As someone who’s not into politics, I
tend to be most drawn to the subject when cartoons pull a unique spin. It breathes a lot of life and spirit into
what is otherwise a dull subject where people’s views on issues make for ugly
opinion clashes. In this cartoon, the
political topic is elections and the lengths people are willing to go to be
voted by the people for the people.
Keeping with the series’ atmosphere, there are a lot of great satires on
these subjects, but on the other hand, the story can get pretty frustrating
through certain directions.
The cause
for election is brought to light through the role of the O-Town dogcatcher with
corrupt practices of the catching process, and poor conditions of the pound. It really becomes personal when Spunky, who
innocently goes about life unlike the other stray dogs, gets caught and thrown
in such a poorly built pound. As if
that’s not enough, when Rocko sets out to save him, he’s thrown in too because
the management is too ignorant to figure out what a wallaby is. You can really feel the unfairness of the
conditions, especially from the suffering the major players endure.
However, that makes Rocko’s pledge to do
something about the dog catching in the town.
He at first sets out to write a letter complaint, but then something
bigger comes along. The old dogcatcher
has retired, leaving the position open, thus there’s a need for an
election. Rocko is of course willing to
run, but then word gets to Ed Bighead, and conflict arises from there. No doubt based on all the times Rocko’s dog
has been in his yard, Ed trusts that if Rocko’s dogcatcher, it’ll be a
nightmare for homeowners with dogs getting so many rights. For that, Ed decides to run for dogcatcher as
well for the sole purpose of beating his neighbor opponent.
Normally, his jerk attitude would always be
Ed’s undoing against Rocko’s good nature.
This time, his attempts at one-upping Rocko are seen as an actual threat
thanks in large part to the campaign he’s able to get. Local town entrepreneurs, the Chameleon
Brothers, give Ed a simple analysis on his demeanor and political
potential. All it takes is a couple of
outrageous rumor smears on Rocko and giving Ed literal shoulders to have him
instantly win over the people. Yes, this
shady campaign strategy yields actual results for Ed and makes him a legit
threat for Rocko’s cause. This continues
on for much of the cartoon where no matter what Rocko and his campaign do, Ed
somehow has the popular vote. I can see
relatability here, especially with how a certain scummy US president got into
power, but all of this gets really frustrating.
The fact that Ed’s shoulders and people believing Rocko is bad because a
campaign said so make the populace very fickle and simple-minded. If they had any sense they’d know that Ed is
still a jerk and Rocko is far from bad.
It also brings the impression that no one thinks logically, and that’s
hardly ever pleasing. Not to mention,
despite being in good humor, all the scenes of Rocko’s failed attempts to get
votes elicit too much sympathy for the laughs to work. It just isn’t right that the jerk who’s
usually punished comes out on top so often.
Things work out in the end, where even though Ed wins, there’s an
act to give the pound dogs better treatment and all Ed does as dogcatcher is
clean up after them. That’s a clever way
of showing officials don’t have all the power, but it also feels too little too
late. It’s also not clear if Rocko’s
reputation marred by the campaign is restored.
Technically, this cartoon can work as a good political satire, but at
least to me, the story directions hold back the humor element.
C-
Teed Off
This cartoon is a pleasing scenario
where creative premises and character pairings come together for something
really interesting. The backdrop it’s
all set against can even be seen as a favorite for many when it comes to
pastimes.
It starts with Ed hearing of a
new position at work which may or may not make things up on the fly. He says his usual position is to check all
the bottle caps, but now he has an opportunity to get a promotion where rather
than checking the caps, he gets to put them on.
His excitement over such a thing must be reflective of how dull and
simple office work is. Yet I can’t help
but feel this is far off from the kind of work he’s done at Conglom-O before,
standard computer work. No matter what,
the scenario all of this leads to is still an interesting way for Ed to get to
what qualifies as a promotion around here.
He has to challenge his boss in a game of golf, and lose on purpose to
give his authority figure all the glory.
There’s got to be some implication of corrupt power systems, but in any
case, Ed doesn’t care so long as he gets to put on those bottle caps
apparently.
Then comes the twist to the
story where Heffer is among the groundskeepers setting up the golf
course. You have to wonder how he
suddenly got the job, but it isn’t long before you can just roll with it as
part of some oddball attempt for this dumb steer to work whatever he can
get. As it turns out, he’s way out of
line with the system, constantly slacking off and unaware that the other
groundskeepers are in on the scheme to always let Ed’s boss win at golf. They’re even led by someone with major Darth
Vader vibes. During the game, Ed’s boss
always makes a perfect shot while all of Ed’s are struck by the common cartoon
prop of giant pianos. This way, it’s
guaranteed that Ed will lose the game, and again, that’s just what he
wants.
Then Heffer’s innocence on the
matter comes in when he sees what the groundskeepers are doing. Unaware of the plan for Ed’s boss, he views
his findings as a typical unfair advantage and goes on to help Ed by making it
seem like he made the winning shot at each hole.
True, his actions are holding Ed back from his goal, but you can’t be
too hard on Heffer since it comes from a sincere place of wanting to help
Ed. All the while, all of Ed’s wins make
his accomplices all shaken up that the system being messed with, so they really
amp up their pianos while Heffer keeps doing his thing.
