"Winx Club" Nick Premiere Talkback [6/27/11]

[sag_2002]

And, we have a date for special #2. August 1st, same time.

 

[zoombie]

I know it is immature to think that, but I found the last comment of the episode "I am a fairy" hillarous.

 

[Bunai]

I laughed at that too... mostly because it was cute and unexpected.

So going by others comments, apparently this is a condensed telling of the first season? Since I am pretty sure everyone remembers it by when it aired in 04

 

[Kuromi_Star]

it also looks reanimated to me.. Some extra CG parts I don't remember from the original too

 

[trance2009]

Basically this is Winx Club Kai.

 

[Edward15]

I'm still not sure how I feel about how Nick is handling this. Unless Nick has no plans to revisit the first two seasons in the future, they're going to be leaving a lot out, unless they've been given permission to air the 4Kids version.

 

[Space Cadet]

So, basically, Nick is airing the first two seasons in these "recap" specials in order to catch up to the third season?

Hmm, I haven't seen something like this in a while. Normally, you see that in anime, where some shows(like Gundam) has recap specials for their TV shows.

 

[Sgt.Frog]

It looked less CGI when it was airing on CW4kids.

 

[Light Lucario]

Basically this is Winx Club Kai.

Well, kind of. With DBZ Kai, I believe that they only provided new animation to scenes that weren't there in the original DBZ series, but were present in the manga. Based on this special, it looks like they totally reanimated everything. This looked nothing like the first few season one episodes. Bloom is wearing an outfit she didn't get until season three, I'm pretty sure that Stella's normal outfit and ring have a different design than when she was first introduced, the transformation sequences aren't the same and I know that Bloom first transformation didn't happen like it did in this special. I'm pretty sure that she transformed into her fairy form in the third episode shortly before dancing at a welcoming party with Sky. Though, I'm not too surprised that they would have her transformation at the end of the special for more dramatic effect.

Anyway, I saw the whole special and I had some fun. I've seen all of what 4Kids dubbed of the show, but I was interested in seeing the new cast and see if this was more accurate to the original source. I was surprised to see that they didn't edit footage from the actual season one episodes to create this special, but actually reanimated it. The animation itself seemed okay. I also liked the voice cast for the most part. Bloom's voice grew on me, but it still sounds a bit too old for a sixteen year old girl and it also can sound pretty flat at times. Most of the other girls are fine and while I don't think that they were on-screen long enough for me to form a solid opinion on them, I thought that the voices for the Red Fountain boys were pretty much fine. I was surprised that I actually liked Sky's voice since I wasn't sure how Matt Shively would do in the role based on what I've seen of him in True Jackson VP. I didn't really like the voices for the witches though, especially Icy's voice. I don't think that they matched with their characters and it definitely doesn't make them sound threatening at all. But, they could improve later on. I also did like the music, especially the opening song and the transformation insert song, more than what 4Kids produced for the series.

I did have a fun time watching it, but I couldn't help feel like the pacing was a bit off. Maybe it helped that I have seen the first three seasons and knew what subplots they were most likely going to skip, but it just felt like they were going kind of fast. I realize that's probably the point, but this special did kind of confirm that it's pretty difficult to capture the storyline of a whole twenty-six episode season into two hours. I wasn't expecting them to get rid of Sky hiding the fact that he's a prince subplot though. That was pretty huge and does affect what will, or might if they cut that out from the next special, happen to Bloom later on and I thought that it did strengthen their relationship as well. This also makes me wonder how they'll handle the subplots for season two, which has been my favorite season of the show so far. I also thought that calling themselves the Winx Club felt a bit more random and sudden than what I remember from the 4Kids dub. Like I mentioned before, I'm not too surprised that they changed when Bloom first transformed for a more dramatic effect and ending the first special with Bloom finally feeling like a fairy, but it did feel kind of weird to change it at the same time.

While I did like the special, it also made me wish that Nickelodeon had just started from the first episode and redubbed the entire series. If they're willing to provide new animation for these specials, then I hope that it's not too impossible for them to eventually go back and redub the first two seasons, especially since it sounds like they are redubbing season three with their new cast. Plus, it would have given the new cast more time to get used to their roles so that by the time that they got to season three and four, they would be pretty comfortable in their roles. Though, I understand why Nickelodeon wanted to skip through the beginning for now so that they can get to the more recent seasons, but it still feels like a shame when they could easily go through both seasons within a few months if they gave it an afternoon slot. Hopefully, they will redub the first two seasons after these specials are done, assuming that both the specials and the third season do well enough in ratings, and that the next special in August will be fun to watch too.

 

[Edward15]

I agree with LL. If Nick is going to be handling the distribution of the series in North America from now on, they should at least redub the first two seasons entirely. I mean, it's not like they can just show those 1-hour specials in place of them, right? Maybe we can convince them to do so.

 

[Butterstar]

I haven't seen the first episode in a long time (and missed a lot of episodes on The CW), so this helped me catch up. I liked it.

