Is Jem still truly outrageous? Well, naturally that will depend on your personal tastes, but re-watching episodes of Jem & the Holograms has been a very entertaining experience.
Jem brings the glam and glitz of the music scene to an animated series, and it has everything you could ask for: drama, intrigue, romance, adventure, an ongoing identity crisis, oh, and of course music.
And the clothes! If you remember the 80’s, then you know what I’m talking about. Crazy patterns, shoulder pads, big hair, chunky earrings . . . Jem brings back the styles of the era with a vengeance. I think much of my enjoyment from each episode came from just seeing what the group wore. Reminds me of the Jem paper dolls and their accompanying outfits that I still have stashed away somewhere.
Beware, though. The catchy theme song can quickly become an earworm. I just found myself singing it a moment ago. You’ve been warned.
If you’re unfamiliar with the basic plot of the series, Jerrica Benton’s father has passed away and left her Starlight Music and Starlight House, a foster home for orphaned girls. Half of Starlight Music is owned by the greedy Eric Raymond, who also manages a rival group called The Misfits. Led by spoiled heiress Pizzazz, the Misfits bring nothing but trouble to Jerrica.
Jerrica’s father also left her a machine known as Synergy, a secret computer that has the capability to project holograms of any kind. Jerrica uses it to turn herself into Jem. Quiet band manager Jerrica by day, glam pink-haired rocker Jem by night.
So . . . how does the show hold up after nearly twenty years?
Pretty well. The series offers a wide variety of themes, focusing on social issues such as hunger, poverty, the elderly, drug use, and orphaned children. Sometimes the tone is more reminiscent of an after-school special, however, which certainly is indicative of the era in which the show aired. Still, each episode contains songs set against music video-like sequences, and most of the shows are just pure fun. Silly at times, but still fun.
I suppose my main issue with the show is the relationship between Jerrica and her boyfriend Rio. The problem is that Rio also appears to be involved with Jem. Technically, Jem and Jerrica are the same person, but Rio has no knowledge of this. And yet no one finds it weird that he kisses Jem in one scene and Jerrica in another. The episode “Midsummer Night’s Madness” tries to address this problem to some degree, but I feel like it was never really resolved.
If you were a fan of the series when it first aired, then I certainly recommend this set. In addition to the complete series, there are also bonus features worth watching. And if you haven’t seen the show, then I also recommend it, if for no other reason than to experience a blast from the past, along with a little glamour, glitter, fashion and fame.