Well not for Bruce, but surprisingly Dick, Tim, Barbara, and even Annie seemed to be a lot more well adjusted in the justice league episode savage time at least compared to what would happen in the main dcau timeline.
The most tragic thing about Annie's story is that she was a being who lived for a very short time despite having a developed consciousness, dying literaly when she was starting to know how to live and forming bonds with the protagonists. Anyway, I like to think that Tim never forgot Annie and kept thinking about her with love even in the hardest moments of his life, like when the Joker tortured him, not to mention that I imagine Tim naming Annie one of the children he would have as an adult with Stephanie Brown. Stories with characters like this are usually quite sad, like the Smallvile episode in which Clark and Lana adopt a mutant baby who grows so fast that he passes away a few days after birth.
@@nehemiahpouncey3607 True, but to be fair, he was wronged by the guy who created that mush and overdosed the guy by turning him into Clayface and getting away with it. If anything, Matt Hagan is the next tragic villain next to Mr. Freeze and Harvey Dent aka Two-Face
@@nehemiahpouncey3607 I mean... Is he? Like,she was a part of him,so he was literally missing a part of himself. I don't think he is that wrong in the situaltion
@@adv8882 yes he was wrong. She had become a unique and separate individual. Absorbing her was tentamount to murdering a young girl by melting them down. He isnt missing a part of himself. he literally would have lost nothing not reabsorbing that extra biomass. Why is this even having to be said? its not something debatable. why are you failing an easy win?
What makes this episode more tragic is Tim's reaction to Annie's death. The kid was in such a fit of anger he actually tried to kill Clayface unless he brought her back. It really sold his loss to the viewer.
@@SuperSwordman1 Remind me, because I must have blocked out that abomination after they literally just arrested Vader, as if they'd just caught a mob boss.
Even though we all know that Annie was never real, I always felt the way she's "killed" trying to save Robin to be quite gut-wrenching to say the least, which makes the title of the episode even more impactful.
She was real by being sapient being independent of main clayface, because it’s seem that most of his separated forms are hive mind while she was her own person
I disagree with the notion that she wasn't real. Her genesis might have been unconventional, but she was her own entity, independent of Hagan, with her own wants and desires. She was no more or less a person than Clayface himself is, regardless of how she came about.
This is one of the best, and most mature Batman episodes ever. Introduce us to a young girl, get us to care about what happens to her, and watch her get killed. No fake death, no work arounds, Annie is gone. And this also elevates Clayface's evil a great deal. He could have let her go, let a part of himself be free and live her own life. But no, he'd rather just absorb her because he no longer cares about how anyone else feels. An episode that showed that sometimes, the good guys don't always win, and you don't always get a happy ending.
Even if Hagen let her go, would it have been a happy ending? What kind of life could Annie have ever really had? Is a being made of sentient clay even capable of aging or developing? Given Hagen's problems, I think it pretty likely that she would eventually just... melt. Even if she didn't, she would most likely end up as some kind of lab experiment (especially in a world where Amanda Waller exists). My takeaway from the episode is that she was doomed from the beginning. That's what makes the tragedy.
I don't think Hagen ever considered Annie her own person, even if she might behave like it. As far as Hagen is concerned, this was how he meant for Annie to come across. It does get philosophical, when you try to decide when it stops being imitation and becomes genuine.
@@NCMonefaith She was made from clay, but Wonder Woman became flesh and blood. Annie was clay from beginning to end. I have to wonder though, given time, if Annie could master Clayface's abilities.
A lot of people have said that this version of Tim Drake is more similar to Jason Todd, and this episode is no different since Jason always was sympathetic towards women who were victims.
Makes sense that ppl say this Tim is similar to Jason, the writers wanted to bring in another Robin but thought Jason’s story was too dark so they took parts of Jason and decided to go with Tim instead. Not wanting to do do Jason’s story cuz it was too dark is something I find ironic seeing was he all know how this Tim Drake’s Robin’s ended in Return of the Joker.
Of all the Clayface stories in BTAS/TNBA, this is the one I remembered most of all. That twist about who Annie really is and how her story ends stuck with me even to this day. The New Batman Adventures may have fumbled with some of the visual character redesigns but the stories are still great stuff.
Oh, God, this episode. I remember seeing this when I was really young, and while I had forgotten the name of the episode for years, I eventually had re-found the episode and re-watched it. The imagery was terrifying and I felt horrible for Annie and Tim the entire time, just like when I was younger. Quick edit: This was the first episode of a Batman animated cartoon that I ever saw - never got to see Batman TAS, sadly.
I remember as a kid KidsWB would constantly play this episode a ton and I can see why It defiantly left an impact on me. Then it would cut to Pokemon and would give me emotional whiplash lol
Fun fact: The director worked on several Studio Ghibli films, including Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle and Tales from Earthsea. That explains not only the art direction for the episode but the tone. She also helped animate Return of the Joker, Lupin the 3rd, and Animaniacs.
One of the saddest BATMAN episodes I've ever seen and it's also very heartbreaking as well, as Robin falls for a young girl, whom we learn is not who or WHAT she appears to be.
