None of the previous four Blue Racer cartoons were particularly good, with the best ones being merely average and it literally only just scraped that. Actually found all of them disappointing, having seen what DePatie-Freleng Enterprises were capable of when good. Really liked much of their 60s output, but the early 70s and onwards output were hit and miss at best and when it missed it was really not good. And that was the case with the Blue Racer cartoons.

'Love and Hisses' is another one of the misses. It is not quite one of the worst of the series and like the previous cartoon 'Punch and Judo' it started off pretty decently. It also has a supporting character that steals the show from under the two leads, despite the premise not being particularly easy to buy. 'Love and Hisses' however has a lot that is wrong, pretty much all of them the same as with the previous four cartoons, and its worst aspects are worse than weak. If this review is sounding samey, that's not intentional but most of the series does feel like the same cartoon repeated multiple times so the repetition is inevitable in this case.

There are good things. Once again, the best aspect is the music score, which the series had in common in fact. Regular composer for the company Doug Goodwin provides a lot of much needed colour and vim to his score that sadly is not present in nearly everything else. Close behind is the fun opening credits sequence. There is some nice character animation for Blue Racer and some lovely colours, 'Love and Hisses' is one of the better faring Blue Racer cartoons visually if still not great.

Furthermore, Larry D. Mann is suitably crafty, his voice work in my view did improve with each cartoon. Did think that 'Love and Hisses' was pretty decent in the first quarter or so, thanks to some amusing if corny lines from the Blue Racer. The best character is the elephant, who also has a few amusing moments despite it not being an original one.

Unfortunately, this is another instance of a Blue Racer cartoon that goes downhill once the beetle appears. The story is only merely a slight variation of the formula set in the previous four cartoons, as a result it feels repetitive on top of being very thin and predictable. Also didn't really buy the premise, it is hard to believe that anybody would help a character as annoying as the beetle other than that it is a variation on the old story where a supporting character would protect a small character from a bigger character with no real idea of the context. The pacing could have had a lot more energy because there wasn't really very much, pretty routine actually.

Blue Racer himself is rather bland and one-note and always did get a sense that in his series he would have fared better in support. The beetle is supremely annoying and offensively stereotypical once again, Tom Holland's less than tasteful and too broad voice work being one of the biggest problems, and there is very little connection or spark between the two. The jokes are too few and most are neither original or funny. The dialogue is again at best perfunctory, with the beetle's inducing cringing.

Concluding, barely average. 5/10.

Animation is a form of visual storytelling that involves creating visual art and motion through the use of various techniques and technologies. In animation, images are manipulated to create the illusion of movement, bringing characters, objects, and environments to life. Animation can encompass a wide range of styles, themes, and intended audiences, making it a diverse and versatile form of storytelling.

Daveigh Chase, Rumi Hiiragi, and Mari Natsuki in Spirited Away (2001)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

While feeling amorous, the Blue Racer hits on what he believes is a fellow snake but turns out to be a tough elephant's trunk. The elephant gives him a pounding but hurts his trunk in the process. Coming upon the Japanese Beetle, the pachyderm asks him to perform a little chiropractic karate on his sore trunk. The Beetle obliges, and in gratitude the elephant promises to protect him from a certain serpent.

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