The young superhero embarks on a journey to faraway worlds in new TV animation series BoBoiBoy Galaxy, writes Syahirah Mokhtazar
IS it a bird or a plane? No, it’s BoBoiBoy and he’s a little older. The superhero with the powers of earth, wind and lightning has grown from a 10-year-old fighting off aliens trying to steal his grandpa’s cocoa beans, to a 12-year-old ready to embark on a new adventure across the galaxy with his pals Gopal, Ying, Fang and Yaya.
Fans can join his journey in BoBoiBoy Galaxy, the newest TV animation series from Monsta (formerly known as Animonsta Studios).
This new series is a rebrand from the original BoBoiBoy series which has been aired for three seasons since its debut on March 13, 2011.
BoBoiBoy Galaxy features a new storyline and concept, and is not a continuation of the previous BoBoiBoy series.
Monsta chief executive officer Nizam Abdul Razak says the new show will see a more ambitious BoBoiBoy who goes out of his way to find and solve problems instead of waiting for problems to come to him, like in the previous series.
BoBoiBoy Galaxy takes place two to three years after BoBoiBoy The Movie (released last March), so it’s only natural that the characters now appear as preteens. But fear not, the show is still targeted for kids and the young-at-heart.
“We also wanted them to appear physically fit. It will be a little odd to see a group of young children gallivanting across the galaxy!” says Nizam.
“Although they appear to be slightly older, there will be no elements of teen love or emotions in the storyline. The main essence of BoBoiBoy are friendship and adventure, with plenty of humour thrown in.
“The new adventure will take place in various settings and planets. The story will centre on BoBoiBoy and his pals’ search for more Power Spheres like Otchobot and Klamkabot.”
Knowing the impact BoBoiBoy has on the younger generation, Nizam and his team has made sure to incorporate moral values into the storyline as well.
“BoBoiBoy is a big deal to these kids, so it is a great way to instill moral values through the dialogue and storyline,” he says.
NEW MARKET
A huge part of its rebranding is associated with Monsta’s aim to target new audiences and penetrate the international market.
“The first three seasons were aired in 47 countries throughout Southeast Asia and the Middle East. While the western market loved the concept and storyline of BoBoiBoy, they said the character appeared too small (physically) and looked younger than 10,” says Nizam.
“So by reconceptualising the whole image of BoBoiBoy, we hope to bring this animation to more countries.”
With the new storyline and concept, he hopes the series will be able to run up to 300 or even 1,000 episodes. “We visited a Pokemon centre in Japan recently and were inspired by the fact that many of their animation productions run up to 600 to 700 episodes,” says Nizam.
“We want to do the same for BoBoiBoy, so we need to cook up something new. With the idea of exploring the galaxy, we are able to play with the storyline and introduce more characters. Expect more heroes and villains in this new adventure.”
The new show also comes with a new theme song. Local pop punk band Bunkface was given the honour to bring the theme song, Dunia Baru, to life.
“The lyrics and catchy tune fits well with the theme of BoBoiBoy,” says Nizam, adding that the lyrics were written by the band.
When it debuted five years ago on TV3, the character became a nationwide phenomenon, much to the surprise of Nizam and broadcasting partner, TV3. Primeworks Studios is the distributor of BoBoiBoy The Movie, while TV3 is Monsta’s broadcasting partner for BoBoiBoy Galaxy.
“Some animations take more than 10 years before they are able to make money, but BoBoiBoy managed to do that within five years,” says Nizam.
A second instalment of the BoBoiBoy movie is in the works. Monsta is targeting to release it in 2018.
Perhaps its success is due to the quality of the animation that is on par with international standards. “Selling local animation abroad is definitely not easy, but we hope to achieve greater success with this one,” adds Nizam.
Catch BoBoiBoy and his pals in BoBoiBoy Galaxy on TV3, which premieres today at 5pm. Repeats are on Saturdays at 10am.