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:
Toad to Redemption
While focus on the series has shifted back to Wartwood, some cartoons take advantage of one significant opportunity. That’s looking into the town’s many citizens, and developing them by making them the focus. In this case, the character in a spotlight is a citizen whose development is surprising, but nonetheless welcome.
Mayor Toadstool was introduced as a standard self-centered leader caring more about status than the well-being of his people. However, he later showed signs of forming good friendly bonds with others and capability of being a big help in dangerous situations. Not to mention, there’s always been good heart and care to his relationship with his assistant, Toadie. These changes carry over into the second season with this cartoon highlighting the mayor’s new attitude. The opening has Mayor Toadstool genuinely liked by the town and he himself growing fond over it, having the events of the Season 1 finale to thank for that.
With this endearing new outlook on Wartwood established, it’s set up to be challenged when Mayor Toadstool is greeted by officials from Newtopia. They’re looking for a new leader of Toad Tower since the old one, Captain Grime, is gone and branded a fugitive, and believe Mayor Toadstool is the best toad for the job. A new venue to lead over is understandably something Mayor Toadstool would aspire to get, though it’s clear that a bigger incentive would be all the money that comes with it. Then his newfound appreciation for Wartwood becomes challenged when he learns he has to leave for Toad Tower in just a day. While Toadie is all set to go along with the mayor’s initial plans, Toadstool is quick to feel uneasy about leaving behind a place he’s found much to be fond of.
When looking for ways out of these arrangements, the ones to give him guidance are the ones who inspired his greatest change, Anne and the Plantars. With Anne’s experiences, they decide that Mayor Toadstool’s best way out is to make him look like an incompetent coward in front of the Newtopia officials. Not doing anything during a fake robbery and making an obvious bad decision when protecting the town should do the job. However, the officials somehow find reason to believe that these acts still make him worthy of the promotion. Not only is Mayor Toadstool still set to leave for Toad Tower, but now they find it appropriate to put his closes friend, his assistant Toadie, out of a job.
Before the mayor can stand up to them, the town is ravaged by an army of toads who have been living as bandits on the run. These aren’t just any toads either; they’re the same ones who have acted as tax collectors once before. It seems this instance is going to put Mayor Toadstool’s loyalty to the test as he tells the toads of his promotion to Toad Tower and offers them to join him. Then it turns out to be a trap as he fights back against them and later gets help from everyone else. It’s easily his most shining moment, but this is what finally gets the Newtopia officials to forget about him leading Toad Tower because caring for Wartwood makes him soft. That’s just contrived because their earlier praise for intended sabotage to his reputation were praised for care, so their priorities feel confused and nonsensical. Also, tension is built when the former tax collectors are named head of Toad Tower instead, but given the directions the show later takes, said tension feels pointless.
This is ultimately not the best story, but it still works in showing how far the mayor of Wartwood has come.
A-
Maddie and Marcy
Paired with another cartoon developing a citizen of Wartood, this one goes in a similar route. From the title, the highlighted Wartwood citizen is the young frog into the dark arts, Maddie. While her befriending Marcy is a big part of this cartoon, there’s one relationship that’s just as, if not more prominent here.
It features Maddie’s younger tadpole sisters, Rosemary, Ginger, and Lavender, although it’s difficult to keep their names straight since they’re so interchangeable. Not only are they the same size and have similar colors, but their personalities are largely the same. They’re all excitable little kids who want nothing more than their big sister to play with them. This is a hindrance to Maddie who’s reaching a breakthrough in witchcraft. After only doing Level 1 spells, she’s currently working on a Level 2 spell of resurrecting a dead dog-like flea. However, with her sisters bored and lonely, their attempts at fun really frustrate Maddie.
Later, she meets Marcy exploring the environments of Amphibia and marveling at everything. It makes sense that Maddie’s interest in dark arts would catch Marcy’s love for fantasy adventure. They both hit things off well and work together on the resurrection spell. Because of their shared interests, there’s good chemistry between the two as they live out their passions.
