The Cryptkeeper hosting Kids' WB? It's nice to hear John Kassir back for the first time since he took over for Charlie Adler on Tiny Toons...though his ghoulish puns wear thin after the first hour or so. Maybe after all these years he's lost some of his "espirit de *corpse*". >8D

POKJJ #349: Fowl Play
Or, as I like to call it, "Ash Gets Flipped the Bird".
While taking a shortcut through the woods on their way to Azalea Town, Ash and company note a birdhouse built into one of the trees--certainly an odd thing to see miles away from any private property. As they watch, a couple of Nachtowl--the evolved form of Hoot-Hoot--appear. One is large and brown; the other squat and yellow. It also appears the tree is--talking...to...the...yellow one?
Actually it's Wiseman, a bird expert who looks like a cross between Bill the Kabutophile and Elton John. He's not only oosessed with Nachtowl, but that British accent makes him sound like his door might siwng the other way. A new buddy for James, perhaps? >8D
Nachtowl uses hypnosis attacks on both Ash and Wiseman, leaving them hugging rocks while it makes its escape...though Wiseman uses a bit of chicannery in getting the bird to zap itself while looking into a mirror. It's a variant on a fun little trick I often play with puppies and kittens by holding them up in front of a glass to see themselves. Generally they fidget and try to get away from the "other kitten/puppy" rather than behave aggressively towards it.
Anyway, after Ash unsuccessfully tries to make contact with Nachtowl, thinking it's hurt (noble yet misguided boy), he and Wiseman have a dispute over the bird's intelligence vs. a human's. Enter Team Rocket, figuring a bird worth this much fuss will be a great prize for Giovanni.
The Rocketeers sic a Nachtowl robot, complete with shock- and rust-proof coating, on our heroes...but the Nachtowl, with the bravado of a general commanding his troops, orders Cyndaquil and Totodile (KWB is showing these eps out of order; the squirty hair-loving gator isn't due to debut unti *next* week) to attack. Cyndy heats the robot, and Totodile cools it suddenly. Like splashing hot water on a frozen windshild, the expanding and contracting shatter the machine (Jessy likens the noise to crackers being chewed), and sends TR blasting off again.
Watch for the bit where Psyduck attempts a confusion attack and nearly gives himself an aneurism. Earlier Misty tried to palm off her defunct duck on Wiseman as a rare bird, but he's smarter than he looks.
Wiseman knows that Nachtowl has chosen Ash as a worthy trainer, but wants to test his mettle. Ash sics Pikachu on it, but the little yellow rat gets hypnotized. Watch the look on his face as he starts dazedly shoting everywhere! Ash figured the key is to not look Nachtowl in the eye. Actually, wouldn't a blind Pokemon be best in fighting a Nachtowl? Why didn't he choose Cyndaquil? Being a mole-type Pokemon, it's virtually sightless, so it'd have an advantage. Then again, its fire attacks might roast Nachtowl like a turkey, so maybe he *did* choose well. Nachtowl is down for the count, and Ash captures it...which makes his stable complete.
Next week it's Ash vs. Misty for possession of Totodile. We all know how it comes out, but still, it should be fun to see these two young lovers go at it--um--that is to say, on the battlefield. Did Mrs. Ketchum never teach Ash manners enough not to argue with a woman? You lose every time.

MIB #409: The Circus Parade Syndrome
This one is hard to follow because the writing seemed uneven somehow. It was like a cross between "It" and "Goodfellas".
J and K rescue a French painter from a crablike alien disguised as a homely little girl. It turns out he's an extraterrestrial and a squealer with a price on his head by the alien Mafia. Zed arranges for him to hide out with...an alien circus? First MIB gave us aliens in Hollywood, and now under the big top.
Meantime Jeebs is providing disguises and weapons, as well as room and board after the MIB crashes their hotel suite (not that they're hard to spot; Jeebs gave them all George Wahington costumes. Either he's an idiot or a horrible practical joker), to the alien mobsters. There's an old gag used here about the boss, a little fellow, being called "Big Izzy" (he never speaks), and his right-hand man, "Little Izzy", being a big fellow.
J learns of a former employee of the circus, a clown that scared all the kids, and relives a childhood trauma of being spooked by the greasepaint-wearing ghoul. The problem compounds when the alien performers all skip out, spooked by the mob, and the MIB has to step in and perform for the kiddies. The worms claim their ancestors were circus folk and beg to perform, but turn out even lamer than the walking Trapper Keeper alien juggler. It turns out that the ringmaster has been on the take for years, and Big Izzy was the evil Bozo who has haunted J's nightmares since childhood. Of course, now he has worse things to deal with that a spooky clown--Zeebo is clingy and sticks closer to J that his MIB-issue Froot of the Looms.
Confusing and unsatisfying, this wasn't one of the better MIB's, and if the rest are like this or worse, maybe I won't be crying too much when the show is put to bed. IMO, we cartoonophiles are an odd lot--we cry when our favorite series are pulled while in their prime and we fuss when one of our favorites stays on the air too long and the quality goes downhill after a few seasons.

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