Max & Ruby
|
Max & Ruby is an American-Canadian children's animated television series based on the book series by Rosemary Wells. The series debuted in Canada on Treehouse TV on May 3, 2002. In the United States, the series premiered on Nick Jr. in January 2003.
The series was animated and produced primarily in the US, with voice recording taking place in Canada.
The first two seasons feature Ruby wearing a purple shirt and a yellow dress, while in Seasons 3-5 she wears a pink shirt and a magenta dress instead.
Plot[edit | edit source]
Max & Ruby is about two bunnies: Max, a rambunctious and determined three-year-old, and his older sister Ruby, a patient, goal-oriented, and sometimes restrictive seven-year-old. The series takes place in a fictional town called Eastbunny Hop, which is a universe populated by bunnies and other small creatures. According to Wells, the series shows the relationship between Ruby, Max, and the universal nature of sibling relationships. <a data-display-name="Link" href="/shows/max-and-ruby" aria-label="Max & Ruby" style="z-index: 1;" data-testid="link-Max & Ruby" id="item-7" class="e1ur6wwb2 eywuxwh0 css-1oy2l8c-StyledTypography-StyledLink-EmblaSlide e1wje7qk0"><div data-testid="item-Blue's Clues & You" class="css-1g04bxb-Box-Flex-CharItemWrapper eywuxwh1"
Bad Qualities[edit | edit source]
- Quantity Over Quality: Much like Johnny Test and Teen Titans Go!, the series lasted for way too long, as it ran for 17 years and lasted 130 episodes.
- Poor characterization:
- Despite trying to keep him out of trouble, Ruby bosses her little brother Max around and doesn't allow him to do things on his own. This makes Ruby a stereotypical mean girl and Max a punching bag.
- She also sometimes wants Max to do idiotic and pathetic things, such as having him act like a baby in "Baby Max". also she is annoying,jerk sometimes at the same time. also her friends are mediocre,irrating and annoying at times, because this, they like to abuse max for almost nothing wrong at all.
- Max always causes trouble, annoys Ruby, and ruins his sister's best-laid plans. To be fair with Max, this can basically be understandable since he's only three-years old while Ruby mostly orders him around and doesn't allow him to do things on his own most of the time.
- In "Goodnight, Max", he keeps waking up Ruby and even dirties all of his pajamas just because he doesn't like them.
- In "Max's Christmas", he annoys Ruby by constantly asking her why he has to go to sleep on Christmas Eve.
- In "Max's Chocolate Chicken", he eats an entire chocolate chicken left by the Easter Bunny while he and Ruby are in the middle of an egg hunt.
- In "Max's Bath", he keeps telling Ruby he's hungry and even plays with his food in the bathtub.
- In "Ruby's Beauty Shop", he ruins Ruby and Louise's beauty shop and puts on so much make-up that his fur turns green. Why, Max, why??!!
- In "Max's Music", he interrupts Ruby and her friends with his toys while they practice for the Bunny Scout Concert.
- He is often only scolded by Ruby and/or her friends for his actions rather than punished, making him a Karma Houdini.
- Just like Ruby, Grandma lets Max get away with the trouble he causes, even when he doesn't deserve it. She even tends to point out to Ruby that her little brother's troublemaking has helped save the day. What the heck?
- Despite trying to keep him out of trouble, Ruby bosses her little brother Max around and doesn't allow him to do things on his own. This makes Ruby a stereotypical mean girl and Max a punching bag.
- Max is seen naked in some episodes, which is very inappropriate for a kids' show. We're not joking!
- Max and Ruby's parents are mysteriously absent in the first five seasons, just like in the books the show is based on.
- In "Quiet, Max" and "Max's Cuckoo Clock", Max makes too much noise and wakes up Baby Huffington, despite Ruby telling him not to because he's asleep. The noises, especially Baby Huffington's crying, will also get on your last nerve.
- The episodes are extremely repetitive and predictable, almost like Dork Diaries. Even Dork Diaries was kind of entertaining, but Max & Ruby is just bland.
- Poor voice acting for Ruby in the first two seasons, in which she sounds older than a 7-year-old and speaks with a lisp.
- Choppy Flash animation, especially in seasons 6 and 7 (the animation of which was made by Atomic Cartoons, known for the later seasons of Johnny Test). The character movements are also unnatural, stilted, and uncanny.
- More than a fair load of bad/mediocre episodes, including:
- Ruby's Piano Practice (which started the series on a sour note, no pun intended)
- Max's Bath
- Max's Bed Time
- Hide and Seek
- Max's Breakfast
- Louise's Secret
- Max Misses the Bus
- Max's Worm Cake
- Max's Rainy Day
- Camp Out
- Ruby's Clubhouse
- Max's Picnic
- Max's Halloween
- Ruby's Leaf Collection
- The Blue Tarantula
- Quiet, Max
- Max Cleans Up
- Max's Cuckoo Clock
- Ruby's Jewelry Box
- Bunny Cakes
- Bunny Party
- Bunny Money
- Max's New Suit
- Goodnight, Max
- Ruby's Beauty Shop
- Max Drives Away
- Ruby's Rummage Sale
- Max's Work of Art
- Max Meets Morris
- Ruby's Scavenger Hunt
- Ruby's Hiccups
- The Big Picture
- Max's Froggy Friend
- Max's Music
- Ruby's Tea Party
- Max Is It
- Ruby's Science Project
- Max's Music
- Ruby's Panda Prize
- Ruby's Roller Skates
- Ruby's Beach Party
- Max's Dragon Shirt
- Max's Rabbit Racer
- Roger's Choice
- Grandma's Treasure Hunt
- Grandma's Attic
- Grandma's Bunny Sniffles
- The voice acting in the UK dub is terrible. Samantha Morton also doesn't reprise her role as Ruby, despite being a British person.
- Max's toys, especially the Ear-Splitter Space Cadet, are annoying.
- The background music is bland and will put you to sleep.
- The books the show is based on suffer from most, if not all of the same problems.
Good Qualities[edit | edit source]
- The show improved slightly in Seasons 3-5 with a little bit better voice acting and plots, though that isn't saying much.
- Max and Ruby care for each other, despite their poor characterization and execution.
- Max can now speak in full sentences in Season 6 and the siblings' parents are finally revealed.
- The show does have some heartwarming and funny moments.
- Most of the voice acting is good.
- The character designs are pretty cute, though it's not a "get out of jail for free card".
- Sometimes, it's so bad that it's good.
- The theme song, while still plain, is nostalgic to some people.
- Some decent episodes.
Reception[edit | edit source]
Max & Ruby received mixed reviews. It has been criticized and considered mean-spirited by critics and the audience. It was also criticized by the Angry Grandpa. It currently holds a 6.1/10 on IMDb.
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- Max & Ruby was introduced at MIPTV in April 2002 to prospective broadcasters and investors as consisting of 130 twenty-two-minute episodes.
- The series was then presented at the 2002 Cartoons on the Bay Film Festival as running for 130 twenty-two-minute episodes as well.
- Rosemary Wells, the creator of the series, created Timothy Goes to School for the PBS Kids Bookworm Bunch in 2000.