Review: Perry the Platypus is breakout star in DVD collection

OK, I’ll just say it. I’m a Mantypus.

It would appear I may be coining that term, at least when referring to male fans of the Disney Channel’s “Phineas and Ferb” and, especially, the character of Perry the Platypus. Since I’m not a Brony.

As the breakout star of the show, Perry gets a dedicated DVD release this week called “The Perry Files.” It collects seven episodes of the show that show off his skills particularly well.

Yes, this platypus has skills. He’s the family’s placid pet, but when nobody’s looking, he dons a fedora and ducks into his secret lair, where he becomes Agent P, the to animal secret agent with the Organization Without a Cool Acronym, and fights Dr. Doofenshmirtz’s attempts to take over the tri-state area.

Each episode is broken into two shorts, so that’s 14 adventures (would have liked a few more). Since I didn’t discover the show right away, I’ve missed several episodes from the first season, and I was hoping to find some of those here.

They’re all more recent episodes that I’ve seen, but that doesn’t make them any less awesome. This is the Disney Channel’s best cartoon since “Kim Possible,” and it has one of the best senses of absurdity since “Animaniacs.”

Each episode is full of jokes and pop culture references for all age groups, and it’s near impossible to not get caught up in the kids’ wild adventures during summer vacation, whether it’s visiting the moon, traveling through time, creating giant robots or building roller-coasters through town.

Yes, the humans are the stars of the show. They’re Phineas and Ferb, stepbrothers with wild imaginations who manage to build amazing contraptions in their backyard every day. Their sister, Candace, is constantly trying to bust them with their clueless parents. P&F have a diverse cast of friends who join them in their exploits.

But this set is billed as a Perry set, so he gets the bulk of the attention. My favorites include “Escape from Phineas Tower”/”The Remains of the Platypus,” which sees a hysterical mix of costumed hijinks. There’s also “No More Bunny Business”/”Spa Day,” in which Perry must save the family from a rogue rabbit without blowing his cover.

There are also a couple wasted bonus features, an OWCA recruitment video and a look at the Platy-bus that’s touring the United States. And there are some Easter eggs in the main menu. I did appreciate the magnet and puzzle that are also included.

Perry is great, and, absent a full-season set (what is it Disney has against season sets?), fans may want to pick this up to add a dash of teal to their DVD collections.