@Nehemiah Pouncey I mean it's less he made a daughter more he made a scout that he thought would be overlooked. Than after she had served her purpose he wanted to fold her back in. To us Annie was a person with thoughts and emotions. To Clayface she was just part of his arm or leg or stomach that got uppity and left him.
This one really stung for me as a kid. I remember weeping bitterly at the loss of Annie. I always used to imagine and hope that she would somehow re-emerge and properly separate herself from Clayface and either be able to live a quiet life or become a hero/vigilante in her own right. 😢
Glad you made sure to include Time suggesting "murder" as a charge for Clayface. It just goes to show how much this all affected him. Annie was a person to him. Not just a girl he had a crush on or anything. But a person. And Clayface killed her. At least Time thinks so. A really dark episode of this series. Which is saying a lot.
Something about Clayface episodes, always deliver. He's very underrated. The reveal here was awesome, but so is the one about 'Annie,' which essentially makes this a double-twist. 'Little Girl Lost' tropes always tend to be heavy stuff, but this is extra for the tragic ending, as well as the existential implications- We've been watching a trend on TNBA recently of new facets to the Bat-rogues to make them more interesting, but while the others are trying to level down, he levels up: Clayface is basically unkillable! Oh, and he can create life! I couldn't wait till we got to Growing Pains. 100% one of the 3 or 4 best episodes of the New Adventures, and a personal all-time favorite of mine.
This has always been one of my favorite animated Batman episodes. And the voice actors that played Clayface's daughter did the voice for Helga Pataki on the cartoon Hey Arnold. She shows her range in this episode.
This episode was so damn good💯💯that ending Quote by Batman.. still sticks with me to this day💯 having the voice of Helga from Hey Arnold voicing Annie was also a definite bonus!!!
Damn I love this episode so much. This version of Tim Drake is my most favourite Robin ever. It’s horrible thinking for the first time in your miserable life that you’ve finally met a kindred spirit who you can really relate to only to have that person leave or be taken from you in the most unsettling way too shortly after. The line where Gordon lists all Clayface’s crimes and then Tim just says “murder” really hits hard. I went through something like this, a long time ago. Can heavily relate to the themes of this episode.
What I love about this episode is animation. hile it isnt on the same level as TAS it still looks unique over every other episode of New Batman Adventures. Annie have that slight animesque stile and animation of her absorption by Clayface was done very good.
I've always been a fan of episodes like these, where there's a recurring villain, but they're not revealed until near the end. Other examples being Perchance To Dream and Second Chance. Growing Pains is without a doubt one of the best episodes of The New Adventures. Tim Drake's Robin is amazing in this episode, and I love that he's not afraid to stand up to Batman about what's right.
I would say that Ron Pearlman’s voice was a dead give away of who the father was, but they used him a lot in DC animation. He was Superman’s Zod equivalent Jax-Ur in Superman the animated series and Mongul in Justice League. Outside of the DCAU he was slade in teen titans
This is hands-down my favorite episode of B:TAS. It's so emotional, while still managing to get a few good jokes in, and the story is compelling. Annie, while only existing for a short time, is an amazing character.
Show me that smile again Don't waste another minute on your cryin' We're nowhere near the end The best is ready to begin Ooh, ooh As long as we got each other We got the world spinnin' right in our hands Baby, you and me We gotta be The luckiest dreamers who never quit dreamin' As long as we keep on givin' We can take anything that comes our way Baby, rain or shine All the time We got each other Sharin' the laughter and love
All of them did. Joker was not kind. Killed one Robin, Maim batgirl, tortured another. Forcing Batman to witness some of it. (not sure the killing part is in this version)
This is one of my favorite episodes and also one of the saddest if not the saddest. I just felt so sorry for Robin at the end and that last line by Batman really hits hard.
This is both one of my favorite episodes and saddest episode of TNBA. I remember this episode made me cry both inside and out when I saw it in my youth. Years later as I see it now; I had no idea that Francesca Smith voiced Annie as i remember her voice being more loud and obnoxious (aka as Helga) and the quote Batman said to Robin really sealed the deal with Robin heartbroken moment. They NEED to bring Annie Back for the DCAU
@@matthewdaley746 i thought the movie was good. Especially the fact that Arnold was reunited with his parents and he finally got to learn his last name
These episodes is what makes DCAU Batman so iconic. The sad but great tales... Batman Beyond has them in spades too. So does Justice League. These series are dang amazing!
I adore this episode. On top of the emotionally driven story that gives us perhaps the very best of Tim Drake in the series, the animation is top notch. Annie alone has so much vibrancy in her expressions, she almost reminds me of a Studio Ghibli character, and to top it all off, she delivers the first on-screen death in the series excluding the Scarface dummy, and it's a horrifying, heartbreaking scene. Wow. What an amazing episode. I hope the next one is just as good.......... oh no
A Top Ten Batman episode for me and my highest rated New Adventures episode. That story still sticks out to me after all these years, specifically that bittersweet ending.
There’s definitely an anime feel to Annie’s character design specifically her face and hair (very Haku from Spirited Away), I could see her in a Studio Ghibli.
