‘ThunderCats’ Gets Cute Anime Makeover With New Art

ThunderCats fans have seen a bit of a divide lately as the announcement of Cartoon Network’s upcoming fresh take on the franchise in ThunderCats Roar has been met with equal parts excitement and disdain.

Much of the conflict has come around the series’ new art style. While fans may not agree on the new look, fans can agree that the franchise is open to all kinds of interpretations.

One such interpretation is the odd, but even more oddly fitting imagining of Lion-O and the other ThunderCats as cute anime girls.

Artist One3four has launched a series of famous 1980s cartoon remixes (of which you can find the full release here) titled “80s Cosgirls” which transforms icons of those cartoons into anime girls such as the new Lion-O, Panthro, Tygra, and even Mumm-Ra. Giving non-anime characters a cute anime girl spin is a common practice among fan artists, but the timeliness of this latest makeover just can’t be ignored.

The franchise is currently in the middle of a huge divide among fans for Cartoon Network’s Thundercats Roar and its major art style shift from the original series. The updated take on the series is aiming for a blend of stylized action and humor, and the tone of the series seems to be aiming for the same audience as current Cartoon Network mega-hit Teen Titans Go!

ThunderCats Roar is slated to hit Cartoon Network in 2019, and stars Max Mittelman (Justice League Action) as Lion-O and Wilykat, Erica Lindbeck (DC Super Hero Girls) as Cheetara and Wilykit, Patrick Seitz (Justice League Action) as Tygra and Mumm-Ra, and Chris Jai Alex (Star Wars: Battlefront II) as Panthro.

Cartoon Network describes the series as such:

“Staying true to the premise of the original series, Lion-O and the ThunderCats — Tygra, Panthro, Cheetara, Wilykat, and Wilykit — barely escape the sudden destruction of their home world, Thundera, only to crash land on the mysterious and exotic planet of Third Earth. Lion-O, the newly appointed Lord of the ThunderCats, attempts to lead the team as they make this planet their new home. A bizarre host of creatures and villains stand in their way, including the evil Mumm-Ra, Third Earth’s wicked ruler who will let nothing, including the ThunderCats, stop his tyrannical reign over the planet.”