English Dub Review: The Bizarre Stories of Professor Zarbi “Seven Plagues of Coaticook”; “Nino and the Big Jumbo”

Overview:

“Seven Plagues of Coaticook”

Plans for developing a new community in Coaticook, Quebec, have been halted due to a curse upon the land. Professor Zarbi and his assistant Benjamin help to uncover the truth of the matter when they discover an ancient pharaohs tomb. Awakening the mummy inside, the duo must find a unique way of appeasing the monster.

“Nino and the Big Jumbo”

Italian restaurant, Nino’s, is being haunted by an angry phantom. When Professor Zarbi and Benjamin come to investigate, they discover the ghost is seeking justice. The spirit is of a man who died trying to complete “the big jumbo”, a massive spaghetti eating challenge. Thankfully, Professor Zarbi has the perfect solution for the phantom’s problem.

Our Take:

This is an exciting program to be added to the growing roster of Canadian Adult Animated programs. The series has found some success on Teletoon le Nuit. Currently, the show is enjoying its second season on the French-Canadian network. Dubbing Professor Zarbi over to the nation-wide Adult Swim Canada offers a much broader audience.

Additionally, the French series introduces a unique style of animation. Not quite 3D, the artwork is detailed enough, and computer-enhanced to give definition. There is a sleek movement to everything, and it is enjoyable to the eye. The show isn’t afraid of their style either, delivering unique settings and characters in each episode.

What can be found about Professor Zarbi has attributed it to animation phenom, Rick and Morty. A fair initial assessment considering the genius old grandfather accompanied by a teenager on his zany adventures.  

However, this show bears a much closer resemblance to classic Scooby-Doo, with Zarbi and company solving mysteries of the occult. Arguably, this would make an excellent modern adaptation of the beloved children’s franchise. It is more of a stretch to restrict this storytelling to adult content.

The simplistic stories, wrapped in 15-minute episodes, does nothing to invoke emotion or challenge thought. Additionally, the themes are more in tune with current Cartoon Network programs like Teen Titan’s Go or Amazing World of Gumball. The only thing pushing the adult rating of this series is the abundant amount of “piss and shit”. Though, clean up those wordings, this would be a strong contender in the mid-grade television market. As an adult program, it struggles to hit the mark.

It has proven invaluable to allow new shows to find their footing with a few episodes before critiquing too harshly. Although, Professor Zarbi likely does not get much deeper than these episodes. What you see is what you get, and the season will repeat its simplified formula throughout.