Xiaolin Showdown (2003–2006) User Reviews

Quite clever and fun

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 17 August 2010]

Xiaolin Showdown is not a perfect show, but it is very good. I feared it would not be my thing and that it would be lacklustre, that it would fail at any attempts at humour or that it would have obnoxious characters. It was a really nice surprise that it had neither of those negative traits.

The animation is actually pretty good with interesting use of colour and character designs. The music is funky and cool, especially the theme tune, while the story ideas are a lot of fun and have originality and energy. I agree the writing can be a tinsy bit poor and predictable at times, but it does have a good balance of intelligence and humour. The characters are engaging, the title character for example while flawed is brave and loyal while the villain Jack Spicer is more comedic than threatening, but when he is amusing he is amusing. Another strength is the rock-solid voice acting from the likes of Danny Cooksey, Tom Kenny and Wayne Knight.

In conclusion, interesting show, and quite clever and fun. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Very Good, Very Funny, Great Casting, semi-poorly written

[BlazinChrist777 · 8/10 · 17 June 2006]

I love this show, it made me laugh from day one, it always got me, and had a story you had to keep up with but was no so thick that you would have a hard time following it. The show had great jokes to it as well.

The only poor point of this show is that it can tend to be poorly written to some degree; For instance; when Omi uses the changing chopsticks to become big by using the reversing mirror also, he turned big, but without the reversing mirror he cannot become big with the chopsticks, yet later on in the series, the chopsticks were freely used to become small or big. And also when the FOuntain of Wui and the Eagle scope was used by Omi to see how he could defeat the spiders by agreeing to Chase that he would not view how to destroy evil, secretly Chase used the reversing mirror, that means Omi should have seen how to help the spiders, but he saw how to defeat them. Things like this and other little things pepper the show, but its not enough to turn you off, it is still a great cartoon that should be given a chance.

Still great even today

[sulaimanmohammed · 8/10 · 1 September 2018]

I remember how good this show was years and years ago and even now as I recently rewatched it I can still see how truly wonderful and Unique it is. I also get a lot more of the jokes I wouldn't of got when I first watched it and would recommend this show.

Humor and action combination works

[octopuszombie · 27 August 2005]

When I first heard of Xiaolin Showdown, I thought that it was just going to be another one of those stupid action cartoons that try to keep kids around with really lame jokes that even they hate. So, I never watched it until two years later. It was summer, and I had nothing better to do than watch some childish cartoon and make fun of it later. First thing I noticed was the characters. Most of them were overused stereotypes, and I hated them. The only character that I took a liking to was Jack Spicer. Sure, cartoons often make fun of the villain, but they never intentionally make you laugh. Jack broke that chain and actually came off as being the most amusing villain I have ever seen in a cartoon. In general, the entire style of humor in Xiaolin is fairly decent. It has that kind of humor that everyone likes. You know, the kind where you can tell it to an eight-year-old and you both will think it's funny. Second thing I noticed was the animation style. They seemed to have combined modern American with ancient Asian scroll styles. It makes for a good combination for both humor and action. Plus, the Xialon Showdown scenes really are fantastic. The animators make good use of what would naturally be around and turn it into something totally unrealistic and fantastic. Xiaolin Showdown may have some pretty major characters that are just stereotypes, but they have managed to break the chain of predictable cartoons. The villains are the main source of humor, the animation style can easily be turned from humor to action, and my favorite part, the good guys don't always win.

A Great Kids Show

[madamemoviemonsterheart · 9/10 · 20 March 2015]

I remember watching the advertisement on this show and thought it was going to be cheesy and lame. Much to my surprise, it's very good.

1. The characters are all likable and fun (heroes and villains) to watch. My favorites are most certainly the villains. I like evil boy genius Jack Spicer and cool martial arts master Chase Young. The young monks act like teenagers but not in the bad sort of way. They all have traits that make them stand out.

2. The story is pretty cool. They find all these different artifacts that can do cool things. I would like to tell you my favorites but unfortunately I can't spell them. I like the showdowns this show has. Some of my favorites are the ones where it's not having any of the artifacts (I won't say their actual names because again I can't spell) so it shows what these monks can really do.

3. The art work is pretty cool. I like the style they were going through. A little bit of Mulan and a typical Saturday morning cartoon style.

This show is fun. It's made for little kids and adults I did take one star off though because of some of the issues the last season had which many fans could guess what they are. (Hannibal Bean and The Time Travel)

I recommend it.

