''Invincible Fight Girl'' is an American

animated Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby image, still images are manipulated to create Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on cel, transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and e ...

action comedy The action comedy is a film genre that applies to action films where humor plays a much more central role. While early films feature stuntwork and humor, academic Cynthia King wrote that the genre only came into its own as a mainstay of the America ...

television series created by Juston Gordon-Montgomery. The series premiered on November 3, 2024, in the United States on

Adult Swim Adult Swim (stylized as

dult swim Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representativ ...

and s is an American adult-oriented television programming block that airs on Cartoon Network which broadcasts during the evening, prime time, and Late-night television, late-night Dayparting, dayparts. T ...

Toonami Toonami ( ) is an American late-night television programming block that broadcasts Japanese anime and American action animation. It was created by Sean Akins and Jason DeMarco and currently produced by Williams Street, a subsidiary of W ...

programming block and on the streaming service

Max Max or MAX may refer to: Animals * Max (American dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog * Max (British dog), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of the OBE) * Max (gorilla) ...

shortly after its initial broadcast.

Premise

A young girl named Andy, living in Wrestling World, endeavors to become the best pro-wrestler ever.

Characters

Main characters

* Andronicus Dependent "Andy" Smith (voiced by Sydney Mikayla) – A young girl dedicated to becoming the best pro-wrestler in the world, even though her parents want her to be an accountant instead * Aunt P / Quesa Poblana (voiced by

Rolonda Watts Rolonda Watts (born July 12, 1959) is an American actress, producer, and television and radio talk show host. She is best known for hosting the eponymous '' Rolonda'', an internationally syndicated talk show which aired from 1994 to 1997. Watts ...

) – A retired and cynical wrestling champion * Craig (voiced by Paul Castro Jr.) – Aunt P's nephew, who tries to profit off wrestling, and who Andy meets when she first arrives in Rustburn * Mikey Beefpuncha (voiced by TK Weaver) – An innocent, yet intelligent and muscular 8-year-old analyst of wrestling, who dreams of becoming a

sports journalist Sport is a physical activity or game, often competitive and organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The number of participants in a par ...

Recurring characters

* Immaculate / Julius (voiced by Tony Baker) – A pro-wrestler and leader of the Perm Gang * Delectable / Sone (voiced by

Kaitlyn Robrock Kaitlyn Robrock ( , born December 30, 1983) is an American voice actress best known for her role as the current voice of Minnie Mouse since 2019. She also voices Helm and Cinderella in the video game '' Goddess of Victory: Nikke''. Career Robro ...

) – A pro-wrestler and member of the Perm Gang * Sumptuous / Kate (voiced by Andia Winslow) – A pro-wrestler and member of the Perm Gang * Smoove / Jeff (voiced by

Ben Giroux Ben Giroux (born October 24, 1984) is an American actor and director. Career Giroux is best known for portraying the Toddler in ''Henry Danger'', '' The Adventures of Kid Danger'', and '' Danger Force'' on Nickelodeon, Mikey Munroe in '' Bunsen Is ...

) – A pro-wrestler and member of the Perm Gang * Narrator / Scouter – (voiced by

Keith David Keith David Williams (born June 4, 1956) is an American actor. He is known for his deep voice and screen presence in over 300 roles in film, stage, television, and interactive media. He has starred in such films as '' The Thing'' (1982), ''Pla ...

) – A scouter for the Global Wrestling Commission, who narrates the series * Goldy (voiced by Carla Renata) – The owner of a saloon in Rustburn called Busters, where failed pro-wrestlers hang out * Pampa (voiced by

Fred Tatasciore Fred Tatasciore ( , , born June 13, 1967) is an American voice actor who has provided voices in animated and live-action films, television shows, and video games. He is known for voicing the Hulk, Volstagg, and Beast in various Marvel media and ...

) – A patron at Busters * Coca (voiced by

Lauren Lapkus Dorthea Lauren Allegra Lapkus (born September 6, 1985) is an American actress and comedian, known for portraying Susan Fischer in the Netflix comedy-drama series ''Orange Is the New Black'' (2013–2014, 2019) and Jess in the HBO comedy-drama se ...

) – A patron at Busters * Beefpuncha (voiced by Luis Bermudez) – Mikey's older brother

Guest characters

* Trish (voiced by Angel Laketa Moore) – Andy's mother * Herb (voiced by Calvin Winbush) – Andy's father * Academy Supervisor (voiced by

Cynthia Kaye McWilliams Cynthia Kaye McWilliams is an American actress, known for her performances on the television series '' Real Husbands of Hollywood'', ''Prison Break'', and ''Nashville''. Life and career Cynthia Kaye McWilliams was born in Berlin, Germany, but mov ...

