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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
Michael Cusack is back to Hulu once again with a new streaming television project, Koala Man. Following last January’s release of Adult Swim’s Smiling Friends and October’s The Paloni Show! Halloween Special!, as well as a role in the action-adventure comedy video game, High on Life, the brilliant animator/ voice actor has had quite a year for 2022. This month brings Cusack the long-awaited second season of Adult Swim’s YOLO: Crystal Fantasy along with the premiere season of Koala Man, the latter of which streams on Hulu in just a few days.
The adult animated superhero action-adventure comedy series highlights what the world knows most and least about the continent that resides in the middle of Oceania/ the Pacific Ocean and plays around with those elements over the course of one 8-episode season. As someone who lives a mere one hour apart from Australia himself, I totally understood many of the references that the series makes and quite enjoyed what Cusack had to offer.
I also got the opportunity to speak with Cusack and other talent from this title just earlier this weekend. Although, more on that at a later time.
In this review, I will be discussing Hulu’s Koala Man Season 1. There will be no spoilers here, as the title of this article suggests. Nonetheless, please read ahead at your own discretion as I will discuss several character developments and some minor references to popular culture.
Please note that I have seen all eight episodes of this first season twice ahead of the season’s release. I have also credited as many cast and crew members as I can.
Koala Man Season 1 Synopsis
According to Hulu, here is the synopsis for Koala Man Season 1.
“Koala Man” follows middle-aged dad Kevin and his titular not-so-secret identity, whose only superpower is a burning passion for following rules and snuffing out petty crime in the town of Dapto. Though it may seem like any other Australian suburb, forces of evil both cosmic and man-made lie in wait to pounce on unsuspecting Daptonians. On a quest to clean up his hometown, and often roping his frustrated family into his adventures, Koala Man stands at the ready. He’ll do whatever it takes to defeat villainous masterminds, supernatural horrors, or worse: jerks who don’t take their rubbish bins down on the proper days.
Hulu Press
Episode Loglines for Koala Man Season 1
According to Hulu, here are the loglines for all eight episodes of Koala Man Season 1.
Pilot—“Bin Day” (written for television by Michael Cusack, directed by Roberto Fino)
Kevin forgets to take the garbage bins down.
Hulu Press
Episode 102—“Deep Pockets” (written by Dan Hernandez & Benji Samit, directed by Andrew Bowler)
Vicky bans soft drinks at school.
Hulu Press
Episode 103—“The Red Hot Rule” (written by Nina Oyama, directed by Maik Hempel)
Liam makes a new American friend.
Hulu Press
Ep. 104—“The Great One” (written by Georgie Aldaco, directed by Roberto Fino)
Dapto works together on an exciting project.
Hulu Press
Ep. 105—“Ode To A Koala Bear” (written by Lucas Gardner, directed by Andrew Bowler)
Kevin brings Liam his jacket.
Hulu Press
Episode 106—“The Handies” (written by Dario Russo & David Ashby, directed by Maik Hempel)
Alison and Liam play handball. Vicky goes to a party.
Hulu Press
Episode 7—“Emu War II” (written by Anca Vlasan, directed by Roberto Fino)
Kevin encounters some tall birds.
Hulu Press
Finale—“Hot Christmas” (written by Michael Cusack, directed by Andrew Fowler)
Dapto’s holiday celebrations are in danger!
Hulu Press
Discussion
While I am not Australian myself, I do relate or empathize with some of the ideas and concepts that the continent believes in, such as one episode’s concept of “The Red Hot Rule”, the Wiggles, and the effects of actual war on one’s homeland, i.e. The Great Emu War.
In terms of how the series’ events are played out, I admire how Hunter and Cooper’s storyboard team mapped out the sequences of action. The teleplay writers and the storyboard artists did an incredible job at bringing a panel-by-panel animated project to life. Additionally, the fight sequences in the episodes are tremendous and are a great example of the storyboards being in the right hands.
Koala Man‘s color schemes are quite splendid. I appreciate the juxtaposition of secondary colors orange and green in one of the middle episodes. There is something worthy of analysis there. Although, that would be diving into spoiler territory.
Baxter et al’s character designs are lovely. They are nothing too complicated in comparison with other animated projects we have seen in recent years. Yet what the series has to offer is appealing enough to my eyes and gets the job done! Amor et al’s background designs are extravagant. Their depiction of Australia’s neighborhoods and deserts is truly a sight, showing the beauty of the title character’s home, Dapto, with radiance.