By day’s end, Maddie even tells Marcy personal information, mainly about her sisters. Depths are revealed to her in how she wasn’t always deep into sorcery. She used to be an average frog very close with her sisters. Then she discovered a good outlet for herself, the dark arts, and just didn’t have time for her sisters. Marcy, who relates to getting into passions, gives sound advice on the importance of making time, but Maddie is unmoved. At the same time, her sisters feel that if they were physically bigger, Maddie will want to play with them again. She did constantly say she wishes they’d grow up. Her spell book has a spell to make that happen by allowing them to increase in size, so that’s what they use.
When they find Maddie and Marcy working her resurrection spell, things go in a disturbing yet oddly endearing direction. Maddie’s sisters are now as really huge and happily hop over from afar expecting their older sister to want to play with them now. Of course, she and Marcy become too overwhelmed by the situation, especially with its danger. Along with the havoc from their size, due to their lack of knowledge on magic, Maddie’s sisters did not do the growth spell right and will balloon until they explode. The voice distortions to make them sound unnaturally deep from their size adds to the unease of this dire setup. In fact, when Maddie’s sisters discover what’s wrong and cry over their unending growing, it’s as terrifying as it is sad; so much of the latter emotion isn’t always expected from a voice so deep. Maddie fortunately knows what to do as she makes herself huge and calms them down. She even admits fault in the situation, understanding they wouldn’t have done what they did if she just made time for her family. They play together just like the old days which keeps the sisters calm long enough for Marcy to give everyone the antidotes to the spell. When all is done, family bonds are rediscovered despite everything, and since that flea walks all the way to the scene, Maddie can call herself a Level 2 witch…to some extent.
This cartoon may have little bearing, especially when a later event calls for that resurrection spell but doesn’t use it, and a friendship that's never seen again but it’s still well-told as its own story.
A
Fan Art
Series Ranking
1.
Hopping
Mall
2.
Reunion
3.
Marcy at the Gates
4.
Toad Tax
5.
The First Temple
6.
Anne vs Wild
7.
The Domino Effect
8.
Toadcatcher
9.
Prison Break
10.
A Day at the Aquarium
11.
Anne of the Year
12.
Contagi-Anne
13.
The
Shut-In
14.
Best Fronds
15.
After
the Rain
16.
Family Shrub
17.
Hop-Popular
18.
Anne Hunter
19.
Wally and Anne
20.
Children of the Spore
21.
Friend
or Frobo
22.
A Night at the Inn
23.
Handy Anne
24.
Scavenger Hunt
25.
Lily Pad Thai
26.
Dating Season
27.
Anne or Beast?
28.
Combat Camp
29.
Little Frogtown
30.
Cursed!
31.
Snow Day
32.
Civil Wart
33. Maddie and Marcy
34.
Stakeout
35.
Croak and Punishment
36.
Taking Charge
37.
Flood, Sweat, and Tears
38.
Bizarre Bazaar
39.
The Plantars Check In
40.
The Sleepover to End All Sleepovers
41.
Wax Museum
42.
Return
to Wartwood
43.
Sprig Gets Schooled
44.
Swamp and Sensibility
45.
Trip to the Archives
46. Toad
to Redemption
47.
Anne Theft Auto
48.
Hop Luck
49.
New
Wartwood
50.
Ivy on the Run
51.
Night
Drivers
52.
Quarreler’s
Pass
53.
Hop Pop and Lock
54.
Plantar’s Last Stand
55.
Fort in the Road
56.
A Caravan Named Desire
57.
The Big Bugball Game
58.
Fiddle Me This
59.
Truck Stop Polly
60.
Family Fishing Trip
61.
The Ballad of Hoppediah Plantar
62.
Girl Time
63.
Breakout Star
64.
Grubhog Day
65.
Cane Crazy
66.
Lost in Newtopia
67.
Sprig vs Hop Pop
68.
Cracking Mrs. Croaker
The next Amphibia review works in further plot development with a visit to the second temple, and another look at Sasha's adventures as she goes after an ancient toad artifact.
Next time on MC Toon Reviews, The Owl House takes us to the "Edge of the World."
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