Have you ever heard of the popular YouTube channel TheOdd1sOut? If so, then you’re probably aware of Netflix’s newest release, Oddballs, which is a 12 episode series created by and starring James Rallison, the creator of that very YouTube channel. The show is an animated comedy that follows James and his best friend Max, a weird talking crocodile (yes, a crocodile) as they navigate their daily lives to learn valuable lessons. It’s the exact same animation and art as his YouTube channel, so I’m sure this is a very exciting instalment for his fans. And with each episode being only approximately 20 minutes long, it’s definitely bingeable. I’m going to tell you right now though that the target demographic is definitely aimed for children, so if you’re an adult reading this, chances are this one’s not for you.

To give you a little background information, TheOdd1sOut is a YouTube channel where James shares his life stories and experiences through relatively quick animated videos. I watched his videos when I was in high school, and back then, I genuinely liked his content. Although I’ve outgrown his channel now, what I remember appreciating from his videos were the liveliness of his storytelling, the adorable animations, and a good bit of humour that would make me laugh. I decided to check out this Netflix series for the nostalgia (and to support James!) but unfortunately, because Oddballs is not a show based off of his own life experiences, I felt like it was missing the charm that I fell in love with in the first place.

Of course, the most important thing to keep in mind here is that I am an adult reviewing a kid’s show, so no, I’m not going to particularly enjoy it. I just thought it’d be fun to review something I grew up with, so here I am!

If you’re wondering if the episodes are connected to create an overarching story across the entire season, the answer is no. Each episode tells a standalone story so you can literally put any one on and be good to go. I found each episode to be wildly chaotic (which will be very appealing to kids) but still pretty creative and unique. So props to James for being able to create something that feels fresh and modern! In terms of the humour, I personally found the show to feel very cheesy and childish. Oddballs really relies on the audience’s immaturity in order for it to be funny. So if you’re a kid, you’re going to love it.

There does seem to be a kind of innocence and childlike curiosity that exists within the show, so if you’re a parent trying to find something new for your child to watch, this is a good recommendation. With so much going on in each episode, I’m sure it’ll keep them entertained and engaged for however long the series lasts.

Yeah, this review really kind of came out of nowhere, but it was fun revisiting a creator that I loved a while back. It’s also really great seeing James getting to expand and grow, even getting his own series on Netflix! If anything I’ve said in this review intrigued you, it wouldn’t hurt to check out one episode to try out. Only 20 minutes long and with no connected storyline, you can pick whichever one appeals to you. If it works for you, let me know! This was definitely a one time watch for me and with that being said, I’m giving Oddballs a 5/10. I kind of decided to give it that score because the show is not targeted for me so I didn’t necessarily enjoy it, but there were a lot of aspects of it that I respect and see it working well for kids.

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