Max and Ruby

Max and Ruby, Ruby and Max!

Max and Ruby is a Canadian children's cartoon, which has aired on Nick Jr. from its 2002 debut to the present day. Production of new epiosdes stopped for a while around 2007, but the continued popularity of the series led to revived production of new episodes, with five official seasons of the program to date and a revived merchandise line. It is based on a series of children's books by the same name by Rosemary Wells (who also helms the TV show).

Max and Ruby are a pair of young sibling rabbits who live in a fairly normal suburb. Their parents are seemingly nonexistent, so it usually falls to older Ruby to look after the younger Max. Young Max, however, is a rambunctious troublemaker with a hugely one-track mind--such to the point that in every episode, his dialogue typically consists of only one word, repeated with a variety of different inflections. In over her head, the somewhat controlling Ruby often tries to bend him to her will. And typically fails. Sometimes, she even goes so far as to drag Max into her Zany Scheme of the day. It typically works out all right in the end, however, and Max's meddling desire to get what he wants is often strangely beneficial to Ruby's scheming.

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Max and Ruby contains examples of:

• Annoying Younger Sibling: Max makes this his bread and butter. Of course, he considers Ruby to be an annoying older sibling in kind.
• Barefoot Cartoon Animals
• Competence Zone: Strangely, only the Bunny Scouts seem to be fully within it! Grandma is allowed a few, though.
• Control Freak: Ruby has shades of this, as she is sometimes downright obsessed with making Max do things her way.
• Convenience Store Gift Shopping: In one episode, Ruby wants to buy Grandma Bunny a birthday present, and tries to talk Max out of buying her something he would want--like candy vampire fangs. However, it's subverted when we find out that Grandma has a sense of humor and likes candy vampire fangs as well as thoughtfully chosen presents.
• Death Glare: Max often gives Ruby one when she tries to boss him around.
• Deadpan Snarker: Sometimes Max has those moments in the times where he does talk.
• Designated Monkey: Ruby likes to screw Max over.
• Disappearing Box: With Max as the volunteer and Ruby as the magician.
• Funny Animal: Max, Ruby, and all of the other rabbits.
• Hiccup Hijinks: Happens to Ruby in one episode. After spending the entire time trying her friends' cures while simoultaneously fending off Max's attempts to get her to help him find his monster mask... guess what happens when Max finally finds it?
• Invisible Parents: If Max and Ruby have any, they go largely unseen. However, their grandmother is a recurring character. Lampshaded in a song titled "Where Are The Parents?" featured in a Max & Ruby stage show. Yes, this song is a big Parental Bonus.
  • It appears as though they have parents as family photos in the backdrop reveal this. However they are never present. (According to the song, "They're on the sundeck just to relax / Not too far from Ruby and Max.")
• I Taste Delicious: Happens in one episode, where Max decides that his guacamole facial mask is tastier than being pretty.
• Just a Kid: Max. He's about four and constantly outwits or outmaneuvers his sister and others; the impression given is that he's often far more clever than he acts.
• Max Trope
• Name and Name
• Name's the Same: The Max here is not the same as the OTHER white rabbit named Max
• Not Now, Kiddo: Max gets this from Ruby quite often.
• Pokémon-Speak: He doesn't simply say his name, but the way Max talks (often saying nothing but a single word throughout an episode, with multiple inflections to reflect his emotions) is very reminiscent of this.
• Raised by Grandparents: While never stated, Grandma Bunny does seem to be the only visible adult authority figure in Max and Ruby's lives.
• Rascally Rabbit: Max is an innocent example. He's a scheming tot who regularly gets into mischief, much to his sister's dismay.
• Scout Out: Ruby and her friends are members of the Bunny Scouts. Yes, they have Merit Badges for Everything.
• Sibling Rivalry: Word of God is that the show is supposed to be about the universal nature of sibling relationships, good and bad. While Max and Ruby are often at odds, they generally pull through each other in the end.
• Sibling Yin-Yang: Ruby being the smarter, if more controlling, one; Max is the wildfire.
• A Simple Plan: Leave it to Max to muck it up. Especially if he's the target of it!
• Silent Snarker: Max, Natch, usually toward Ruby depending on the moment.
• Sliding Scale of Animal Communication: Level 1 - only rabbits can talk.
• Theme Tune Cameo: The theme song often turns up on the in-show radios and speakers.
• Zany Scheme: Ruby has plenty of them, from making fruit-based beauty products to making haunted houses.