) – Andy's supervisor while at the Junior Accountant Academy * Dave (voiced by Raphael Alejandro) – A junior accountant, and one of Andy's classmates * Mega Beefpuncha (voiced by

Clancy Brown Clarence James Brown III (born January 5, 1959) is an American actor. Prolific in film and television since the 1980s, Brown is often cast in villainous and authoritative roles. His film roles include Rawhide in ''The Adventures of Buckaroo Ban ...

) – Mikey and Mbrandon's father * Ruff (voiced by

Dana Snyder Dana Snyder (born ) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his voice roles of Master Shake in ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'', Granny Cuyler in '' Squidbillies'', Baby Ball on '' Ballmastrz: 9009'', and other roles in various Adult Swim ...

) – A former wrestler, Tumble's ex-husband, Bertie's father, and leader of the Finger Clan. * Tumble (voiced by

Jodi Carlisle Jodi Carlisle is an American actress who has appeared in a number of television shows, feature films, video games, television films, and stage plays. Carlisle is perhaps best known as one of the principal voice actors on the Nickelodeon animated T ...

) – A former wrestler, Ruff's ex-wife, Bertie's mother, and leader of the Toe Clan. * Bertie (voiced by Anjali Kunapaneni) – Ruff and Tumble's daughter.

Episodes

Production

In May 2022, the series was originally announced to be a new original animated series for HBO Max (later

) and

Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (CN) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the Cartoon Network, Inc., a sub-division of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It launched on ...

. It was later stated that

Cartoon Network Studios Cartoon Network Studios Inc. (abbreviated as CNS or CN Studios) is an American animation studio owned by the Warner Bros. Television Group division of Warner Bros. Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. The studio is the producti ...

was producing the series, and asserted again in 2024. In June 2023, an

animatic A storyboard is a graphic organizer that consists of simple illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive media sequence. The storyboarding proces ...

for the series premiered at the

Annecy International Animation Film Festival The Annecy International Animation Film Festival (, officially abbreviated in English as the Annecy Festival, or simply Annecy) was created in 1960 and takes place at the beginning of June in the town of Annecy, France. Initially occurring ever ...

. At San Diego Comic Con TVfest on February 7, 2024, the first episode of the series premiered. At the AfroAnimation Summit, held from April 10 to 12, 2024 in

Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank had a Census-estimated population of 102,755 as of 2023. The city was ...

, Gordon-Montgomery had a panel entitled "How I Got My Show Made: The Underdog Story of Invincible Fight Girl". An early series preview was released on July 25, 2024. The event, hosted at

Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is a private art school with locations in Savannah, Georgia; Atlanta, Georgia; and Lacoste, France. It was founded in 1978 to provide degrees in programs not yet offered in the southeast of the United ...

, also included a talk with Juston Gordon-Montgomery, the show's art director (David Depasquale), and supervising producer (Bryan Newton). Later,

Sam Register Sam Register (born 1969) is an American film and television producer and businessman. He is currently the president of Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network Studios, and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe. Career Formerly Vice President of Cartoon N ...

was described as an executive producer of the series. Prior to the series release, Juston Gordon-Montgomery told

The Verge ''The Verge'' is an American Technology journalism, technology news website headquarters, headquartered in Lower Manhattan, New York City and operated by Vox Media. The website publishes news, feature stories, guidebooks, product reviews, cons ...

that he wanted his love for pro-wrestling's

Attitude Era The Attitude Era was a major era of professional wrestling within the WWE, World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). The term "WWF Attitude" was used to describe its programming from November 9, 1997 to May 6, 2002. It began during the Monday Ni ...

to show in Andy's character and the series overall, noting the influence of wrestling on his life, inspiration of ''

Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...

'', ''

Naruto ''Naruto'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. T ...

'', and ''

Hajime no Ippo is a Japanese boxing-themed manga series written and illustrated by George Morikawa. It has been serialized by Kodansha in the manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' since October 1989, with its chapters collected in 143 volum ...

'' and added that there are many things that haven't been done in animation in the U.S., like in Japan, and saying they could do the same if they "get the shot" to do so. In another interview with

Cartoon Brew Cartoon Brew is an animation news website created by Amid Amidi and animation historian Jerry Beck that was launched on 15 March 2004. Cartoon Dump It also created '' Cartoon Dump'', a weekly podcast showing poorly made TV cartoons featuring ' ...

