still have an original Realm of Chaos Book that cost me like 50 even Slaves To DArkness which has the other 2 Chaos Gods sells for that or more today. I only got the one with Khorne in it with I think the God of Change the Bird one. As I think Slaanesh with Nurgle were the other book. I think I got the sets but missing a piece of the board.
Yeah I'm sure if I can find the name of those toys it will be like well known. I remember recently I found the Vykings with Barbarians game were like Crossbows and Catapults :). That explained what one dragon I had was as it launched those blue circle pieces hehe. I kinda gave up for a bit when they were doing COPPA thinking all these types of channels would be gone. I"d probably sell most my stuff if I was able to know somebody who really wanted would get or display them.
I think I have a few conversions for Chainsaw Loonies in Blood Bowl. Then a few where like madea cape out of clay or something. My friend could make stuff using molds but he kinda quit all that so its a shame. Its cool he could copy any actual figure doing that to make it in metal. I had wanted Lightning Claws or the Thunder Hammer ones. I got 2 full Terminator Squads for Chaos then like 2 stray figures one is a Cyclone Terminator the other like generic with Storm Blaster. Then I got a few marines but I never finished my squad those plastic arms tend to fall off the metal too. It was cool when I used to play in leagues for a local comic shop I would usually always win hehe.
Loved the critical analysis! Was hilarious! Bionics ON!!!
The animation style and some of the voice cast are also in the 3 part pilot Power Masters. Another toyline that didn't catch on.
Gods, this show is a meme factory.
I missed this during Iconicon Michael and I'm so glad I watched it now. As for Bionic Six. I remember seeing a few episodes and then stopping around halfway through for many of the reasons you brought up. BUT AT LEAST THE ANIMATION WAS GREAT!
I only ever saw a few episodes as a kid but those made an impact on me. And with a new Silver Hawks animated show coming.. maybe the Bionic Six with get new missions one day.
Silver Hawks was cool I call my Hound DAze Haze Monstarr who I think he would change into or so it was pretty cool for its time.
Loved this show and the action figures made great weapons to throw at my older siblings.
Dr. Scarab as an imitation of George C. Scott...I always thought Scarab being the most affable and sardonic villain of 80's toytoons was the one saving grace for watching the show, but for some reason I never actually made that voice connection. Scarab, you magnificent bastard, I read your book!
(And this, coming from one who recognized Fat Cat on "Chip & Dale: Rescue Rangers" as an imitation of Zero Mostel...)
Also… I kinda like the Masters of the Universe movie. It is stupid, I know, but I don’t care.
Good Journey....
Good for you. I enjoyed the movie too. I get so tired of people telling me something is bad & that I shouldn't like it. Also, don't feel the need to call it stupid. If you like it, it's okay to just simply enjoy it without feeling the need to insult it. 😉
I'd never heard of Bionic 6 until last year. Love these kind of cartoons.. X MEN from the early 90s would be the best.
That. Was. Hilarious. Very clever writing and top notch delivery. No denying it was an in depth analysis of the show. Full credit for all that hard work. Never seen this as a kid but glad I missed it. And that ending. Oh that ending. The joy. Your joy yes but I did get joy from it.
Towards the end, Michael turned into Paul Harrel. Lov it!
First I was like, "Whew...that gentrification bit didn't age well." then I thought, "Oh wow, I didn't remember them making fun of their own kids like this." and finally I thought, "Oh yeah, I remember even though the animation was stellar the bad guys were so glaringly stupid it felt wrong and almost like bullying for The Bionic Six to beat them up every episode."
This show is my guilty pleasure. As a 80’s latchkey kid. I watched this eating my instant oatmeal, grabbing my necklace key, then riding my Kmart bike to school…. Yes I wore Denim/ sweater/ jacket vest. It had a Megadeath Peace Sells backpatch.
Gotta be honest, I'd watch any video of you ravaging bad logic in these 80's greats every day of the week and twice on Sunday LOL This is fantastic.
Other Train Passengers: "Wow! Look! It's the Bionic 6!".
Michael: "Dude! You were standing right next to them on the platform!" PRICELESS! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I had Mechanic as a kid. I thought he was awesome because he had big metal feet. Also, the way his hands were sculpted he could hold all kinds of stuff. I liked the figure a lot.
I had Rock 1, FLUFFI, and all of the villains when I was a tot. My best friend had Karate 1 and Sports 1, and probably more of the hero toys, so it was cool to occasionally get to play with practically the whole set. The mix of die cast metal, plastic and clear plastic seemed so cool to me as a kid. I wish those toys survived. FLUFFI managed to survive a decade later but I generally lost toys are comics due to moving a lot.
When I'd revisit the show on Sci-Fi or early downloads, the secret identity thing stood out but after growing up on other stuff like He-Man, I'd just assume there was some kind of visual changes that the audience weren't seeing and I went along for the ride. I really wish the show made it to some kind of home media if only to see the great animation in the best quality. This and Mighty Max.
Ok, you got me with the "Gentrification" game!
"Bionic six" was a cartoon I happened to catch at 6:00am. I only caught about three episodes, but it was so weird I remember it.
I remember little parts of this from my childhood, but after watching just two episodes on TH-cam, I support everything you said. Lol!
Moreover, Samurai Pizza Cats made a gag that I more think pointed to this show (as they also had little dogs about other 80s cartoons), pointing out that nobody recognized them out of uniform, citing it was a quirk of the show... Maybe it was about He-Man, but it also fits this perfectly. ;)
Regarding the toys, it bugged me that Mechanic was so large and Klunk was smaller. Makes me think the manufacturer mistakenly mixed those two up.
It was LJN........... watch angry video game nerd to see what people think of their games........ their toys werent any better.
It was the 80's...Entertainment over logic...but, they did nail diversity along with great animation long before it were in conversation. Even better when it was done innocently for character distinction.
I remember Bionic 6 being sold all over here in Ontario, Canada. I want to say I remember the cartoons. I still remember Zellers trying to sell loads of Fluffies years and years after.
Haven't seen this show since 1989. Thanks for the history lesson. It filled me in on some of the things I missed.
Galaxy Rangers was fucking awesome too. Leady guy has a bionic arm. That theme tune was fuckin cool.
One of my favorite cartoons back in the day.
Oh My Lord Michael, this is hilarious! Thank you. One of my fav shows but so silly.