Zig & Sharko (seasons 3-present)

♥	This article is dedicated to the late Olivier Jean-Marie (1960-2021), who died due to an extensive fight with cancer at the age of 60.

Zig & Sharko
Even Xilam's second most iconic series did not escape seasonal rot.
Genre: Comedy Slapstick Surreal comedy Farce Country: France Release Date: September 2, 2019 - present Network(s): Canal+ Family TF1 Gulli Boomerang Africa YouTube Disney XD (Latin America, Africa) Disney Channel (Taiwan) ViuTVsix (Hong Kong) Nickelodeon (India) Created by: Olivier Jean-Marie Distributed by: Xilam Seasons: 2 Episodes: 156

Zig & Sharko (French: Zig et Sharko) is a silent/slapstick comedy series created by Oliver Jean-Marie, and was first released on December 21, 2010 to June 14, 2011, on its first season. It later had a revival on February 15, 2016.

While the first two seasons received mixed to positive reviews, it isn't the case of season 3-onward, which will be the main focus of this page.

Plot

The series itself focuses mainly on Zig (brown hyena), Sharko (great white shark), Marina (mermaid), and Bernie (hermit crab). The plot itself mainly involves Zig attempting to capture Marina, a mermaid who is often guarded by Sharko. Numerous attempts of Zig trying to eat Marina have failed but in creative ways.

Why The Show Is Ultimately Terrible That Zig CAN Finally Eat Marina

Note: some of the issues mentioned are also from season 2

1. Similar to seasons 5 and 6 of Oggy and the Cockroaches, the main problem with these seasons is that it lacks the charm that came from season 1 and to a lesser extent from season 2.
2. To begin with, the animation although decent can be considered a huge downgrade compared to the traditional animation of season 1 which was rubbery and smooth and which worked very well, the we moved to a generic and colorful flash animation at a so much so that these seasons feel more like a reboot rather than a new season.
   • The face poses are now more downgraded.
3. Many secondary characters like crabs or gorillas have been completely redesigned for no reason, although the designs remain decent they remain a bit useless.
4. These seasons have obviously Flanderized the characters of the series to levels where they have become unlikeable.
   • Zig went from a funny hyena wanting to eat Marina while failing to a huge Butt-Monkey who gets mistreated in every episode even when he doesn't do anything wrong as if the scriptwriters wanted to express their hatred on him for free, although he remain likable.
     • It doesn't help that at the end of the majority of episodes in season 4 he is transformed into an object by Sharko for free.
   • Sharko went from a Shark wanting to protect Marina but who remains friendly to a huge idiot who only serves to massacre Zig for free, even when he do nothing wrong, he even abuse Zig even when he doesn't try to eat Marina.
   • Marina went from a friendly and funny mermaid who was intelligent despite the fact that she is oblivious to the fact that she could be eaten at any time to a huge insufferable idiot who acts stupid in almost every episode which makes her makes you unlovable.
   • Bernie went from Zig's friendly and intelligent companion to a butt monkey who suffers the same fate from Zig even when he does nothing wrong but he remains sympathetic.
5. The backstories of the main characters were also changed for no reason.
   • In Season 1, Zig was born to a clan of extremely successful hunters who have fought and killed many sea creatures throughout their lives, but it was changed to him, Sharko, and Bernie being raised on the island by gorillas.
6. The soundtrack of these seasons has become extremely boring and repetitive in the same way as the soundtracks of Grizzy and the Lemmings.
   • On top of that, the laughter of certain characters, particularly those of Zig and Marina, is VERY unbearable from listening to them and it doesn't help that season 4 is full of their laughter.
7. The theme song while decent is a huge downgrade unlike that of season 1.
   • Moreover, oddly from season 3, the theme song was shortened.
8. These seasons feel more like reboot than anything, since it doesn't take place on the island anymore (except in season 4), and because of the flanderization as well as the humor being almost completely different make this even worse, this is one of the exemple of when a show change for no apparent seasons in it's run, much like the season 4 of Titeuf.
9. Similar to season 5 of Oggy and the Cockroaches, Sharko and Marina are pretty much always treated as the lucky protagonists while Zig and Bernie are reduced to ending with a slapstick and defeat ending, which just makes the episodes ultra repetitive and boring.
10. A lot of episodes try to be too hip to kids with a lot of unnecessary references to things that would appeal to kids hanging out too much on YouTube Kids.
11. Season 4, in addition to currently being the worst season of the show, has a strange plot in which Marina has legs thanks to magic sandals which is very poorly executed.
    • Moreover, this plot is very reminiscent of episode 20a of season 1 "Fancy Footwork" in which Marina obtains legs via a wish from a fairy but she learns that having legs is horrible and decides to go back to the way she was before. Strangely no memory of this episode was mentioned in this season.
12. Moreover, these seasons make no mention of moments from season 1, for example we never see Sharko and Marina's house under the ocean again nor the abandoned plane where Zig and Bernie lived (although this comes from season 2).
13. Many characters from season 1 are never mentioned in these seasons such as King Neptune, Japanese cargo ship captain or even the ping pong champion octopus.
14. Quantity over Quality Like Miraculous Ladybug, Angelo Rules or Grizzy and the Lemmings the show lasts too long despite the flaws mentioned with already 4 seasons and 312 episodes and it doesn't help that a season 5 is in preparation making Zig & Sharko the new cash cow from Xilam.
15. Lot of mediocre to awful episodes, such as:
    • "Do Not Disturb"
    • "Frosty Friendship"
    • "All tied up"
    • "Big Sister"
    • "The Creaking Door"
    • "Under the Sea"
    • "Try My Macaroni"
16. Overall, these seasons, in addition to being bad, have partly damaged the image of the show because the majority of people hate the whole show because of these seasons.

Redeeming Qualities

1. At least unlike the bad seasons of Oggy and the Cockroaches the plot is still identical to that of seasons 1 and 2.
2. Despite the sudden change in animation, it's still decent.
3. Some characters remain likeable like Bernie or even Zig, Sharko and Marina despite their Flanderizations.
4. Season 3 is considered the least worst of the lot because it still has the humor of the first seasons.
5. These seasons sometimes have good moments and good jokes here and there.
6. There's still some good episodes here and there, such as "Hide and Squeek" and "The Invaders".

Reception

Unlike the first two seasons, which received mixed to positive reviews, the season 3 received mixed reviews and the season 4 was universaly panned by fans of the first two seasons, it is often criticized for it's downgraded writting, it's animation and the characters flanderization and it was even enough to ruin the reputation of the show.

Trivia

Season 3 and 4 are references to 2 episodes from season 1, "Loony Cruise" for season 3 due to the fact that the episodes take place on a cruise ship and "Fancy Footwork" for season 4 due to the fact that Marina has legs.

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