Growing Pains for me is one of the most emotional episodes in the BTAS series and i thought this was a very good story for Tim Drake's early experience after becoming Robin. He didn't have a great childhood and seeing his "friend" being revealed as part of Clayface while watching her get absorbed was very painful. Batman's line at the end about there are no happy ending while comforting Robin is very deep and really shows the more harsher sides to crime fighting, it hurts even more when we all know what happens to Robin in Return Of The Joker. Very powerful stuff.
When I watched this episode last year, man it broke me. The sheer genius of the idea that Clayface can separate into other people, plus the sad story, plus poor Tim being dragged into all of this, man. The writers were so good on this series.
I actually remembered watching this episode when I was little back on Kids WB then again during high school. This was a dark and depressing episode especially the ending.
From not being allowed to show any blood to a little girl being devoured whole by Clayface, never to be seen again. One thing I can appreciate about the New Batman Adventures episodes was they were allowed to do some surprisingly dark stuff.
This was my favorite Tim Drake episode. It always reminds me of the episode of Ruroni Keshin where Yahiko wants to defend this young girl & he's determined to protect her. I love what Kenshin says, “I want you to understand something. If you should lose, not only does your future end, but also the future of the one you are trying to protect. Defeat isn’t an option for the sword that protects others. You should keep that thought engraved in your heart."
Out of all of the New Adventures of Batman, this episode stuck out the most for me as it made such a huge impact for me and years later, it’s still one of the few episodes that I can still remember after the OG animated series.
I have to say that the part where she is reabsorbed is truly terrifying. To imagine what that kind of death must’ve been like… yikes!!! I really do appreciate when a series is willing to hit you with hard and deep stuff like that. Within reason, I don’t believe in talking down to kids.
I hadn't seen the Christmas episode before watching this one, and the villain reveal was a huge surprise that blew my mind. I'm a huge Clayface fan, and I thought he was really dead at the end of the 'Mudslide' episode. Also, the episode is really sad! I love it, the Clayface trilogy is magnificent.
To me, this is one of my top 5 all-time favorite episodes from the BTAS/TNBA era of the DCAU. Heart of Ice will always be number 1, but Growing Pains is pretty high on the list in terms of saddest storytelling episodes.
We're missing out on the part where Tim threatens Clayface's very life by cutting into the tank of solvent with a Batarang, ordering him to bring Annie back. That was the coldest moment I'd ever seen from a Robin until I learned about the return of Jason Todd.
I love this episode, it's definitely top 10 material and one of the most tragic episodes of the entire BTAS/TNBA run. Plus, Batman's look at the end says, "I don't know, your daughter seemed pretty wild last night." Jim: "You mean when she was fighting crime, right? " Batman: "..." Jim: "Right?!"
Out of all the episodes of the new batman adventures this is the saddest episodes of all TNBA. Annie developing a soul and revealing that she's part of Clayface and gets absorbed by Clayface that hit my heart HARD! I cried for Tim Drake cause he was so damn good in this episode and knowing what his future will be I cried more. Honestly 1 of the Best TNBA episodes.
Terrific episode! Great story for fans of Tim Drake! I liked Tim and Annie together! It was very sad when she scarified herself. Very interesting mature story. Batman’s final line is indeed very special too. “Sometimes there are no Happy endings.” It hits even harder now with Kevin Conroy passing away last year. This line fits in well with a lot of last year’s events. That’s how life goes sometimes! Kevin and Annie, you will never be forgotten! RIP!
Something I don’t think ever gets talked about (mostly because there is so much about this episode to talk about) but Annie’s design definitely looks anime-esque, at least to me, which makes her really contrast with the other character designs of the show. It’s specifically her eyes which, while not quite to anime proportions, are larger compared to the other characters’ pupils; as well as how her nose is usually drawn as a single diagonal line in most shots (depicting the nose’s shadow on the face) while the other characters usually have a fully drawn nose, which Annie also does but only in shots where her face is in profile which is, again, like an anime character design.
so true, whether intentional or not, her smooth animation and design gave off an alien-like appearance compared to the Batman universe's designs. Its almost like Clayface wanted her to look sweet and innocent to avoid suspicion but overdid it to some extent.
The episode's animation was done by what I can only describe as a dream team of animators, some of whom would go on to become prominent members of Ghibli.
I remember I first saw this a few years after it first aired, very well written. I just remember her sound familiar and years later about 2003/2004 I found out out her voice actress also voiced Helga Petaki which this video pointed out.
It makes you wonder that if Batman hadn’t shown up when Tim started throwing batarangs at the chemical tank in order to dissolve Clayface, would Tim have actually killed him in a fit of rage?
3:27 "KANE" Neat shout-out to Batman's co-creator Bob Kane, and Bruce's mom's maiden name. Holy social commentary, Batman, this was a DARK episode. I totally forgot about the more run-down parts of Gotham City and how many people living poverty they showed in this one. And Ron Perlman nails it as Clayface, who Batman has apparently given up on trying to turn back to normal.
