Originally I intended to end this article much closer Bee and puppy cat Netflix release date (September 6). However, that proved to be an overly ambitious goal, but also a naïve one: I was gripped by the magic that drew us into this beloved series in the first place, and instead of devouring it all at once, I found myself enchanted in its dreamlike Condition. For me, a show like this would have been like swallowing a gallon of pie and pudding: delicious and sleep-inducing, but too fast paced to really enjoy what I’m doing.

In fact, I found the Netflix reboot of Bee and puppy cat be something of a miracle. It’s a reboot that somehow didn’t take anything away from its source material, but rather added it, like putting more stars into its already starry galaxy. The dreamy quality is still there, the trippyness is still delightfully odd and unique to its own tone, and there’s still a subtle sense of warmth and coziness throughout that completely enveloped you as soon as you notice it.

Of course, a lot of my positivity stems from the fact that I never expected this show to see the light of day given its ever-changing relationship with the internet. There have been so many good projects that just never go anywhere, and Bee and puppy cat was such a once in a lifetime experience for so many of us that I had to swallow my hopes that it would ever become more than a short web series.

Coming back to the cake analogy, this reboot really does feel like I’ve been surprised with cake AND getting to eat it. The art style is still fairly faithful to the original series, but more finely tuned, and the characters have similarly been given more distinct personalities and ideals (while previously they were still lovable but fairly undeveloped). The eponymous Bee and Puppycat are still more or less the same – a clumsy but well-intentioned twenty-something and a smelly Poo-Boy respectively – while previously established characters like Cas, Deckard and Cardamon are given more unique personalities.

Cas, for example (voiced by my girlcrush Ashly Burch) has ditched her generic Big Sister persona for a more defined (and lovingly hilarious) anti-social coder-chick attitude, while Deckard (voiced by the prolific Kent Osbourne) has similarly begun to to show something ‘ instead of making fun of everything. And oh, sir, cardamom. Sweet cardamom. He’s quickly becoming one of my favorite characters because he finally gets a chance to wonder why he, a young boy, has to manage a property instead of playing video games and being as goofy and frivolous as his peers.

But the new characters only serve to fill the world Bee and puppy cat even richer than it already was. All of the Wizard Brothers (with the exception of Tim, who, to be fair, seemed to be taking on the role of Boring Everyman Brother) absolutely hooked me, and I was so pleased that they took up so much screen time. In particular, every scene with the vain and neurotic Howell (voiced by Kumail Nanjani, who of course did an AMAZING job!) made me laugh absolutely, and every scene with the stoic fisherman Wesley (voiced by Arin Hanson – a delightful surprise) magically a slight smile on my face.

As for the other brothers, what really tickled me was how quickly we skimmed over the fact that the nerdiest one, Merlin, was the one who got the freeloader fighter Toast (voiced by the original) swinging Sailor Moon actress Terri Hawkes). And of course, Bee’s second love interest, Crispin (voiced by Tom Sandoval, who’s apparently a reality TV star?? Do you love that?) was incredibly charming in his fastidious attitude and his attempts to get closer to the romantically clueless Bee.

Honestly, I’d like to go through every single character, but we’d be here all day. I recommend going to the Wikipedia page and checking out the vocal cast because it’s incredibly impressive and varied, from the likes of Robbie Daymond (i.e. Goro Akechi from persona and Hubert out fire sign) as the Cooking Prince, Natalie Wynn (aka Contrapoints <3) as Head Warlock, and even LA music prodigy FrankJavCee as one of the Wiggly Worms (whose voices and hatred of their own "weird hands" made me laugh out loud).

However, what made me weep the most was the fact that they kept the old soundtrack and then built on its original themes. Maybe that doesn’t mean too much to some viewers, but I’ve found that a really good and recognizable soundtrack leaves a special impression on viewers that never goes away. I’ve listened to the soundtrack All. That. Time. back in high school, to the point where it’s pretty much burned into my memory. Hearing these original notes over and over through the episodes, just like the simple days of my youth, deeply touched me in a profound way.

Specifically this song, uploaded by user Paladinlapdanse (an excellent username, btw):

Now I should probably also address the fact that some fans are not satisfied with the series. They believe that it is too different from the original and has lost its charm for various reasons. Some don’t like that Bee isn’t as chubby as she used to be. Others miss the pilot’s “random chaos” (to: “You took too long, now your candy’s gone – that’s what happens! Kablow!“). And after such a long wait, I find it completely understandable that some people are disappointed, and I feel sorry for them that the reboot didn’t live up to their expectations.

But as with all things, your mileage may vary and as the author of this site you are reading right now I can say with 100% confidence that I think this reboot is absolutely perfect. Last but not least, it embraces the Elder Gen Z/Millennial mentality in a way that’s incredibly nurturing and comforting, which is why it feels like a warm hug. Everyone on the show is just doing their best and encouraging each other, and everyone is wild and weird in their own way. The characters randomly drop profound one-liners that leave me gaping, even as the scene immediately transitions to Sillyville.

It’s really the kind of show that I think everyone in my demographic should at least try. To quote my friend, who watched it with no prior knowledge of the web series, “Things happen, but I never feel overwhelmed.” Sounds peachy, right?

(Selected image: Netflix)

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