Bringing Koala Man to Life: The Teleplay Writing
Cusack’s writers’ room is quite something to take note of. The second and third episodes utilize the traditional three-act structure well. Although, it could be argued that the penultimate episode of the season does it just as great but with heightened intensity. Perhaps it could be due to the pacing of its own story. Koala Man tends to play out as if it were a legitimate comic book. Think of the character and his story as the lovechild between DC’s Batman and Marvel’s Spider-Man, but set in an Australian backdrop.
Comedy
Koala Man tends to have hilarious dialogue throughout its eight episodes that had me chuckling. A lot of the more absurd lines come from the adult characters, and maybe that is to be expected from a series with adult humor. There is also a lot of belittling to go around, and in one or two episodes, it does take on a literal meaning. The dialogue can get corny at times–such as Koala Man’s (Michael Cusack) line in an early episode, “Your soda is about to go flat!”–but the voice actors make up for that by delivering those lines so well, given the context of the situation.
Ironies
There are some ironies throughout the show that I enjoyed. For example, there is an episode where Koala Man is calculating time to make a particular choice, and his wife, Vicky Williams (Sarah Snook), wants him to take time to dig into his past. He says he does not have time to do that because time is limited and therefore he is in a rush, but then the next thing he does is wash his windshield. In the finale, there is an irony that is so convenient to the plot that I just had to roll my eyes. It is the small things about the story that is laughable and dramatic that audiences might not initially catch.
Building Up the Larger Stories
Koala Man also sets up its major “story arc” remarkably. There is a conspiracy against the titular superhero revealed in the pilot, but we do not get to see the larger, more ridiculous revelation until the final scene in the second-to-last episode of the season. It is quite dramatic, but the season finale ups the ante by providing us with two plot twists that you do not see coming. In fact, one of them will be right in front of our faces the entire time. It just will not be evident until the second half of the season. The viewer might predict a connection between the two, but they will be surprised at what the writers do there.
The second storyline pertaining to the family dynamics is quite good. One episode does a merit-worthy job at balancing lessons of figuratively and literally cheating. I do not think viewers will catch onto it until the episode meets its third act, but there is something intellectual about it that I believe deserves attention. Kevin Williams (Cusack) is often told to be a better father and husband despite his supposedly “secret” role as a superhero and is neat how the writers craft his stories in the episodes.
Australia Comes to Life
The writers also do a fantastic job of giving us the Australian, Oceania, and Pacific lifestyles that many have come to know and love. There are references to canteens and tradies, which is very specific to Australia. I do think I have canteens where I live, and I am sure cafeterias exist as well. However, I am still confused as to what the differences are. The series also emphasizes on the difference in language between English English — or in this case, Australian English — and American English. For example, we see Kevin Williams eating lunch at a fast food joint with his family. Here, he has an argument with one of his children about whether to call fried potato slices either “fries” or “chips”.
One thing that I can definitely relate to is the episode, “The Red Hot Rule”. No such rule exists, but it does deal with the fact that there are regions of the world that are ahead of the United States of America in terms of time zones. I totally understand Australia’s inclusion of this, and it is hilarious how Cusack and his writers commit to the bit.
One particular in the finale caught my interest, and it is when a character brings up Mount Everest and the Mariana Trench in the discussion. They call their connection to the world and nature “a beautiful, vast collective soul”, which is something that I found to be rather heartfelt. The Mariana Trench is a vast body of water in the world that is known for James Cameron’s expedition into the deep ocean and James Wan’s intense trench scene in Aquaman. Cusack highlights the beauty of his home, and I cannot wait to see that continue in future episodes of the series.
References to Australia and Pop Culture
Koala Man also has references Australian, New Zealand, and American media. I do not know if the world outside of the Pacific knows who The Wiggles are, but where I live, they are a colorful children’s music group that fills many with hope and joy. There is an episode of the show that pokes fun at them by placing them into the backdrop of what only reminds me of an Australian horror film directed by filmmaker Sean Byrne.
Allusions to The Lord of the Rings film franchise are present in two or three episodes. That is not to mention two of the original trilogy’s cast members have guest voice roles in the season. In the penultimate episode, Cusack and his writers also include an obvious reference to another popular franchise that takes place in the Land Down Under. However, I will leave that to the audience to figure out what that is.
References to American media include Batman, Spider-Man, Gremlins and/or Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Silence of the Lambs, and Fast and the Furious.
On the next page, I highlight the crew and cast members of Koala Man, take note of how characters are developed, and give my final analysis of the show.
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