OMG, I LOVE THIS EPISODE!!! It’s definitely my favorite this season and is in my top 10 Batman the animated series episodes overall. That moment Bruce says “Oh my God!!!” jumps out of his chair and into the Batmobile and exclaims “I know who daddy is” still fills me with dredd for Tim, and watching him try to kill Clayface and afterwards say “yeah murder” still gets me 😢😪
My favorite episode. "Sure, we can kill a child on-screen." And that ending! Wow! This show didn't hold back and I love it. ...Also I tend to tear up when I watch this episode. Just a little.
Not to mention depicting homelessness in a very unvarnished way. It’s there to set a tone, it’s not there for any inspirational messages about dealing with poverty or PSAs, it’s flavour text for Robin’s mindset in the episode.
This was a nice showcase for Tim Drake. He saw the same hardship in the little girl that he went through. It broke my heart to know that Andy was just a part of Clayface.
For those who find the romance of Tim and a mud girl created by Clayface too bizarre, it's clear that the episode was meant to teach us that, sometimes, you just can't help but love someone, no matter how weird or impossible that relationship might be. In fact, there are many great stories featuring romantic couples even more, bizarre than Tim and Annie's, such as the movie Her (in which Joaquin Phoenix has an AI girlfriend), The Twilight Zone episode Miniature (in which Robert Duvall falls in love with a doll) or the novel Let the Right One In (which is about a lonely boy who develops an intimate relationship with a girl who is actually a 200-year-old vampire). Anyway, if a dog and a dolphin can get along, why cannot Tim and a mud chick?
Robin saying “Murder.” after having been asked what’s the charge for is one of the heaviest lines in the entire series.
"Sometimes, there are no happy endings."
Still hits like a train after all these years...😢
Very powerful quote to elementary school me and really makes me appreciate tas for shaping my childhood as an adult
yeah, i didn't remember that line exactly but the whole scenario with robin and annie just stuck with me for years. Truly excellent writing.
Well not for Bruce, but surprisingly Dick, Tim, Barbara, and even Annie seemed to be a lot more well adjusted in the justice league episode savage time at least compared to what would happen in the main dcau timeline.
I'm still wondering if a less cynical Batman could have said something more encouraging without loosing the message.
So clayface could now make anybody
Even his dead grandma 😂
The most tragic thing about Annie's story is that she was a being who lived for a very short time despite having a developed consciousness, dying literaly when she was starting to know how to live and forming bonds with the protagonists. Anyway, I like to think that Tim never forgot Annie and kept thinking about her with love even in the hardest moments of his life, like when the Joker tortured him, not to mention that I imagine Tim naming Annie one of the children he would have as an adult with Stephanie Brown. Stories with characters like this are usually quite sad, like the Smallvile episode in which Clark and Lana adopt a mutant baby who grows so fast that he passes away a few days after birth.
Nice nod to Smallville S4. 👌🏻
Moral of the story clayface is a jerk.
@@nehemiahpouncey3607 True, but to be fair, he was wronged by the guy who created that mush and overdosed the guy by turning him into Clayface and getting away with it. If anything, Matt Hagan is the next tragic villain next to Mr. Freeze and Harvey Dent aka Two-Face
@@nehemiahpouncey3607 I mean... Is he? Like,she was a part of him,so he was literally missing a part of himself. I don't think he is that wrong in the situaltion
@@adv8882 yes he was wrong. She had become a unique and separate individual. Absorbing her was tentamount to murdering a young girl by melting them down. He isnt missing a part of himself. he literally would have lost nothing not reabsorbing that extra biomass. Why is this even having to be said? its not something debatable. why are you failing an easy win?
What makes this episode more tragic is Tim's reaction to Annie's death. The kid was in such a fit of anger he actually tried to kill Clayface unless he brought her back.
It really sold his loss to the viewer.
"Bring her BACK!"
"I can't! She's gone!"
@@TheGuardDuck Honestly the fact that Clayface said that so casually, so carelessly, really shows any humanity has left that guy.
Yeah. And that raw bitterness in his voice when they say
"Anything else?"
"Yeah. Murder." Even if she was just a creation, she was real to him. 😭
@@Kahtisemo I hate how the poor use of that line in Force Unleashed II has ruined it for perfectly valid moments like this.
@@SuperSwordman1 Remind me, because I must have blocked out that abomination after they literally just arrested Vader, as if they'd just caught a mob boss.
"Sometimes there are no happy endings" A sobbering lesson we all need to hear..
RIP Annie 😢😢😢
And f_ck clayface.
Even though we all know that Annie was never real, I always felt the way she's "killed" trying to save Robin to be quite gut-wrenching to say the least, which makes the title of the episode even more impactful.
She was real by being sapient being independent of main clayface, because it’s seem that most of his separated forms are hive mind while she was her own person
Annie looks like Hotaru Sailor Saturn from Sailor Moon.
I disagree with the notion that she wasn't real. Her genesis might have been unconventional, but she was her own entity, independent of Hagan, with her own wants and desires. She was no more or less a person than Clayface himself is, regardless of how she came about.
@@gundanout11 This episode was animated by a Japanese studio, so it might not be a coincidence.
Yeah this is the most anime Batman that wasn't an actual anime.