 

[Light Lucario]

I agree with LL. If Nick is going to be handling the distribution of the series in North America from now on, they should at least redub the first two seasons entirely. I mean, it's not like they can just show those 1-hour specials in place of them, right? Maybe we can convince them to do so.

Based on this special, it doesn't seem like these specials would be able to completely retell the storylines in the first two seasons within two hours. They're getting some of the basic important events out of the way, while changing a few things too, such as when Bloom first transforms. It probably does help that I know what subplots they're skipping over in order to cover the important events, but it did feel kind of rushed. Then again, it was most likely going to feel rushed anyway when the actual season has more time to development the friendship with the characters, make the witches' decision to not go after Stella's ring anymore make more sense considering that they were able to steal it before going after Bloom and showcase the significance of Sky pretending to not be a prince. I kind of hope that they don't just show these specials in place of those seasons since kids would be missing out on quite a bit. I'm not sure how we can convince them to do that. I'd imagine that they'd be more interested in redubbing the first two seasons if the ratings for the specials and the actual seasons they'll eventually air get really good ratings. Still, I really do hope that they'll eventually redub the first two seasons. While the cast they have isn't perfect, it would be nice to see them get used to their roles through the course of various seasons, instead of rushing through the first two seasons.

 

[Sgt.Frog]

Winx is just a weird term is it? I originally for some reason thought, "Winx" was a play on the word "Wings". The Trix don't sound nearly as evil as they did before. Seems like they skipped out on quite a lot of stuff when dubbing this special, which too bad. Especially when Nickelodeon has more then enough time to air every single episode maybe even double episodes. I'd imagine Nickelodeon is more interested in Winx Club's merchandise rather then the actual ratings, given they seem content with not giving Power Rangers updated promos. Does anyone know if the new episodes will air on Nicktoons Network or Nickelodeon? With the premiere of a new Avatar series on the way along with this, as well as Power Rangers Samurai I'll be watching Nickelodeon a lot more often.

 

[Space Cadet]

Since the specials are combining episodes of seasons one and two, what episodes were combined for this special?

 

[iluvtgif]

Nickelodeon or 4Kids
So far, I'm liking 4Kids version better than Nick.

 

[Light Lucario]

Winx is just a weird term is it? I originally for some reason thought, "Winx" was a play on the word "Wings". The Trix don't sound nearly as evil as they did before. Seems like they skipped out on quite a lot of stuff when dubbing this special, which too bad. Especially when Nickelodeon has more then enough time to air every single episode maybe even double episodes. I'd imagine Nickelodeon is more interested in Winx Club's merchandise rather then the actual ratings, given they seem content with not giving Power Rangers updated promos. Does anyone know if the new episodes will air on Nicktoons Network or Nickelodeon? With the premiere of a new Avatar series on the way along with this, as well as Power Rangers Samurai I'll be watching Nickelodeon a lot more often.

I'm pretty sure that the term Winx refers to their magical powers. At least, that's what I remember from the 4Kids dub. I still think that there was a better explanation to why Bloom wanted to call them the Winx Club in that dub compared to this special, but it mainly felt forced and came out of nowhere since no one had said Winx beforehand. They did skip out on a pretty significant subplot and I don't think that they'll handle Mirta's subplot any better considering how Sky's true identity affected the storyline, or at least Bloom's character, in the first season. Considering how much money Nickelodeon is spending with animating these specials, as the quality of season one animation did not look like this, and producing season five an six, they might as well just redub the entire series from the start. I can see why they might want to get through the first few seasons in order to get to the more recent seasons, some of which they helped to produce, and these specials could also be a test to see how well kids respond to the show, but it's still cutting out a significant amount of character interactions that will make the relationships feel more believable later. Not to mention it doesn't give a chance for the kids who are seeing this show for the first time a chance to just relax and get to know more about these characters, see how the relationships grow at a more steady pace. Like I mentioned before, I'll be quite surprised if they do reach the final battle of the first season by the end of the second special with a believable/satisfying conclusion

I wouldn't be surprised if the merchandise sales have an even stronger influence on the show than just the ratings due to the doll line that is most likely going to come out based on the characters. I recall that the Winx Club doll line didn't really do that well a few years ago, but I'd imagine that it will be promoted more through Nickelodeon than it was with 4Kids. They did still make some video games based off the show too, but I don't know how well those sold.

Since the specials are combining episodes of seasons one and two, what episodes were combined for this special?

They combined episodes one, two, seven and ten. The plot for episodes one and two are basically kept the same, except that Bloom's parents didn't get a magical virtual tour of Alfea when they found out that they couldn't cross the magical barrier, Bloom didn't have to pretend to be another student when she first arrived in Alfea since Miss Faragonda already knew about her powers and Bloom came up with the name Winx Club at the end of events for the second episode when that name didn't come up until the fourth episode of the series. We also didn't see Mitzi, who is basically the stuck-up popular girl kind of character, teasing Bloom during the first episode, which I was actually completely okay with since she doesn't really add much to the series and comes off as really annoying. Though, I've heard that she does appear more in the later seasons.

