Danny Phantom, Jake Long and Juniper Lee

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earplug

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I know, we've been over this, but just in case there are some who'd like to open this back up for discussion. This is a thread about the comparissons between these 3 shows; "American Dragon: Jake Long", "The Life and Times of Juniper Lee" and "Danny Phantom". I'll Start

AD:JL= American Dragon: Jake Long

TLATOJL= The Life and Times of Juniper Lee

DP= Danny Phantom



[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Powers:[/FONT]

Similarities: Jake, June and Danny all have powers that, along with their resourcefulness and cleverness, make them heroes

Differences:
AD:JL- Jake got his powers through his lineage, his powers are only those natural to a dragon

TLATOJL- June also gained her powers through her heritage, she's really just a human with magically enhanced physical abilities

DP- Danny was once a normal child who was mutated by a lab accident, which gave him his powers. His powers are something all ghosts have[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif].[/FONT]




[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Secret Life: [/FONT]

Similarities: because of their powers, Jake, June and Danny all lead secret lives revolving around duties as heroes

Differences:

AD:JL- As a dragon, it's Jake responsibility to watch over and protect all magical creatures in his world

TLATOJL- June is responsible for the protection of the magical world around her.

DP- Danny's "duty" is actually something he chooses to do, not because he thinks it's fun, but because he knows it's right.



[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Public Life: [/FONT]

Similarities: Jake, June and Danny all have to deal with the day to day life of all people their age

Differences:

AD:JL- Jake is relatively an average child who has trouble balancing responsibility and pleasure

TLATOJL- June is a hard working overachiever, who tries to do all the things she wants to do and all the things she must do.

DP- Danny has always been looked down upon by his peers and has had just as much trouble with his normal life as he has as a hero.



[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Home:[/FONT]

Similarities: Jake, June and Danny all reside in cities that are bothered by the very problems they must deal with daily

Differences:

AD:JL- Jake resides in New York City (an actual city), which is home to a variety of Magical creatures that he must deal with.

TLATOJL- June lives in a town called "Orchid Bay", which is hub to the supernatural powers of the magical world.

DP- Danny lives in "Amity Park", a town that is frequently visited and attacked by ghosts.



[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Family: [/FONT]

Similarities: Jake, June and Danny all have families that have been a help to them more than once (even when they don't know it)

Differences:

AD:JL- Jake has a human father (who has proven to be a good source of Jake courage and enthusiasim) a Mother (from whom he gained his powers) an overachieving, slightly annoying yet sweet and admiring younger sister (who also has powers similar to her brother's) and a wise, yet comical maternal grandfather (who not only has powers like his grandchildren, but is the one who is training Jake to be the hero he is destined to be)

TLATOJL- June has a mom and dad (neither have powers or are even aware of their daughter's secret life) an older brother (who has no powers and was unaware his younger sister's secret until later) a younger brother (who gained at least one of his sister's abilities around the same time she first gained them) and a paternal grandmother (who not only has all of her Granddaughter's powers, but once proceeded her in her duties)

DP- Danny has a Mom and Dad (who are ghost hunters themselves, but were oblivious to their son's secret life for a long while, but unwittingly provide the very technology he uses to fight ghosts and have been a bit of an inspiration to him in this very profession) an older sister (who didn't know about her brother's life until later, but has proven to be quite an asset to him from time to time) and a younger female clone of him (who has all his powers as well a few of her own)



[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Friends and Assistants:[/FONT]

Similarities: Jake, June and Danny all surround themselves with loyal friends an assistants who are always around to give a helping hand when needed.

Differences:

AD:JL- Jake has 2 friends; Trixie Carter (a nice, loyal yet sassy African-American girl, who often provides the voice of reason to Jake) and Arthur "Spud" Spudinski (a slow-witted, yet intelligent boy, who is always a help to Jake when needed). He is assisted however, by "Fu-Dog" (a magical talking Shar-pei, with a talent for magical potions)

TLATOJL- June has 3 friends; Jodie (a cheerful blonde girl) Ophelia (a gloomy, yet comical goth girl) and Roger (a slow-witted yet hilarious young boy). She is assisted by Monroe (a scottish, magical, talking Pug) and Lila (an intelligent, strong, yet insecure Sasquatch girl)

DP- Danny has 2 friends; Sam Manson (an individual, ecology-minded Goth girl, who not only provides advice to Danny, but also has a crush on him) and Tucker Foley (A technologically gifted African-American boy, who helps Danny use the Technology he uses). Though Danny is often assisted by his family, he is mainly assisted by his friends.



[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Reputation:[/FONT]
Similarities: In addition to their normal every day reputation, Jake, June and Danny all have a reputation as they are as heroes.

Differences:

AD:JL- Jake is well-known as the hero and protector he is among the magical world.

TLATOJL- June is well known for he heroic deeds and is looked to by the magical world as the protector she is.