This is one of the best, and most mature Batman episodes ever. Introduce us to a young girl, get us to care about what happens to her, and watch her get killed. No fake death, no work arounds, Annie is gone. And this also elevates Clayface's evil a great deal. He could have let her go, let a part of himself be free and live her own life. But no, he'd rather just absorb her because he no longer cares about how anyone else feels. An episode that showed that sometimes, the good guys don't always win, and you don't always get a happy ending.
Even if Hagen let her go, would it have been a happy ending? What kind of life could Annie have ever really had? Is a being made of sentient clay even capable of aging or developing? Given Hagen's problems, I think it pretty likely that she would eventually just... melt. Even if she didn't, she would most likely end up as some kind of lab experiment (especially in a world where Amanda Waller exists).
My takeaway from the episode is that she was doomed from the beginning. That's what makes the tragedy.
I don't think Hagen ever considered Annie her own person, even if she might behave like it. As far as Hagen is concerned, this was how he meant for Annie to come across. It does get philosophical, when you try to decide when it stops being imitation and becomes genuine.
Wonder woman did OK for herself as a being made of clay
@@NCMonefaith That is the _official_ story. But only an idiot believes the official story...
@@NCMonefaith She was made from clay, but Wonder Woman became flesh and blood. Annie was clay from beginning to end.
I have to wonder though, given time, if Annie could master Clayface's abilities.
The end of this episode hits hard. The final word from Robin, “Murder”….. always made me feel bad as a small kid
A lot of people have said that this version of Tim Drake is more similar to Jason Todd, and this episode is no different since Jason always was sympathetic towards women who were victims.
And what does that make Tim Drake?
He is combination of the two I believe
Makes sense that ppl say this Tim is similar to Jason, the writers wanted to bring in another Robin but thought Jason’s story was too dark so they took parts of Jason and decided to go with Tim instead.
Not wanting to do do Jason’s story cuz it was too dark is something I find ironic seeing was he all know how this Tim Drake’s Robin’s ended in Return of the Joker.
@Stephon Manny he really isn’t, the only similarity he has with Tim is the name, other than that he’s Jason
@@jonasquinn7977 He has more personality
Now this is the Clayface story that I always think of. Shows a lot of disturbing possibilities with the character.
Same. This and his first appearance.
This clayface was also in rise of sin tzu.
I find das spectacular dumb: So every cell of Clayface can gain an contience? Thats plain dumb
@@DasKame Its "comic book logic" but when you don´t think about it too hard it works.
When they finally make a live-action movie with Clayface as the villain, I hope they'll include an Annie-like character.
Of all the Clayface stories in BTAS/TNBA, this is the one I remembered most of all. That twist about who Annie really is and how her story ends stuck with me even to this day.
The New Batman Adventures may have fumbled with some of the visual character redesigns but the stories are still great stuff.
Oh, God, this episode. I remember seeing this when I was really young, and while I had forgotten the name of the episode for years, I eventually had re-found the episode and re-watched it. The imagery was terrifying and I felt horrible for Annie and Tim the entire time, just like when I was younger.
Quick edit: This was the first episode of a Batman animated cartoon that I ever saw - never got to see Batman TAS, sadly.
Clayface could make anybody now.
Even that hot model from t.v.
Clayface could bring a dead person
Back.
Elvis is back lol.
@@nehemiahpouncey3607 **crickets chirping**
@@jp3813 🤣
Clayface could bring a 2 pac back if
He wants to.
I remember as a kid KidsWB would constantly play this episode a ton and I can see why
It defiantly left an impact on me. Then it would cut to Pokemon and would give me emotional whiplash lol
Fun fact: The director worked on several Studio Ghibli films, including Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle and Tales from Earthsea. That explains not only the art direction for the episode but the tone. She also helped animate Return of the Joker, Lupin the 3rd, and Animaniacs.
Batman is technically anime!
Annie’s design does look a lot like Haku’s from Spirited Away for hair style and face design.
Annie is just like Hotaru Sailor Saturn from Sailor Moon.
One of the saddest BATMAN episodes I've ever seen and it's also very heartbreaking as well, as Robin falls for a young girl, whom we learn is not who or WHAT she appears to be.
Clayface had his very first daughter.
Let that sink in?
Clayface: I'ma make a daughter.
Also clayface:nah I don't want a daughter
Anymore.
Guess he doesn't wanna pay
For warefare or is it walefare?
Anyway.
@Nehemiah Pouncey I mean it's less he made a daughter more he made a scout that he thought would be overlooked. Than after she had served her purpose he wanted to fold her back in. To us Annie was a person with thoughts and emotions. To Clayface she was just part of his arm or leg or stomach that got uppity and left him.
It had very Beastboy/Terra vibes, again where an innocent girl was secretly involved with the villain all along.
As a 3 year old obsessed with this show, this was the most heartbreaking thing I had ever seen. It stuck with me forever.
Let's be serious, this is hearthbreaking no matter how old you are.
@@chrisneustaedter6788 Except for heartless people.
Loved this episode, especially its final act with the absorption lifted from Akira and Tim almost dissolving Claygface before Batman stops him.
This one really stung for me as a kid. I remember weeping bitterly at the loss of Annie. I always used to imagine and hope that she would somehow re-emerge and properly separate herself from Clayface and either be able to live a quiet life or become a hero/vigilante in her own right. 😢
it would be interesting of they did a story where Annie could still fight back and sway Clayface's actions.
