Papillon Rose

Given the voracity of the backlash against the "not-so-bad" rating that Papillon Rose received upon initial viewing by a fellow reviewer, I am certain that many readers eagerly anticipate a reviewer that, upon broader viewing (or even being of dissimilar gender from the original critic), will vindicate their pristine opinion of this title. Unfortunately you, the reader, are stuck with me. While I don't think poorly of this title by any stretch of the imagination, the buzz pervading Papillon Rose is plainly more hype than substance.
So where does the hype begin you ask? Right off the bat. From the very beginning of episode one this ... title more or less pronounces itself to be of the cookie-cutter Shonen Jump variety, and only a somewhat above average one at that. The character for which the show is named, Papillon Rose, is quickly introduced, and even before the end of the first episode the viewer is completely aware of the ultimate direction of the plot: Avatar The Last Airbender will someday become the strongest ninja of his village and receive the highly coveted title of Hokage. But knowing the end of the plotline isn't as much of a killjoy as one would expect. It is the ride that counts after all. However, in the case of Papillon Rose the ride is tantamount to that of an old, wooden roller coaster: sometimes thrilling and often nostalgic, yet still quite a bit rickety and easily outdone in terms of excitement and quality.sometimes thrilling and often nostalgic, yet still quite a bit rickety and easily outdone in terms of excitement and quality.