DP- For a while, Danny was feared as a menace by the people of Amity Park and was treated as an enemy and as prey among his fellow ghosts. But was eventually accepted by humanity and is known as a hero among some ghosts.



[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Arch-Enemies:[/FONT]

Similarities: Like all heroes, Jake, June and Danny all have their own arch-enemies to battle and thwart.

Differences:

AD:JL- Jake's archenemy is the number one threat to the magical world, The Dark Dragon (a malevolent dragon, consumed by powerful dark magic, has a deep hatred of humanity and desires to destroy it)

TLATOJL- June has no constant archenemy, but has tangled with many powerful foes; like Auntie Roon (a powerful yet sassy evil witch) Loki (the demon trickster god) a powerful demoness and Kai Yee (one of June's predecessors, one who went bad after gaining a lust for power).

DP- Danny's archenemy is an old friend of his parents from their college days; Vlad Masters/Vlad Plasmius (an incredibly wealthy businessman, who was mutated in an accident caused by Danny's father, that gave him powers stronger, yet similar, to Danny's. And has dedicated his life to using his powers to get whatever he wants, including Danny's mom)



[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Enemy Organizations:[/FONT]

Similarities: Jake, June and Danny all have to battle enemy organizations who wish to destroy them and all of their kind.

Differences:

AD:JL- Jake frequently battles "The Huntsclan" (a militaristic organization of ninja warriors dedicated to destroying magical creatures, especially dragons)

TLATOJL- June battles an "H.A.M." ("Humans Against Magic" an organization also dedicated to the destruction of magical creatures)

DP- Danny fights the "Guys in White" (a government organization for the destruction of Ghosts, particularly Danny)



[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Love Interests:[/FONT]

Similarities: Like all young people, Jake, June and Danny all have their crushes

Differences:

AD:JL- Jake has a crush on Rose (a blonde girl, who was ironically a member of the Huntsclan until she found out Jake's secret, which actually brought them closer)

TLATOJL- June has a crush on Marcus (a suave African-American boy)

DP- Danny has had a crush on Paulina (a popular, hispanic girl who looks down on Danny and his friends) Valerie (an African-American girl, who also looked down on Danny for a while, but started to like him, even though she is a ghost hunter) and eventually his goth friend Sam.




[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Title:[/FONT]

Similarities: Jake, June and Danny all have their own titles, which both friend and foe alike call them

Differences:

AD:JL- Jake is known to friend and foe alike as "The American Dragon"

TLATOJL- June is known as the "Te Xuan Ze"

DP- Danny has been dubbed by the public as "Danny Phantom", but some of his fellow ghosts just call him "Danny" or "ghost child"
 
I don't know about Juniiper Lee never seen the show, and since she is a girl I doubt it is the same in this category, but Danny and Jake's school adversaries are pretty identical.

Dash and Brad both have blond hair, jocks, dumb, and are jerks. They also have hidden femine side. Though Brad was a one time thing when we saw inside his dream, it is a recuring joke with Dash with his love for romance movies and his care bear look a like collection.
 
It's Juniper, not Jupiter. Fun trivia fact: the character's name refers to how the bark from a juniper tree was crafted into stakes to kill vampires, according to Old World legend.
 
I always noticed a striking similarity between Jake Long and Juniper Lee. There are both about Asian teenagers with powers that they inherited, said power skipped a generation, and they had talking dogs (actually I don't remember if Jake's dog talked or not, but I know there was a dog). Also they have the same initials.
 
June's 11, though.

One big dif: Juniper's "battle form" does not involve transformation (although I recall a few where she was turned into various things for the ep) on a regular basis, unlike Jake and Danny.
 
1. Jake and Danny recieved their powers so recently, while June recieved her's at a younger age, so she has a bit more experience at what she does.

2. Danny and Jake are sometimes embarressed by their parents, while June rarely is, it's usually like her parents aren't even around.

3. The people Jake and Danny have crushes on are all given backgrounds that relate to their secret lives (e.g. Rose was in fact the very person who Jake is fighting and possibly suppose to take out) while Marcus (the boy June likes) barely has any background.

4. The villainous hunters that Jake and June fight (The Huntsman and Lex Luthor) have both been shown to have a negative history with magic, which lead to their hatred of it. The Guys in White however, have yet to reveal their desire to destroy ghosts, other than the mere fact that they're a threat to public safety.

5. The villainous organizations Jake and June fight are both mysterious groups who not only dress in mysterious attire, but are apparently not known to the general public. While the Guys in White in "Danny Phantom" are well known by the public and even break into people's homes and falsely attack them.

6. When the Guys in White first appeared, they were considered to be incompetent (and kinda were at the time). But since the day June and Jake saw them, H.A.M and The Huntsclan have always been a serious danger.

7. The Guys in White and H.A.M. fight, they mainly just fire laser weapons. However, when the Huntsclan fight, they are shown to be dangerous when only using their bare hands
 
I did some research on Juniper Lee, and I think Juniper Lee and Danny Phantom have simularies to Bleach.