Glad you made sure to include Time suggesting "murder" as a charge for Clayface. It just goes to show how much this all affected him. Annie was a person to him. Not just a girl he had a crush on or anything. But a person. And Clayface killed her. At least Time thinks so. A really dark episode of this series. Which is saying a lot.
"Time" Drake? Is he related to the Clock King?
Something about Clayface episodes, always deliver. He's very underrated. The reveal here was awesome, but so is the one about 'Annie,' which essentially makes this a double-twist. 'Little Girl Lost' tropes always tend to be heavy stuff, but this is extra for the tragic ending, as well as the existential implications- We've been watching a trend on TNBA recently of new facets to the Bat-rogues to make them more interesting, but while the others are trying to level down, he levels up: Clayface is basically unkillable! Oh, and he can create life! I couldn't wait till we got to Growing Pains. 100% one of the 3 or 4 best episodes of the New Adventures, and a personal all-time favorite of mine.
“Yeah, Murder.”
That line still cuts deep.
This has always been one of my favorite animated Batman episodes. And the voice actors that played Clayface's daughter did the voice for Helga Pataki on the cartoon Hey Arnold. She shows her range in this episode.
Francesca Marie Smith
@@matthewdaley746 Jungle Movie
@@matthewdaley746 I don't feel that
I find that unbelievable Dumb of a Twist
You pretty much just repeated what the video narration said.
This episode is not only one of my favorites of this season, but also one of my favorite episodes of the entire series.
This episode was so damn good💯💯that ending Quote by Batman.. still sticks with me to this day💯 having the voice of Helga from Hey Arnold voicing Annie was also a definite bonus!!!
Damn I love this episode so much. This version of Tim Drake is my most favourite Robin ever. It’s horrible thinking for the first time in your miserable life that you’ve finally met a kindred spirit who you can really relate to only to have that person leave or be taken from you in the most unsettling way too shortly after. The line where Gordon lists all Clayface’s crimes and then Tim just says “murder” really hits hard.
I went through something like this, a long time ago. Can heavily relate to the themes of this episode.
What I love about this episode is animation. hile it isnt on the same level as TAS it still looks unique over every other episode of New Batman Adventures. Annie have that slight animesque stile and animation of her absorption by Clayface was done very good.
"On a scale of 1-Bambi's Mom, how traumatizing do you want this episode to be?"
"Akira"
"You got it"
"Sometimes there are no happy endings" Very true words. Especially in the real world. Very tragic.
I've always been a fan of episodes like these, where there's a recurring villain, but they're not revealed until near the end. Other examples being Perchance To Dream and Second Chance. Growing Pains is without a doubt one of the best episodes of The New Adventures. Tim Drake's Robin is amazing in this episode, and I love that he's not afraid to stand up to Batman about what's right.
There’s also Alfred realising how Tim sees how he’s being treated like a kid, and saying as much to Batman.
I never forgot this episode since watching it as a kid. It always stuck with me and is still a 5 star example of what they can do
I would say that Ron Pearlman’s voice was a dead give away of who the father was, but they used him a lot in DC animation. He was Superman’s Zod equivalent Jax-Ur in Superman the animated series and Mongul in Justice League. Outside of the DCAU he was slade in teen titans
You really feel for Tim in this episode. Poor kid. It was really surprising to find out later that Annie's voice was by Helga Patakis VA.
Can you imagine an AU version where Annie lives and becomes a mini-Clayface powered hero? Like I could imagine her in the Titans or some such.
and Clafyce Chin can be his Dog!
And Clafyce Leg can be a Hero!
It's just plain dumb
Tim always gets the bad endings in the DCAU
"Bring her back!"
"I can't"
This is hands-down my favorite episode of B:TAS. It's so emotional, while still managing to get a few good jokes in, and the story is compelling. Annie, while only existing for a short time, is an amazing character.
Show me that smile again
Don't waste another minute on your cryin'
We're nowhere near the end
The best is ready to begin
Ooh, ooh
As long as we got each other
We got the world spinnin' right in our hands
Baby, you and me
We gotta be
The luckiest dreamers who never quit dreamin'
As long as we keep on givin'
We can take anything that comes our way
Baby, rain or shine
All the time
We got each other
Sharin' the laughter and love
The fact Clayface can create sentient life like that and then destroy it forever just as quickly is horrifying.
Definitely one of the darkest and saddest episodes in the show, Tim Drake has been through a lot and Batman beyond movie made things worse for him
And one of the dumbest. Even as Kid i find "Amnesia Clafayce-Part" unbelievable dumb
All of them did. Joker was not kind. Killed one Robin, Maim batgirl, tortured another. Forcing Batman to witness some of it. (not sure the killing part is in this version)
This is one of my favorite episodes and also one of the saddest if not the saddest. I just felt so sorry for Robin at the end and that last line by Batman really hits hard.
This is both one of my favorite episodes and saddest episode of TNBA. I remember this episode made me cry both inside and out when I saw it in my youth.
