The Life and Times of Juniper Lee
The Life & Times of Juniper Lee is an American animated television series created by former MTV reality star Judd Winick for Cartoon Network and produced by Cartoon Network Studios. It premiered May 30, 2005, on Cartoon Network and ended its run on May 14, 2007.
Premise
The series centers on the life of a preteen girl named Juniper Lee, who lives in Orchid Bay City. Based on Winick's adopted hometown of San Francisco, the city is a hub for magical activity and is filled with various monsters and demons, both good and evil. The magic and human worlds have been separated by an invisible, mystical shield known as "the Veil," which prevents ordinary humans from seeing any magic-related events or the creatures related to them. Juniper has recently been made the new Te Xuan Ze, the protector of the balance between the human and magical worlds.To accomplish her task, Juniper has been magically enhanced, making her far stronger and faster than ordinary humans; her abilities include superhuman strength, speed, agility, and reflexes. She can also use several different types of spells to assist her. Maintaining the balance often interferes with her personal life, including her schoolwork and social life, but she always manages to keep everything in order.
Production
The Life and Times of Juniper Lee was first announced during Cartoon Network's upfront presentation on February 26, 2004, which cited an initial premiere date of February 2005. In May 2005, Cartoon Network rescheduled the premiere date to May 30, 2005, and announced that 26 episodes had been produced or were in production. Animation Magazine announced that the series' second season would premiere on January 14, 2006.Inspiration
Series creator Judd Winick was having dinner with his wife, a fellow cast member from The Real World: San Francisco, when they discussed the idea of "a TV show that was exactly what we wanted to see on the air." Winick and his wife "got drunk and ate burgers and in two hours came up with the idea for a show that centered on an 11-year-old Asian American girl who has to protect humanity from the monsters that others can't see around them."Winick has stated that Juniper Lee was inspired by both The Simpsons and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Winick stated, "At the end of the day, it's about a little girl who fights monsters. There's a rather massive backstory to the whole thing, which really provides a spine to build from. I've only tapped into it a little in the show, but for me, knowing it's there is important."
Characters
Main
- Juniper "June" Kim Lee is the protagonist of the series. Juniper is a feisty 11-year-old Chinese-American girl who lives in Orchid Bay City and is the current Te Xuan Ze. Juniper is relatively uneducated in the world of magic, mostly relying on her superhuman strength, the advice of her grandmother Ah-Mah, and her enchanted dog Monroe to defeat her foes. She has long black hair, in which a white streak appears once she inherits the powers of the Te Xuan Ze; she later dyes the streak reddish-pink. The juniper flower symbolizes protection, referring to Juniper's role as the Te Xuan Ze, protecting others.
- Jasmine Lee – Jasmine Lee or "Ah-Mah" as Juniper calls her, is Juniper's grandmother, and the previous Te Xuan Ze. Calm and deliberate in most respects but crude and tough when she needs to be, the 69-year-old assists June when she is in serious trouble. In the episode "Monster Con", Ah-Mah is shown to still possess a degree of magically enhanced speed and strength, though her stamina and durability are severely diminished to the point of being unable to stand unassisted after two to three minutes of combat.
- Ray Ray Lee is Juniper's hyperactive, dim-witted 8-year-old little brother. Like Juniper, Ray Ray can see through the magic barrier, though this is not a naturally occurring ability. When Juniper first gained her powers, a group of demons attempted to drain her powers. Ray Ray unwittingly intervened, causing some of her powers to transfer to him. He is hyperactive and careless, and often gets himself into trouble when dealing with the magic world. He also has a sibling rivalry relationship with Juniper, although it is often seen that he cares for her deeply. In the episodes after "O Brother, What Art Thou?", Ray Ray is a homunculus, his mind having been transferred to an artificial body after he accidentally mutated his original body into a dinosaur-like creature.
- Monroe Connery Boyd Carlyle McGregor Scott V is an enchanted pug of Scottish origin. He is quite educated in the world of magic, having been alive for several centuries and assisting each Te Xuan Ze. Monroe has been magically enhanced, allowing him to be understood by those who can see through the magic barrier.
- Dennis Lee is Juniper's grumpy, cynical 15-year-old elder brother who does not take June or Ray Ray seriously and usually calls them names. He loves manga and video games, and does not like anyone touching his stuff. In "Sealed With a Fist", Dennis learns that his sister is the current Te Xuan Ze and has grown to trust June after they work together with Boomfist and H.A.T.E. to defeat L.O.V.E.. After that, he starts helping Juniper and Ray Ray on occasion.
- Jody Irwin is Juniper's best friend and usually the happiest of the group. She tries her best to cheer the group, even in the most ridiculous of ways.
- Ophelia Ramírez is one of Juniper's friends. She is a grumpy, cynical Latina goth emo girl with pinkish-purple colored hair. She doesn't like a lot of things and especially hates Roger. When she is in charge, she wants everything done perfectly.
- Roger Radcliffe is one of Juniper's friends and the school's class clown, he has unpredictable tendencies and he constantly asks Ophelia to go on a date, which she refuses. He has been known to imitate famous people or songs in the most crude and ridiculous of ways. His family is eventually revealed to be wealthy, but he has never even come close to becoming spoiled, due to his cheerful personality.
Supporting
- Marcus Conner – Along with being handsome and popular, Marcus Conner is a cool African-American boy. Juniper has a big crush on him, although she will not admit it. Despite being part of the in-crowd, Marcus is friends with everyone and often looks out for Juniper. He never gets caught up in his popularity and is always laid-back.
- Michael and Barbara Lee – Michael Lee and his wife, Barbara are the parents of Juniper, Ray Ray and Dennis. Michael is Jasmine's only child and was supposed to wind up being the Te Xuan Ze after her, but the trait skipped him and ended up with Juniper instead. Michael works with Mr. Radcliffe, though his occupation is unknown. His wife, Barbara, is a kind and caring mother but neither will tolerate academic problems. Unlike their daughter, neither Michael nor Barbara can see magic or enchanted beings. Michael and Barbara love their children, but will discipline them occasionally.
- Ms. Jill Gomez is a Mexican-American teacher at Juniper's school.
- William is Monroe's father, who previously served as the assistant to the Te Xuan Ze and constantly teases Monroe about his weight. He seems more proud of his Scottish ancestry than Monroe, as he is seen wearing a kilt and tam o'shanter.
- Melissa O'Malley is Juniper's Irish-American school diva rival who is jealous of June because she has a boyfriend and she doesn't which is why she plans on breaking June and Marcus apart so that she can steal Marcus from June. She is accompanied by two unnamed girls who help her with her plans against June and her friends.
- Cletus and Gus are two recurring monsters, and friends of Juniper and Ray Ray.
- Lila is a Sasquatch. She is significantly more intelligent than other Sasquatch while also having the same strength levels as them. Ray Ray is seen to have a crush on her. Monroe uses an Exfoliax Charm to remove most of her excess hair so that she could pass for human. She then enrolls at Juniper's school to learn more about humans.
Episodes