Tiny Toons Looniversity Review: Still Tiny, Still Toony, Still All a Little Looney

There have been a ton of nostalgic revivals in the last few years, especially as animated projects popular in the 1990s and 2000s have returned for reboots or sequels. The newest of these revival projects has brought back Tiny Toon Adventures as the brand-new Tiny Toons Looniversity. Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television and Warner Bros. Discovery already had experience with bringing back a classic cartoon for a new run with Animaniacs on Hulu last year, and it seems like that revival was successful enough to bring back Amblin's very first animated effort, Tiny Toon Adventures in a brand-new way. 

Tiny Toon Adventures was notably an animated series released during the boom of showcasing younger versions of popular characters that resulted in the likes of Muppet Babies, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, Tom & Jerry Kids, and more releasing around the same time. But Tiny Toon Adventures was a standout in the fact that they openly referenced the fact they knew they were in a cartoon (thanks to the Looney Tunes D.N.A.) and used that for maximum humor. It's a bit difficult to juggle that idea these days since it's so overdone now, but Tiny Toons Looniversity avoids these pitfalls by stepping out with a brand-new looney experience instead. 

Tiny Toons Looniversity isn't quite like the Tiny Toon Adventures fans of the early '90s series might remember, as its premise is played completely straight. The original series was quite literally crafted by Babs and Buster Bunny themselves as they needed to come up with a show or be tossed out in the trash, but Tiny Toons Looniversity instead sees each of the young toons enrolling in Acme Looniversity for the first time. There are a few changes to go along with this new take, as well, that could take hardcore fans by surprise, too, like a few seemingly missing characters or making Babs and Buster twins. But they aren't egregious changes by any means. 

Babs and Buster Bunny had a unique dynamic in the original series that could sometimes be flirty, but making them twin siblings (with a surprising mother) makes them more tight-knit than ever. This actually plays into the main draw of Tiny Toons Looniversity as well, as while each of the toons are as wacky and zany as they were in the original series, there's more attention paid to their respective character quirks and personalities. Going back to Babs and Buster, for example, the first episode has them dealing with the fact that they are separated for the first time in their lives as they need to use their new school experience to branch out. 

Tiny Toons Looniversity has a different structure, but it's still very much a playground for looney antics. It's tethered to a sense of forward momentum for the characters, and the attention paid to a central narrative ultimately offers a much more rewarding experience. There is admittedly a feeling of just a little bit of loss, however, as this structure also means that not all of the characters can be highlighted at all times. These students are no longer just younger versions of their Looney Tunes counterparts, so dynamics have been changed overall. Different toons are interacting with one another, too, such as Sweetie Bird, who was just outside of the main group in the original, but has now been elevated to the main cast. 

These shake-ups mean that fans of the classic series might be disappointed in some of the changes, but they ultimately work out for the better, as it results in a fresh and fun new cartoon show overall. Just like how Tiny Toon Adventures felt like a fresh and approachable version of the classic Looney Tunes formula for the then-1990s audience, Tiny Toons Looniversity feels like it has been appropriately made for kids of this generation. Tons of fun jokes, character-focused stories, and wacky slapstick abound for a whole new era. 

There's new life breathed into this franchise with Tiny Toons Looniversity, but it never loses that nostalgic allure. They're just fun cartoons that you can jump into if you want that bit of youthful, loony energy, and will scratch that itch for wackiness that you're looking for right now. 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Tiny Toon Adventures streams with Max on Friday, September 8th and will be airing episodes weekly on Cartoon Network beginning on Saturday, September 9th.