Lackadaisy's pilot offers a fun and unique animated Prohibition era tale

Whilst I certainly don't follow the animation industry, I am no stranger to enjoying a good animated project here and there. And, in recent years, quite a boom has been happening on Youtube, with some shorts taking on greater success and becoming ongoing shows (like Hazbin Hotel, Helluva Boss and Confinement amongs others), whilst some are left to remain as only pilots (Obituary, Cliffside, Internecion cube etc.). However, I have a sneaking suspicion this won't be the case for Lackadaisy.

Based on award winning comic written and illustrated by Tracy J. Butler, this period comedy featuring anthropomorphic cats, has released it's pilot to the world on March 29th 2023 and it delivered all the charm it promised. The 1920s are one of my favorite historical periods, having read and watched many movies, shows and books on the topic, from The Godfather and The Making of the Mob to Boardwalk empire and Crime Incorporated. And this show presents the era in an accurate, yet still fun, colorful and clearly cartoony fashion, so you might say the setting and time period were my favorite aspect of the show.

Why did the setting work for me so much?

Anyone who knows me well will know how much of a lore and worldbuilding junkie I am. If a piece of media has interseting worldbuilding or a cool setting it will probably be the first thing to draw me in (the second being the writing). If it creates a world which begs to be lived in (one of my favorite examples of this being done in animation is my favorite animated show Gravity Falls) then it's going to invest me into seeing more of that world, so I will wish to follow the plot and characters more as well. The style of the story was also heavily inspired by the works of Don Bluth who made dozens of timeless animation landmarks from Land before time (a childhood staple of mine) to The Secret of NIMH (the latter being in my top 10 animated films of all time).

The charm of indie animation

The pilot's animation is fluid and visually stunning (lots of eye candy in both the character designs and the backgrounds). I don't remember seeing an animated web series look this good and proffesionaly done since Hazbin Hotel and it's sister project Helluva Boss. I'm not sure what exactly makes it stand out to me, but it just makes my heart burn with an aura of warm glowth, and despite some less than wholesome subject matter, it made me feel incredibly good and satisfied after finishing my watch.

The Characters

Whilst this is a pilot, and having not read the comic yet, I can't say for sure that I know where the story is going and where the characters will end up, I am really enjoying them so far. The main leads are suitably quirky and work well off of each other and the villains are deliciously evil, murderous and intimidating. Their appeal is quite risen by the impecably talented voice cast who perfectly fit their roles. I was really happy to see Michael Kovach (who played yet another mobster character on the afframentioned Hazbin Hotel) back in the game and I really wish his talented self more luck in the future.

I'm well aware that I review shows after I finish the whole season, but as I mentioned this is a pilot episode on YT, so things can either work out for it, or it will fall into obscurity, so I wanted to give this amazing show a shoutout so we get more of this fantastical universe.

Would I reccomend it?

Certainly yes. If you're a fan of the Prohibition era stories, but want something with a unique flair and twist, this will certainly be up your alley. It may come off as a little cartoony, but I can assure you that you get used to it fairly quickly within it.

Be warned though that this proejct is aimed at more mature audiences, so mild cursing, gun violence and alcohol consumption are involved.

Overall, a sincere reccomendation from me.

The Trailer: