okay, I have a hot take that might get me on thin ice.
I like that many of our cool characters aren't reoccurring.
like, it's always felt a bit cheap in a lot of media, that despite a fictional world claiming that the world is so BIG and VAST, all the characters we run into are "important". It's like the skywalker effect in Star Wars - like, one family and one group of acquaintances don't run the show. It makes the work feel small. And don't get me wrong, there's great writing to be had w knowing all the network of important characters to a worlds lore! But in a show like Slugterra, which is decently long but isn't the length of one piece, everyone reoccurring feels hollow to me. I LIKE that Vance is probably important and doing things - or shows to not do anything idk - off screen. I like how we see other slingers only when it's convenient for them - they have lives outside the blakk battles. I like how there's not just 20 important people in Slugterra - there's ALOT of interesting people, and whenever we watch an episode, it's usually someone new showing up, expanding the lore w their prescence then going back to live the lives we headcanon over.
I'm showing a friend of mine the show, and she said something interesting around ep 8: "I never know what's gonna happen in this show." Like, TRUE! We know the gang will be involved, but otherwise, we're uncovering lore, and in that search and those fights, we could run into ANYONE. It's not my hero academia: oh it's the tournament arc, time to see this group of characters. It's not a sitcom - everyone is reoccurring and the wider world doesn't exist. It's a lore expansive universe.
of course we are going to see some acquaintances once or twice, then never again. It's like real life! Which just makes those we keep close that much more important and impactful. Like remember - friend or foe, there's only been 4 characters who CHOSE to not vanish from Eli's life once their buisness in that cavern or tournament was over. I like that. I like that feeling that there's a lot of cool people in the world, and you don't see most of them, but you see as many as you can - and some will even choose, amongst all the other races and battles and underground circuits, to stay by you.
I think we should have seen those characters more - but perhaps doing their own thing, or seeking the Shane out in particular, hence them being plot important. And I think, to not ruin the worldly effect, this would have to be done sparingly, over a long period of time. Slugterra doesn't have that, so...I'm okay, with the canon experience.
I kinda wish Dana was more included. A lot of cool characters just show up for a tiny amount of time and dip forever which is a shame. It’d be cool to see a side plot where she slowly unravels the secrets will refused to tell her dad by snooping on Eli or something
Dana
Twist
Mario
Vance
And like a bunch of other ppl I can't name rn
Are all individuals that should have been seen more.
Honestly yeah, getting to see Dana more would have been awesome, especially if she happened to run into the Gang while they were Secret hunting leading to fun shenanigans
Side plot regarding any of the side characters would have been amazing i wish they pulled a Storm Hawks, and by that I mean have an episode just decided to the Villains/side characters and what they get up too while the Heros are off doing who knows what.
But with such a large cast of characters, it's inevitable some get lost or underutilized, unfortunately.
Especially those who were created to just fill a serten role like Vance or Mario.
Not everyone can be a C.C. fitting whatever role the narrative demands.