Invader Zim

Invader Zim "As soon as I've tainted the humans meat supply with filth, they will be ripe for conquest!" - Zim Genre: Dark comedy Science fiction Running Time: 23 minutes Country: United States Release Date: March 30, 2001 – August 19, 2006 Network(s): Nickelodeon Nicktoons Created by: Jhonen Vasquez Distributed by: Viacom Media Networks Starring: Jhonen Vasquez Steve Ressel Richard Steven Horvitz Andy Berman Melissa Fahn Rosearik Rikki Simons Rodger Bumpass Lucille Bliss Wally Wingert Kevin McDonald Kevin Manthei Seasons: 2 Episodes: 27 (46 segments + 1 pilot)

Invader Zim is a cartoon series produced by Nickelodeon. It first aired in 2001, and was canceled after just two seasons due to low ratings.

Plot

Irken alien Zim dreams of greatness. Unfortunately, though, he's hopelessly inept as a space invader. Desperate to be rid of the annoying Zim, his planet's leaders send him on a mission to infiltrate Earth, providing him with leftover, cobbled-together equipment. To their consternation, Zim succeeds in setting up a base on Earth and infiltrating human culture, posing as a human child as he plots the planet's downfall. Only Zim's archnemesis, Dib, recognizes that Zim is an alien, and of course, nobody believes Dib's claims.

Why It Takes Over the World (And in a GOOD Way)

1. Awesome voice acting coming from Richard Steven Horvitz, Rosearik Rikki Simons and Andy Berman.
2. This is one of Nickelodeon's most unique shows ever made that stands out from their other shows at their time as it isn't their usual lighthearted and happy-go-lucky type of show, but rather the opposite of that (being dark and grim).
3. The idea of a premise where an alien invades a portrayal of a dystopian version of earth along with its humanity further adds to its charm.
4. Smoothly fluent and wacky-styled animation, while combining this with stylized computer graphics.
5. Some likable characters like GIR, Zim and Dib (Zim's arch-nemesis).
   • Speaking of GIR, his character serving as a comic-relief balances out the usual dark tone of the series.
6. Many episodes have interesting and wacky plots behind it.
7. I AM ZIM!!
8. Its Netflix movie was great too
9. Dib, being the heroic antagonist of the series while Zim being the protagonist villain makes it an unusual twist from how protagonists and antagonists are usually portrayed in most fiction.
10. A lot of funny moments, especially with GIR's moments.
11. Unique art style that blends in well to the theme of the show.
12. Lot's of memorable quotes, like: "YOU'RE AFTER MY ROBOT BEE!!!!!" and "I'm gonna sing the Doom Song now!"

Bad Qualities

1. It was canceled after only two seasons leaving some plotholes. The recent comic series, however, helped fill in the gaps left by the show.
2. Some moments featuring Gaz can get really dark and creepy, and alongside the fact she is emo, caused controversy within Moral Guardians and ordered Nickelodeon to tone down the "satanic" elements Gaz had.
   • Its grotesque content can be too disturbing for children, especially the infamous scene in "Bestest Friend," where a kid's eyeballs are ripped out. Not to mention, the infamous and controversial "Dark Harvest" showed actual organs of the characters on-screen which was also controversial because there was a similar case of a murderer stealing body parts from his neighbor.
3. It has two infamous episodes, Gaz: Taster of Pork and Bolognius Maximus.

Reception

The show recieved critical acclaim from both critics and audiences, who praised it's humor, writing, animation, art-style and the way it pushed the boundaries of what was considered acceptable on children's television. It is nowadays considered as one of the best Nickedoldeon shows ever made. On Rotten tomatoes, the show has a 100% critic score a 90% audience score. The site's critics conseus states "The right balance of dark humor and spastic earnestness make Invader Zim a creepy kid's cartoon worthy of its cult following". It has a 8.3/10 on IMDb. Despite the positive reception, Invader Zim had low ratings on Nickelodeon and became controversial for featuring dark content, such as brief scenes depicting actual human organs onscreen, which led to it's cancellation after 2 seasons.

Trivia

• Invader Zim came out at the same day as The Fairly OddParents.

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