Johnny Test: Power Up! - Show Concept
After seeing @mrultra100 's post about his rendition of the JT cast for Primal Eternity and @rominadrawsart15 about Ultimate Showdown, I decided to do a long followup/post about "Johnny Test: Power Up!" I've already explained about the characters, the new world and the settings of this spinoff in 5-6 posts, but now with lots of redeveloping and brainstorming, I'll give you the redefined concept of the spinoff!
But before I reintroduce the stars as well as the whole concept itself, I wanted to explain the reason on why I came up with the spinoff idea and why I wanted to make it official. My opinion is that Johnny Test has A LOT of potential to shine, but executive meddling from the studio, cutting the budget and overall the infamy from the Internet severely dampened the spark and ultimately became dead. And don't get me started on The Lost Web Series, where the animation looked stiff and cheap. Hell, even when the Netflix revival did some things right (though the theme song was not good), lack of attention and exposure basically sealed its fate indefinitely and extinguishing the spark forever. Which is honestly pretty sad for me, because it had some potential, that needed to be expanded. And this is why I came up with a rather BIG change to shake things up and reinvigorate the series with a cosmic bang!
What's the premise of the series?
So, here's the premise for "Johnny Test: Power Up!":
After a mysterious incident, which involved about a powerful machine and a big mistake, Johnny, Dukey, the sisters and many of their friends, loved ones and enemies, as well as a few strangers get teleported to an unknown galaxy very far away from theirs, inhabited by aliens, anthromorphic animals and a few mystical ones in a futuristic environment. For the main team, it will be in the planet, Lumina, specifically in a futuristc and colourful city, named Starfall City. From there on, the team have to go through (mis-)adventures to find the others, the lost memories and a way back home, while encountering new friends, who would help them along the way and fighting off bigger threats than they would ever imagine. All while forming a new bond, that would last through the cosmos and the chaos, while trying to survive in this new world.
Unlike the last iterations, it'll be a mix between serialized and episodic, striking a balance between the comedic Johnny Test side with some anime slapstick mixed in (i.E., making the characters even more expressive) and the more serious and dark ones, with emotional moments, plottwists and so on. The episodes will be longer though, somewhat between 16-22 minutes of each episode, with the exceptions being specials and movies, which are longer. The series will also take two years after the original and the revival (there has been debate about their ages in the revival, until I talked to Ultra about it), which means the characters will be older and since they will be in a new world, they would be redesigned to fit in the adventurous and stylish vibe. There will be also an in-universe explaination on how they got the redesigns. So, while some familiar elements will be there, an overarching story and a new coat of paint will provide some fresh air.
Let's meet the main stars!
While the cast will be a good mix between returning veterans and newcomers, the show will be mainly focused on the Test siblings, their pal Dukey and finally THREE new characters. The group of seven will be the heart and core of the show, with their own personalities, backstories, flaws, character arcs, etc. So, let's meet them!
Johnny Test (voiced by James Arnold Taylor) - The hyperactive and bright leader of his own team. When he was a kid, he just wanted ot have fun by any means neccesary, despite of how irresponsible he can be. He may be a lazy jerk sometimes, he does have a big heart and courage, which will later be very useful. As the years went on, the usual shenanigans bored him out of his mind, but one day, when he saw a video of some sick parkour moves, he was so amazed, that he and Dukey decided to train themselves some parkour. At the beginning, he struggled without any invention, but as time went on, he became better and better, to the point that he is known for his very quick moves, but also for his cocky attitude. Little did he know, that by the time, he would be mysteriously teleported to Lumina, he would face even more dangerous threats and bigger challenges, this fiery boy would ever imagine and even changing his life forever. On the bright side, this new world allows him to hone more of his parkour skills, while exploring the galaxy, meeting new friends and learning things along the way, which would change his perspective in a new way. However, that means, he had to let go of his old habits and mature, in order to be on par against his new and powerful enemies. When the situation is tense, his demeanor would change into a more serious fighter, willing to go even further beyond to protect his friends, his loved ones and his new home. And together with his best friend, Dukey, his sisters and his three new friends, they'll push through the danger for a better future.
