Oddbods (also known as The Oddbods Show)[a] is a Singaporean computer-animated comedy television series produced by One Animation.[1][2][3][4] The series centers on eight characters—Bubbles, Pogo, Newt, Lulu, Jeff, Slick, Fuse and Zee—wearing furry suits of different colors.[2] The characters make sounds but there is no dialogue, making the series easily translatable and international.
| Oddbods | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Also known as | The Oddbods Show |
| Genre | |
| Created by | Richard Thomas |
| Directed by |
|
| Creative director | Richard Thomas |
| Voices of |
|
| Theme music composer | Kristin Øhrn Dyrud |
| Opening theme | "Oddbods Theme" |
| Composer | Kristin Øhrn Dyrud |
| Country of origin | Singapore |
| Original language | None |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 180 + 6 special (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producers |
|
| Running time |
|
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | |
| Release | 21 January 2013 – present |
The series debuted in 2013, and the first season ended in 2015.[5] Each season has 60 episodes. Season two followed in 2016. Season three released on April 4, 2022 on Netflix. Each episode is relatively short, and various formats have been broadcast, including one-, five-, and seven-minute episodes.
The series has won several awards since its debut, including the Asian Television Awards, Apollo Awards, Gold Panda Awards, and Web TV Asia Awards. In 2017, it was nominated for an international Kids Emmy Award.[6]
Plot
editThe series focuses on eight creatures in colorful furry suits called the Oddbods: Fuse, Pogo, Newt, Slick, Bubbles, Jeff, Zee, and Lulu.
The storyline of each episode depicts how these characters "survive the perils of everyday life, unintentionally turning ordinary situations into unexpected, extraordinary and always humorous events." Episodes typically employ physical comedy and pranks played out between the characters, and the events that follow.
The series was conceived as a non-dialogue comedy, which the series' creators and writers say, "captures the madcap yet charming antics of the Oddbods, who celebrate success where they find it and take failure in their stride. To turn 'different' into a positive; celebrating individuality in a humorous, warm and unexpected way."
The series' strapline is "Embrace Your Inner Odd, There's a Little Odd in Everyone!"
Characters
editMain
edit- Fuse (voiced by Marlon Dance-Hooi): is a red Oddbod. He's the hot-headed leader of the Oddbods. He can instantly change from serene to enraged, which makes his friends avoid him whenever he is in a bad mood, but admire his 'heart of gold'. He is always willing to play sports, but only if he wins.
- Slick (voiced by Chio Su Ping & Jeremy Linn): is an orange Oddbod. He believes in YOLO. But suffers from FOMO. He likes to dance, and tries to act as the cool person in the group.
- Bubbles (voiced by Chio Su Ping): is a yellow Oddbod. She energetically performs experiments with an obsession of discovering interesting objects, such as insects to UFOs. Her friends like her for her personality, although they do not like being excluded from her personal experiments.
- Zee (voiced by Jeremy Linn): is a green Oddbod. He always takes naps, even while eating junk food. His laid-back attitude serves as both strength and weaknesses when it comes to his friendships with the others.
- Pogo (voiced by Marlon Dance-Hooi): is a blue Oddbod. He does not follow common etiquette as he is dubbed the 'ultimate prankster'. His friends like his practical jokes if they are not aimed at them.
- Jeff (voiced by Jeremy Linn): is a purple Oddbod. He is finicky in that he is able to create order in anything, with his friends' admiration of his detail, as he can spot extremely tiny dust particles, and is very tidy. He is very talented in art and remembering people's birthdays; however, he wishes that he can act in a more relaxed manner.
- Newt (voiced by Nadia Ramlee): is a pink Oddbod. She is addicted to candy and her friends are inspired by her pleasant interaction with others, although she can be arrogant. She is inquisitive, always hangs out with her friends, and enjoys taking selfies with them.
- Lulu (voiced by Lucy Capri): is a cyan Oddbod. She is the new Oddbod, she first appeared in Lulu's Hero.
Recurring
editCharacters who have recurred across different stories although some appeared only in one episode:
- BG Oddbods (voiced by all actors): They all look the same and act, by and large, like typical citizens. Some BG Oddbods have accessories, like moustaches and hats.
- Yin and Yang (voiced by Marlon Dance-Hooi): They are the Odd Ninjas. These Ninjas are actually actors of a TV show, not members of the Oddbods.
- Modo (voiced by Marlon Dance-Hooi): is a light blue Oddbod. He only appears in One Two Many. He is a cloned version of Pogo. Modo is a very mischievous character (much like Pogo himself), but even more so than Pogo.
- Oddroid: Oddroid would do anything with anybody but mostly being Slick who bought him and acts like a friend to all but he gets struck by lightning, and since then, wants to destroy everything and anyone who annoys him and appears to be always in a bad mood.
