So from what we’ve seen it appears that none of the characters have Tails with the exception of WilyKit and WilyKat that do. Now in the original show they don’t really look like like anthropomorphic cats as much as they look like regular humans with some vague (some more than others) cat features. However in the new show they definitely look like anthropomorphic cats though, you can actually tell they have fur. I actually like this look a lot more than the extremely human one of the original show, but it just makes it more obvious that they are missing a tail. I think I might be a lone in this one but I think the characters should have tails, heck I think they needed tails in the original show as well to bring out more the look of the cats they’re supposed to be not to mention Tails would look cool and would give them more interesting fights with the “extra” limb.
I’m kinda hoping they all have Tails and we just haven’t seen them, I mean it looks even odder since WilyKit/Kat do have them.
Them having tails is almost as bad as Vultureman with wings (although the latter IMO is a complete cop out).
The elf ears are almost more than I can stomach. They’re the most generic, uninspired ears. Panthro’s ears in the old show, although possibly doubling as satellite receivers because of how HUGE they were…were a great unique feature to him and they weren’t just generic cat ears.
The tails really would put it over board IMO, and plenty of old school Cats fans wouldn’t take to the change. I think they went about as far as they could in the designs w/o alienating the majority of the older original fanbase.
It sounds nice as a thought, but I think it would be a disastrous translation to television.
Edit - can we have a combo No vote of both they didn’t have them in the original show AND they would look stupid? I’d like to vote No for both reasons.
The thing I think people will have to remember while getting in to this new show is… It’s not the original by any stretch of the imagination. It’s going to be necessary to go in to it with that mentality or we’ll be comparing it to the original too much to enjoy it fully.
And you know what’s funny? I haven’t even noticed the ears on these new Thundercats yet. I’ve heard a few people talk about them as elf ears, I for some reason didn’t notice. (Maybe because I’m used to some anime cat-people having ears like that?)
Edit: Upon re-reading this, I don’t want you to mistake that I think you should agree to the cats having tails. Quite the opposite, sir! I’ve just noticed a lot of old school fans that just seem to dislike anything that represents change or something new so I was responding to that more than to your post.
Right, but not all change is good, liked, or to be accepted.
Also, if you’re going to completely redesign it with no regard to the original show, why bother stamping “Thundercats” on it? Why not call it something completely different and with completely different character names? Because you’d have a completely different show really.
You can’t fully disregard the original or change it in its entirety, otherwise, again you can’t really even call it “Thundercats” or “G.I. Joe” or “Transformers” or what have you.
Its the level of change with the maximum amount of tolerance by old fans, while at the same time possibly bringing in new fans that like different things the original show didn’t bring.
At some point though, you cross a line with core fans of the original, and for me (and I’m sure I’m not alone) tails on them is one of those lines.
I’m by no means saying I don’t like the new animation direction, as I think I’ve stated more than enough times that the trailer surprisingly, wowed me. But, again I’m only going to tolerate so much deviation. The elf ears is getting close…but tails would absolutely go overboard.
Oh I totally get you on that one. I wasn’t too hip to the new redesigns at first either. To me, as long as I recognize the characters and their personalities and situations are basically the same, I’m fine with other changes. I think tails for example are just a minor thing. The ears I didn’t notice simply because I’m kind of used to anime having cat-people with a similar look. (Merle from Escaflowne for example.)
But I do get where you are coming from, and was just throwing in my 2 cents as well. No disrespect to your opinion was ever meant.
I don’t think they ‘need’ tails I would think they evolved to not have them like us a human/apes did. As for the elf/vulcan ears I think it should depend on the what cat species the character comes from.
Lion-O = Lion not elf eared & Lynx-O = Lynx should be elf eared
Now as for Vultureman and his wings, I can appreciate the nostalgia of him not having wings but I never liked the fact he was a vulture and didn’t fly. For me giving vultureman wings will give more to the character, they can now do a story where is wing were taken away form him either in battle with a thundercat or as a form of punishment by one of his piers whether that be Mumm-Ra, Sslithe or even Rattaro, spurning him to build the flying machine so that he can once again feel the wind on his beak and rain havoc from the skies.
Grune, I’m with you here, I hope they don’t give them tails; it would be too much IMO. The elf ears are too much already (even in the old series, Panthro’s ears were out of place… big cats like lions, tigers, jaguars, etc, DON’T HAVE large pointed ears like domestic cats).
Sdp: I think if you look closer to the new Lion-O, in some screencaps you can see he has furry shoulders (but I might be wrong).
As for Vultureman having wings, that’d be a completely different feature that would be great. I never understood why he didn’t get ones in the old series, and I hope he gets ones this time (if he ever makes an appearence, that is).
Okay, I’ll fess up to being the chicken who went with “It doesn’t matter, I have no opinion or conviction and can’t make a decision” vote.
The thing is, I really could go either way. I’ve seen “man-cats” both ways and I can appreciate either style. The no-tail works better for things like seats, but it is slightly less biologically correct I guess.
These were the replies I kinda expected, so can’t say I’m too surprised. Mostly its because of nostalgia this fandom has for the old show and they don’t want too many changes. Unlike other franchises like TMNT or Power Rangers that have had multiple incarnations hence different opinions this fandom has only had one though that will surely change with the new show and we get a lot of new members that didn’t have the original show as one they grew up and grew fond of.
The new show does seem to bring out more the anthropomorphic cats that the original show didn’t do very well, maybe because it was harder to animate. If you look closely they also seem to have fur but it was just shown by color, the new show is actually able to show you that they have fur all over. In my opinion the original show the Thundercats look way too human, seriously instead of cats they can look like a cheap Halloween costume instead of anthropomorphic cats, hell I kinda think Lion-O looks like he has clown make up. But yeah if they’re supposed to be anthropomorphic cats there is no reason why they shouldn’t have tails, in fact now that in the new show they look more cat like it looks even odder, especially since WilyKit/Kat do have them. I’m kinda hoping they do have them and they just cover them up.
You know what I just noticed about this? Go watch the first episode of the Original series, Jaga also has large Elf looking ears with out his helmet on. Pumyra does as well. I’m wondering if the refugee thunderians also do or not? I’ll have to check later.
I’m kind of wondering if they all originally had ears like that, just most were covered by the hair?
(And an unrelated though, holy crap I wish Lion O still had his orange eyes…)
To be quite honest, I think it would be more of a hassle than an asset. Clothing would have to have an opening to accommodate it and be too distracting.
I thought I look at everything extremely closely. Where do you see the Thunderkittens having tails? The trailer shows them running, only showing their faces. Did I miss something, perhaps somewhere on the back of the packages of the new action figures?
I don’t mind the T-cats having fur all over them…they are cats after all but what about their hands? They don’t have paw pads…thank heavens but there has to be a spot where the fur ends and the skin begins on the hands.
I seriously need to stop over analyzing this stuff.
No disrespect to your opinion was ever meant.