Dukey (voiced by Trevor Devall) - The voice of reason and the sidekick of the team. An anthromorphic dog, mutated by Susan and Mary, acting as a older brother figure to Johnny, going along with him during their crazy adventures and many activities, with the recent activity being lots of parkour. Despite their close bond going for years, Dukey still freuqently expresses his concern and distain towards Johnny's less intellegent and more dangerous antics and is especially concerned about his health, when it comes to the latter being used as a guinea pig for the twins' experiements, either for finding a way back home or just out of curiousity, due to Luminian technology. After being teleported into Lumina, not only he and the others have to adapt in the new galaxy, but the situation made him even more stressed and anxious than ever. Didn't help, that one of the new friends, he made, is such a impulsive hot-head, who also goes through even more dangerous antics, which means he had to watch out for that. His friendship towards the Tests and the new ones will be tested time after time, as the threats would become bigger and more dangerous while trying to survive in this new frontier. But in the end, if the situation is tense, the mutt will swallow his fears down and stand up against the enemies, together with his best friends, while also learning important lessons along the way.
Susan Test (voiced by Maryke Hendrikse) - One half of the team's brains and a talented scientist. Always seen inventing stuff or swooning over Gil, along with her twin sister. She is known to think a lot more rationally and logically than Mary, but also less open-minded. So imagine her reaction, when not only she gets sent to a different galaxy, along with the others, but one of her new friends being a magical fairy (leading to Susan often being at odds against Serena, due to their beliefs and the latter not approving of her using Johnny as a lab rat, which is the reason, why the fairy dislikes the sisters) , one being a robot with a happy personality being built in and one being a teenage, alien snail, whose rage would make her look like a rational and calm person. On the bright side, the advanced technology allowed her and Mary to experiment on it, trying to emulate it, while also trying to find a way back home. Most of the times, they would fail spectaculary, but they're slowly learning. At one point, after seeing her little brother and Dukey doing some parkour, she and Mary decided to train themselves, in case if they have to take the situation themselves, not knowing that it would happen sooner than she expected, with bigger threats and higher stakes. Armed with smart glasses and many gadgets, this headstrong girl will make sure, that any bad guy wouldn't get away.
Mary Test (voiced by Emily Tennant) - The other half of the team's brains and also a talented scientist. Much like her twin sister, she posesses a high IQ and does everything with her sister together. Either inventing stuff, using Johnny as a lab rat or swooning over Gil. However, unlike Susan, Mary is more open-minded, empathetic, but less outspoken. Also unlike her sister, she is more open to more hypothetical sciences such as extraterrestrials and cryptids, which caused her to be at odds with Susan, but at least one of her new friends, Serena, likes her a bit more than her twin sister. After getting sent to Lumina, seeing the aliens and making friends with a fairy, as well as the advanced tech, made her more determined to recreate Luminian technology for more groundbreaking results. But because she is less outspoken, Mary is often in the background, while the others shine. This makes her yearning for the day, she would be in the spotlight. Unbeknownst to her, the day would come sooner than she expected. Fortunately, with several gadgets, smart glasses and a quicker pace, Mary would do anything to protect those, she loved the most and defeat the enemies.
Schalot (voiced by Brian Doe) - Despite him not really buff lookng (his body type is slim btw), this teenage, pastel pink snail is the strong and fast fighter of the team, ready for a fight. Described as a impulsive, sassy, moody, introverted (as well as chaotic), yet tough and direct individual, this guy is not afraid to show and speak up his opinions, in form of roasts and shouts to almost anyone. Always armed with a scepter, which has a plasma blade insjde that can pop up with the push of a small button and several throwing blades, he is known for his fast moves and devastating attacks. Heck, instead of running away, he wouldn't go down with a fight (though when he's too overloaded with panic, he would simply faint). His biggest character flaw is that Schalot is so sensitive and hot-headed, that even a slight annoyance would tip him off and he has trouble managing his emotions, due to a traumatic event (which was an alien invasion) at a young age, which lead to losing his parents (He would later find his siblings). In other words, outside of his tough shell is a very vulnerable and damaged person, yearning for comfort, company and happiness. But on the flipside, he is not a full blown jerk, as this snail is loyal and caring, like a big brother to the team, who's willing to protect them at any cost, despite him being the youngest of the pastel siblings. In the free time, he would be seen browsing on his phone, adoring cats and overall minding his own business with milkshakes and sweets.
