'What's New Scooby Doo' left me mixed when first watching it. Rewatching it a few times overtime it has grown on me quite a lot, more so than most other incarnations in the franchise. There are some not so good episodes but when the show was good it was pretty fantastic. Season 3 was not as consistent as the previous two seasons, with two of the show's weakest episodes being in it ("Wrestle Maniacs" and "Diamonds are a Ghoul's Best Friend"). But it also had a good number of great ones, a few of which show high points.
"Block Long Hong Kong Terror" is not quite one of the best 'What's New Scooby Doo', but it is one of the best episodes of Season 3 in my view and nearly as good as "Fright House of a Lighthouse" and on the same level of "Farmed and Dangerous", "Go West Young Scoob" and "Gold Paw". Of the two episodes with a dragon as a villain (though two different types), the other being Season 2's "Large Dragon at Large", this is the much better of the two, with a much stronger mystery and more of the memorability factor.
The animation is full of vibrancy and richness in detail, making the absolute most of one of the most exotic locations in the world. The dragon looks fantastic and is one of the more elaborate looking villains of the season and of the show. The truth about what it really was was easily foreseeable as that is usually the case with the bigger monsters, but it didn't bother me too much. The music has lost none of its groove and atmosphere, and it really shines in the chase scene.
Which is a close second best of Season 3 after "Fright House of a Lighthouse". That is high praise indeed. The humour is genuinely funny and there is lots of it, one of the best parts being the dragon's pursuit of the rubber ducks. The rubber ducks add massively to the fun and the dragon is cool and sinister. Shaggy and Scooby's comic relief is amusingly and endearingly goofy.
Also did like the mystery, which was compelling and creepy. As well as not being hard to follow, while not being too simple. The gang are all great and there are no distasteful stereotypes in the supporting roles. The voice acting is without complaint.
Do think however that the dragon's sudden appearances could have been explained, that was interesting but given short shrift.
Fabulous all in all. 9/10.