- Genie (voiced by Jeremy Linn): a Oddbod genie. He only appears in the episode Pogo and the Lamp. The Genie seems grumpy and doesn't care that much. He is willing to offer wishes (like a usual Genie) but does not like being waken up constantly.
- Robo Helper (voiced by Chio Su Ping and Jeremy Linn): It only appears in Robo Helper. The Robo Helper is a robot that was invented by Bubbles.
Guest
editCharacters who had only appeared in Special Episodes
- Marv (voiced by Jeremy Linn): a gray Oddbod. Marv is a magician who had turned most of the Oddbods (except Slick) into monsters because they laughed at him. And so it’s up to Slick to bring back the magician and undo the magic spell and bring back the Oddbods to life again. He has only appeared in Party Monsters.
- Santa Claus (voiced by Marlon Dance-Hooi and Marc Thompson): a red Oddbod. He appears in the Christmas-themed episodes, The Festive Menace and Festive Encounters.
- Oddbeard: A gray Oddbod. He appears only in Oddbeard's Curse. He is a pirate captain with a golden tooth who died after the battle with some sailors.
Production
editDevelopment
editSpeaking in an interview with the Manchester Evening News in 2016, Richard Thomas, the creator of the Oddbods and creative director at One Animation described how he first devised the show:[7]
It was the themes of friendship & personality that inspired the creation of Oddbods. I wanted them to have an aesthetic appeal, but underneath the simplistic design I wanted them to have 'relatable' depth of character; individuals with a heart and core personality that the viewer could relate to. The non-dialogue approach was very deliberate - it was important that the animation conveyed the emotion. Every nuance counts, the eye dart, the raised eyebrow, the posture...it's the subtleties that bring the characters to life. The production process is intense but finely honed and we work with a huge and complex team of global animation professionals to bring the show to life; from animators, to script-writers to design and lighting experts to the directors who shape all of the action. At a time when powerful forces seek to divide us because of our differences, the Oddbods are a small voice in opposition celebrating those differences and the joy and richness they can bring to our everyday lives.
One Animation
editFounded in 2008, One Animation Pte Ltd was a Singaporean CGI animation studio based in the Alexandra subzone of the Bukit Merah district.[8] The company had also produced Rob the Robot, Insectibles and Development Series (Hard Boiled and Abigail's Tales).[9] The company had produced a portfolio of successful animated series that are broadcast on global networks such as Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Disney XD, Discovery Kids, ABC, and seen across more than 100 countries worldwide.
The company focused on developing family-focused TV, film and new media content, facilitating shorter than average production schedules, utilizing a crew that was typically one-third the size of a traditional CGI animation production team.
In May 2022, One Animation was acquired by Candle Media company Moonbug Entertainment.[4] Nearly 2 years later, in February 2024, Moonbug officially shut down One Animation.[10]
Soundtrack
editThe soundtrack is composed by Kristin Øhrn Dyrud.[11]
Minibods
editMinibods is a spin-off of Oddbods that features five out of the seven main Oddbods characters as toddlers with the addition of new character, Lulu. It premiered in 15 April 2023 on the series' YouTube channel with 39 episodes produced.[12]
Episodes
editBroadcast and release
editThe series has been broadcast on 25 networks in 105 countries worldwide on free-to-air, as well as subscription channels, such as Boomerang,[13][14] Disney Channel,[15][2] Télétoon+ (France),[15][2] ITV (UK),[13] Pogo (India),[16] Cartoonito (Italy),[14] RCTI, ANTV, RTV (coming soon) Spacetoon (Now) (Indonesia), Kapamilya Channel (Philippines), ETTV Yoyo (Taiwan) and Cartoon Network. It is also available on-demand on social media channels, most notably YouTube, iQIYI (China) and ABC Me (Australia), where it has gained over one billion views in just one year. There are currently approximately 9,75 Million subscribers to the series' YouTube channel.[17] In 2015, the series aired on Disney XD in the United States and last aired in 2015. In 2016 Japan, the series aired on Disney XD with adaptation of The Oddbods Show, only showing in season 1, but it stopped airing and removed the show.[18] The series came on ITVBe's LittleBe on 3 September 2018. Also, the series came to Disney XD in 2020, but stopped airing and streamed episodes on DisneyNOW, which also stopped streaming episodes.[19] In 2017, Netflix added seasons 1 and 2 into their streaming service only other countries available in season 2, such as Singapore, Philippines, Japan and South Korea, the streaming removed season 2 and only showing season 1 in 2021.
Reception
editRatings
editIn 2015, Oddbods was one of the highest-rated children's television shows in the United Kingdom, by number of viewers.[20][21] It was one of CiTV's top five shows for the first quarter of 2016.[21]
Awards
edit- 2014: Best 3D animation at Television Asia Plus[22]
- 2014: Asia Image Apollo Awards[22]
- 2014: Apollo Awards: 3D Animation[23]
- 2015: Sichuan TV Festival 'God Panda' Award: best animated character[24]
- 2016: Web TV Asia Awards
- 2017: International Emmy Kids Awards (Nominee)
- 2019: International Emmy Kids Awards (Nominee)
- 2020: International Emmy Kids Awards (Nominee)
Interactive
editIn January 2017, One Animation launched a new look website dedicated to the Oddbods as a place where fans of the show (adults and children alike) can interact with the brand.
The site hosts seven games with player leaderboards.[25] Other features include videos, user generated content, in store section, shop now section, interactive background pages on each of the characters complete with trading card-style character summary and related videos.[25] There is also an interactive collector poster which allows fans to view the episode their collectible figurine was inspired by.
Licensing
editIn 2016, One Animation announced via press releases various partnerships with key licensing partners for Oddbods around the world including, amongst others, with ITV Studios Global Entertainment (ITVS GE)[26][27] and Copyright Promotions and Licensing Group (CPLG).
This led to the commencement of a global licensing programme being rolled out, the first of which was a range of toys[9] made available first in Europe and the Middle East.[28] As well as extending the toy availability around the world over the course of 2017/18, a wider range of consumer products including apparel, giftware and stationery are also in the pipeline.[27]
Notes
edit- ^ Some others countries are using original titles Oddbods and translate the series.
References
edit- ^ Fisher, Daniela (27 February 2015). "Broadcasters go for One Animation's Oddbods". Kidscreen. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
- ^ a b c d Dickson, Jeremy (29 January 2016). "Just launched – Oddbods". Kidscreen. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
- ^ Wolfe, Jennifer (8 December 2015). "One Animation Adds Rose Ng to Senior Management Team". Animation World Network. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
- ^ a b "Moonbug Acquires 'Oddbods' Studio One Animation". Animation Magazine. 24 September 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ Wire, PR (10 October 2014). "Singapore Makes Strong Showing at MIPCOM with Line-up of Over 530 Hours of Asian and Original TV and Animation Content". Antara News. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
- ^ Foster, Elizabeth (16 October 2017). "Nominees announced for International Emmy Kids Awards". Kidscreen. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
- ^ Gill, Emma (21 September 2016). "Manchester man's Oddbods YouTube cartoon spawns global toy spin-off - and we've got some to give away". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
- ^ "One Animation Pte. Ltd.· 305 Alexandra Road, #05-05, Vantage Automotive Centre, Singapore 159942". opengovsg.com. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
- ^ a b Dickson, Jeremy (10 June 2015). "One Animation and RP2 to launch Oddbods toys". Kidscreen. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
- ^ "Moonbug Closes Oddbods Studio One Animation". awn.com. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
- ^ Øhrn Dyrud, Kristin (26 July 2016). "Oddbods Season 1 Wrap". Retrieved 19 May 2017.
- ^ Erica Rivera (20 April 2023). "Meet Minibods, Your Preschooler's New YouTube Obsession". Yahoo! News. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
- ^ a b Goldman Getzler, Wendy (9 February 2016). "The Oddbods go long". Kidscreen. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
- ^ a b Franks, Nico (9 February 2016). "Int'l nets take longer Oddbods". C21Media. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
- ^ a b "Disney XD, TéléTOON+ Go for Kids' Comedy Oddbods". 27 February 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
- ^ "Watch your favourite cartoon show About Oddbods Highlights only on POGO TV. Visit to know about schedule and timings".
- ^ "Oddbods - Official Channel". YouTube. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
- ^ 2016年11月のディズニーXD (in Japanese). Retrieved 1 November 2016.
- ^ "ITV's littleBe block adds preschool content". Retrieved 15 March 2019.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (9 May 2016). "'Oddbods' Sees Rising Ratings in U.K." Animation Magazine. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
- ^ a b Staff (16 May 2016). "One Animation's 'Oddbods' Reaps Rising U.K. Ratings". Animation World Network. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
- ^ a b "Behind the scenes: One Animation studios". Cartoons Underground. 5 February 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
- ^ "2014 Winners". Apollo Awards. Archived from the original on 29 May 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
- ^ "Pink bird 'Stella' won at Gold Panda awards". Embassy of Finland, Beijing. 11 November 2015. Archived from the original on 30 July 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
- ^ a b "Welcome to OddBods". One Animation. 19 May 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
- ^ Dickens, Andrew (12 October 2015). "ITVSGE takes Oddbods". C21Media. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
- ^ a b Foster, Elizabeth (5 October 2016). "ITVS signs new UK licensees for Oddbods". C21Media. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
- ^ Callan, Patrick (1 February 2016). "One Animation's dialog-free Oddbods gets ready to make some retail noise". Kidscreen. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