Serena Rose (voiced by Shannon Chan-Kent) - A shy and timid, yet sweet and kind girl, who's at the same age as Johnny. She just moved to Porkbelly with her dad, when they were mysteriously teleported into a new galaxy. Feeling scared, she tried to find her dad, only to meet Johnny, Dukey, Susan, Mary, Schalot and Ziffy instead. (She will later reuinite with her dad) The amber/yellow eyed girl serves as the heart of the group, taking care of her friends and attempting to solve conflicts. During battle, she moves with so much grace and fluidity, because she did take gymnastics classes before. While she may sound like an average sweet girl to some, Serena is far more special than anyone else: She is in fact, a fairy! Inherited from her missing mother, she has magical abilites of flight with her pink fairy wings and casting spells, with a special necklace. Her biggest flaw is, she is too afraid to use her magic, due to an event, where after being corned by some bullies, her fear lead to an unintenional blast, which also hurt a few innocent people as well. Thankfully, after hearing her story, Johnny and the others will help her overcome her fears and embrace her fairy side, inspiring her to train her skills and use them for good. But be careful! If you commit crime and/or hurt her loved ones, be prepared to be the receiving end of a magical punishment.
Ziffy (voiced by Andrea Libman) - A small robot assistant with a very lively and happy personality, ready to help the team out on (almost) any situation, while also making new friends with a bright smile. So much so, that even in the most dire situation, they never give up hope and keep looking out to the light. They're also the glue of the group, often approaching with a neutral perspective and making sure, the team wouldn't break up, while also acting as a n assistant to the sisters. (Fun fact, they and the robots created the T-05 multipurpose communicators, that houses a special plasma tether, known as the Neolink, which allows the user to latch onto targets to pull them in, throw them around and so on. It can also be used as a rope or even a whip. The users can even combine their Neolinks to make a longer beam, a bungee cord or even a net for example. It's a very versatile tool for exploration, combat and utility.) . Despite their small size, they pack a lot of stuff, like many weapons, gadgets (ranging from practical and useful to outright ridiculous), etc, in case they would protect their friends in a dire situation, when they need their help. However, they have the tendency to overload to stress out and being too emotional, due to the programming and the AI not being perfect. Especially, when their friends, including their best friend, Schalot, would cause chaos. This would result in Ziffy taking breaks and recharging themselves during the night. Regardless of their flaws, if you are down, expect Ziffy to cheer you up with a smile and lots of fun!
Meet their allies!
Our heroes will not go through those adventures alone, as several allies, both new and old will assist them throught the journey. The newcomers will also serve to help the others develop, while also having their own arcs. So, let's meet the allies!
Mr. Black and Mr. White (voiced by Scott McNeil and Deven Mack) - Two undercover agents working for the General. While they try to do their jobs, most of the times, they fail out of incompetence, which leads to Schalot calling them "Agents Dumb and Dumber". But when push comes to shove, they will put extra effort against the enemies. The General (voiced by Lee Tockar) - The general in Lumina's Area 2.1. Being appointed out of pure luck, he would do his usual thing, which would make him at odds with his second in command, Cynthia, who is more serious. However, when the situation becomes serious, he wouldn't hesitate to go all out with the fight, even though most of the times, he and the army would fail against the most cunning villains. Cynthia (voiced by Nicole Oliver) - The oldest sibling of the pastel snail siblings and the second in command in Area 2.1. Unlike her peers, she takes her job seriously with her massive experience in combat and cold and strict demeanor, with some paranoia sprinkled in. One that, even Schalot himself is afraid of her on a bad day. On the flipside, the pastel green snail is a very protective and mature person, willing to sacrifice herself for her loved ones. Especially her young siblings, though she is protective towards her youngest brother, who is more reckless and impulsive.
Sky (voiced by Vincent Tong) - A pastel blue snail, who is the older twin of Melody. He is a very creative and generous being, who works really hard in form of his artworks and masterpieces. Sky is also protective to Melody, who can be a bit reckless, but not as much as his youngest brother, Schalot. However, being an artist would also leave him anxious and somewhat of a control freak, but despite all of this, his loved ones and friends would help Sky overcome his fears and bring out more inspiration. Melody (voiced by Kelly Sheridan) - A very lively and energetic woman with an eye for talent and fashion, since she is a musician and songwriter. This pastel yellow snail is known for her melodic voice, fashionable looks and positive personality. Being the youngest twin of Sky, they would often collaborate each other for many projects. Despite for being a drama queen, her heart is in the right place and truly cares for her siblings. Even though she is not a fighter, when the situation is tight and it involves her loved ones, she wouldn't hesistate to try her best to fight.
Sissy Blakely (voiced by Ashleigh Ball) - Johnny's old rival(/possible love interest?) and an incredibly confident, yet sissy girl. Often seen competing with Johnny, along with her dog, Missy, but this time, they would also often compete in parkour, since she saw Johnny and Dukey doing some sick tricks, before they were sent to Lumina, so the ladies decided to take up parkour as well. When she is not competing, she would try her best to adapt in this new world, until she finds a way back home. In the meantime, she would also have a mutual respect towards Serena, though she would (rarely) comment, if the two have a crush on each other, when the two are together, which both Johnny AND Serena vehemently deny out of embarrasment. Speaking of the latter, Serena would be confused on why they are fighting and would try her best to solve the conflict, even though the situation is far too complex to understand. She does come in a pinch to help them out every now and then.