In Juniper Lee normal humans can't see the magical creatures, similar to Bleach in normal humans can't see hollows or shinigami that are not in a gigai, only humans that have strong spirital awareness.

Danny Phantom and Bleach are similar because it deals with ghosts and spirits, and the hero regularly fights spirits.
 
I'm not sure if that's much of a connection. I believe that there are quite a few shows out there that state that normal humans can't see magical creatures and/or ghosts and the main character(s) fights off ghosts. Kekkaishi does the same thing, but I don't think it's similar to Juniper Lee or Danny Phantom. It does feel similar to Bleach, but it probably helps that they're both anime. Plus, the way they deal with the ghosts/monster in Juniper Lee and Danny Phantom is pretty different from Bleach.

Anyway, I actually do see some connections to Juniper Lee and American Dragon. Both main characters are of Asian background, they gain some kind of magical power/ability that they have to use to protect people and magical beings and they have some kind of love interest. Both series had talking dogs, but they were pretty different in terms of their personalities.

However, Rose was a much more developed character than Marcus and her relationship with Jake got much more focus, especially during season two. Marcus didn't really stand out to me. Plus, unlike Jake, Juniper had to hide her secret and could only confine in her little brother, who was more annoying to me if I recall correctly, her grandmother and her talking dog. Even though it wasn't really allowed, Jake was able to let his friends keep his secret, were able to help him out more often and gave him more support than just his mother, grandfather, little sister and Fu dog. Even though they were developed that much until season two, the Huntsman and the Huntsclan were pretty serious threats to the magical world, while Juniper mostly faced different monsters of the day and few reoccurring villains.

I don't really see a strong connection between these two series and Danny Phantom though. Danny Phantom did have two friends, and eventual his sister, to share his secret, but they had different personalities and roles than Trixie, Spud and Haley. Both Danny and Jake have a stereotypical jock/jerk/ego-centric bully to deal with. However, Dash was more of a constant and personal threat to Danny who got quite a bit of screentime over the series. However, Brad didn't appear as often and wasn't seen or treated as much of a threat to Jake by some point in season one. Other than that, I don't really see a lot of strong connections between Danny Phantom with Juniper Lee or Jake Long.
 
I kind of figure why comparisons with Danny and the other two occur is more because of its concept then character. All three shows came at least a good year or so apart from each other that employs the "normal teenager saves the world from whatever evil while trying to deal with their average lives." Comparison is inevitable - they share many of the same structures and tones that come from this kind of genre: The issues that deal with struggling to balance school life and their Rouge's Gallery, complicated love lives, stress over their secret identities with their loved ones who doesn't know, and so forth.
 
That makes sense. I forgot that Danny Phantom aired around the same time of American Dragon and possibly Juniper Lee. They do have that same concept that you mentioned, but since the characters' personalities were handled a bit differently in Danny Phantom, at least different from Jake and Juniper, and there have been other normal teenager saving the world while struggling to be an average kid kind of shows for years, I never saw a lot of comparisons between these three shows. Though, I do agree that they share the same kind of aspects from this genre, but so do other series of this genre.
 
But I wasn't referring to character personalities. I was referring to the concept behind the genre that Danny Phantom, The Life and Times of Juniper Lee, and Jake Long: American Dragon fits in. They each share some difference from each other to have their own identity, I agree, but all three (and other series - like you said - such as Batman Beyond, Generator Rex, Static Shock, etc.) are really cut off from the same mold.
 
I know that you were referring to the similar concept between these shows. I was just saying that because of the different personalities with the characters from Danny Phantom, I didn't really see a strong connection to the characters from Jake Long and Juniper Lee, aside from being in similar roles in their respective series and being in the same genre. I'm sorry if that wasn't too clear in my last post.
 
Ahh, I see what you mean. Yeah, it probably was the lack of clarification (or I read it wrong, ahaha). I'm not sure on Juniper Lee as I barely watched that show, but I agree on the difference: Danny was a much shyer, naive boy who character developed to a mature and confident guy. Jake already had the confidence or at least a boisterous drive since the beginning.
 
One difference that seperates Danny from the others is Danny is the first of his kind, half ghost hero that is. He is the second of his kind after Vlad but he went in another direction with his power. While Jake and Juniper from what I here is following in other's footsteps.

Also Danny has complete freedom as far as his hero life is concerned. He has no bosses to answer to. Jake has to answer to the Dragon Council.
 
Also Jake isn't afraid to go in headfirst... which ususally ends badly.

But in a quick summary:

Jake is fun-loving but impulsive.

Juniper is a tough fighter but is kind of angered easily.

Danny is thoughtful and intelligent but low on self-esteem.
 
The_Haley_and_Ray_Ray_kiss_v_2_by_srebak.jpg


In the spirit of the thread's theme, what do you think of this picture?
 
juniper lee was cartoon networks atempt at trying to complete with disneys american dragon jake long

all three were great shows. very well drawn and written
 
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