If you like this review and want to stay updated for what else I have in store, become a follower of this blog, click here to like the official Facebook page, and click here to follow me on Twitter. Now on with today's review:
Ivy on the Run
Returning to Wartwood may mean returning to the usual status quo, but the chances for growth in storytelling are still present. In this case, its variety of citizens are given starring roles to flesh them out. Lately, one Wartwood citizen has had some pretty memorable moments, and that’s Ivy Sundew. She’s always had charm, and charisma, so it’s good to see more of her, and this cartoon takes advantage of this by exploring her personal life.
At the start, she’s shown to be very active and ready for adventure. Also explored is an area of Ivy’s life that hasn’t been seen much, her relationship with her mother, Felicia which is as big a contrast in views as one can see. Ivy wants to go out and have adventures, but in her mother’s tea business, she has to put up with proper etiquette and attentiveness to detail. Before going out, Ivy mush prepare tea, tables, napkins, and silverware. A big point of consideration is how Felicia judges Ivy’s work. Although it’s identical to her mother’s, Felicia always points out a tiny almost insignificant detail to everything she does. It almost feels like she’s nitpicking and not giving her daughter any credit.
Ivy’s practically liberated by the freedom she does get, all of which fitting her interests. Of course, hanging out with Sprig is great, but watching Anne and Polly bonding over the Thai martial arts of Muay Thai is even more intriguing. On a side note, Anne’s knowledge of the sport is a great show of character for her, and has background from classes she took as a child.
Even with this great outlet, Ivy is sadly called back to the life of tea and fusses over detail from her mother. During daily tea exercises, after Felicia continues to nitpick over little things, Ivy snaps and leaves in a huff. Giving this course of action significant weight, Ivy is moved to run away and start a new life of adventures alongside Sprig who’s traveled all of Amphibia. The thing is, this behavior is only meant to escape truly cold and uncaring lives, so what Ivy is doing can be seen as drastic. The same can be said when Felicia manages to catch her daughter, and Ivy snaps saying that she doesn’t even want to be Felicia’s daughter. It doesn’t go farther than that as Ivy comes clean about what she really wants, and Felicia strikes a deal with her. If Ivy can beat her in martial arts, she’ll be free of tea lessons and can go out traveling.
Surprisingly, despite being good at combat, Ivy is easily beaten by Felicia, all blows marked by a cute little boop on the cheek. There’s even commentary of her performance calling back to Anne’s Muay Thai knowledge. Before Ivy can be beaten, Felicia surprisingly gives fighting advice. By doing the gestures of the usual tea exercises, Ivy gets the advantage and gives a good martial arts performance after all. Then Felicia explains that she does get what Ivy wants even if it seemed like she didn’t before, and that the tea lessons were to help her train for facing the dangers of the world. The promise for Ivy joining Felicia on a potentially adventurous journey for exotic tea also sounds like a good payoff.
However, there’s a glaring issue over why Felicia never told Ivy this to begin with. It’s like this obvious factor was ignored so the story could work. Also, while this is the biggest build up to potential for Ivy, the potential isn’t realized because after this cartoon, she isn’t relevant for the rest of the season. At least standing alone, the cartoon is endearing enough as a story of a parent and child learning to see eye-to-eye.
B+
After the Rain
Exploring the daily lives of these characters turns out to be very helpful, for when bigger elements come up. It leaves stronger impacts that make it easy to invest in everyone. For that, a lot is riding on this cartoon set to further develop a long-standing plot point to be a big emotional experience.
When word gets to Anne and the Plantars that Marcy will soon be along to accompany them to the first of three temples to recharge the music box, they start preparing. The biggest way to prepare is getting the actual music box, which brings to light a catch. Hop Pop, who had buried the music box after reading it was dangerous, slowly recognizes the consequences, and after being praised for trustworthiness too. First, he goes to retrieve the music box, but it’s disappeared.
Then Anne appears, and filled with guilt from earlier praise of his trust, Hop Pop confesses to burying the box and lying about it. This reveal leaves Anne hurt and betrayed for predictable yet understandable reasons. The music box is best chance she has to ever getting home, and someone she’s grown so close to has been hindering her progress the entire time. As Hop Pop tries to explain, Anne won’t have it and leaves the Plantars.
