Sunday, April 7, 2019

Bam Ui Pati! / Tough Love (Star vs the Forces of Evil Season 3 Episode 19) - 'Toon Reviews 27

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Bam Ui Pati!
 
Among the least pleasing elements of the series, especially in this season, Pony Head is one of the biggest contenders.  It seems like the more she appears, the more her worst qualities outshine any appeal she may have.  In most of her appearances, she’s inspired bad ideas, has been no help at all in serious situations, and has completely belittled her peers and dominated her family.  However, having recently lost her horn, the source of her flying power, to Meteora, she does go through believable motions following such a huge loss. 
Pony Head is in a state of depression, locking herself in her room surrounded by comfort food wanting nothing to do but watch a Korean soap opera.  Through it all, she retains much of her negative qualities by not paying for her food, shutting out all attempts to help her, and only caring about her show.  For once, this behavior actually feels appropriate since Pony Head went through such an ordeal.  A harsh display of selfishness from a usually selfish character is a logical first step to accept bad things that happen. 
Plus, with her soap opera being about a girl who refuses to sing again after her “body bone” gets cursed, it makes sense for Pony Head to be attached to it.  She always makes sure to watch it literally everywhere she goes.  Even when running away as some of her sisters and Star try to reason with her she has to bring the show with her.  Out of this comes an exciting chase into a storm where Pony Head rides in the back of a truck belonging to her seahorse ex-boyfriend with her laptop in tow.  It’s interesting to see action come from such a monotone driver at a crazed hitchhiker’s command. 
Even better action comes from those pursuing her with the sole intent for Pony Head to see sense.  Well, it’s really Star acting as the voice of reason.  Her sisters may seem like they want to help, but one line about how Pony Head being depressed gives them nothing to do implies they’re not over their disturbing ways.  Eventually, Pony Head really goes mad and drives the truck into the violent part of the storm, crashing it.  After the crash, she sees the end of her soap opera where the main character gets over her curse and sings again.  When Pony Head gets the power to get out of her funk and sounds more humble, that’s a sign that she’s grown from what she’s been through.  It’s like character development she desperately needs coming to be. 
Then, the ending shoots down any good all this has brought.  First of all, the claim that Pony Head can’t fly without her horn is completely ignored when she ends up flying fine without it.  Also, instead of moving on without the thing she lost, the seahorse botches that mature tone by providing a new artificial horn to replace Pony Head’s old one.  It’s like she never lost her old one at all, and it further shows as she returns to her usual belittling.  Talk about a waste of good development. 
I give credit to the interesting concept and a few enjoyable moments, but for how this episode shoots down so much good potential, it goes to show we can’t win with Pony Head.
D

Tough Love



As we enter the homestretch of Season 3, all of its best elements start coming together for a grand experience.  It gets started with this episode showcasing the destruction caused by Meteora ever since her true monstrous form was unlocked after viewing her past.  This is also a cause for Moon and Eclipsa to team up again, claiming to be the only ones who can possibly deal with her. 
Once again, it’s interesting to see how well they put aside their differences for a common cause and actually work well as a team.  Even so, they’re approaches to the situation are radically different.  Moon sees Meteora as just another monster who needs to be destroyed.  These views are shared by a vast majority of Mewmans they come across while on pursuit, all of which mad and frustrated over the destruction.  As for Eclipsa, since Meteora is her daughter, she’s concerned for her well-being like any mother would be.  These worries also give a believable reason for her light-hearted approach to life, in that it’s implied to be a cover for her worries.  It’s just another way to make Eclipsa such a great well-rounded character. 
Her worries really intensify when she and Moon discover the full extent of Meteora’s powers.  Not only has she been destroying villages and castles, but she’s been sucking the souls of anyone who comes across her.  The effect is marked by the victims getting black eyes and inflating, not unlike what was seen in the Season 2 finale.  It’s demonstrated at Boggabah where one of the residents idiotically approaches her in a forest, something bad happening off-screen, and later floating soullessly.  It’s truly dark staging for sure. 
Then when Meteora makes her full appearance as a gigantic demon-like monster, the episode gets really interesting with both Moon and Eclipsa’s approaches at play.  Eclipsa feels certain that she can reason with her daughter via the maternal instinct which sounds like it can go either way.  However, when she walks up to Meteora with a childhood toy, the approach seems like it has merit.  Just like how Meteora felt at peace when looking at things from her infant years earlier in the season, the same happens here as she stops her attack.  In fact, when seeing the toy gets her to recognize Eclipsa as her mother, she completely ceases her attack and is set up to catch up with her long lost family. 
Then things go south when Eclipsa promises Meteora anything she wants, and Meteora requests what belongs to them by right, the throne of Mewni.  In a moment that firmly and genuinely displays her true morality once and for all, Eclipsa says that the throne is not hers to give sending Meteora into a pout. 
However, when Moon is led to fiercely attack in her butterfly form, Meteora goes on a full on rampage again resulting in an awesome battle.  Eclipsa’s motherly love stalls things a bit, but it’s Moon’s will to fight that keeps things tense.  The love proves to be a downfall when Eclipsa uses her magic to hold Moon’s back as she’s about to kill Meteora.  The real kicker is that it opens Moon up to be shot down by Meteora resulting in half her soul corrupted and getting drawn to a strange portal.  Eclipsa’s distressed reaction to all this further proves her true loyalties and is a testament to her layers as a character. 
This leaves this episode as a great display of characterization along with intense action and strong anticipation for what’s to come at this season’s end.
A+

The Ranking

1.      Butterfly Trap

2.      Total Eclipsa the Moon

3.      Moon the Undaunted

4.      Tough Love

5.      Deep Dive

6.      Stranger Danger

7.      Sweet Dreams

8.      Skooled!

9.      Return to Mewni

10.  Rest in Pudding

11.  Night Life

12.  Demoncism

13.  Toffee

14.  Monster Bash

15.  Is Another Mystery

16.  Marco Jr.

17.  Club Snubbed

18.  Puddle Defender

19.  Sophomore Slump

20.  Starfari

21.  Lint Catcher

22.  Princess Turdina

23.  Ludo, Where Art Thou?

24.  Scent of a Hoodie

25.  King Ludo

26.  Marco and the King

27.  Death Peck

28.  Book Be Gone

29.  Booth Buddies

30.  The Bogbeast of Boggabah

31.  Stump Day

32.  Trial by Squire

33.  Lava Lake Beach

34.  Holiday Spellcial

35.  Bam Ui Pati!

36.  Ponymonium

 
The next Star vs the Forces of Evil review is the first part of the major aftermath with Star trying her hand as acting queen, reveals of what happened to Moon, and Marco and his comrades getting together to put up a fight.
Next time on MC Toon Review is "Helga's Masquarade" and "Mr. Green Runs" from Hey Arnold.
If you would like to check out other Star vs the Forces of Evil reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.

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