Bro'Town (2004–2009) User Reviews

Brilliant and current, but not for the arrogant or jaded!

[medcodepro · 8/10 · 20 August 2006]

For whatever odd reason, when I moved to southern California from Colorado as a young man, a majority of my friends and family wound up being Samoan. This is how I was first exposed to bro'Town months ago. Having said that, you really don't need to know much about Samoans ,or New Zealand for that matter, to "get it". In fact, if anything it is the Kiwi accent that requires a little hard listening at times, but well worth it. The humor is exactly what you would expect from 5 pre-pubescent (4 Samoan and 1 Maori) boys, yet is broad and common enough for any adult who actually had a childhood (and still has a sense of humor).

bro'Town is silly, irreverent, topical, politically sharp and heart-felt at times, like many of its contemporaries (South Park, Family Guy, The Boondocks etc...) I understand that bro'Town isn't "Waiting for Godot" and I have a hard time believing that the Naked Samoans are trying to emulate Samuel Beckett when writing. But for what it is, purely crafted ½ hour adult pop-culture cartoon comedies for 18-30yo males, it is sublime. My friends and I are still quoting Jeff da Maori, yet we somehow still manage to read books with big words. Hmmmmm.

I am anxiously waiting for season 3 at this moment.

Morningside for LIFE!

Sweet as,bro!

[gspilot · 8/10 · 15 December 2007]

I caught the first episode of Bro'Town on a flight from Heathrow to NZ.Didn't expect a huge amount but I was bored (It's a loooong flight.....).Was I ever wrong?I laughed.Long and hard,loud enough to annoy other passengers.Okay,there were a few things I didn't get (the whole Brother Ken thing for example,but after Googling.....)but on the whole I found it hilarious,as did my wife who watched it as well.So much so that we bought all three seasons on DVD when we arrived in NZ.I will admit that it has its ups and downs,but show me something that hasn't.As for being offensive to minority stereotypes,get real,they have a go at EVERYONE,including we Scots! I doubt it'll ever be shown on British TV but who cares?We've got the DVDs! To quote (South African stereotype) Joost Van Der Van Van-"Masterful Rex,masterful!"

An obsessed Aussie's two cents

[Science_Fantasy_Guy · 10/10 · 6 November 2006]

This show tops most of the American and Australian TV output of recent years. The animation is rather uninspired but that's because the animation industry in New Zealand is (according to the Naked Samoans) only just getting off the ground. And indeed, because of this, this show will probably later on be hailed as a landmark in NZ television history. However, the Naked Samoans excel in coming up with clever and meaningful story lines with spiritual significance, as well as writing blisteringly funny one-liners ("Is he gonna live, doctor? I have to give him a hiding for getting run over!"). They have also created extremely lovable characters who, while unashamedly stereotypical (this is actually what make it so easy to relate to anyway), are all given specific episodes in which they feature more than the others (think the flashback episodes in "Lost"), which allows them to be developed in greater detail. These are kids you could find in any school in the world. There's Valea, the leader of the pack who loves nothing more than picking up hot chicks; his twin brother Vale, the quiet and conscientious one who keeps the peace; Sione, the smooth ladies' man who constantly gets stuck in humiliating situations, mostly in front of girls; Jeff da Maori, the Bob Marley-idolizing Maori who was fathered by eight different men; and Mack, the chubby and clearly gay one the gang use to get out of trouble. It's very easy to argue that with the central group of boys it tips its hat to South Park, but that show gets laughs from its obscenities. bro'Town gets laughs purely from its wisdom and heart. I actually hope it doesn't air in the US, because if it does the Americans will buy the rights to it, receive artistic control over it, and in doing so, Americanise it, and commercialise it. I love it just the way it is. And anytime you've got Helen Clark and Russell Crowe on your side, you know you've got something special. And lastly, how many animated shows from ANY era or country can you think of which had some sort of spiritual moral interwoven into each episode?

MORNINGSIDE 4 LIFE INDEED, BRO!!!!!!

Best Show Ever!

[stevoc · 5 January 2006]

i dunno what this other fulla is on, but all i can say is, "Not Even...Ow!!!!".

Bro town is a timely and pertinent look at the cultural diversity that New Zealand can now finally boast after years of stumbling around in a pseudo-bi-cultural daze.I believe kiwi's are ready to see themselves on screen as they are, and to laugh about it. Sure there are stereotypes present in this show, but that's what makes it so funny. No-one is spared, Maori, Pakeha, Islanders, South Africans, Indians and more are satirised expertly. and as an educated Pakeha, i can say - I laughed. This show is topical - focusing on issues currently causing debate in NZ like CYFS, gambling and racial discrimination.

or as JC puts it best - MARVELLOUS!