It's got style

[ashleyzfyang · 8/10 · 25 December 2016]

I remember this show growing up. It had enough going for it that I have a positive view of it years later. Some may say there weren't many shows that stood out in the early 2000s, but I think this is a show with style that sets it apart. Other shows like Jackie Chan Adventures had a similar style of Asian culture mixed with American animation, and this one definitely shares some similarities (heck, both shows came out from the same network). However, I really enjoyed this type of style, and while the characters and story aren't the selling point, the imagination put into some of the concepts got me hooked. It works well in the show, and there's even significant character and plot development moving along (such as the writers bringing back a certain plot point in the past), which is definitely something I really appreciated.

This series reaches impressive heights only to nosedive head first into the ground and repeat...

[julianmarku · 7/10 · 25 April 2022]

The idea behind this show deserved a better studio. This series is so impressive if it had any way to end its plots and wrap up its characters it would make a great series.

It's like, every new villain character that is introduced is taken to the absolute peak of their villain potential before getting defeated. Then instead of getting wrapped up they become another comedic relief character in the background for jokes in future episodes. No one manifests this better than Jack Spicer. Great villain potential, become a sad joke in later seasons.

The first season of this series is probably the most solid that the show was. Nothing is going to beat the final 4 episodes of season 1. It never reaches the same height again.

After the first season it's like the studio came in and said: okay, now do it again but 50% cheaper.

And you are like: excuse me? Retcon? Who is Chase Young? Where? How? Why? No idea. The studio didn't care, it just wanted to make a lore, it just didn't want to waste any time on buildup.

So if you want the authentic, the best of Xiaolin Showdown, then I wholly recommend season 1 in its entirety. THAT IS A 9 FROM ME.

The rest of the series becomes a 6,5 for me. You might like the other characters it introduces, but for me, too many spices in a dish doesn't make a better dish.

It has been a great pleasure to revisit them

[margineanvladdaniel · 9/10 · 11 January 2022]

At my age, I found it very funny, teaching with of course growing up pretentions, some scenes weren't that spectacular or boring but it rose way past those problems. It was needed to watch avatar and be disappointed about that to come here and I'm very happy I did and it confirmed. This show deserves more credit and higher ratings.

Best "kid" show

[joyfulvic · 10/10 · 20 July 2022]

I love this show. My only complaint is that it ended at season 3. It's quite clever and the characters are dynamic. Also, Dojo is hilarious. There are adult jokes sprinkled in the show that make it still watchable in my late 20s.

Quite good really

[gelziabar · 8/10 · 30 November 2006]

Despite teaming together very stereotyped characters (on purpose), Xiaolin Showdown does offer a very enjoyable viewing experience except during certain times when the humor is disgusting. The animation isn't exactly top of the line but the action sequences are pretty good, meaning that the animation is within sufficient standards. The humor can sometimes be clichéd and lame but is enjoyable most of the time. There are some visible faults as well. Jack Splicer started off as a pretty cool character but the writers made him increasingly stupid and pathetic as the show progressed. What this series really lacks is a good soundtrack.

Xiaolin Showdown provides some surprises

[eaglwing-2 · 19 September 2005]

At first glance, Xiaolin Showdown might appear to be formulaic, with four monks embodying the four elements and a largely comedic villain (Jack Spicer). Many episodes follow a standard "showdown" plot. However, as mentioned, the good guys don't always win, and as time goes on, we discover that this series, unlike so many American cartoons, dares to explore its characters and (gasp) allow them to grow. The good characters are allowed flaws, and the bad ones allowed (sometimes to their own consternation) to have good aspects. The introduction of Chase Young in the second season as would-be evil influence on Omi improved the series by providing the monks with a more formidable--and less straightforward--opponent. But who is influencing whom? The occasional depth of the series continues to surprise. Bonus: The magical aspect of the series allows for imaginative psychedelic sequences that can be a hoot.

A novel and youthful presentation of an old genre

[abelka-91121 · 8/10 · 5 June 2020]

