English Dub Review: The Bizarre Stories of Professor Zarbi “Terror on the Farm”; “The Flying Canoe”; “Camping Sucks”; “Lovestruck”

 

 

Overview:

“Terror on the Farm”

Professor Zarbi and his assistant Benjamin are called to an old farm after a monster has been digging holes and stealing gold. After luring the beast in, Zarbi knows precisely what he is dealing with, The Blue Boar. Uncovering the origins of the greedy pig, the only mystery left is what happened to its beloved treasure.

“The Flying Canoe”

When a couple of locals face car problems, they decide to try the new ride-sharing app, Udevil. The pair are gifted the use of a flying canoe.  That is if they follow the conditions of the contract. Unfortunately, when the deal is broken, the locals forfeit their souls to the devil. That is unless Professor Zarbi and Benjamin can find a loophole in the contract.

“Camping Sucks”

Professor Zarbi and Benjamin head out for the great outdoors after a campground has had some mysterious deaths. Bodies are turning up with all their blood sucked out. Thankfully, Zarbi is able to catch the culprit, a giant mutant mosquito. However, the monster may be more than just a bloodthirsty bug.  

“Lovestruck”

The local news weather girl has been having a streak of bad luck. Every guy she has gone on a date with has been struck and killed by lightning. When Professor Zarbi comes to help the cursed bachelorette, he too is hit with a shock from the sky. With the odds entirely out of current, there is likely someone, or somebody, behind the electric attacks.

 

Our Take:

The strange show out of Quebec that takes the normal out of paranormal is back on Adult Swim Canada. The second season of The Bizarre Stories of Professor Zarbi was expected to debut in English-speaking Canada after airing in French earlier this year. The new collection features another 20 quarter-hour episodes featuring the same supernatural themes as the inaugural outing.

The Bizarre Stories of Professor Zarbi impressed audiences for a few reasons. Chiefly, for delivering a new paranormal-themed anthology series in a light-hearted package. Television hasn’t been the same without supernatural shows like Goosebumps, X-Files, or Are You Afraid of the Dark. Thankfully, Quebec’s Teletoon la Nuit felt the same way and developed this stylish animated series.

Season one of Professor Zarbi had some mixed reception. Some stand-out episodes featured Canadian themes and original takes on traditional occult stories. However, there was also a hefty portion of the series that carried predictable plots and lacklustre ideas.

The new season seems to be carrying forward the same variety of content. The first four quarter-hour episodes are already released, and they are as random as ever.  

“Terror on the Farm” and “Camping Sucks” rehash old supernatural themes with a twist. Unfortunately, those twists are easy to see coming based on how the show lays out the plot in hopes of a clever quip here and there.

Meanwhile, “The Flying Canoe” offers something much more original, taking on the relevant theme of a ride-sharing app operated by the devil. This piece was made even better thanks to the use of layered characters, including a unique take on Satan.  

Finally, “Lovestruck” was a fun little story that fits perfectly into the Professor Zarbi collection. The lovesick nerd utilising his newfound powers to try and get the girl may be an old card, but the show played it well. The only question is when the show will start bringing back some of these powerful and quirky characters.

The Bizarre Stories of Professor Zarbi has a lot going for it. The short episodes are animated with such detail and flare that it is exciting to watch no matter what is happening on screen. Additionally, the predictable stories and flat humour is often supplemented by fun animation and original plot twists. It is exciting that the second season of this Frech-Canadian series is finally being shared with the rest of the country.