Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons.
Am not the biggest fan of the Daffy and Speedy cartoons, there are a few decent ones but most are more very average or more misses than they are hits. Speedy Gonzales is not a favourite of mine, though his annoyance factor varies, but Daffy Duck is an iconic character in animation for good reason. Do not always, more often not, find that they gel together, their conflict doesn't make much sense and the antagonism tends to be there for not much of a reason with a few exceptions.
'Daffy's Diner' is thankfully one of the best in the Daffy/Speedy cartoons. Not great still mind you, but with noticeably fewer problems. The conflict still doesn't make much sense because a duck and a mouse are too much of a mismatch in partnership, but Daffy and Speedy are good foils here. Daffy may be reduced of his manic energy, but he is more sympathetic than the usual greedy and abrasive Daffy in his and Speedy's outings. Speedy is not as annoying as he can be, and Daffy as noted has a legitimate reason for his pursuit.
The music, apart from perhaps the opening credits music, is nice and characterful though, and has orchestration parts that are lively and lush, some of the music Daffy/Speedy cartoons can sound tinny, stock and canned but not here in 'Daffy's Diner'. The dialogue is not particularly fresh but it is quite sharp-witted and amusing and there is a crisp pace throughout. The gags are nothing innovative but a few smiles and laughs were gotten out of me, especially the ones with the garbageman and the cactus.
Mel Blanc's vocals as expected are very exuberant and full of vigour, few actors have voiced multiple characters in one cartoon alone and give all of them a different identity with such conviction, though at this particular point Daffy's voice sounds deeper.
By all means 'Daffy's Diner' is not without its drawbacks. Lower budgets and tighter time constraints are very obvious in the animation, which is as usual for the series very limited, with scrappy drawings, lifeless and sparse (incomplete looking even) backgrounds and flat colours.
Do not expect anything new from the story, despite the fact that it's a different setting it is the same basic formula that forms the Daffy and Speedy cartoons and with little variation.
Also did not care much for El Supremo, a character that is not very tasteful and very easily forgettable once the cartoon is over, or the ending, which felt rushed and a bit of a cheat in outcome.
Overall, decent and one of the better cartoons from Daffy and Speedy together. 7/10 Bethany Cox