It all builds up to a climax where Ed is
advised to shoot his ball away from the hole, straight into a water
hazard. Once it lands, there’s an
exciting sequence where Heffer retrieves the ball, and uses his tractor mower
to fly like an airplane to place the ball in the hole. The groundskeepers try to stop him like it’s
a war, but Heffer is just unbeatable. To
cap it off, he loses control of his tractor plane and everyone around
highlights the moment with dramatic screaming before the crash. Surely, how is that for a spectacle that
highlights what Heffer feels is a well-deserved win for Ed? Of course, it costs him the promotion he
wanted, even including a scene where it looks like he’ll get it anyway only for
that to not be so, but honestly there are worse losses.
The whole cartoon is overall an interesting
subject combining favorite pastimes, workplace atmospheres, and varying
personalities that approach things in their own ways.
A
The Ranking
1.From Here to Maternity
2.Teed Off
3.Sailing the 7 Zzzz’s
4.Pranksters
5.Ed Good, Rocko Bad
6.With Friends Like These
Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode where Rocko trains to stand up to a bully, and the gang experiences fairy tale parodies.
If you would like to check out otherRocko's Modern Lifereviews on this blog, clickherefor the guide made especially for them.
April Fool’s Day is hardly a holiday I
feel is worth giving a lot of attention.
Without any merit to its customs of pranking and many sane people being
considerate enough to not go too far, it’s practically baseless in its existence. To me, the only places worth making something
out of April Fool’s Day are shows that are highly comedic and prank-based by
design. As many can probably guess by
now, this show is one of the most ideal places to do it, and it really delivers
the laughs.
This April Fool’s Day, Rocko
and Heffer enjoy it immensely, having fun with pranks while going about their
day, and also making sure they don’t take things too far. All throughout, there’s good chemistry
between these friends that seemed lacking in the season premiere. In fact, their pranks don’t seem harmful at
all, and it feels somewhat unnecessary for Rocko to warn Heffer of going too
far. Then more of a plot takes shape
when just as Rocko arrives at his job, he hears that his grandma is coming for
a visit this afternoon. He tries to get
someone to pick her up for him, but everyone takes his requests as a joke, and
it happens so much, you question why he doesn’t say the opposite of what he
means. The only option left is Heffer,
and Rocko reluctantly lets him pick up his grandma while fearing he’s still in
too much of a silly mood to take the task seriously. He certainly has a point on Heffer’s mood, but
he still hasn’t done anything too drastic.
Anyway, the cartoon then goes into an amusing direction as Heffer picks
up Rocko’s grandma. She seems like a
standard old woman, being a short elder version of Rocko, and she never stops
talking about whatever random thing is on her mind. Nevertheless, these familiar character traits
are given a hilarious execution from the ongoing rambles from what’s
essentially Rocko’s voice as an old woman.
There’s even good enjoyment out of insisting that Heffer is actually
Rocko. In fact, the humor of this setup
is so strong, it makes up for what feels like Heffer getting disproportionate
comeuppance for his prankish attitude.
His frustrations with putting up with Rocko’s grandma is all too
understandable because of this.
Then another
big turn is taken when Heffer gets the feeling that this grandma is actually
Rocko in disguise trying to prank him.
He then sets out to get Rocko back with an elaborate prank of his own
involving a big rocket to drag him in all directions when fired. Before it’s carried out, the real Rocko
arrives and his grandma comes in to confuse him for Heffer, who’s now left in a
world of guilt. He tearfully takes
Rocko’s apparently real grandmother’s spot for the prank which is again
disproportionate to what he deserves, but also immensely fun. The prank goes off, and it’s just a blast to
watch how far the rocket drags Heffer from all corners or Rocko’s house, to
space, to through the Earth’s crust.
Also, considering the creative director at this point, I wouldn't be surprised if this was
a huge inspiration for the huge prank in SpongeBob’s
April Fool’s cartoon.
After that
excitement, it turns out Heffer was right all along, albeit the grandma was
actually Filburt in response to a prank he got at the start of this
cartoon. Just as he majorly overreacted
there, he does so here as he revels in his victory over his pranksters. It’s still debatable if it’s ok that he went
too far when Heffer never really did despite getting the warning, but it
doesn’t dispel the fun of the overall experience. In fact, it shows that if done on the right
kinds of shows, there really is a place for April Fool’s stories.
A-
From Here to Maternity
In its run, one of the things this
show has often had a strong handle on was putting a comic spin on hot
topics. This cartoon is one to fit that
criteria greatly, and is a clear example of topics that kids would certainly
not have a strong understanding of, which is certainly remarkable for
Nickelodeon.
What’s more, it connects to
one of the biggest events of the series, the marriage of Filburt and Dr. Hutchison. While most cartoons are
self-contained and don’t carry over throughout the series, this occurrence is
treated as a major life change for both characters. This cartoon features what is probably the
biggest outcome of the marriage, having kids and nurturing them. In keeping with the cartoonish aesthetic, the
birth of Filburt and Dr. Hutchison’s child has a few cleverly creative
touches. Filburt, Rocko, and Heffer rush
to the hospital to meet with Dr. Hutchison as she gives birth like expectant
parents typically would at labor while trying to beat a stork. You’d think the stork is just another driver,
but given their mythos, the stork getting to Dr. Hutchison is to be interpreted
as her giving birth. She apparently does
so by getting an egg that needs to be hatched, and since she’s tied up with
work at the hospital she got the egg at, Filburt has to hatch it.
Rather than the usual cartoonish setup of the
father not wanting to hatch eggs like the mother usually does, Filburt is
hesitant because he doesn’t have the right rump to sit on the egg. To be fair, he has a point as his behind
clearly isn’t designed to properly cover such a delicate ellipse, unlike
Heffer’s which is much bigger and softer.
This in turn turns out to be a good way to get Rocko and Heffer involved
in Filburt’s responsibility with Heffer sitting on the egg while the three shop
for baby supplies. There are a few gags
and one-liners when checking out cribs, Filburt and Heffer have heated
arguments over whether the kid will be a boy or girl, and even a Barney
knockoff. In fact, the latter occurrence
brings an interesting atmosphere where who seems innocent and kid friendly is
actually very shady as the guy in the purple bison suit steals Rocko’s
wallet.
Shadiness continues in a
convenient parenting class the group decides to attend to better nurture the
egg. There are quite a few parents
there, mostly birds, learning proper exercises from bunny instructors. The moment they tell the parents to close
their eyes, you suspect something’s up, and Rocko, who doesn’t keep his eyes
closed uncovers it. To have the episode
tie into another spring holiday, it’s all a scam for the bunnies to steal the
eggs, and paint and sell them as Easter eggs.
If this is a parallel to what could happen to real life newborns, I’d
say this cartoon is pretty bold. Rocko
calls the bunnies out and stops them, but because his wallaby ears look like
rabbit ears and his stolen wallet, he and his friends end up arrested.
Then, all these antics get their endearingly
amusing payoff just as Dr. Hutchison comes to bail everyone out. The egg hatches revealing her and Filburt’s
children who happen to be turtles and a cat already resembling their parents.
It even extends to those beyond the family with one kid being a steer like
Heffer, the hatcher, and constantly insists that Rocko is his father. Along with Filbut and Dr. Hutchison’s
relatable reactions to the birth, this last scene is a humorous kind of
wholesome.
In fact, with its comedic
approaches to complex adult life topics, it’s an entry for this season that
quintessentially defines the appeal of this series.
A+
The Ranking
1.From Here to Maternity
2.Sailing the 7 Zzzz’s
3.Pranksters
4.With Friends Like These
Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode where Ed Bighead gets the advantage on Rocko in politics, and is on the verge of getting a promotion which Heffer unknowingly thwarts.
If you would like to check out otherRocko's Modern Lifereviews on this blog, clickherefor the guide made especially for them.
We’ve
been covering a lot of material from present day as well as the not-so-distant
past with review material. Now, we’re
going back to the 90s for one last look at one of the few Nickelodeon shows
that I believe hold up very well:
Rocko’s Modern Life (Season 4)
Basic Premise
Going
into this new set of reviews, I think it’s best to state my current stance on
Nickelodeon. If you recall my final
thoughts on Season 3 of The Loud House,at
that point I lost a lot of interest I used to have for that show. That was mainly because almost every element
seemed to appeal well to kids, but with overly simplistic characters, humor,
stories, morals, etc., it kind of fell flat for any older age. For that, even though one other Loud House season is now complete and
another is currently airing, I’m at the point where I can’t bring myself to
review any more of it. In addition, I’ve
come to realize that this is pretty much the norm for Nickelodeon shows as a
whole throughout its tenure. Unlike
other animation companies I cover material from like Disney, Warner Bros,
Cartoon Network, and Netflix, Nickelodeon’s output only seems focused on
appealing to kids. Now kids are a part
of the audiences of everything I’ve covered, don’t get me wrong, but shows from
those other networks feel smarter, fresher, and more creative. As a result, they don’t just easily appeal to
kids, but really to all ages. In
Nickelodeon’s case, I’ve grown to see that more often than not, they don’t seem
to transcend demographics very well. Their
shows either start strong but overly basic comedy and stories in later
seasons cause them to lose steam, or from an adult perspective, were just dumb
and dull from the get-go. Basically, old
or new, unlike the general output of the other animation firms I mentioned,
that of Nickelodeon really doesn’t have much to satisfy my tastes in
entertainment nowadays. Yet, there are
still a couple exceptions to this rule, and it’s highly remarkable how well
they hold up. I already completely covered one exception, now here's a review set for the last batch of episodes of another exception.
As
a bonus, this set will also include a look at the series’ revival
Netflix special, Static Cling which
Murray would fully headline. This series
having a concept so universal and relatable, I for one think that rather than
just catering to the nostalgia crowd, such a revival is a great idea in
theory. Under the right circumstances,
it can go on forever, especially if with the original creator.
So
with all this background in place, it’s now time to get going with the final
stretch of what is, in my opinion, one of the most enduring shows in
Nickelodeon’s history. As usual though,
it’s important to remember that review day can be a very dangerous day.
Now on with the reviews:
With Friends Like These
So to kick off the season, we have the
familiar setup where someone has something that all their friends want, and
must choose who gets it and who gets left out.
At least in my experience, these types of stories hardly ever come off
as pleasing. The biggest drawback is the stories making the candidates the
featured protagonist has to choose overly competitive and thoroughly
unlikable. Sadly, this cartoon is no
different, even with its fair attempts at making it work on a comedic
level.
Things do start out well however,
as Heffer and Filburt crazily set out to win tickets for an upcoming wrestling
match. The madcap energy of trying to
answer several phones at once to be the right numbered call feels at home in
the series. For all their attempts,
they’re unable to answer at the right time, and as a bigger twist, the big
winner turns out to be Rocko. This
should be considered a major achievement considering Rocko’s status as the
straight man bearing the brunt of the burdens of the eccentric world around
him. Winning something has got to mean a
lot to him, especially for something he genuinely enjoys like wrestling.
Then reality hits where even when something
good happens to Rocko, he’s reminded that life is never truly easy. Because he won two tickets, Heffer and
Filburt spend the cartoon bribing Rocko with favors so that they can go to the
match with him. Admittedly, the way they
come to this setup is staged humorously and cleverly. After Rocko wins, Heffer and Filburt prepare
to part ways. They claim to be ok with
things, but the long pauses give away that they want to rush over to Rocko to
convince him to take one of them with him.
You’re just waiting for one of them to take off after Rocko, and when
Heffer does that and ends up finding Filburt already there, it’s quite an
adrenaline rush.
From there though, the
conventions that come with these types of stories become realized, and it’s not
pretty. Heffer and Filburt try to one-up
each other with various favors to butter Rocko up for their own personal
gain. I’d love to enjoy the comic timing
of their banter and over the top performances, but the context dries up the
enjoyment. Not only are these focal
characters selfishly unlikable, but they aren’t subtle about their motives in
the slightest. Plus, they resort to
disturbing actions like Filburt blowing up a movie theater. Rocko is quick to
know what they’re up to, and with a backbone, calls Heffer and Filburt
out. Actually, he does it several times
to the point of deciding to go alone.
I know Rocko’s a bad luck
character by nature, but there’s usually good heart to balance things out. This cartoon has none of that with all
misfortune coming from his friends being total jerks to fit an unpleasing story
structure. Some moments add some solid
entertainment, but it’s a sorry sight that we start the season like this.
D
Sailing the 7 Zzzz’s
The official start of the season may
have been a flop, but its companion brings much better results. This is a work that features many of the best
qualities of the series and examples of how it does a lot for the potential of
animation’s possibilities. A lot of it
comes down to the general premise which is very out-of-the-norm, yet executed
in a generally pleasing manner. In a
way, it also puts an effective funny spin on the heavy subject of traumatic
memories. Maybe traumatic is over-dramatic,
but not to the featured character, Ed Bighead.
During a night at an opera about a pirate, the performance triggers a
buried memory from when he was six, was in a school play about a pirate, and
choked from major stage fright. Making a
scene while watching the play in the present is not unlike what would
happen if people involved in bad accidents or battles would see little
reminders of them. This is only the
beginning of reliving the memory though.
After coming home from the play and going to bed, Ed becomes completely
warped in his pirate role. In addition
to dreaming of being a pirate, he acts like he really is one while
sleepwalking.
If that’s not enough, just
as Ed is usually bothered by him, Rocko has to endure his neighbor’s antics and
is very annoyed by them. His reaction to
what goes on is clearly more justified than Ed’s ever were as Ed acting like a
pirate wakes him up at 3:00 AM, and never lets up. Plus, it only gets worse every time. The first time, Ed is just loud and keeps
Rocko awake. Then, Ed gets so into his
dream, right down to there being full pirate scenes depicting what’s going on
his mind, that he captures Rocko and treats him like an enemy pirate holding a
map. To showcase the stakes of this
behavior, he uses a plunger for a sword, treats Rocko’s house like a ship, and
forces him to walk a plank.
The issue
escalating, Rocko soon becomes desperate to stop Ed’s shenanigans. Heffer and Filburt, reveling in the humor of
the scenario as usual, suggest stopping Ed by just giving him the map he
wants. That’s smart thinking given how
into his dreams Ed has gotten, so this is instantly a step up from the previous
cartoon. That said, the freeloading side
of their characters still overshadows the heart somewhat. Coming over to watch the humor of Ed Bighead
as a pirate is fine, but then when Ed starts aggressively attacking, Heffer and
Filburt get roped into his warped fantasy.
It gets especially bad for Rocko when they get into character so much
that they aid Ed in attacking.
Still,
the sequence is plenty exciting as Ed captures Spunky and fires objects at
Rocko’s house with a cannon that’s actually a washing machine. Rocko’s house even gets in on the façade as
it appears to sink like a ship. For a
grand finish, Rocko pulls off the ultimate action move, swinging to Ed’s house
like a pirate would from ship to ship, to surrender the map and be done with it
all. The map turns out to be the perfect
fix as Ed immediately follows it, and even uncovers a treasure; a squeaky
monkey toy Spunky was using throughout the cartoon. So Ed finally gets closure for his
embarrassing childhood experience, while Rocko settles the issue and is roped
into another as his friends bring him on a dream submarine voyage.
Where this cartoon shines is how it
successfully mines great entertainment out of an outlandish setup, and in spite
of a few character moments, it works almost like a dream.
A
The Ranking
1.Sailing the 7 Zzzz’s
2.With Friends Like These
Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode where Rocko and Heffer get up to quite an April Fool's Day, and the group has to look after an egg holding Filburt and Dr. Hutchison's babies.