This series was a defining part of my childhood. Both the basic concept and the characters are well structured. They're largely lovable, all from Kimiko, Raimundo, Clay, Dojo, Master Fung, but even Jack Spicer's "the evil genius kid" is fun. Omi alone is the only one who has worn out from the perspective of so much time and become a little annoyed. I would scratch the wall from his egoistic remarks and remarks. The main villains are well-nuanced, especially Chase Young, who emerges as the main villain for the final season. There are interesting side evils like Katnappe the young sneak thief, PandaBubba the lord of the Tokyo underworld, Malamala Jong the demon of shen gong wu, Hannibal the Bean, the mystical evil striking in the shape of a bean. There are, however, weaker evils, such as Vlad the Russian, Tubbimura the ninja, Cyclops, though he is more responsible for the comedian. Speaking of comedy, I have to mention that the humor of the series isn't weak at all. Of course, there are recurring sources of humor like the aforementioned Cyclops or Omi's attitude to speeches.Fighting styles are called striking and sometimes funny. In addition, the series has its seriousness and tension. It is mainly Wuya the rise of the Heylin witch to power and the destruction of Chase Young that is what mainly provides this. The conflicts between the characters are well sharpened. Thus, their development can also be traced.The animation of the battles with the elements is nicely crafted, the structure of the parts, although predictable, turns twists towards the end of the seasons and gives the show a dramatic arc. All in all, this series is a classic 2000s show from Cartoon Network, with lovable and exciting characters, a well-structured story, andgreat twists and turns.

I like it more than I wish I did.

[GiraffeDoor · 9/10 · 20 April 2023]

The goofiest a smart show can be. Watching this, one did not feel like an adult but it was still good.

The best possible integration of that Baku-Mon genre of media in which you collect a certain type of artifact and battle to improve your collection abiding by strict rules. I suspect there was at some point some kind of trading card game based on this but unusually, that game would have been cashing in on this, not what the show was advertizing.

I loved the mechanics of this with all the neat little trinkets and how they gamble with them in the titular contests. There's also an elemental gimmick like we would see in Legend of Aang but it's not a major aspect.

The main characters are really agreeable with monk-from-birth Omi delighting in his new friends and their modern ways. Cocky Raimundo and chic, techo-literate Kimiko go well with old-timey (and sexist) cowboy Clay.

Lessons from old-school but cool Master Fung and his wise talking dragon made each episode a chance at a life lesson but never in an obnoxious way. The main villain is that Dr. Drakken type where he's more of a clown than anything but we later get a greatly formidable villain in the form of Chase Young.

Again, sometimes, silly, frequently cartoonish, there were some sincerely gripping plot elements and well thought through pay-offs in this show that was in so many ways typical and familiar, but managed to become as magical as the weapons the used by just doing 100 things 1% better.

Such a creative array of characters...

[Captain_Marshmallow · 31 December 2005]

Using cartoons as a link to my passing childhood, I am tending to watch a lot of them. I was surprised, in fact, to find Xiaolin Showdown as such a delightful show, not just for younger children but for teens, and even my dad finds the show's humor amusing. Even though it is animated, it has fantastic battle-like scenes between the good Xiaolin side and the evil Heylin side, jokes and wisecracks that are actually funny, and characters that viewers grow to like despite their human-like flaws. The storyline centers around four Xiaolin warriors that live in the Xiaolin Temple: Omi, a short yellow orphan who appears to be the main protagonist, is the Dragon of Water; Raimundo, a hot-headed Brazillian character, is the Dragon of Wind; Kimiko, the rich, clever, and electronically adept Japanese girl, is the Dragon of Fire; and Clay, a cowboy from Texas, is the Dragon of Earth. Their duty is to retrieve the mystical ancient artifacts known as the Shen Gong Wu before they fall into the hands of the evil Heylin side. The warriors are aided by a wisecracking Chinese dragon by the name of Dojo. As seasons go on, the warriors are confronted with different and increasingly dangerous Heylin villains, but the villains that are most focused on would have to be Jack Spicer, a whiny, red-haired goth wannabe villain who has dubbed himself "Evil Boy Genius"; and Wuya, the 1500 year old evil spirit of a Heylin witch.

It is very interesting to watch as the characters grow and develop as they learn to work together to meet their goals. However, I find the characters of Omi and Clay to be most irritating. Omi is sometimes used for comic relief when he uses arrogant comments and claims to be the best of the dragons. Though this is used for entertainment, it feels to me as though it is strained. The show revolves around Omi, and he comes off sometimes as a self-important, arrogant little jerk which takes my admiration away from him.

Clay, on the other hand, is arguably the least focused on of the 4 dragons, yet he still succeeds in annoying me. Having being a "cowboy", he possesses all the stereotypical qualities of what one would think a cowboy would have. I think his stereotypical way of speaking, acting, and even fighting takes away from seeing him as an actual character, which also allows him to be considered less interesting. When I look at him, all I see is "cowboy".

Now, this show, however, possesses the most interesting, creative, and entertaining line of villains I have ever seen, Jack Spicer being my personal favorite. Though he is a whiny, girly, mama's boy, he succeeds in being the most entertaining villain. He has the best wisecracks, and his constant bickering with Wuya is very funny. He spends the majority of his time creating a vast array of creative and sometimes humorous robots that he calls "Jackbots". As a viewer, I have mixed emotions about Jack. Though he is a villain, he is so likable and you eventually begin to sympathize with him.

