Are You Ready for Some Megafootball?!
It’s clear that this current story arc has taken interesting directions with a common hometown hero like Enid placed among a school of more elite and revered heroes. However, this part of the arc shows that being in a new setting doesn’t change her true self. This is shown in the opening as she daydreams about her old life in Lakewood, portrayed as way more happy than normal. Clearly something isn’t right, and that can be a good reason for why she snaps out of it with a scream, or maybe she’s just homesick for her old life as Elodie suggests.
It isn’t long before the cartoon’s main plot unfolds when P.O.I.N.T. Prep hears of the upcoming pep rally consisting of an annual magafootball match. As a huge speech from Foxtail points out, they’re set on beating any sort of competition and won’t let anyone stand in their way showing pride in beating all other teams. The one team they haven’t beat yet is Lakewood which only Enid can support albeit in silence. She’s still desperate to prove she’s eligible for the school, so when one P.O.I.N.T. Prep teammate is injured, she volunteers to fill in.
Unfolding for the rest of the cartoon is a variety of experiences that convey the creative and exciting sports game atmosphere. Megafootball itself is modeled after regular football, but there are larger than average obstacles to overcome, making for a string of animated antics while getting to the goal. In addition to the creativity of the sport, there’s also a great sense of energy and fun as well as endearment for Enid when she finds who’s on the Lakewood team. Rad is in a similar position as her, filling in for an injured teammate, but the standout character is easily K.O. He doesn’t compete, but he’s very versatile and capable in the megafootball setting. He’s able to pull off being coach, cheerleader, announcer and more all at once. It’s a great exercise of character animation and is great fun on its own, especially with how K.O. announces everything.
There’s also an effective conflict at play as Enid clearly shows more appreciation for Rad than her school. She enjoys messing around with him way more than winning the game, so you can tell she knows who her true friends are. To make things complicated, Enid trying to balance her friends with the game keeps costing her team points. It’s here where P.O.I.N.T. Prep’s desire to win becomes very problematic when Foxtail threatens to fail the strength discipline and expel Enid if they lose. That’s enough to make them seem almost tyrannical and over something as frivolous as a sport.
Then comes another showing of P.O.I.N.T.’s shadiness when one of the home team players, Sparco, gets the same weird glow Elodie got in the last cartoon. He unleashes unbelievable power needed to win the game with literal infinite points, and some shots suggest that the school’s deans are responsible for this. Ultimately, P.O.I.N.T. Prep wins and Enid can continue enrolling, but to her it’s a hollow victory. She still shows more respect for her friends at home, and also has reason to believe that something strange is going on with the school.
As a result, the cartoon stands
as a fun take on a sport enhanced by the strengths of the characters and also
gives something big to look forward to in this current story arc.
A+
Season 2
Rankings
1. Your World is an Illusion
2. T.K.O.’s House
3. Dendy’s Power
4. Lord Cowboy Darrell
5. Bittersweet Rivals
6. Red Action to the Future
7. My Fair Carol
8. Are You Ready for Some Megafootball?!
9. Wisdom Strength and Charisma
10. Point to the Plaza
11. Special Delivery
12. Seasons Change
13. The So-Bad-Ical
14. Plaza Film Festival
15. Let’s Watch the Boxmore Show
16. Be a Team
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