If you would like to check out otherRocko's Modern Lifereviews on this blog, clickherefor the guide made especially for them.
Some people may look at a show’s mostly episodic content and
not think much of it, and believe such works are out of place when things
decide to get heavier. For this show,
anything lighter and seemingly innocent is what makes this Season 1 finale so
impactful. It takes its cast to real
high-stake situations, allows many key players to grow when overcoming them,
and doesn’t pull any punches with the emotional aspect. None of these elements would be effective
without getting to know the cast so well.
As an extra touch, everything is driven by development of a topic that’s
given welcome exploration, Anne’s relationship with her friends, specifically
Sasha.
From the moment it was shown that Anne coming to this frog
world was because of her friends pressuring her into crime, it was clear her
ties with them were quite unhealthy.
When it comes to Sasha, given that this season has a cartoon showcasing
her nature of getting around in life, it’s established that she’s a major
source of toxicity. At the same time,
the fact that there were also glimpses of genuinely caring for Anne has made
Sasha’s portrayal more complex than one may think.
This is made even a clearer in a flashback
that kicks the finale off, showcasing what happened before the events of the
series. It also shows a lot about Anne’s
background. A scene of another girl
bullying her and stealing her food gives strong suggestions that Anne did not
have the best social life back home. Her
two friends seemed to apparently be the sole figures she could turn
to. Regarding Sasha, she appears to have
been a loyal caring friend on a surface level.
She told the bully to leave Anne alone, and gave Anne a good chance to
really live it up by going around town and making the most of the day. It’s the latter gesture though that starts
raising points of concern. In allowing
Anne a day of great fun, Sasha encouraged really disobedient actions involving
playing hooky from school. Then, it
turned out that even her friend wasn’t spared of her ultimate power of
manipulation. Anne had arranged to come
home to her parents at a certain time, but Sasha had none of that and pressed
for going to the thrift store to check out that very frog music box. No matter how much Anne protested, Sasha
stood her ground and used an authoritative tone to convince Anne to go along
with the heavy words: “end of
discussion.” Yes, to say this
seemingly pleasing friendship is a toxic one is a clear understatement,
especially with what all of this led to.
To add insult to injury, all of this happened on Anne’s birthday.
It’s after this flashback when we cut back to the present,
aware of the depths to Anne and Sasha’s friendship. Now that she’s found Anne in the middle of her
own Frog of the Year party, it’s both very nice to see these friends reunited,
but also concerning knowing the power Sasha has over Anne. She’s risen in the ranks and has an entire
toad army at her arsenal with the notorious Captain Grime by her side. Given the reputation of the toads amongst the
frogs, everyone appropriately responds with fear at first. Then it turns out they’re here to treat the
frogs to a celebration by inviting them to a banquet at Toad Tower. Truthfully, such monstrous figures seem
perfectly hospitable to the frogs. They
have specially arranged transportation to the tower, and the banquet appears
perfectly appetizing. Anne is also
treated well, given she’s friend to the captain of the guard. She’s invited to experience how Sasha’s been
living it up with the toads, with luxurious amenities all around. It all seems great indeed, but then you
factor in Sasha’s talent for manipulation, how it’s worked on Anne, and even
how she used in on all the toads in one past cartoon…
As you can guess with this in mind, the banquet is nothing
more than a trap for the toads to imprison the frogs and establish themselves
as the dominant amphibians. There’s
weight to their actions with claims that they’re way of life is at stake,
suggesting deeper reasons, but it’s a bleak setup nonetheless. Out of this though are shining moments for
the main protagonists, propelling the story into the boldest direction the
series could imagine. After being
established as plucky, adventurous, and particularly reckless throughout this
season, Sprig gets a shining moment of growth.
He expertly seeks weakness within a toad guard and is able to figure out
that everything the toads have done is a sham.
This in turn leads to a riot with all the Wartwood citizens immediately
ready to rebel, and it’s all because of the surprising actions from a usually
excitable carefree kid.
It turns out
that the frog the toads are after the most is Hop Pop. For someone known to prefer tradition and the
old ways, it’s surprising that Hop Pop has actually inspired several rebellions
across Amphibia, but it’s still good development for him. Thanks to Anne’s influence, he’s changed a
lot in his views when the situation calls for it, and moments like standing up
to tax collectors and running for mayor are no doubt big milestones. The conflict of this is that the toads want
to execute him so that nothing stands in the way of their rule.
This in turn brings on how Anne approaches the situation which
becomes difficult for her having just reunited with her friend. Believing she’s on the same page as her,
Sasha lays out everything to Anne with the toad’s need to rule, Hop Pop being a
revolutionary figure, the execution plan, etc.
However, this is where Anne’s many adventures lead to something
huge. Her fondness to this world and its
inhabitants tell her heart that something needs to be done to save everyone
from impending danger. Behind Sasha’s
back, she poses as a guard and leads everyone out of the tower to
safety. Just when all seems well though,
Sasha and the toads end up catching them and proceed to go with the plan as
originally orchestrated.
It’s in this
moment where all the wisdom of friendship Anne has gained leads to something. At the same time, the conflict of her and
Sasha’s views proves to be expertly written.