As for episodes seven and ten, the basic plot is kept the same, but there are significant differences. Originally, the girls couldn't use their powers while cleaning up the school because it was punishment for going into Cloud Tower in order to get back Stella's ring. That's why I thought it made more sense for the Trix to search through Alfea for the power they wanted in the first season than in this special. In the first season, they did steal Stella's ring and found out that it didn't hold the power that they wanted. It didn't really make much sense for them to search through the school in the special since they never got a chance to examine the ring for themselves. I think that there was a test for them to handle a situation without their powers in the fourth episode, but it was still pretty different since they were on a field trip. In episode ten, Bloom did have to take a test in the Magical Reality Chamber and the Trix did get in there to attack her, but they already knew that Bloom had the Dragon Flame/Fire after episode nine and they were just testing her with their attack. Bloom did save Kiko too, but she doesn't transform for the first time. That already happened in the third episode of the season, which the special didn't cover. Though, I could understand why they'd want to end the special with Bloom's first transformation, but it was still pretty different from the original episode.

I do hope that Nickelodeon will eventually go back and redub the first two seasons. While I don't think every episode is necessary in order to understand the characters and storyline, I think that the pace of the seasons, or at least the first one, gives a better introduction to the characters and develops their relationships in a more believable way than these specials and some events as they played out in the first season might make more sense for the kids who are just watching this show for the first time as well. I wonder if/when they'll dub the first movie too. From what I understand it does take place before the fourth season and there are some important events from that movie that are mentioned in later episodes.

 

[Sgt.Frog]

I'm pretty sure that the term Winx refers to their magical powers. At least, that's what I remember from the 4Kids dub. I still think that there was a better explanation to why Bloom wanted to call them the Winx Club in that dub compared to this special, but it mainly felt forced and came out of nowhere since no one had said Winx beforehand. They did skip out on a pretty significant subplot and I don't think that they'll handle Mirta's subplot any better considering how Sky's true identity affected the storyline, or at least Bloom's character, in the first season. Considering how much money Nickelodeon is spending with animating these specials, as the quality of season one animation did not look like this, and producing season five an six, they might as well just redub the entire series from the start. I can see why they might want to get through the first few seasons in order to get to the more recent seasons, some of which they helped to produce, and these specials could also be a test to see how well kids respond to the show, but it's still cutting out a significant amount of character interactions that will make the relationships feel more believable later. Not to mention it doesn't give a chance for the kids who are seeing this show for the first time a chance to just relax and get to know more about these characters, see how the relationships grow at a more steady pace. Like I mentioned before, I'll be quite surprised if they do reach the final battle of the first season by the end of the second special with a believable/satisfying conclusion

I wouldn't be surprised if the merchandise sales have an even stronger influence on the show than just the ratings due to the doll line that is most likely going to come out based on the characters. I recall that the Winx Club doll line didn't really do that well a few years ago, but I'd imagine that it will be promoted more through Nickelodeon than it was with 4Kids. They did still make some video games based off the show too, but I don't know how well those sold.

Knowing Nickelodeon they'll most likely want to release toys for the show as well as various video games and other merchandise. I actually looked back, in the 4kids Dub Winx is the name of there powers. In the original dub of the show,"Winx" comes from the word "Wings". Nickelodeon's dub felt more accurate and less dumb downed then 4kids dub, they seem to refer to Alfea as a college rather then a school which is correct. The fairy to appear later on seems to keep her original name she had. It's going to be kind of hard to even see these episodes and think back to how much has been cut out, and Winx Club was airing on CW not to long ago last year. This episode felt more like they were just meeting each other, and watching the finale of season one in which they have a big fight and fight for each other when it doesn't even feel like they know each other that well is going to be pretty jarring. I'm surprised they kept the term "Trix" not only because the term is a often insult to some more course women, but I thought they would have the cereal company that makes Trix cereal on their back.

 

[Kuromi_Star]

I'm also somewhat annoyed that as they are pairing up the girls and guys that Riven seems to be up for grabs for both Flora and Musa. Just because I don't want any silly ~Love triangle~ to show up in the next special.

I was pretty into the show when the 4kids dub was airing and so I feel like they rushed though a lot in the special. Not just important things, but things that added to the show's charm overall.

 

[Dragnatek]

people are surprised

I find it strange that people are surprised with the condensed movie versions of season one and two when this is what was confirmed from the moment Nick first picked up WinX. Now it would have been better if they just redubbed seasons one and two like they are doing with season three but it's not like this came out of no where.

Oh and it was a completely new theme? I thought Nick was going to use a translated version of the original theme but maybe I heard wrong.

 

[Kuromi_Star]

Maybe they will for the actual show? I imagine a few things could change between the specials and the regular airings