After two excellent series i look forward to many more.

MORNINGSIDE FOR LIFE!!

Loves it for all it is...

[lucid_and_lacking · 9/10 · 24 September 2006]

Even though many may find this series immature and even sacrilegious at times, i believe that this show is a true pioneer for all that New Zealand and more generally The South Pacific has to offer. Seeing as this region is plagued with the stigma of producing a population of thick heads or the supposedly more affectionate term *coconut* did you really think that NZ would produce a ground breaking series about the fundamental errors with the theory of relativity? Hell no! It produced something that every islander can relate to: a comedy of escapism showing a life wit the boyz, fanatical to irresponsible parenting, corn beef, the occasional taxing of goods at the local convenience store and much much more... so to you gang who wanna bring down this awesome show about life in morning side... ask yourself this... when was the last time America produced an animated series on world peace? (futurama doesn't count), when was the last time the French produced a series about there love of England? such things will never be just as there will never be a series like bro town to let us islanders laugh at our own stupidity without the rest of the world reminding us how stupid we are... so to you gang who find it beneath you... enjoy it for what it is.. not all you believe it should be, coz its a sweet show aye.. MORNINGSIDE 4 LIFE!!

PS. To the person who finds the whole series a waste of time... fair enough, that is your opinion.. but there's no need to make crude references to the show and poor comparisons to other series... yes the line "does that mean he's homo ow?" may not be a stroke of genius in your eyes, but did you not think to see the underlying relevance of this line highlighting the ignorance of some islanders to the wider array of sexuality due to religious upbringing or the fact that living with the stigma of stupidity anything different from this such as Vale's new found intelligence may lead to other issues of difference, in this case homosexuality?... and please don't use the excuse that being an Australian makes you unable to the follow the story... you seem to follow the satire and ironies of South Park and The Simpsons just fine even though there are many references specific to America? When was the last time you saw an Amish person waltzing around our countrysides? So please don't try and pass off cultural referencing as a valid excuse, it makes our nation seem ignorant to anything that doesn't have George Bush written all over it and that would be further degradation to our nation...

this show is too clever for some people, i loved it

[vixinoz · 10/10 · 16 January 2006]

this show is so funny! i laughed the whole way through it, as my 13 yr old daughter did. i am from NZ originally so i got it straight away, those characters could be people i know. my friend also originally from NZ had to watch it 2x before she got it- ( she is not as smart as me Hehe) as did her 14 yr old son and now they loves it and bought the second series for us all to watch.

my friend from Holland watched it and he got it straight away and cant get enough of it.

the humor may see simple but it is actually very clever and you may need to think harder if you want to intellectualize it, it is not the usual blatant American style humor that we are ignorantly bombarded with.

I love all the characters but cant get enough of the south African guy.

MORNINGSIDE FOR LIFE!

Bro'Town Rulz Ow

[chrisbrown112 · 10/10 · 30 December 2006]

Hey I am an Aussie and i love Bro'Town (maybe cos i saw it in time with NZ).... I have lots of Samoan and Mauldi (Maroi) friends out there I Love Bro'Town it's so Effing Funny it cracks me up.... From Asians are cool and Pepelo.. I can't wait 2 c Season 3... I haven't seen an episode yet cos the person who i get the tapes off hasn't been to NZ this year. But i can't wait..I brought Season 2 the day it came out on DVD... Cos i priced them all at work and took them out the box and put them on the shelf. So yeah i so can't wait to c it.. The character all remind me of some1 i know. Whn me and my friends so it for the first time we all thought MAC was like some1 we all knew.. Abocrombie is me... Cos i come from the land down under and i'm quarter Abo to...anyways every1 watch bro'town Canada just got picked up Bro'Town so enjoy it all ur Canadians

Stupid and not funny

[MarkyMark81 · 1/10 · 28 April 2006]

I can't believe this show is doing well back home. I think that this show is the worst thing I have ever seen. Now I'm a fan of South Park, The Simpsons, Family Guy, King of The Hill (All shows which critics back home have said is 'New Zealands answer to..') so it's not a matter of taste. It's just stupid.

As a part-Samoan, New Zealander I understood when it was TRYING to be funny. But it just wasn't. So it's not a matter of having to be a New Zealander to find humour in it. If you like to laugh at exaggerated stereotypes combined with toilet humour but without the wit of South Park then you will enjoy this.

The funniest thing I've seen in years ow!

[PayOrPlay · 9/10 · 2 July 2008]

I've recently discovered bro' Town on the little-watched, but occasionally indispensable, left-of-center US channel "LinkTV" (channel 375 on DirecTV), and have now watched all of the first season.