Gil Nexdor (voiced by Andrew Francis) - A tall teenager with good looks and charm, that even girls and even boys would be fawning over. He's slightly smarter in the show and would even interact with the teenage residents in Lumina, after he got teleported there. He is still friendly towards Johnny and meets his new friends at the same time, though Schalot isn't impressed, due to his stupidity. But unlike his past iteration, he would have more depth to his character and be more interesting.
Herbert Rose (voiced by Brian Drummond) - A middle aged man, who is Serena's father. He is described as a quiet, yet smart and empathetic man, who tries his best to take care of his daughter, after his wife, Delia, went missing under mysterious circumstances. Prior to the incident, he and Serena just moved to Porkbelly and he was about to take a job as a teacher, as Herbert learned about education and psychology. Ever since meeting the Tests, everytime when there is conflict, especially that Serena became friends with the Test siblings, he would act as a mediator, trying to solve the conflict. Mind you, this doesn't happen that often, due to a busy schedule. But despite the new chaotic situation of them adapting in a new galaxy, he hopes, that maybe, Delia would be out somewhere, alive and well. Oh and he is aware about his daughter being a fairy (due to Delia also being a fairy) and is okay, but he is concerned about her safety. Bling-Bling-Boy (voiced by Lee Tockar) - A rich and snobby genius, who also got teleported into the new galaxy. As soon, as he learned about Luminian technology, he started researching about it and even incoorporate elements with his own inventions. Despite being Johnny's enemy, who is deeply in love with Susan, he does like his presence and even hang out with him and Dukey for fun times, even occationally teaming up with them against the other enemies and villains. In other words, he has a hidden soft spot for them and even Schalot, Serena and Ziffy, despite them interfering with his plans. Also despite the fact, that Schalot is not afraid to show his dislike towards Eugene, either by roasts or even attacks, which really annoys him.
Jillian Vegan (voiced by Maryke Hendrikse) - A very closed off and rebellious girl, who wants to build her own image and become independent, much to her dad's dismay. Arriving in Lumina away from her family would allow her to follow her dreams and later reuinite with Johnny and Dukey, while meeting their new friends at the same time. When Dark Vegan returned, tensions will grow, as Jillian tries her best to grow up and become more independent. Only time will tell, if she can achieve her dreams. Orion (voiced by Ian Hanlin) - A really wealthy, yet hard working, courteous and chill, lilac snail, originating from Nox, who is never afraid to show his kindness and generosity to the less fortunate. At a young age, he and his mom fled from his greedy and mean dad, who was running a company and went into hiding out of fear. Unfortunately, she became seriously ill and without any money for healthcare or even some form of help, passed away. From this point on, Orion decided to help the less fortunate and with the help of his friends, opened up a company, focusing on wellness products. At one point, he met Schalot, who was haunted by his own guilt, after his berzerk form nearly destroyed Starfall CIty and hurting his friends and loved ones and helped him heal and overcome his demons. His efforts worked, when the pink snail managed to stop Orion's father, exposing his shady tactics and saving the employees and other people from his grasp. Ever since then, he's been in touch with Schalot and became very close friends. But maybe there's more to this, than it seems... There will also be other characters, the heroes are interacting in Lumina, ranging from Spritz (voiced by Cathy Wesluck), an owner of a milkshake parlor, to various Luminians and other aliens. Most of them will be one-offs though, with some exceptions.
As for the villains, I already made a post, right here. All my points about them will still stand, apart from Terios being more chivalrous and noble.
What are the themes and goals?
As I mentioned before, the main goal of "Power Up!" is to flesh out the series in a new way, making complex stories and themes, while also keeping the good things about the series and eliminating its weakpoints, both the original and revival had. It also needs much more needed improvements, like better written characters, a more exciting and fantastical world or in this case, a new galaxy for them to explore, having mature storylines with higher stakes and lessions throughout the way, a connected storyline (i.e, finding a way back home, remembering about the past to improve themselves, etc.) Aside from Dukey, most of the characters are quite bland in the two official versions, so another goal is to flesh them out even more, learning more about the new frontier, while also slowly growing up, having more depth and having different morals and goals. This is also a reason, why I introduce those new characters. They'll help them flesh out even more with their interactions and stories for them to listen and learn. For example, Serena would help Johnny to be more considerate to his surroundings with her kindness, Ziffy teaching the sisters to be more optimistic and Schalot helping Dukey to overcome his anxiety. On the flipside, the veterans would also help the newcomers overcome their hurdles in their lives and mature, as the series goes on.