Though Anne cares deeply for the frogs’ safety, Sasha points out that
everything she’s doing may be extreme, but it’s for the good cause of trying to
find a way home. After all, they’re
still technically outlying humans in this world, and they have families they
need to get back to. The latter point
is almost instantly heavy-hitting from the sound of it. The fact that even the audience can see the
merit to what Sasha says, cold as it is, allows it to make sense that Anne
would be moved to obey. However, Sprig
steps in with faith that Anne’s moral values won’t be ruled out, and in turn,
that inspires Anne to do what’s right.
For the first time, she lets it be known that she doesn’t approve of
Sasha’s delinquent ways, and stands up to her.
When swords get involved, you can feel the intensity.
Yes, what becomes of Anne and Sasha quickly goes beyond your
average rough patch given how they ultimately end things. First, their fighting skills are put to the
test when Anne dares to face Sasha in a sword fight in exchange for freedom of
the frogs. The swift movement of the
fighting, the dramatic staging, and accompaniment of the voice work and music
sell the moment as a true dramatic high point.
The characterization, one of the mainstays of the series’ quality, is no
doubt on great display too. Anne, with
all her heart, believes in justice for all as she battles, growing a long
awaited backbone as she tells Sasha that she won’t be pushed around by her
anymore. All the while, Sasha continues
to intimidate, but also try to be an understanding friend, legitimately unsure
of why Anne is fighting against her, a close friend since childhood. That all soon make sense to her with what
follows.
After Anne wins the sword fight, but the toads go back on
their word, a sneaky act causes an explosion beneath Toad Tower. During the scramble to get to safety, Anne
and Sasha’s friendship goes out on a note fueled by complexity. A singular situation of Sasha close to
falling off the crumbling tower while Anne tries to save her is given a lot of
focus, and is thoroughly engaging from the genuine emotions applied. The use of the song playing in the
background, “Lean On Me” by the late Bill Withers, expertly separates what happens
between them from the rest of the destruction.
It also works surprisingly well to highlight the ensuing heartbreak
where Anne and Sasha both need “somebody to lean on” but it turns out to not be
either of them. The Plantars come to
save Anne which only causes the tower to crumble more, and Sasha notices how
much they’ve come to love her as a family.
It’s the kind of love she never showed Anne all because of her
manipulation. She tells Anne that she’s
better off without her, and willingly lets go of her hand. This could be considered willing suicide, but
Grime manages to save her, and he and the other toads carry her unconscious
body into the woods.
The girls now know
their place in this world, and have to consider themselves enemies because of
this. The circumstances make sense given
the toxic nature, but how long they’ve been friends, as well as instances of
genuine care still make it hard for them.
Anne’s response of crying softly over losing her friend like this after
just reuniting with her as the Plantars console is the final straw in a truly
successful emotional high point. At the
same time there’s good reassurance to go out on for this season. Anne is happy to consider the Plantars her
family, and shows clear readiness to face whatever lies ahead. The Plantars also promise willingness and
loyalty to helping Anne get home, even if it means eventually saying good-bye to her, as
well as any potential danger. It builds
up strong anticipation for what’s to come, and balances out the heavy drama
with sweet heart perfectly.
This season finale goes to show how seamlessly any show, no
matter what it’s like, can grow to be so emotionally engaging. Thanks to every random thing the cast has
experienced prior, when the time comes for heavy game changing events, the audience is easily invested in whatever happens. What goes on
here sends emotions for all sorts of highs
and lows, and leaves something to look forward to with the next part of the
main story. It’s the ultimate
culmination of what the show has offered, and sets itself up to go even
further, presenting the makings of an animated marvel.
A+
The Ranking
1.Reunion
2.Toad Tax
3.Anne vs
Wild
4.The Domino
Effect
5.Prison
Break
6.Anne of the
Year
7.Contagi-Anne
8.Best Fronds
9.Family
Shrub
10.Hop-Popular
11.Wally and
Anne
12.Children of
the Spore
13.A Night at
the Inn
14.Lily Pad
Thai
15.Dating
Season
16.Anne or
Beast?
17.Combat Camp
18.Cursed!
19.Snow Day
20.Civil Wart
21.Stakeout
22.Croak and
Punishment
23.Taking
Charge
24.Flood,
Sweat, and Tears
25.Bizarre
Bazaar
26.Trip to the
Archives
27.Anne Theft
Auto
28.Hop Luck
29.Hop Pop and
Lock
30.Plantar’s
Last Stand
31.The Big
Bugball Game
32.Fiddle Me
This
33.Family
Fishing Trip
34.Girl Time
35.Breakout
Star
36.Grubhog Day
37.Cane Crazy
38.Sprig vs
Hop Pop
39.Cracking
Mrs. Croaker
Final Thoughts
With the completion of this look at Season 1 of Amphibia, a point is certainly made
about how appealing a show can be no matter what the subject. Some might not think much of it at first
glance, but through actually viewing the series, one could discover that it has
the qualities of a thoroughly amazing series.
It’s a series that greatly specializes in the craftsmanship of its
world, the appeal of the cast, and the strength of its styles of entertainment.
A main topic of a world of talking amphibians doesn’t sound
like an immediate winning concept, but this show takes the right measures to
present its potential. In just about
every piece of craftsmanship, it takes the subjects of its premise and has no
less than a lot of fun with it. The
frog-inhabited world is alive with visual appeal specializing in the very
things one would associate with such creatures.
