NOTE: I'm having some serious doubts about this review and there may be a possible chance I will redo this one from scratch in the near future. I'm so mixed and it doesn't help that I have no care for Christmas. Just a small warning. Proceed with your life.

I am not writing this review in rhyme.
I just don't have the effort and time.
Go bug some someone else who's better at this task.
I'll write this thing down my own way, so don't even as--ARGH!

I knew it was inevitable. The Nickelodeon ads were running it on their stations and I saw it plain in my face, clear as day, and right smack on the screen: a Danny Phantom Christmas special. I have a somewhat love/hate relationship with holiday episodes of the childrens' cartoon variety. They’re often piss-poor, sugar-coated, and fundamentally dull in their up rise to generically fill in the annual quota to send a message to tots everywhere the joys of Christmas over vast materialism and other forms of evil rooted in an otherwise innocent holiday (The few that are worth watching are pretty damn good though).

And I speak with venom spitting out of my mouth. I despise Christmas. Call me cynical, but there is nothing to be cheery about this goddamn holiday. Like Danny, I, too hold a scrooge-like deposition. Now I’m not going to be shouting “BAH HUMBUG” to every human in existence and I enjoy presents, and yes, Christmas is still a good excuse to spend time with loved ones, but I have absolutely no love for this annual event as I once did during my childhood. Or maybe I'm spouting this out of humane bitterness by catering to the frustrating customers in the retail business. I feel it's gotten progressively worse over the years, but it constantly brings in the love and kids will be enthralled by it with as much innocence as they can milk it. Lisa Simpson wisely put it, "Christmas commercialism is a mixed blessing at best" and I suppose it's the route I'll stick with.

But getting back on-topic...

Steve Marmel and his paunchy crew decided why break what isn’t broken. The overall message has Danny learning to refrain from jerk mode and control his raging emotions from others, along with the Power of Love as a large side plot--he later apologizes to his family. The annual Christmas truce doubles as both a cultural information of the Ghost Zone and support for said Power of Love; the ghosts by end all contribute to fixing Danny’s mess by turning Amity Park’s frowny face upside down. Along these lines, the episode sound as radically generic as the Hallmark greeting card-induced specials.

They also decided they didn’t have to fill the entire episode with sugary Christmas crap either. Sam, Tucker, and Jazz are filled with greedy, righteous anger when their presents are taken away from them. Jack and Maddie argue tyrannically over Santa Claus’ existence, ignoring their children the likes of which child support clings onto like butter. Blood lust revenge consumes Ghost Writer's heart that he resorts to ugly methods for his victim's comeuppance, and Danny averts the holiday cheers many main characters possess in Christmas special by retaining a bitter grudge against it. The subversion furthers beyond the impossibility when Sam of all people entices herself over a holiday that promotes the opposite of her gloomy view. It's unconvincing to take in; Danny's reason is explained, but not her. Why does she enjoy the yuletide fits? What makes this sarcastic deadpan chick light up during the ho-ho-hos? How can I expect to embrace something illogical that which has no reasons to back up? But I digress. The brilliance in the story is that for as much straightforward the holiday cheers surround “The Fright Before Christmas”, the writers cleverly undermine the entire trend and deconstructs the genre. As much as Ghost Writer utters “till the lesson is learned” every forty seconds like a goddamn hammer, the genius concept of a deranged Christmas is a joy to see--cynical without being too cynical--a feat only matched that of Futurama's X-Mas goodies.

Topped with catchy rhymes, the events continuously topple over another with few rest periods in-between. When things do mellow down, we get Guy Moon's excellent score whom seems to have put a lot of soul in the music here. While it’s mostly annoying Christmas tunes, the two that stands out the most--amongst many Danny Phantom episodes--are the non-talking scenes where Danny and his ghost buddies restore Christmas with a catchy, if not tedious, Christmas choir jingle, and a lonesome tone that plays as Danny silently walks a gloomy Amity Park after his ghost self ruined Christmas. A bit Disney-ish in sound, but otherwise emotional in tone. The scene, too is filled with sensitive feelings.

Ghost Writer in his one and only major appearance delivers with much pomp. His vicious nature and daring attempts to torment Danny is delightful to see, sadistic to a fault with a kickass design to boot (his glasses--ooh--his glasses). Triggered by Danny's giant jerkass mode, he immaturely eggs on about the book he destroyed, rubbing it in Ghost Writer's face on the uncaring, callous nature he is currently supporting. Seriously, what the hell, hero? To Ghost Writer, his damaged book is akin to someone stealing the person you love or a painful bruise to the ego. The very gut-wrenching voice in Ghost Writer is powerful and brilliantly acted by Will Arnett. He may deserve to go to jail for ignoring the annual truce, but I felt great pity for the poor guy. If Danny had just apologized and showed some sort of remorse, none of this would have happened. As much maturity he is gaining, he still has emotional problems to conquer. That still doesn’t cut him any slack for forcing his amusement upon Ghost Writer’s Christmas poem. It’s over the edge and the torment he receives he deserves in full, no matter how bitter he is. Seriously, Danny, NOT. COOL.

Nothing stands out for me in terms of animation. There are a few errors sprinkled here and there (Danny is seen with his jacket when he didn’t have it earlier at one point, Spectra’s two forms appears at the same time) while others amuse me (a child is seen riding the ghost-filled sleigh with a look of uncertainly in his face, Lunch Lady sits on Sidney during one scene). Jack’s construction of a landing point for Santa is also genius on it’s own and one of the funniest moments in the entire series, I laughed a good while from that little tidbit alone. The title card is beautifully captivating. It’s ridiculously busy as the panel fills it with toys and snowflakes, a giant Ghost Writer torments a smaller Danny in a symbolic look at who the bigger boss is, and the deep shades of red are just mind-blowing. That picture I posted in the summary section does not do it justice.

The one glaring irritation I will remark about are the winter outfits the animators have given to our main heroes. Or should I say lack of? I’m probably saying this as someone who--while lacking fashion sense of her own--has a love for designing clothes, but are you kidding me? The animators couldn’t bother to create a full wardrobe for Danny and the others!? All they get are jackets? Jackets?! That’s it? It’s only for one episode, so they have no excuse to ignore some variety in their otherwise everyday wear. And what’s worse, Danny in a couple of scenes walk around in the snow without his winter wear! Is he not freezing to death? Even Sam waltzes out at one point and her outfit is far skimpier. Hell, they don't even shiver. I have such a bitch fit towards situations of that caliber in animation.
8/10

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