Episode Reviews - Sum Of His Parts
Episode #05 - Sum of His Parts
Original Airdate - August 23rd 2003
Cyborg is reminded he's not completely human, when his power cell dies
during a wild junkyard battle with the Amazing Mumbo. The Titans fear Mumbo
has taken their friend, and search the city for Cyborg. But Fixit, a
cybernetic hermit who finds and repairs broken things, finds Cyborg.
Review by VortexInfinite
Media by Bird Boy |
Titans Writers
Written by David Slack
Directed by Alex Soto
Producer Glen Murakami
Producers Linda M. Steiner, Bruce Timm
Asst. Producer Kimberly A. Smith
Music by Michael McCuistion
Casting and Voice Direction Andrea Romano
Animation Services by Lotto Animation
Titans Voices
Greg Cipes as Beast Boy
Scott Menville as Robin
Khary Payton as Cyborg
Tara Strong as Raven
Hynden Walch as Starfire
Tom Kenny as Mumbo, Fix It |
Review
It makes me glad to say that I enjoyed this episode a lot. More so than any
other to date. It never lost its humorous moments and actually had an
interesting, meaningful plot for a character. By using two villains (one
threatening, one camp) The Sum of His Parts demonstrates both of its
elements in a smart way.
The typical laid-back style of the intros is present here, with the Titans
actually acting like adolescents and hanging out outside. When we see Cyborg
lose power while playing football, we realize something is wrong (which is a
better way to announce it than having Robin say "Titans! Trouble!").
On his way to recharge after his reserve battery kicks in, Cyborg meets the
kid, who is actually a fan. This is the first Titans fan we've seen in the
whole show. Showing off his prosthetic arm, he gladly compares himself to
Cyborg, who doesn't seem to care about the similarities. When Cyborg
recieves an alert of Mumbo the Magician's antics, he decides to risk losing
power to join the fray. As Robin says, "because he's...Cyborg."
Mumbo himself is a fun villain. He obviously bought his mask at the same
shop as Robin's, but otherwise his design is well-done. His spells and
tricks are original and funny. Particularly when he encases the "lovely
assistant" Starfire in a wooden box, conjures a saw and says, "I feel I must
warn you...I have no idea what I'm doing."
During the battle at the junkyard, Cyborg loses the last of his power and
ends up getting dumped underground. This is where the cybernetic Fixit
resides. Fixit is hands-down one of the creepiest villains of the DCAU. With
a Brainiac-like monotone and alien motivations, he brings a suspenseful edge
that was missing from the show before. Fixit's interested in getting rid of
Cyborg's "inferior biological components" and making him a complete machine.
This is where Cyborg shows some depth to his character. Protesting, he says
he likes the sunlight, fresh air, and food of the outside world and that his
human parts are what makes him...well, him. When Fixit attempts to appease
him by "downloading" his memories, he finds the emotions to be too much for
him. Fixit decides that maybe he is the one who needs "repairs."
So this episode gave us a great look at Cyborg's character and a decent
moral to boot. It didn't sacrifice any of its witty and fun style or its
insistence in using anime techniques. If it can get even better than this,
I'll be a happy viewer indeed.
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