Several settings are rooted in nature with homes and buildings
associated with swamps, complete with a lush color scheme to highlight everything. It’s a clever way of bringing a truly
out-of-the norm world to life. As a
product of animation, there are also several imaginative elements to make
everything stand out but also fit the featured aesthetic. Each frog has its own unique design and palette going beyond what nature usually provides, making it easy to point out
each member of the cast. Along with that
cute creative detail, there’s also a solid approach to the area of
danger. Very often, characters will
encounter giant monsters in the form of creatures who are amphibians’ natural
predators like snakes, birds, and weasels.
This even applies to insects that one would commonly associate with
amphibians’ prey being common monsters of noticeably big proportions. That in turn helps in building obstacles for
non-amphibian inhabitants of this world like Anne.
That’s not even mentioning how the art of the
series contrasts with different types of classes of amphibians. The frogs of Wartwood are certainly warm and
inviting, but then you have the toads.
In addition to being much taller and muscular, and holding the
responsibility to rule over the frogs, they present a much more threatening
presence. The duller colors to
their character designs and moodier highlights and hues to their main hubs like
Toad Tower say a lot about their hierarchal position. Bringing both classes together, as well as a few
hints of aristocracy from the occasional newt appearances, it’s a very
intriguing character clash. Basically,
from a purely artistic stand point, the simple idea of a frog world is mined
a lot for creative potential, successfully mixing imagination, staging, and
biology.
While the art direction for the series is certainly appealing
on its own, there’s something to be said about the tone of the series. The very premise of everything has a lot of
heavy elements to it when you get down to it.
You’ve got Anne, an average teen girl without many friends and the ones
she has have left questionable influences, transported from her world to
this very estranged world. Rather than
just rolling with being in a new world, several times the magnitude and serious
implications of Anne being far from home are topics of discussion. Through constantly coping with missing things
from her old life, thinking of how her family’s getting on without her, and
dangerous quests just to get home, the situation feels so real.
On the subject of danger, that’s also a major
point of attention that captures what it most likely would feel like to be
trapped in a strange world. As
previously mentioned, several adventures involve dealing with giant monsters in
both the amphibian predator and prey variety.
Threats like this are huge enough for a total outsider like Anne, but
regularly being so close to death is very in line with the natural cycle,
especially for creatures like frogs.
Whether the cause is a misconception, poor decision, or the nature of
certain locales, the fight for survival almost never lets up. Yet, for all of this foreboding tone, things
are also impressively light-hearted. It
may seem inconceivable putting opposite tones back to back, but not only does
it work, but it makes for a feel that makes the series all its own. Even in the face of hard times or even death,
there’s a constant amusing approaches and perception from whoever’s in the
situation. In fact, the comedy in
general is especially strong here coming a variety of organic sources, maybe
the most organic sources of all. With
the characters having such defining personalities, they’re the ones to bring
levity into any circumstance. You’ll
often hear random statements, dry comments, witty banter, or long pauses before
reactions to huge occurrences. This
isn’t the expected reactions or approaches to darkness, but it’s certainly full
of personality and spunk no matter what, and further helps the series stand
as something all its own. In short, it’s
clear you’re always going to be in for a fun time with this show. It does a lot of good in both showcasing the
effects of a dark situation and amusement from how the characters take in
everything.
As I have found in many great animated works, the key source
of appeal lies within the likable cast, and there certainly is a lot to like
about these characters. They’re the
ideal personalities to follow in any event, whether they be humble or
dangerous. The central figures are Anne
and the Plantar family who right at the start prove worthy of getting the most
of attention as individuals and within their own dynamic. Anne herself in particular is a very strong
lead character with a lot to explore. On
the surface, she seems like your average contemporary teen, following popular
trends, obsessing over her phone, and having a noticeable edge to her
attitude. Throughout the series, she proves
to be more complex than that. Her
questionable qualities are given legit background from noticeable toxicity from
her human friends, mainly through how their influence led them to this world in
the first place. The truth is that Anne
is actually very sympathetic and plenty admirable. She clearly has a lot to deal with as an
outsider in this strange world right down to her design of missing a shoe and
having leaves and twigs in her hair that never seem to go away. Also, at heart, she’s very caring and loyal to
those in her life, and genuinely talented in many areas, making for endearing
setups of her sharing her human customs with the frogs. This is one of many things that makes her
dynamic with the Plantars as nice as it is, all of whom make for solidly
entertaining figures in their own right.
Sprig is Anne’s main confidant in many adventures, and the
two of them instantly show great chemistry.
He’s energetic and excitable which nicely mixes with Anne’s laid-back
mannerisms which is always nice to see.
However, when either of them are out of line, they’re both capable of
voicing reason, benefitting development for both of them, especially by this
season’s end. In addition to Sprig, the
rest of the Plantars have enough focus to present them as standout
personalities too. Polly, the young
tadpole of the family, is the least developed, but she’s still pretty great as
she is. Her one-liners and witty
comments to any situation bring very strong levity, and in many instances, she
has the most logical judgements of what’s going on. She may not experience much change or have
that broad of a background, but it’s still remarkable how much character can go
into someone of her stature. Then
there’s Hop Pop, the parental figure of the Plantars with a quite a lot of
detail to him as revealed in Season 1 alone.