, he noted the show's anime influences, the show's development process, challenges caused by bigger changes in the studio, and limitations of a 10-episode season. The series had half-hour animated episodes which premiered on

Adult Swim Adult Swim (stylized as

beginning on November 3, 2024, and then released on

shortly thereafter.

Reception

The series was positively received by critics. Rendy Jones of

Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...

said that the series is a cross-between ''

My Hero Academia is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kōhei Horikoshi. It was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from July 2014 to August 2024, with its chapters collected in 42 volumes. Set in a wor ...

'' and

WWE World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...

, saying that the narrative keeps the story grounded, with strong world-building, and has characters which resemble "familiar faces and figures from wrestling culture". Jones, who reviewed the show's first four episodes, said it follows a similar plot to many action-adventure anime, noted that for a Black female protagonist such as Andy to have the "same skeleton" as anime characters like

Monkey D. Luffy , also known as is a fictional character and the protagonist in the Japanese manga series '' One Piece'' created by Eiichiro Oda. Luffy made his debut as a young boy who acquires the properties of rubber after accidentally eating one of the ...

and

Ash Ketchum Ash Ketchum, known as in Japan, is a character in the ''Pokémon'' franchise owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. He was the protagonist of the ''Pokémon'' anime for the first 25 seasons, as well as the protagonist of several mang ...

, said that Andy's character is a great addition to powerful Black female animated characters along with

Lunella Lafayette ''Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur'' (or simply ''Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur'') is an American animated superhero television series developed by Steve Loter, Jeffrey M. Howard, and Kate Kondell for Disney Channel. Based on ''Moon Girl An ...

in ''

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur ''Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur'' (or simply ''Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur'') is an American animated superhero television series developed by Steve Loter, Jeffrey M. Howard, and Kate Kondell for Disney Channel. Based on '' Moon Girl A ...

'', described Craig's character as "exhausting to watch", but said this is balanced out by other characters, while praising the series depiction of wrestling fights, animation style, and storyline. Charles Pulliam-Moore of

said the series echoes shonen series like ''

Dragon Ball Z ''Dragon Ball Z'' (''DBZ'') is a Japanese anime television series produced by Toei Animation. Part of the ''Dragon Ball'' media franchise, it is the sequel to the 1986 ''Dragon Ball'' television series and adapts the latter 325 chapters ...

'' and ''

One Piece ''One Piece'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, as he explores the Grand Line in search of the myt ...

'', and argued that the series blend of different influences comes "together as soon as its characters step into the ring". In a review for CBR, Daniel Kurland wrote that the series will lead to a "wide range of sports-based cartoons" among Western animation, comparing it to the wide range of sports anime, praising the protagonist as empathetic, relatable, and with an "endearing found family", lauded the animation for being "sumptuous" and "meticulous" and argued that the series remains aspirational while subverting class and gender norms, while sharing a "powerful message of independence, acceptance, and strength". Kurland also pointed to the anime influences like ''

Kinnikuman is a Japanese manga series created by the duo Yoshinori Nakai and Takashi Shimada, known as Yudetamago. It follows Suguru Kinniku, a superhero who must win a wrestling tournament to retain the title of prince of Planet Kinniku. ...

'', ''

Tiger Mask is a Japanese manga series written by Ikki Kajiwara and illustrated by Naoki Tsuji. The series was first published in Kodansha's ''Bokura Magazine'' from 1968 to 1970 and was later published in ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from 1970 to ...

'', ''

Megalobox is a Japanese anime television series. The series is produced and animated by TMS Entertainment and its subsidiary 3xCube and directed by Yō Moriyama, his first directorial work. ''Megalobox'' was created in commemoration of the 50th anni ...

'', ''

Yu Yu Hakusho is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yoshihiro Togashi. It tells the story of Yusuke Urameshi, a teenage delinquent who is struck and killed by a car while saving a child's life. After several tests presented to him ...

'', and ''

Dragon Ball is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. The Dragon Ball (manga), initial manga, written and illustrated by Toriyama, was Serial (literature), serialized in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1984 to 1995, with the 519 indi ...

'', and compared the series with '' Ballmastrz: 9009''.

Accolades

References

External links

* * * {{Portal bar, Television, Cartoon, Fantasy, Animation, 2020s 2024 American television series debuts 2020s American black cartoons 2020s American animated television series 2020s American animated action television series American anime-influenced animated television series American children's animated action television series American children's animated comic science fiction television series Cultural depictions of wrestlers Television series by Cartoon Network Studios American teen animated television series Max (streaming service) original programming Animated television series set on fictional planets Adult Swim animated television series American English-language television shows Black characters in animation Child characters in animation Female characters in animation