The Bots Master: A Little Seen, but Awesome, Cartoon from the 1990s

To me, the 1990s was the best time to be a kid because there were so many awesome shows that aired during this time. Before Saturday morning shows became mostly educational or Japanese imports, before PBS' kid shows became significantly dumbed down, and before syndicated cartoons were virtually wiped out in favor of court shows and Jerry Springer-style talk shows, there were all sorts of exciting animated series for children to watch and enjoy. One show that aired during this time was The Bots Master, an animated series that debuted in 1993 and which was a favorite of mine during its brief time on the air. This was a cartoon that would blend traditional animation with 3D effects that would require glasses to enjoy to the fullest. Let me tell you more about this cartoon that did not last long, but which still has a loyal fan base to this day.

The show centered around Ziv Zulander (often called "ZZ"), a young man whose robotic creations had helped to make life easier by having them do the work for humans. However, he was now considered to be on the wrong side of the law thanks to Lewis Leon Paradim, the president of Robotic Megafact Corporation, who wished to use robots to conquer the entire world. Lewis would constantly convince the public that Ziv and his robots were actually terrorists, and soon a war between these two corporations was underway. Lewis' assistants, Lady Frenzy and Dr. Hiss, would help him in his quest to take over the world. While the former actually seemed to have a crush on Ziv, the latter had no qualms about using special chips to make innocent robots into evil beings to ensure that RM Corp would ultimately be victorious.

Aiding Ziv in his endeavors was his robots, known as the Brain Operated Zygoetopic Zoids, or B.O.Y.Z.Z. for short. These robots ranged from those proficient with sports, those who used science to help them solve problems, and one robot skilled in the art of the ninja. While many of the B.O.Y.Z.Z. were serious about getting the job done, some of them, such as a set of five talking heads and a mechanical chef, were used mainly for comic relief. Also helping out was Blitzy, Ziv's younger sister, who would often get into trouble but who nevertheless proved useful with her ability to use Jungle Fiver, a set of vehicles that could combine to create a giant machine, similar to the Megazord from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Inevitably, Ziv and his team always managed to stop Lewis' nasty plots, but they often failed to make the public realize that it was Lewis, and not them, that they should be concerned about.

If all of this sounds like your typical action-packed cartoon, it is, with one notable exception: the addition of 3D segments. There was at least one point in each episode when someone (usually Ziv or Blitzy) shouted, "It's Lazer Time, B.O.Y.Z.Z!" This prompted the appearance of 3D glasses on-screen, letting the home audience know that it was time to put on their 3D glasses in order to see some rather cool (for their time) 3D effects. Parts of the background and foreground would move as the action took place, and these sequences could be enjoyed even without 3D glasses. When someone shouted "Game over!", it was the viewer's cue to remove the glasses and continue watching the episode in its normal view. The 3D segments made the show rather unique, and perhaps ahead of its time, as recent advances in 3D technology has brought it close to being perfected.

While the main storyline of Ziv's attempts to defeat Lewis and return to being considered a hero again was featured throughout the series' forty episodes, viewers could start watching the series from just about any episode without worrying about having missed too much. However, the plot did give the series a sense of continuity, which came to a head in The Setting Sun, which would become the series finale. In that episode, Lewis had abducted the daughter of the president of the United States, and Ziv managed to make the public suspect him to the extent that it seemed as if they were finally willing to turn against him. It ended with the idea that new robots would be created to rival Ziv and the B.O.Y.Z.Z., but since the series was canceled after this episode, it will never be known for sure what new threats would be encountered or whether or not Lewis was ultimately overthrown.

For me, The Bots Master falls into the category of superb, but canceled, television shows for a number of reasons. Its action and drama was practically nonstop, the humor was enjoyable, and its musical score was awesome and catchy. Additionally, the stories were enjoyable, and one would find himself or herself rooting for Ziv and the B.O.Y.Z.Z. to teach Lewis a lesson once and for all. The 3D segments were fun and made the show feel like it was more than a generic cartoon. It is a shame that the series did not continue past its first season, and I would like to see a second season, perhaps with advanced 3D segments, that would wrap up the storyline properly. Also, I wish that this series was available on DVD, so that old and new fans could see how an animated series does not need to be imported from Japan to be excellent and awesome.

All in all, The Bots Master was yet another reason why it was fun to grow up during the 1990s. Though it did not last longer than it did, it was still an amazing show while it lasted, with memorable characters, loads of action, and of course, those fun 3D portions. I know I am not the only one who remembers this series: other people also used to watch and enjoy it during its relatively brief run. I certainly wish it would come back in repeats or come out on DVD at some point. 1993 was a great year for new shows designed for children, and The Bots Master is a shining example of why that was the case. It is a show that was canceled too soon, despite being such a wonderful cartoon that I remember fondly to this day.