Not only is he the sole adult figure of the family, but an elder one at
that. Along with the general predator
heavy nature of this world, it’s remarkable just how many challenges he has to
face in order to keep everything in check.
The family isn’t very affluent nor does it have the best reputation
among the town, and Hop Pop has to bear the brunt of those burdens. Still, he has plenty of interesting qualities
to his personal life. We have him trying improving his love life, utilizing his
farmer knowledge, and having tendencies to uphold tradition amongst his
contemporary kids. At the same time, he
appears to know a lot more about the mythos of this world than he lets on. Several cartoons cover his knowledge of
strange creatures, deeper backgrounds of the Plantar family, and especially a
dark secret of the music box that brought Anne here. The latter really begs a lot of questions
when at one point he’s led to bury the box with little explanation as to how this
will be safer for everyone. As you can
tell, the Plantars are a highly investing family with a warm welcoming
atmosphere, humorous quirks, and even mystery, the makings of appealing central
characters.
Also beneficial to the cast is how the rest of the characters
have their own strong appeal as well.
That’s the best one can ask for in a series that takes place in a small
town. Not only does it make for many
more colorful characters, but varying personalities as well. One-Eyed Wally fully owns the role of a
wandering fool with a thick cockney accent, accordion playing, and other weird
habits, but is also very endearing. The
Sundew family is also very charming in both design and personality with
charmingly organized Felicia, open and accepting Sylvia, and caring and
adventurous Ivy. It should also be noted
that the show gives many good reasons to support the latter two’s romances with
Hop Pop and Sprig respectively. Young Maddie Flour amuses with dark arts whether she’s being herself or really
proving that appearances aren’t everything when using her powers for the good
of her friends. Shop owners like Loggle
the woodman and Stumpy the chef stand out with their own quirks while also
trudging through legit challenges of keeping their businesses open. Mrs. Croaker is mostly just a basic kindly
old woman, but still has a very nice connection with the Plantar family as well
as a potentially interesting past. Even
the mayor of Wartwood is a very interesting figure. He mostly seems like just a corrupt
politician with several shady practices, but there's much more to him. For all his insults to his people,
taking his assistant for granted, and using tax money for his own gain, near
the end, he’s shown to also care for his assistant, be able to give credit to
legit smart moves, and even be an active hero in times of crisis. That’s just one example of one major virtue
all these citizens have in common, change, mainly when it comes to the arrival
of the human Anne. At first, they’re quick
to judge her for being different, and for quite some time consider her an ugly monster. It goes on for a while, but
several instances show progress in learning to accept Anne as one of them
thanks to frequent gestures of helpfulness and bravery from her. They even appreciate her so much to name her
Frog of the Year and trust her with their lives by the end of the season. This shows that despite any shortcoming, like
with Anne and the Plantars, they do have hearts and are capable of seeing the
good in anyone, further cementing the appeal of the cast.
The characters in this show define it so much, that they’re
daily lives can be considered the main story, at least for the first
season. The cartoons are largely
self-contained mainly featuring the characters going about their lives doing an
activity or venturing to some strange area of the world. Some could see this as a problem for making
the show feel directionless and not that engaging, but at the same time, there
are elements to make every little thing come together. For one thing, it’s almost always a good time
with the distinct personalities and the strong comedy working off each other
well in just about any story. In addition,
even if most of the stories are self-contained, a couple also share main topics
like the mystery of Anne’s music box; the Plantars trying to obtain a better
life; Anne gaining the town’s respect; and trying to find alternate ways to get
Anne home. In this regard, the story
feels much more connected than it may seem at first, and that’s not all.
Credit should also be given for how the tone
is laid out. In the broad sense, it’s
primarily light-hearted with constant hints of dry dark elements, but it also
knows how to get legitimately dark and serious.
Those moments are reserved for season milestones like the midpoint and
the finale. There, focus is given to the background of the authoritative toads and the darkness that has befallen one of
Anne’s human friends, Sasha. She has a
history of manipulating Anne into going against morality, and when she’s taken
prisoner by the toads, she gets around it and even raises in the ranks through
such practices. When she and the toads
eventually get to the frogs, this does not only warrant a truly dark encounter.
With the friendly and inviting bond between the frogs and Anne, it’s easy to
feel for them when this genuine danger closes in on them. As a result, the
finale to the season stands as a grand experience of major growth, hard-hitting
emotions, and big potential for what’s to come next. After all, there are still many things this
season doesn’t get to like what’s beyond Wartwood, what became of Anne’s other
friend Marcy, and again how, that music box is dangerous. It should be noted that all of these elements
are explored in Season 2, but thanks to the craftsmanship of Season 1, you’re
engaged enough to prepare yourself for all upcoming answers.
Ultimately, with great creativity, solid entertainment, and
endearing characters and relationships, Amphibia
instantly proves itself as a worthy animated series. While you might not expect a lot from a series of adventures in a frog world, it has the right atmosphere to keep
everything fun, investing, and universally appealing. That is, after all, the best one could ask
for from an animated Disney production.
Really, as one of today’s most enduring animated series, for all its
antics and fantasy elements, it has the capability of making anyone feel
right at home.
Highly Recommended
That's it for the first season of this series. Next up, this blog will finally be covering the final batch of episodes of the Nicktoon classic, Rocko's Modern Life. Until then:
