I thought about and remembered this being among the shows aired as part of the now-defunct Kids Click TV block of the This TV channel (at the time, I didn't know that this is a foreign cartoon that's a French/Italian/South Korean/Indonesian co-production with the U.S.). I didn't check for it when it was airing on there, but then I decided to try it out and watched the first couple episodes on one of the Watch Cartoons Online sites last late Wednesday morning. It's my belief that I've found another winner. I've gotten into only a few 2010's cartoons to date (and not including many of the bigger ones), but it has since become a new favorite of mine and to add to that list. Another one of my favorite cartoons, CGI or otherwise. Anyone who may be reading this and hasn't seen this series should get ready for sailing off to an adventure and fantasy that's sure to be a splash.
Now what can I say about this series that hasn't already been mentioned by one of the other reviewers before me or how can I explain it differently? Well, for one thing, it's one of those shows that has a continuing storyline. The titular, main character, Zak Storm, starts off as an ordinary boy whose hobby is surfing. Suddenly, he gets caught in a tidal wave, which sweeps him away from his home. He then finds himself lost and trapped in The Bermuda Triangle. Little does he know, he is destined and tasked to be a pirate, despite not having any prior experience in that nor having first-hand knowledge about it. It's up to him to hone his swashbuckling skills before he can achieve his goal to return home. But he seems to be a fast learner, with the help of an enchanted, piratical-accented, talking sword named Calabrass that has various modes, which allow Zak to take on various powers as he battles or duels with the villains. Another requirement prior to returning home is he must pick up and form a crew that consists of the Seven C's (that is, everyone in a group of seven having in common of their names beginning with the the letter C, a play on the word "sea") and they join him and share his quest of returning to their own homes. Everything I just mentioned may be the main or most notable points.
As for the content, it's great, aside from the wind-breaking attacks and humor provided by the ghost boy and crew member, Clovis. I wasn't expecting there to be any wind-breaking humor and usually, for the most part, I've avoided those kinds of shows and will try to avoid those. But because I love the premise of this series so much, I'll try to look past that and make an exception. On to the technical details of this production. The CGI exhibits a perfect paragon of how it's done properly. It's top-notch, so unlike the several, various, low-budget, very poor quality, straight-to-home video computer animated movies, and one of the better CG-animated 'toons ever made. The art of both the characters and the backgrounds, and layouts are well-designed. The colors have no issues, like clashing nor being too dark or too bright, but just right. Both the protagonists and the antagonists are amongst the better ones ever conceived. Ce Ce has become one of my new favorites. Don't recognize any of the voice actors in this cast, but they all sound like they did a job well-done. The music has that great sense of epic. The writing of the episodes' stories are well-connected, again, since this has a continuing storyline.
Anyone who hasn't viewed this, I advise and implore to do so as soon as possible. Even though I have yet to get through the whole series so far, I understand that supposedly there's finally supposed to be a second season coming out some time this year. What else or what more can I say other than this is one of the less disappointing programs of the decade. A swashbuckling smash, recommended.
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