Victor and Valentino Review
In U.S. popular culture, Greek and Roman myths have become prominent, whether spun into animations about Cleopatra or popular webcomics about the gods on Mount Olympus. However, there’s one show that tries to shift the focus toward Mesoamerican mythologies and stories, bringing it into the American mainstream: Victor and Valentino.
Reprinted from Pop Culture Maniacs, my History Hermann WordPress blog on Jan 3., and Wayback Machine. This was the first article I wrote for Pop Culture Maniacs. This post was originally published on November 26, 2020.
This animated series is the brainchild of Diego Molano, a former artist on The Powerpuff Girls, background designer on Ian Jones-Quartey’s OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes, and former background layout artist on other animated series. As an avid fan of Steven Universe and OK K.O.!, this show was an easy draw, with the 30-second opening proving an exciting way to begin each episode.
Victor and Valentino follows the wild adventures of two young half-brothers, Victor (voiced by Molano) and Valentino (voiced by Sean-Ryan Petersen), in the town of Monte Macabre, encountering bizarre phenomena along the way. They are occasionally helped by their grandmother, Chata (voiced by Laura Patalano), who has supernatural powers, and others within the town. This focus stays the same through the show’s two seasons, which aired on Cartoon Network this year and last year. Valentino, Victor, and Chata are part of the almost exclusively Latinx cast in this series.
Like OK K.O.! and Steven Universe, Victor and Valentino is made for children under age 13, with Molano calling it “digestible content for kids,” although it can be enjoyed by those of all ages. It is also socially relevant, celebrates individuality, and is a comedy-adventure, mixing motifs from Mexico and Japan, including indigenous culture in Latin America. Even in its tensest moments, whether in arguments between Victor and Valentino, or when one of them is endangered by a supernatural being, the humor and storyline are family-friendly.
Although Victor and Valentino is unique, it shares characteristics with other animations. Similar to how Jones-Quartey voices a protagonist, Radicles, in OK K.O.!, Molano voices Victor in this show. While some may see Victor as a self-insert of Molano, he serves as a distinctive character in his own right. As for Valentino, he is a bit like Steven Universe, who is also overweight, serving as a contrast to stereotypes of obesity which are widespread in popular media. Also, Valentino is calm, thoughtful, considerate, and a bit nerdy, the opposite of Victor, a rambunctious kid who hates rules.
Each of the show’s 117 episodes, most in Season 2, are geared toward children and families, especially those in the Latinx community. Ultimately, Victor and Valentino changes Mesoamerican myths from something for adults into a show which kids, and their parents, can appreciate equally, each in their own way.
One character has a surprising intensity beyond Victor, Valentino, and Chata. She is Xochi, a rebellious young woman, who is voiced by Cristina Vee. She is a physically fit teenager and the daughter of a local shop owner, often having run-ins with Victor and Valentino, while going to concerts and taking salsa dance classes. In two episodes, “Band for Life” and “Escaramuza,” she shows a clear interest in another girl, Amabel. Even though it has not been officially confirmed that she is a lesbian, it is heavily implied by her never showing romantic feelings for male characters and often blushing when she is around Amabel.
With Xochi as a character and the Latinx-majority cast, Victor and Valentino is part of a broader push by animations, especially those for all ages, to have LGBTQ characters, diverse storylines, and casts. The show shares both with Steven Universe, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, and Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts. Victor and Valentino is not alone in focusing on Mesoamerica. For instance, the mature adult animation and Crunchyroll original, titled Onyx Equinox, created by Sofia Alexander, a Latina showrunner, is set in Aztec Mexico.
If the show is renewed for a third season, that hopefully means that Xochi’s story will be explored more. Although she has appeared in nine episodes, her character is seriously underutilized. This problem is not unique to Victor and Valentino but has been a problem in other Cartoon Network (CN) animations, like Steven Universe. The latter show is told from Steven’s perspective, resulting in supporting characters, such as Peridot, Lapis Lazuli, and Bismuth, being sidelined in pursuit of a broader story.
Victor and Valentino may end up encouraging CN to continue offering shows with significant diversity, whether broadcast on daytime programming or adding them to HBO Max. It is a fun and exciting show which can be liked by everyone, with each episode only 11 minutes long. Not every episode is as gripping as the last, but the show is a nice break from the monotony of daily life, and definitely worth watching every episode either over a series of weeks or binge it in a shorter period.
Victor and Valentino is available on Cartoon Network, HBO Max, Amazon Prime, YouTube TV, and the CN app.
© 2020-2023 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.