From there, emotional effects of this disturbing reveal show the magnitude of Hop Pop’s deception while rain falls to give an atmospheric undertone. After wallowing in shame, Hop Pop goes out, find Anne and make up with her. Anne feels she has nowhere to go considering she’s been majorly lied to, so she returns to living in a cave with a rock as her only friend.
Even Sprig and Polly get up to some heavy events which helps tie into later clarifications. Wanting to help set things right, they try to track down the music box. They learn it’s been taken by a huge cluster of magpie beetles. Then they track down the beetles crawling in circles for a love ritual, and just as they’re about to get the music box, they get caught in the uproar. Hop Pop tracks Anne in her cave, and while struggling to explain his actions, they hear Sprig and Polly’s cries for help. It’s endearing that even with what’s between them, Hop Pop and especially Anne know that a situation like this means it’s time to put it aside. With clear priorities set, they rescue Sprig and Polly.
Still, Anne’s anger is present, and after that, she proceeds to leave the Plantar family. Before she can, Hop Pop shows how his actions come from a relatable place and relate to a very tragic event. Years ago, while he was away, giant herons attacked Wartwood, and among the casualties were Sprig and Polly’s parents. That’s the worst thing that can happen and the perfect thing to explain the background of Hop Pop’s protectiveness here and really in the entire series. Burying the music box once he read it was dangerous was one of those major tendencies. He doesn’t want to lose any more of his family, and he confirms that this includes Anne. Along with a powerful vocal performance of this recount and explanation, it’s easily a definitive highlight, and one sympathetic enough for Anne to forgive Hop Pop. While it’s a natural and fitting conclusion, it can seem like they were resolved too easily, and it’s not the best approach given the magnitude of Hop Pop’s actions. Still, it’s still plenty and appropriately emotional as it is, and the following story will show that the forgiveness was not as easy as it seemed.
What’s more, it’s got the right character moments and atmosphere to prepare the audience for what the main protagonists will be up to for the rest of Season 2.
A
Fan Art
Series Ranking
1.
Hopping
Mall
2.
Reunion
3.
Marcy at the Gates
4.
Toad Tax
5.
Anne vs Wild
6.
The Domino Effect
7.
Toadcatcher
8.
Prison Break
9.
A Day at the Aquarium
10.
Anne of the Year
11.
Contagi-Anne
12.
The
Shut-In
13.
Best Fronds
14. After
the Rain
15.
Family Shrub
16.
Hop-Popular
17.
Anne Hunter
18.
Wally and Anne
19.
Children of the Spore
20.
A Night at the Inn
21.
Handy Anne
22.
Scavenger Hunt
23.
Lily Pad Thai
24.
Dating Season
25.
Anne or Beast?
26.
Combat Camp
27.
Little Frogtown
28.
Cursed!
29.
Snow Day
30.
Civil Wart
31.
Stakeout
32.
Croak and Punishment
33.
Taking Charge
34.
Flood, Sweat, and Tears
35.
Bizarre Bazaar
36.
The Plantars Check In
37.
The Sleepover to End All Sleepovers
38.
Wax Museum
39.
Return
to Wartwood
40.
Sprig Gets Schooled
41.
Swamp and Sensibility
42.
Trip to the Archives
43.
Anne Theft Auto
44.
Hop Luck
45. Ivy on the Run
46.
Night
Drivers
47.
Quarreler’s
Pass
48.
Hop Pop and Lock
49.
Plantar’s Last Stand
50.
Fort in the Road
51.
A Caravan Named Desire
52.
The Big Bugball Game
53.
Fiddle Me This
54.
Truck Stop Polly
55.
Family Fishing Trip
56.
The Ballad of Hoppediah Plantar
57.
Girl Time
58.
Breakout Star
59.
Grubhog Day
60.
Cane Crazy
61.
Lost in Newtopia
62.
Sprig vs Hop Pop
63.
Cracking Mrs. Croaker
The next Amphibia review reunites Marcy with the main protagonists as they head off for the challenges of the first temple.
Next time on MC Toon Reviews, The Owl House is "Reaching Out."
If you would like to check out other Amphibia reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.
No comments:
Post a Comment