Initially a recurring character Mike Judge's long-running animated series Beavis and Butt-head, Daria Morgendorffer was the dimwitted duo's super-smart foil who occasionally helped them out. Daria was so popular with audiences that was she eventually spun off into her own eponymously titled show, that debuted in 1997, the same year Beavis and Butt-Head went off the air.
Unlike most spin-offs, Daria hung on for 5 seasons and two 90-minute specials, delivering a witty, honest look at the realities of teenage life. Now Paramount Home Video is releasing Daria: The Complete Animated Series on an 8-disc box set, hoping the show will find a new generation of fans.
Paramount Home Video Releases MTV's Daria: The Complete Animated Series
Daria Morgendorffer is what every high school geek wanted to be: she's smarter than everyone else around her, and sharply observes high school life without really getting involved. Despite her pessimistic and anti-social attitudes, she pals around with her best friend, an artist named Jane, crushes on Jane's rocker brother Trent, and barely tolerates her excitable parents and her fashion-obsessed sister Quinn.
A strong story and characters can compensate for most weaknesses, and Daria is yet another example of this. The animation is crude but the character designs are distinctive and the high school clichés – the dumb jock and cheerleader, the slacker musician, the fashion-obsessed twit – get enough distinctive features that their characters don't get boring. Even more interesting is that there's some *gasp* character development taking place: Daria starts to come out of her sarcastic shell while Quinn begins to realize that fashion isn't perhaps the be-and and end-all.
The show has dated in some ways, but the writing still feels fresh and the jokes work whatever generation you're in.
Daria: The Complete Animated Series DVD Extras
Paramount Home Video and MTV were smart enough to pack this set with plenty of extras. Rockers Bif Naked and Dave Grohl voice an artist and a pretentious instructor in the movie 'Is It Fall Yet,' which feature Daria and her friends' trials during the summer. The other movie 'Is It College Yet' rounds out the series in fine fashion.
Also included is the black & white pilot episode 'Sealed With a Kick' (BTW, the original pilot ended up being 'Esteemsters'), an MTV Top 10 "Count-Up" hosted by Daria and Jane, and a less-than-informative featurette featuring cast & crew interviews.
Trent's band Mystik Spiral gets some attention with the music video for 'Freakin' Friends' (MTV once played music videos? WEIRD!) plus the script for a possible spin-off show based around the group.
Daria: The Complete Animated Series Well Worth Checking Out
Quite often, you rediscover a show from 10 - 20 years ago only to realize that it hasn't aged well. Luckily, that's not the case with Daria: this animated series still feels fresh and funny. Whether your high school memories are wrapped in the glow of Juno or John Hughes, Daria: The Complete Animated Series has something for you. Witty, intelligent and subversive, it gets a 4/5.
Dominic von Riedemann - Dominic is the Animated Film Feature Writer, and winner of 11 Suite 101 Editors' Choice Awards.
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