'Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated' really impressed me on first watch when it first aired. Was not sure about the advertising at first, with the animation style being a bit of a shock, but watching the show throughout its run it turned out to be the best Scooby Doo show since 'The Scooby Doo Show' (speaking as a huge fan) and one of the better incarnations of the franchise. Not as good as that show or the original, but much better than 'Shaggy and Scooby Doo: Get a Clue' particularly of the few not so good incarnations.
"Beware the Beast from Below" is a very promising and very good start for 'Mystery Incorporated' and left me on first watch excited for what was to come. Also doing so well in setting things up and setting up everything that the show revolves around. It's not quite great, with not everything working (the only issue here being a general problem for a while). The good things for "Beware the Beast from Below" are many and at their best absolutely excellent, which is true for almost all the episodes of the show.
My only issue actually with "Beware the Beast from Below" was the character writing for Velma, who comes over as too bossy and impolite and the episode goes a little too far in emphasising how smart and brainy she is (something we know already).
However, so much is excellent. With the very interesting and unexpected final solution and the well designed and scary villain immediately standing out. The animation is much more appealing than it appeared in advertising and is actually quite unique for the franchise in a good way. Loved the sometimes vibrant and at other times darkly atmospheric colours and rich background detail. The music is great as well, the main theme is memorable and the background music sometimes has a cinematic feel to it.
Throughout the writing is balanced very well tonally, balancing genuinely funny comedy and intriguingly dark mystery expertly. The more personal aspects of the writing is thought probing and not soapy. The story grabbed my attention from the get go with a beautifully dark and mysterious atmosphere, and it doesn't come over as too obvious or convoluted. The whole Crystal Cove mystery is set up very well and refreshing for the franchise.
Excepting Velma, all the characters are already well established and well written. Shaggy and Scooby are delightful and it is easy to dig the more mature writing for Daphne and particularly Fred. The voice acting is very good, Matthew Lillard is a delight as Shaggy.
Overall, very good and promising. 8/10.
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