Years later as I see it now; I had no idea that Francesca Smith voiced Annie as i remember her voice being more loud and obnoxious (aka as Helga) and the quote Batman said to Robin really sealed the deal with Robin heartbroken moment.
They NEED to bring Annie Back for the DCAU
@@matthewdaley746 i thought the movie was good. Especially the fact that Arnold was reunited with his parents and he finally got to learn his last name
@@matthewdaley746 I was hoping they make the 6th season of the show
This is one of my favorite episodes of the series. Right up there with "Heart of Ice".
These episodes is what makes DCAU Batman so iconic. The sad but great tales... Batman Beyond has them in spades too. So does Justice League.
These series are dang amazing!
I adore this episode. On top of the emotionally driven story that gives us perhaps the very best of Tim Drake in the series, the animation is top notch. Annie alone has so much vibrancy in her expressions, she almost reminds me of a Studio Ghibli character, and to top it all off, she delivers the first on-screen death in the series excluding the Scarface dummy, and it's a horrifying, heartbreaking scene.
Wow. What an amazing episode. I hope the next one is just as good.......... oh no
Clayface episodes were always creepy to me and this was no exception.
A Top Ten Batman episode for me and my highest rated New Adventures episode. That story still sticks out to me after all these years, specifically that bittersweet ending.
It's been so many years since I've seen this episode but once in a while, I'll think about it and shed a tear. This episode is very heartbreaking.
This episode just breaks my heart every time
one of the best batman episodes ever the ending Sometimes, there are no happy endings and tim just saying murder has never left me
Honestly this episode made me shed a tear for Tim
There’s definitely an anime feel to Annie’s character design specifically her face and hair (very Haku from Spirited Away), I could see her in a Studio Ghibli.
And then we come to this dark as hell storyline. "Sometimes there are no happy endings..." boy if he only knew...
Batman: "Sometimes, there are no happy endings"
Growing Pains for me is one of the most emotional episodes in the BTAS series and i thought this was a very good story for Tim Drake's early experience after becoming Robin. He didn't have a great childhood and seeing his "friend" being revealed as part of Clayface while watching her get absorbed was very painful. Batman's line at the end about there are no happy ending while comforting Robin is very deep and really shows the more harsher sides to crime fighting, it hurts even more when we all know what happens to Robin in Return Of The Joker. Very powerful stuff.
When I watched this episode last year, man it broke me. The sheer genius of the idea that Clayface can separate into other people, plus the sad story, plus poor Tim being dragged into all of this, man. The writers were so good on this series.
As tragic as Dick Grayson's origin is, between this episode and Return of the Joker, Tim Drake might be the most tragic Robin in this continuity.
I actually remembered watching this episode when I was little back on Kids WB then again during high school. This was a dark and depressing episode especially the ending.
From not being allowed to show any blood to a little girl being devoured whole by Clayface, never to be seen again.
One thing I can appreciate about the New Batman Adventures episodes was they were allowed to do some surprisingly dark stuff.
Truly top 10 anime moments from the DCAU. Jokes aside I'm glad they still mention this detail about clayfaces clones gaining sentience to today
Ending on Jim Gordon commenting how Barbara is past her wild years in front of Batman/Bruce no woman safe Wayne is a trip
This is probably my favourite of the New Adventures run. The writing, animation and VA were all top notch.
This was my favorite Tim Drake episode. It always reminds me of the episode of Ruroni Keshin where Yahiko wants to defend this young girl & he's determined to protect her. I love what Kenshin says, “I want you to understand something. If you should lose, not only does your future end, but also the future of the one you are trying to protect. Defeat isn’t an option for the sword that protects others. You should keep that thought engraved in your heart."
Out of all of the New Adventures of Batman, this episode stuck out the most for me as it made such a huge impact for me and years later, it’s still one of the few episodes that I can still remember after the OG animated series.
I have to say that the part where she is reabsorbed is truly terrifying. To imagine what that kind of death must’ve been like… yikes!!! I really do appreciate when a series is willing to hit you with hard and deep stuff like that. Within reason, I don’t believe in talking down to kids.
This episode scared me ask a kid cause of how sad the ending and final line was. So sad
The ending line just solidifies how much darker the DCAU can get. And it only gets darker from here.
This was traumatic to watch in my younger years. Still hits hard even now.
I hadn't seen the Christmas episode before watching this one, and the villain reveal was a huge surprise that blew my mind. I'm a huge Clayface fan, and I thought he was really dead at the end of the 'Mudslide' episode. Also, the episode is really sad! I love it, the Clayface trilogy is magnificent.
Love bat may and twilight zone seasons. These video essays are incredible
I always remember this episode and how it made me feel. It's a sad ending and the writer hit it out of the park.
To me, this is one of my top 5 all-time favorite episodes from the BTAS/TNBA era of the DCAU. Heart of Ice will always be number 1, but Growing Pains is pretty high on the list in terms of saddest storytelling episodes.
Mr Freeze usually delivers.
This episode really haunted me when I was a kid. Poor Annie!
We're missing out on the part where Tim threatens Clayface's very life by cutting into the tank of solvent with a Batarang, ordering him to bring Annie back. That was the coldest moment I'd ever seen from a Robin until I learned about the return of Jason Todd.