Also, it needs to be better paced, like even when the action will be fast paced, other times, it should be slown down, so that character development would blossom. Not to mention, remove the toilet humor, make the writing more mature and we have something, that can be enjoyed by everyone. That being said, in order to escape from the low-budget past, "Johnny Test: Power Up!" will have better and stronger writing, with three themes being symbols of their new mythos:
Unity - No matter the race and identity, everyone deserves to work and stand together for a better future. Friendships and famiies, as long as they're healthy and really connected, will stand strong against the odds.
Love - Whatever it is self-love, love towards your loved ones and many more, everybody had to embrace themselves to be unique and proud of who they really are. Not to mention, building up confidence and happiness.
Dreams - Even when the world is against it, never give up following for your dreams and keep fighting for it.
On top with those themes, the characters will be alot more fleshed out for this new frontier, with those inspirations for their looks, personalites, etc. listed here:
Johnny - Sonic The Hedgehog (Sonic Prime), his s1 and reboot versions with a few shades of the later seasons, several design elements from Sonic Boom, Luffy (One Piece), Michelangelo (both TMNT 2012 and ROTTMNT)
Dukey - All of his versions in the entire series, Luigi (Super Mario), Yuunagi Tsubasa/Cure Wing (Hirogaku Sky! Pretty Cure)
Susan - All of her versions in the entire series, Chi-Chi (Dragon Ball Z), Donatello (ROTTMNT), Musa (Winx Club)
Mary - Same thing for Susan, Amy Rose (Sonic the Hedeghog), Timmy (Winx Club), Sunset Shimmer (Equestria Girls shorts)
Schalot - Raphael (both TMNT 2003 and 2012), Escargoon (as a design inspiration) (Kirby: Right Back at Ya!) , Sonic the Hedgehog (Sonic Boom), a few aspects from myself (being an awkward introvert, a phone addict, sensitive side and being the youngest), Batman (but only for parts of the backstory), Strider Hiryu (Strider), Ichigo Kurosaki (Bleach)
Serena - Flora and Roxy (Winx Club), Nijigaoka Mashiro/Cure Prism (Hirogaku Sky! Pretty Cure), Cream the Rabbit (Sonic the Hedgehog), Clawdeen Wolf (Monster High G3), Liko (Pokémon: Horizons), Akimoto Komachi/Cure Mint (Yes! Pretty Cure 5 and Yes! Pretty Cure 5 GoGo!)
Ziffy - Pinkie Pie (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic), Navi (Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger), Frankie Stein (Monster High G3), Auriana (Lolirock), Smash (Power Rangers: Beast Morphers), XJ9/Jenny Wakeman (My Life as a Teenage Robot)
As I said, the premise of the show will take place mostly in Lumina. There will be times, they had to travel to other planets and galaxies for finding the others, doing some errands or just to take a break (Although evil wouldn't let them rest so easily of course, so they have to watch out.) The team will reside in Starfall City, a futuristic and eco-friendly city, filled with skylines, hover vehicles, glimmering fauna, elevators connecting ground and sky level, sleek buildings and many more, all connected with a combination of highly advanced technology and magic. Inspired by mega cities, like Tokyo, Zenith from Winx Club and the Y2K aesthetic, this city will be the new hub and playground for some parkour and extreme sports. Its residents are incredibly diverse with anthomorphic aliens and mythical beings, all with their own mythos and culture. As for Lumina itself, it'll have luscious and sparkling fauna with jungles, seas and so on. It also has a vere breathable atmosphere.
The show will be inspired by Sonic Synergy (basically a very early version of Sonic Boom), Sonic Prime, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Sonic X, Ratchet and Clank, Rise of the TMNT, Power Rangers, Winx Club, Danny Phantom, Glitch Techs, TMNT 2012 and several shonen elements, all while being influenced by the first season of the original and the revival in some aspects.
In conclusion, the themes, ideas, stories and mythos would help the series evolve and adapt to modern times, removing its weaknesses, while keeping the good things about it in a fine balance. This has been a dream project of mine, I really want to make it fully offical and have to keep fighting for it, in order to shine brighter than the stars.
More concept info coming soon and Happy New Year, everyone!
