As someone nearing his 30s, I find it a bit hard to like BoBoiBoy Galaxy: SORI. There, I said it. But that doesn’t mean it’s bad. On the contrary, it’s one of the best animation series produced in Malaysia. It’s just not made for me and that is fine. 

The proof? They had about 335,000 people watching episode 6 live when it aired, 1,000,000 views within the first 45 minutes, and 65 million total season viewers (as of 30th December 2023). And this is just from YouTube. We don’t include data from Netflix and Media Prima. I’d say this is very impressive. 

So what I’d like to do now is to review the series objectively, so here it goes.

But before you read further, be warned that there will be spoilers ahead. So if you haven’t watched BoBoiBoy Galaxy SORI, tune in to Monsta’s official YouTube Channel here, or watch it on Netflix. 

Speaking of which, some lame YouTubers uploaded all six episodes on their personal channel, please report them. Monsta worked hard on this, so let’s appreciate them by clicking the right link. It’s free.

The Plot

I’d say the plot of BoBoiBoy Galaxy Sori is very simple and straightforward. Some time after his battle against the former seven elemental power user; Retak’Ka, the titular hero returns to Earth, vowing to train himself and unlock the third-tier elemental powers so he can continue protecting Earth, TAPOPS and the universe. 

So this season is actually divided into four arcs. The Sori arc comprises the first nine issues of the comic series of the season, which is then adapted into six episodes. In order to learn how to unlock Timber, the third-tier form of Leaf and Thorn, BoBoiBoy went to see Grand Master Gaharum of Planet Rimbara. He also meets Qually, a new ally who later becomes a chef at TAPOPS. 

Some might say BoBoiBoy doesn’t need any immediate upgrade as he is strong enough to defeat Retak’Ka. But of course the audience was proved to be wrong. Long-time villain Adu Du returns, showing awesome fighting capabilities after training with Hang Kasa.

So yeah, power upgrades are needed fast. BoBoiBoy might need some time before unlocking the third-tier elemental powers. So, for now he would have to continue using elemental fusion like how Solar and Duri fuse into BoBoiBoy SORI (Solar + Duri). 

BTW, there is a new TAPOPS base on Earth, under Tok Aba’s stall. I don’t know if it’s intentional or what, but I feel like the secret base under a food place, secret ‘Kokoko Jatuh’ password, and one character who doesn’t seem to know anything about it falling down to the base, it’s like a nod to Ejen Ali, who did this exact scene in 2019. After all, both Nizam Razak and WAU Animation’s Usamah Zaid were former colleagues and now spearheading the AniMY industry.   

So yeah, there’s not much to talk about actually. They come, they fight, they win. Pretty basic stuff.

The Characters

The name is BoBoiBoy so of course the story is going to focus more on him. Unfortunately, there’s not much character development in this arc. The highlight would be when Solar and Duri decided to stop squabbling and work together to defeat Jumbosaur.

Other supporting characters look flat and unimpressive too. I get it, it’s just a six-episode arc. But I guess there’s not much left to develop as they covered quite a lot in the last two seasons and two movies. 

Though I would say, Adu Du and Probe looked awesome, being a fighter and all thanks to intense training by Hang Kasa. But the poor thing didn’t have much luck this time. It would be nice if he could get a legit win sometime. I think it could help with BoBoiBoy character development.

Qually and Gaharum are okay additions in this season. I genuinely like how Gaharum mostly talks in rhyme but Qually,.. cooks i guess. Anyway, this is just one arc. Let’s see how they all do in the next arcs.

The Animation – dynamic camera movement and design

At many points throughout the season, I feel like Monsta is bragging about their capabilities of doing high quality animation and I like that. Why not? They can, let them do! 

Look at the dynamic camera movement during some fight scenes. And it’s not just BoBoiBoy. Look at Yaya, Ying and Gopal during their fight with the Tumbersaur.

That penultimate fusion sequence between Solar and Duri, with the reduced aspect ratio. It’s the stuff of the big screen, totally awesome.

And it’s not just the fight scenes. I’m not kidding when I say I went out to my favourite roadside Kelantan restaurant, ordering a Tomyam dish after watching the mouth-watering cooking battle between the titular hero and Qually. Monsta literally said “move away Yukihira Soma, let BoBoiBoy cook”. I guess we can now include BoBoiBoy in our list of anime that you should not watch when you’re hungry. 

Oh yes, SORI’s ultimate attack; a thing of beauty with elements of Malaysian culture. Fans across various social media were quick to notice that the light-based energy patterns behind BoBoiBoy were based on the Durian Flower. Monsta even confirmed that they get their inspiration from that flower. It’s awesome that I get to learn something new today. Also, look at that. Obviously I prefer the Super Supra Attack as it looks more edgier and stylish. But this is well designed.  

AniMY fans that have been watching BoBoiBoy since 2011 would understand how much they have improved since the first episode of BoBoiBoy. 

The Music Score

First let’s talk about the new theme song. ‘Kembali Beraksi’ or in English; ‘Back In Action’ by Firdaus Rahmat is simply awesome. I like it. It’s giving off the anime vibe, full of energy and gets me hype. The opening montage is very shonen-like. Feels great that AniMY opening is now being compared to Anime opening, doesn’t it?

If there is one aspect that Monsta needs to improve is finding an ‘Azri Yunus’ to work for them. Background music helps the audience connect with the story. It helps us feel more depth of the character’s emotion. 

Take Ejen Ali for example. The ‘Harapan’ theme was effectively used during the end scene of Season 2, episode ‘Diez’, where it conveys a range of emotions, including betrayal, despair, total loss, and hope. I believed that the theme was composed meticulously to complement that scene. 

BoBoiBoy Galaxy SORI, unfortunately, doesn’t have that strong theme to help me feel what I’m supposed to feel. The movies did it way better obviously. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not bad. It was okay. Maybe I have too much expectation after seeing the quality that Monsta has shown in all three of their movies so far (including Mechamato). 

The Verdict

Let’s recap; this is a season with a simple plot, little character development, super awesome animation, and a high octane opening theme song that is comparable to anime theme. Of course I’m gonna give this a 7.5/10. It’s not bad, it’s just not for me and some adults who are looking for a more mature plotline and character development. 

Message to Nizam Razak

It’s a shame I can’t truly appreciate BoBoiBoy due to my ‘old age and maturity’. But I want to say thank you for doing this. Hopefully Monsta and all AniMY industries can continue improving and produce more BoBoiBoy, Mechamato and others. 

Local 90s cartoons like Anak-Anak Sidek, Kluangman, Usop Sontorian and Kampung Boy were my favorites while growing up (because I don’t have Astro). I’m sure the same thing will be for Generations Z and Alpha kids with BoBoiBoy. Here’s to Monsta and happy 15th birthday to one of the best AniMY and anime production companies ever. I’ll definitely going to come back to watch Windara in June 2024.