I still say Robin was in the right there.
When I first saw this episode I cried
A lot of tough, philosophical questions in this episode that you can keep coming back to it
This episode make a big impact to fans, so much that fans created fan arts of Annie and they’re amazing
Where legends cried:
for real😢😢
i wish someday she's return in the series/HQs
Because of this series and NC btas has become my favorite TV show of all time
I love this episode, it's definitely top 10 material and one of the most tragic episodes of the entire BTAS/TNBA run.
Plus, Batman's look at the end says, "I don't know, your daughter seemed pretty wild last night."
Jim: "You mean when she was fighting crime, right? "
Batman: "..."
Jim: "Right?!"
Out of all the episodes of the new batman adventures this is the saddest episodes of all TNBA. Annie developing a soul and revealing that she's part of Clayface and gets absorbed by Clayface that hit my heart HARD! I cried for Tim Drake cause he was so damn good in this episode and knowing what his future will be I cried more. Honestly 1 of the Best TNBA episodes.
One of the most tragic episodes in the new Batman adventures. A great episode.
This was so heartbreaking.
Terrific episode! Great story for fans of Tim Drake! I liked Tim and Annie together! It was very sad when she scarified herself. Very interesting mature story. Batman’s final line is indeed very special too. “Sometimes there are no Happy endings.” It hits even harder now with Kevin Conroy passing away last year. This line fits in well with a lot of last year’s events. That’s how life goes sometimes! Kevin and Annie, you will never be forgotten! RIP!
This episode hurt me as a kid and seeing it again gives me a splash of depression
this messed me up as a kid but even so I love this episode it made me think deeply about a lot of things
This was my favorite episode
One of my favorite episodes.
Something I don’t think ever gets talked about (mostly because there is so much about this episode to talk about) but Annie’s design definitely looks anime-esque, at least to me, which makes her really contrast with the other character designs of the show. It’s specifically her eyes which, while not quite to anime proportions, are larger compared to the other characters’ pupils; as well as how her nose is usually drawn as a single diagonal line in most shots (depicting the nose’s shadow on the face) while the other characters usually have a fully drawn nose, which Annie also does but only in shots where her face is in profile which is, again, like an anime character design.
so true, whether intentional or not, her smooth animation and design gave off an alien-like appearance compared to the Batman universe's designs. Its almost like Clayface wanted her to look sweet and innocent to avoid suspicion but overdid it to some extent.
The episode's animation was done by what I can only describe as a dream team of animators, some of whom would go on to become prominent members of Ghibli.
Annie is like Hotaru Sailor Saturn from Sailor Moon
I might not remember all the episodes, but I’ve never forgotten this one
This was the first time I cried watching tv. Marked me deep as a kid
I remember I first saw this a few years after it first aired, very well written.
I just remember her sound familiar and years later about 2003/2004 I found out out her voice actress also voiced Helga Petaki which this video pointed out.
It makes you wonder that if Batman hadn’t shown up when Tim started throwing batarangs at the chemical tank in order to dissolve Clayface, would Tim have actually killed him in a fit of rage?
No, I think Clayface would have killed him too.
I'm still surprised DC never adapted Annie into a character in the comics.
yeah, me too😢😢
3:27 "KANE" Neat shout-out to Batman's co-creator Bob Kane, and Bruce's mom's maiden name.
Holy social commentary, Batman, this was a DARK episode. I totally forgot about the more run-down parts of Gotham City and how many people living poverty they showed in this one. And Ron Perlman nails it as Clayface, who Batman has apparently given up on trying to turn back to normal.
OMG, I LOVE THIS EPISODE!!! It’s definitely my favorite this season and is in my top 10 Batman the animated series episodes overall. That moment Bruce says “Oh my God!!!” jumps out of his chair and into the Batmobile and exclaims “I know who daddy is” still fills me with dredd for Tim, and watching him try to kill Clayface and afterwards say “yeah murder” still gets me 😢😪
My favorite episode. "Sure, we can kill a child on-screen." And that ending! Wow! This show didn't hold back and I love it. ...Also I tend to tear up when I watch this episode. Just a little.
Not to mention depicting homelessness in a very unvarnished way. It’s there to set a tone, it’s not there for any inspirational messages about dealing with poverty or PSAs, it’s flavour text for Robin’s mindset in the episode.
This was a nice showcase for Tim Drake. He saw the same hardship in the little girl that he went through. It broke my heart to know that Andy was just a part of Clayface.
For those who find the romance of Tim and a mud girl created by Clayface too bizarre, it's clear that the episode was meant to teach us that, sometimes, you just can't help but love someone, no matter how weird or impossible that relationship might be. In fact, there are many great stories featuring romantic couples even more, bizarre than Tim and Annie's, such as the movie Her (in which Joaquin Phoenix has an AI girlfriend), The Twilight Zone episode Miniature (in which Robert Duvall falls in love with a doll) or the novel Let the Right One In (which is about a lonely boy who develops an intimate relationship with a girl who is actually a 200-year-old vampire). Anyway, if a dog and a dolphin can get along, why cannot Tim and a mud chick?
Great episode for the series and you guys, it always hits like a wrecking ball....