The character design and animation in this show is, in my personal opinion, stunning. It combines the clean-cut American style of animation with Asian animation techniques including many spirals and curly-q's. I also enjoy Kimiko's ever-changing outfits and hairstyles that define how creative the animators are. The voice acting is also fabulous, and the plot line is very intricate for a cartoon. Also, I rather like the theme song. It's really something you can jam to.

awesome cartoon

[Azlar · 14 November 2005]

The name of this cartoon would tend to put people off but if you give it a chance you'll see it's a superbly animated show that has suspense, drama, humour.... lots of humour and a great storyline. You can tell a lot of effort has gone into the character design and choosing voices and the animation is fluid and precise. Follow the adventures of 4 kaolin monks as they quest to find the mystical "Shen Gong Wu", magical items that each have a unique power, I cannot fault this cartoon at all, funny as hell, I want them to bring it out on DVD so i can keep them forever.

Fun show for kids and adults

[rockonaspring · 2 October 2005]

This show is such a guilty pleasure. It's well-voiced, has smooth animation, and a nice 50/50 split of gross-out jokes for the kids and a more mature sense of humor for the older folks. It reminds me of Animaniacs with less slapstick and a martial arts theme. Omi is a young monk with a yet-unexplained "destiny" who is able to harness the power of water. Early in the series, his teacher Master Fung acquires three friends for him with similar elemental powers: Kimiko (fire) is a hotheaded girl from Tokyo who always has some form of technology on hand. Clay (earth) is from America and is always quick to point out his Texas roots. Raimundo (wind) is from Brazil and enjoys sports, with plenty of hints that he's a lady's man. Most of the earlier episodes were set around a quest to attain a mystical object before the bad guys; the temple dragon Dojo pointed them in the right direction and fighting ensued, usually against a comic-relief bad guy called Jack Spider. The later episodes are less focused on acquisition and show the four monks in fights against Spider (who becomes more and more of a wimp as the series progresses), as well as the evil witch Wuya and assorted bad guys. The show suffers from a serious case of Dragonball Z Syndrome, where each season concludes with the defeat of the "ultimate evil" and the next season begins with the discovery of a brand-new bad guy that makes the last one look about as villainous as a piece of dry toast, but there is a continuous story running through each season that tries to tie this liability together. Last season concluded with the defeat of Chase Young, the world's best warrior; Young could use magic, was almost undefeatable in battle, could transform into a dragon, and had an army of wild cats who are not quite cats at all (spoiler). This season's villain appears to be a talking lima bean. Ridiculous? Sort of, but a lima bean doesn't have much going for it in the way of martial arts skills or upper-body strength, and it looks as though this little bean is a threat only because he is able to outsmart instead of outfight his enemies. Any kid's show where the bad guy doesn't have guns, robots, or a steroid-enhanced body and is still able to give the good guys a run for their money for thirty minutes is well worth watching. Additional bonus points are Master Fung's speeches to the monks, where he discusses things not usually brought up in cartoons – Good and evil are not always absolute; don't believe everything you see; bad guys who pretend to turn over a new leaf are still probably bad; learn from your mistakes or you are doomed to repeat them; etc.

Great

[vcannyghin · 5 October 2005]

Xiaolin Showdown is a great show. It has funny visual humour, okay-ish jokes, action scenes that are fun to watch and it's (for the most part) well animated.

Most of the characters on the show are good, not all of them, but most of them. Out of the main 5 (Omi, Rai, Clay, Kimiko, Dojo) I only don't like Clay and Omi. Omi is too full of himself and Clay is just plain annoying with his stereotyped 'texas' personality. Apart from that, the characters are good.

Music is also good, with lots of different themes for the characters (Jack's being my favourite).

The first season was fantastic, and the second (while not up to the standards of the first) is also a lot of fun. Overall, a great show.

Best launch of a series

[VoodooChicken · 14 February 2004]

I am surprised by how much I enjoy this show. It does have its flaws, but this initial order has so far been better than most other first seasons launched by Kids WB, including my fav, The Zeta Project which died an angonized death.

Omi is hilarious, Clay is admirable, Kimiko is sweet without annoying the fudge out of me, Master Fung floors me, and Jack Spicer is a good arch nemesis.

I have problems with Raimundo, Katt Nappe, and that ghost lady with Jack however. Fortunately, the last couple episodes have been Katt free. Best of luck to the show!!