Who are The Smurfs?

I have posted previously The Smurfs Happy Meal toys as it coincides with the showing of movie this month. It seems that some of my friends don't know who they are because the cartoon series was shown during the eighties. Good thing my father was abroad during that time and was able to record the cartoon series. Together with Woody Woodpecker and Super Friends, I was introduced to these cartoons through the betamax tapes my father brought when he got home. Later, the cartoon series was then shown by a local channel.

The Smurfs Adventures that ran from 1982-89 by Hanna-Barbera

I also found that it was not just popular with the kids during that time but with teenage girls. I can still remember my sisters' poster in our room that includes MacGyver, Phoebe Cates, and among the cartoon characters posters they have were The Smurfs.

But who exactly are The Smurfs? They are small creatures, three apples high, and lives in a cottage that resembles a mushroom. The prominent trait that they have is the blue skin and they wear a white trouser and a hat, well except for some like Papa Smurf who wears a red one. One remarkable character I can always remember is Vanity Smurf, although I don't exactly knew his name during that time. I thought that the character was gay since he had a female voice and always holds a mirror, it turns out that it was the way how vanity was shown over cartoons during that time.

I can also remember Gargamel and his cat Azrael as the main antagonist of the series who always uses his magic to make the Smurfs' live complicated but as always he ends up defeated through the efforts and unity of the Smurfs.

Another unique character on the cartoon series during that time was Smurfette. She was unique because she was the only female Smurf in the cartoon series that time and because of that, she was the center of attraction of the Smurfs community. I've learned that Katy Perry provided her voice in the upcoming movie adaptation. I'm not sure if this is one reason why I have seen a fan art of a sexy Smurfette over the internet lately.

The Smurfs the Movie will be released in cinemas by next week and I plan to watch it to relive the nostalgic experience I had during my childhood. I hope that there will be a new cartoon series to be shown like the one before so that the kids nowadays will know who they are.

Movie poster came from Internet Movie Data Base