Music for kiddie parties

• The Powerpuff Girls: Heroes & Villains — Various Artists

• Warner Philippines, 2000

The show’s visual execution (like the majority of contemporary US cartoons) is virtually antithetical to the spiff and polish of anime and the computer-animated genre. Rendering is crude at best, never pretending to be drawn from reality. For instance, as one friend so plainly put it, the eyes of three main characters occupy half of their faces.

Nonetheless, dish eyes or no, The Powerpuff Girls toon has been a big hit that arguably managed to topple South Park’s like-lined characters from the top of the animated feature heap (or at least, from the plush toy shelves).

Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup have captured the imagination of many kids (and not a few adults) with their antics and adventures as they fight crime and mutations in the monster-magnet of a city called Townsville — all while trying to keep up with their kindergarten lessons at Pokey Oaks.

Made from sugar, spice and everything nice by Professor Utonium (with a little help from the turbaned chimp Mojo Jojo, who spills Chemical X into the mix – a whole story unto itself), the three Bs are summoned by Mayor Mayor (talk about redundant!) via phone to keep Townsville safe.

But while not a lot of brain cells were conscripted to do work on the show’s plot, creator Craig McCracken and the toon’s writers pen some exceptional material. In fact, The Powerpuff Girls series has already been nominated for an Emmy (for its "Bubble-vicious" episode).

The humor can be biting and the characterization has been drawn up more fastidiously than how they actually appear on the telly.

As with the South Park, the girls prove that acerbic humor has its own rewards. But while the former assumes a more adult take on the world’s imperfections, The Powerpuff Girls draws cues from more kid-friendly inspirations. Unlike other goodie-two-shoes programs, however, it ascribes more intelligence to the audience. Kids, after all, can stand the negative, too.

But enough of that; this piece is supposed to be about the album inspired by the threesome.

Cartoon Network and Warner Music team up to bring together 10 tracks from 10 acts singing about our fave girls (and I don’t mean Charlie’s Angels). Expectedly, the compilation is oozing with bubblegummy appeal that ought to tug at the heartstrings of the average 10-year-old (give or take a few decades).

But, truth to tell, I was stumped by the opening track, especially after finding out it was performed by Barbie’s Cradle. Can you imagine the Barbie Almabis singing "Up and at ‘em, you rock our world"? Yikes! Well, if Barbie stops brooding long enough to hop aboard the happy Powerpuff bus, along with her Cradle-mates, then I say good for her. Besides, the track was written by Trina Belamide — not Barbie.

Two lesser-known local acts (also in the Warner fold, of course) make their contributions.

Yya and Ainna’s I Want 2 B (Just Like You) reminds me of the young Aaron Carter, while Laser Beam’s Frozen Pie is a rock-reggae stew.

Another surprise is Frank Black (aka Black Francis of Pixies fame) with Pray for the Girls. This time, he returns with a new band — The Catholics. The half-rapped, half-recited style of Frank is still there, along with the frantic wash of guitars.

Optiganally Yours (duh!) experiments with a swinging monaural mishmash (say that really fast) in Walk & Chew Gum.

But what Powerpuff Girls compilation would be complete without their Japanese counterparts? I’m talking about Shonen Knife, the Ramones-inspired trio that had the privilege of opening for Nirvana sometime in its career. Buttercup (I’m a Super Girl) shows unbridled fun in its shallowest — not that I’m complaining. Think Ramones with a synthesizer. Thankfully, vocalist Naoko still doesn’t have her English diction down pat (therein lies some of the charm of this band, methinks), so she wisely writes lyrics that wouldn’t give her much of a problem. Throughout the song, not a word exceeds two syllables: "You know I’m a super girl/Yes, I’m a punky girl/I never say die/’Coz I like to fight." You go, girl!

The Sugarplastic also makes an appearance with a simple pop rock ditty Don’t Look Down (Professor Song).

The album closes shop with (what else?) the end theme performed by Bis. But wait, why doesn’t the CD stop after the song?

A-ha! We’re in for a bonus! Yep, it’s that Love Makes the World Go Round ditty — first sung by Bubbles in the episode with the Evil Mime, if memory serves me.

So, if you’re planning to throw your kid a party at a fastfood joint, bring this great album with you. It’s certainly a relief from the cheesy non-stop pop crap that the attendant pops in the equally crappy karaoke machine as she gets the kids together.

Say it with me: "Powerpuff!"