I was first introduced to this show via www.cartoonnetwork.com and my 5 year-old brother and I, a 16 year-old cartoon nut couldn't wait for the first episode. We saw the first 10 minutes and it left us at a cliffhanger...all I knew was that Heatblast, one of Ben's alter-egos, could release as well as absorb heat and fire. After seeing the whole first episode, it gave me the same feeling after first seeing Teen Titans. Like if it was a solid object, I'd clamp my teeth onto it like a pitbull and never let go. Wow, that's a bit too much...anyway, I love this show!

This episode was great, I was born in 1989 so I don't really appreciate the A-Team stuff...I still know who they are though. That part with the people in the New Yorker not having anuses. pretty funny. The best part was the Ashlee Simpson lip-syncing parody. That jig she did to Old Man River was hilarious. Gary Coleman as Stewie was great too. The stuff Stewie says seriously does not go well with him (vile woman?). All in all, I give it a 9.8.

I have always been fascinated by the Transformers franchise. The idea that robots from a highly advanced society can turn into modern day objects or better yet, animals, still piques my interest. One other thing I like about this series is that it always has something happening or something being uncovered. Big or small, I always look forward to the secrets that the Autobots discover about their society and culture. The only thing I don't like is the sappy dialogue in the "lesson-learning" portions. Still, the quality and the show itself amazes me.

In Finding Omi, they rise to the rank of Wu Dai Warrior together. YAY!!! Big deal...reaching Wudai doesn't compare with actually using the Wudai attacks which was done in this episode. In case you didn't get it, here are the new attacks:

Omi's Tornado Strike, WATER was replaced with Wudai Neptune, WATER!
Raimundo's Typhoon Boom, WIND was replaced with Wudai Star, WIND!
Kimiko's Judollet Flip, FIRE was replaced with Wudai Mars, FIRE!
Clay's Seismic Kick, EARTH was replaced with Wudai Crater, EARTH!

Wuya is now in human form and with Chase, Jack is alone and is more like Team Rocket to Ash than as the bigger threat he used to be.
Anyway, the monks are on their search for the Bird of Paradise that could be found in the Land of Nowhere in the valley of blabbity, blabbity, blah...and get this: That Nowhere place is Ruled by Chase Young! So, on their journey, they encounter this really old, saggy, and wrinkly lady at all the wrong moments. She usually gets herself in danger and the monks have to end up rescuing her. In the end of the episode, they all think that this annoying parrot is the Bird of Paradise and Jack gets away with it (a new partnership maybe?). The old lady turns up and reveals TA-DA! She's the Bird of Paradise...what makes this episode so cool is that, you guessed it, the fighting/collapsing dungeon scenes/being mauled by gray fire-breathing squirrel scenes and the whole Xiaolin Showdown humor we all know and love...oh, and when the bird flies away cleary singing, Clay goes, "she's one impressive bird, but she can't carry a tune in a bucket."

Xiaolin Showdown is an excellent show. Even if it all came from Christy Hui's head (since I've never heard of Heylin, Shen Gong Wu, Grand Master Dashi, or Wuya in real Chinese culture...and I don't really expect to) it gets a truckload of points for uniqueness (although elemental powers and magical weapons and artifacts are also in the Japanese cartoon Rekka no Honoo but, so what?). The characters are very likeable. Omi (and I already stated why he's cool), Raimundo who is a cool surfer dude and by the way, his clothes in season 2 are much better than what he wore in season 1, Kimiko who is Japanese (they're cool to begin with) and has all the new gaming and electronic devices, and Clay who seems to be more down-to-earth and has more common sense than Rai and Omi put together. Jack Spicer is weird and annoying but being as he is, I love the parts where the monks mop the floor with him.
Again, here's the downside. In every episode it's a routine: they lose Shen Gong Wu, they get Shen Gong Wu...and it's nice that they reveal new Wu almost every episode and all but the routine makes all so predictable. I give it a 9.9.