I'm not a New Zealander, have visited only once for about 3 days, so I am sure I am missing about a third of the jokes and the accents are daunting sometimes. (And the erratic close caption subtitles frequently get things wrong, which is funny in itself.) But there's plenty left over for the non-locals. I find myself laughing out loud at least a dozen times in every episode.

It's not surprising that people compare it to South Park, since it involves a gang of quasi-delinquents, but it reminds me more of King of the Hill: the tone is fairly laid back with intermittent bursts of surrealism, like Jeff da Maori's eight dads; the body-painted Australian Aboriginal student inexplicably dropped into this Auckland school; and Pepelo Pepelo's bizarre parental malfeasance and his constant visits to the pub and (even funnier) the bathroom, always preceded by his whining and warning, "I may be some time." The bumper segments with God, Jesus, and assorted dead celebs are also quite inspired.

Unfortunately, only the first 6 episodes have run on LinkTV and there's been no sign of the rest of them, nor do the subsequent seasons seem to be available on DVD in the US, so when I will get to see them? At least there is a decent episode synopsis (Warning: There Be Spoilers) on Wikipedia.

Hilarious, witty, and one of the best TV shows out there... Just kidding.

[OmNomNom_NomNom · 1/10 · 28 September 2010]

It seems some of these positive reviewers just can't accept a negative opinion can they? I have to be honest - I have lived in New Zealand all my life, and I think this show sucks.

For instance, it isn't funny or smart. It uses stale insults, racial slurs, and witless comebacks for jokes. Though that isn't the case in some moments of the show, this is what this its like most of the time.

Also, it only aims for banal humour rather than exploring other emotional views. Whether to shed a tear or feel a rush of astonishment, it has nothing to offer but its so-called 'comedy'.

As well as having terrible writing and all, completely annoying characters, bro'Town is such a tasteless show that there is nothing more to talk about it, apart from its humour always turning into an epic fail.

I know much more people respect the show in a way that I don't, but trying to argue with a differing opinion makes you seem like a bro'Town character - "If you don't like this show I'll beat you up!"

Bro Town is the funniest thing I've seen since South Park

[surfing_nuta · 14 December 2005]

Bro Town is the Pacific Island version of South Park, which follows the lives of four young Pacific Island boys who live in Morning Side, Auckland, New Zealand. This TV Show is a classic which should be remembered for its one-liners, brilliant characters, and the voices of some of New Zealanders biggest stars. The four boys go through ordinary teenage experiences, including puberty and girls, which leads to dramatic happenings. This show contains stereotypical characters, with appearances from New Zealands news teams and government. This show is definitely one to look out for if you want to have a good laugh. I would like to see this as a movie.

Morning Side 4 Life

[tommypezmaster · 10/10 · 24 September 2007]

This has to be one of the most underrated shows in animation history. Bro'Town has to be one of the most unique cartoons on television. A group of Austrailan Delenquens going to a school & made some mistakes & try to learn from them, noting seems too hard for them.

The animation is average. Nothing spectacular, but suited for the show. The characters could use some work. Sione's Mom's voice is very Oringenial for a woman who sound like a man and Wong from Hong Kong sounds too much like Master Shake.

Overall I give Bro'Towna 10/10. Good, but couldn't been on Nicktoon network of Adult Swim in the US instead.

Not as funny as some seem to think

[zw1965 · 4/10 · 7 October 2006]

I watched about four episodes on a long haul flight between NZ and USA. I could see why Kiwis find this funny but it did nothing for me. The attempt to send a message to young people through this program will be limited. The attempts to incorporate contemporary culture with a modern concept of spirituality is offensive to those to wish their religious observation to be pure and without idolatry. It could be improved considerably by having the actors speak more clearly. They can still use their slang but they need to enunciate, otherwise it becomes a long mumble. The best thing to come out of New Zealand is not this but the Seven Periods of Mr Gormsby which is more entertaining and more likely to share a valuable message with young Kiwis.

I Love This Show

[IanGorton · 21 February 2006]

I'm gonna go against most of the reviews on here and say that I love this show. Yeah it's a bit crude but I love it cause of that. I don't watch this show to be intellectual, I watch it for a good laugh and for a release as it were.

I was told about this show by my brother and I though looks like I'll have to have a look at it.

My favourite quote is the one about their dad wanting to watch his pornos in peace. I had to have it explained to me what the whole 8 Dads things was all about though with the Jeff da Maori character.

It amazed me too the number of celebrities they got on this show even the NZ PM. I couldn't imagine little Johnny Howard doing a cartoon here that's for sure.

I got it and I'm Welsh!

