Posted in: Cartoon Network, Fox, Opinion, TV, TV | Tagged: anime, cartoon network, cartoons, FOX Kids, Latin America, opinion

FOX Kids: My Dominican Republic Gateway to Western Animation, Anime

When I was growing up in the Dominican Republic, I had FOX Kids to thank for introducing me to the worlds of anime and Western animation.

One of the things I treasure most about having grown up in the Dominican Republic was my exposure to animation, as most animation channels played anime as much as Western-style animation. It was a big culture shock when I came to live in the US, and only Toonami had my back, but we all know one day a week is not enough. Cartoon Network was a different beast altogether and introduced me to anime while Boomerang cartoons played throughout. We also had my other favorite: FOX Kids, which later on became Jetix. But is one day a week ever enough? Thankfully, we now have streaming, but unfortunately, we do not always get Latin American Spanish dub, which I am pretty biased toward…

I have to admit, growing up watching anime sprinkled throughout every hour of the day spoiled me quite a bit— I do not think I have or will ever get used to anime just being reserved for streaming or Saturdays. That said, fast channels have made me feel so much better when I spend hours watching Sailor Moon, Hunter x Hunter, or Naruto for hours.  One of the channels that brought me immense delight with their show selection was FOX Kids/Jetix.

Being exposed to shows I hold dear, like Shaman King, Digimon, Tonde Buurin, Cyber Team in Akihabara, Mushrambo/Shinzo, Totally Spies, and Vandread, shaped me into who I am as a geek adult. Not only did these help forge my path and nurture my love for art and animation, as well as magical aesthetics. It also became my safe space, my escape from the real world and magical places where I could be myself with no fear of judgment. These have also been the grounds on which I have met amazing people and made great friendships.

I mean, I liked Gundam, but I was always obsessed with Patlabor and Vandread, which I would favor over Gundam since they both played around the same time.  Flint Time Detective and Mon Colle Knights were also must-watch on my daily list, along with Shin Chan, which never ceased to make me laugh. Some other favorites included Mushrambo, Medabot, Dinozaurs, and Angela Anaconda— I always think the last one always gets so much hate, but even though I did not like it at first, I grew very fond of it. Other top-notch anime that Fox Kids introduced me to:

Tonde Buurin is yet another magical girl show I hold very dearly in my heart. I mean, who, growing up in Latin America, did not pretend to be Super Cerdita and fake put on a piggy nose to transform? I always wanted her compact just as much as I wanted Usagi's compact, Sakura's clow key and Corrector Yui's bracelet.

Monster Rancher is one of my first and favorite tastes of isekai anime – if it is considered as such. I always loved the creatures, but I mean, I love Digimon, so it is only natural. I remember I would pretend to be Holly, and my brother pretended to go on adventures while looking for the discs with a fake necklace.

I have written about Digimon (1-4) many times throughout the years, so I will keep this one short and sweet. My love for Digimon is forever unmatched— especially Digimon 02. My heart will always have a very special place for Ken Ichijouji in both of his forms; yes, that also includes the Digi Emperor. I always loved Yamato the most, but Ken quickly took first place along with him. I do not know why, but Digimon is one of those shows I turn to when I need comfort, along with Ranma 1/2 and Cardcaptor Sakura.

So about Cyber Team in Akihabara, the movie. I must clarify as FOX Kids/Jetix did not show the anime, but only the movie, and I just had to watch it once to fall in love. I watch this movie pretty much every year, mostly because of the 90's anime art vibe which I adore, and the music, not to mention the cute little creatures that help them magically transform into mecha magical girls. I still randomly sing the songs and think of this movie a lot. I do have to admit it is one of those that I prefer to watch in Latin America Spanish dub because it was just so well done.

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