[samara_wales · 13 March 2006]

I watched both series of Bro' Town at Christmas in Australia with family friends, who are from NZ. Our family friend's 12 your old daughter loved the series'and understood it. I loved it too, I'm 21 and from Wales and found it hilarious, i 'got' all the jokes and knew who all the famous guest stars were.

My only negative comment about Bro' Town is that I cant get it in the UK at all, and they have had to get it for me and post it so i have my own copies! Bring it over the water please!!!!!!!!!

It's great for all ages, it tackles teenage problems,sexuality, family life, pretty much everything!

Morning Side for life!

Completely unapologetic and Un-PC

[mk_nodelocked · 22 December 2006]

Anyone comparing South Park to this gem of a series, has got to be smoking crack. yes they both exploit stereotypes. That's where similarities end. the writing style is completely different. It would be like comparing Family guy with SP. (with South Park looking like having something resembling a story)

Bro'town has got soul. it's far more coherent, better written, and ultimately, more offensive than either SP or FG could ever be to the American, PC-obsessed, media. The difference is that it doesn't try to be offensive with quick punch after another. The main characters aren't quick 5-second sideshows like they would be in a typical American cartoon.

Maybe some people may not like to hear this. but if you grew up in a ghetto, you knew ppl who were as one dimensional as these characters. It's just is what it is. It would suck if we couldn't laugh at this because some pc-head thinks it racist.

Latin America has picked up the series on cartoon network Latin America. and I hope some channel like BET (because let's face it, it won't get aired on any other American channel) picks it up, because they're the only ones in the US who will get this type of humor.

Can't wait for season four!

New Zealand first animated show and a hit in New Zealand

[hamuz00125 · 12 January 2006]

For starters, its "Does that mean you're a homo ow?" If you going to talk bad about something get it right.

Honestly, what would an Australian know about New Zealand comedy? You don't know that talk, the lifestyle and the jargon that we speak here!! Bro Town is a smashing hit and is making it big in New Zealand. Its SO funny that the phrase "not even ow!" is used so much , that many schools throughout New Zealand have placed a ban on saying the word.

Can't wait for season 3 this year, I reckon that only a fellow New Zealander or a New Zealand raised Australian would understand the comedy behind this show.

P.S What season is Australia up to on this show anyway?

Not worth anymore funding.

[fiverites · 22 March 2006]

Bro'town was over-hyped and over advertised. Sure, there are certain areas where it would provoke a small giggle from me, but mostly I found the humor immature and dry. I do however, applaud the writers for helping us to try and laugh at the stereotypes we give each other. Advertising it as New Zealands own SouthPark?.........no, not even close. Unfortunately, most non New Zealanders would not get this at all. It has many Polynesian themes that even some New Zealanders would not understand either. Most episodes seemed to have been rushed and not thought out well at all. On a positive note, I liked the theme music, nice bass line.

Not good for kids or adults. Might go down well with doped up teenagers or the mentally retarded.

Disrepecting Australia's Indigneous peoples

[sparkles_dee · 8 April 2007]

I have to say that while this show may generate a lots of positive comments, I am disappointed at the lack of respect the writers have for Australia's Indigenous people by creating a character with the nickname 'Abo'.

Australia's Indigenous people and some non-Indigenous people find this word highly offensive and to have this word written into a script is disrespectful. It has set a standard amongst 'some' Australians and Australian visitors from the Pacific Islands that this type of word is 'OK' to use to name Aboriginal people, it is not OK to use.

The character itself creates a stereotype and assumptions of Aboriginal people, this again creates perceptions that ALL Aboriginal people dress and act this way and this is not the case. It also makes fun of Aboriginal people's culture and beliefs by portraying traditional ceremonies as a joke.

Australian Aboriginal people have been fighting for years to gain some respect in their own country, to those who visit our country please don't add to the already difficult struggle Aboriginal people have to fight every single day of their lives.

Most Australian's respect Pacific Island and New Zealand traditions please do the same for Australia's Indigenous peoples.

The media is a powerful tool that has the power to further marginalise groups within Australia and other countries.

Amusing, but relevant only for Kiwi's.

[cj_sheffy · 30 January 2006]

Other comments of this show have been harsh, and undeserved. In my opinion to fully appreciate the humor of this cartoon, you need to either live in New Zealand, or have spent enough time in NZ to understand the type of humor, and the cultural references.

While 'brotown' is hardly the most intelligent show on TV, it is funny, entertaining, and most importantly, relevant to events, people and culture within New Zealand.

Possibly, this show should not be screened, or viewed outside of New Zealand, as other audiences don't seem to appreciate the type of humor that is demonstrated to it's full extent in 'Brotown'.