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Hop ‘Til You Drop
Since the tone for this season is established to be largely light-hearted even in the face of what’s at stake, antic-driven stories are what’s largely to be expected. While there can still be entertainment since the fun stories are typically well-executed, they may not be what the audience really wants to see. Still, it’s only fair to go into them with an open mind since there’s still a chance to get something out of it. This cartoon does fall into the largely antic-filled trap, but this is one that does have a point to it.
With the Plantars living with Anne in her world now, there’s an interesting dynamic change in line with her character growth where she has to look out for them. This is not an easy task since these talking frogs understandably don’t know how to go about her world since they’re so accustomed to their own. Polly keeps getting into fights with local toddlers, Sprig keeps getting too close to danger with his habit of touching things, and Hop Pop keeps falling for obvious scams. When it all becomes too much, Anne decides to challenge the Plantars to break their habits and prove that they can survive in this world.
This challenge unfolds in a very personal place for her, the local mall. As expected for teens like Anne, the mall is a place she’d enjoy coming to, and the look of it captures its atmosphere with so many stores to explore. Many of them fit to the habits Anne is desperate for the Plantars to break. There’s a store for Polly to make a stuffed animal without fighting with any kid; a line of fine art for Sprig to get through without touching; and Hop Pop just going through the halls without falling for any scams. Something as light as Anne simply not trusting them is enough for the Plantars to take the challenge seriously, and their efforts to pull off the challenge are clear. It’s easy to see how much their habits are trying to take over and how hard it is to resist. While they have good restraint at first, they sadly can’t overcome them for long.
Polly makes her stuffed animal, but is ticked off by an army of toddlers ruining her work and their mothers nagging her that she fights back more aggressively than normal. Sprig, as if it’s a spectral way of thinking, can’t help but give into the touching temptation resulting in an exhibit falling apart and part of it rolling through the mall. Hop Pop does resist scams at first, but then is driven to take free coins from a fountain resulting in him turning green because of something in its water. All these acts do is result in huge messes and angry mobs all through the mall. Once Anne notices this after an amusing sequence of hearing a very talky recount of what she missed at school from a girl named Gabby, she rushes in to save the Plantars. By doing so, the messes they caused are just kind of left behind with very little dealt with, showing why these antic-driven cartoons are far from the best.
With the need for the Plantars to try and fit into this new world, there’s at least a point to them compared to others of this cartoon’s kind. There’s even some heart with Anne realizing that she was in a similar position to the Plantars in Amphibia with her getting into her own trouble they had to get her out of. This ultimately helps the cartoon stand as more passible than average. It’s still largely the protagonists getting into chaos to pass as entertainment, but with an open mind, one can find some weight to it.
B-
Turning Point
While Anne’s Earth adventures for this season aren’t as dramatic as most would expect them to be, there are other perspectives to react to what Season 2’s ending brought. One of those perspectives is from one of her human friends Sasha, who for the longest time was in need of a proper character arc. She’s always had a desire for control and would often use manipulation to get what she wanted, even if it meant not being considerate of her friends’ feelings. She still genuinely cared for her friends, but the lust for power always seemed to get in the way. That’s why every time it seemed like she was changing for the better, she always turned back to her old ways which only estranged herself even more.
The end of Season 2 brought the worst consequences of that and is partially responsible for the position her friends and all of Amphibia are in now. In fact, the start of this cartoon shows that ending from Sasha’s point of view, particularly her reaction to Marcy being stabbed by King Andrias. As a darker measure, it’s confirmed that Marcy really would have perished had she not be rushed to her healing tank immediately afterward. With nothing to do for her, Sasha and her toad companion Grime have to escape Andrias’ floating castle and get somewhere safe.
The best place they can think of is the Plantars’ humble hometown of Wartwood. As the citizens are still concerned over the strange occurrences like the floating castle and the absence of Anne and the Plantars, Sasha finds herself in a major predicament. Grime lies by saying that Anne specifically sent them to watch over Wartwood, and since the town is unaware that they actually betrayed Anne, this grants them special treatment.
As Sasha and Grime take refuge in the now abandoned Plantar farmhouse and the Wartwood citizens give them special treatment, something starts growing in Sasha. While she does have the status and control she always craved for, she can’t bring herself to enjoy it. In fact, she feels downright depressed over this treatment, understandably feeling she doesn’t deserve any of it. A mature instance of character growth shows that she’s come to realize the consequences of her past actions, especially now that she’s faced what’s easily the worst of them. When it becomes too much as the threat of a robot invasion looms over Wartwood, Grime advises Sasha to think things over, bringing on the long overdue start to her change.
In the Plantar home, she comes across Anne’s diary, specifically turning to her most recent entry recounting their moments of happiness before the Season 2 finale unfolded. It shows that Anne was so sure that their friendship worked out, and while it makes Sasha more guilty for what she did, she’s touched and inspired to act as someone who deserves Anne’s friendship.
She ultimately comes clean about the situation to Wartwood, and when Andrias’ robots arrive to attack, she puts up a strong fight as a first measure of atonement. The army proves too much even for Sasha, but the rest of the town is inspired to help, and together, they beat the army back. Afterwards, Sasha’s development is finally in full swing with everyone noticing how much she’s grown from the past and are still willing to follow her.
The cartoon’s end shows Sasha regaining her determination to fight the rest of what King Andrias has, this time for the right reasons. All of this growth leads to an even bigger path for Sasha to take for the greater good, but that’s to be explored later in the season. On the whole, this cartoon is a strong representation of the proper emotional reaction to the current situation enhanced by satisfactory character development.
A+
Fan Art
Series Ranking
1.
True Colors
2.
Hopping
Mall
3.
Reunion
4.
Marcy at the Gates
5.
Toad Tax
6.
The First Temple
7.
Turning Point
8.
Battle of the Bands
9.
Barrel’s
Warhammer
10.
Anne vs Wild
11.
The Domino Effect
12.
The Third Temple
13.
Toadcatcher
14.
Prison Break
15.
The Second Temple
16.
A Day at the Aquarium
17.
Anne of the Year
18.
Contagi-Anne
19.
The
Shut-In
20.
Best Fronds
21.
After
the Rain
22.
Family Shrub
23.
The New Normal
24.
The Dinner
25.
Hop-Popular
26.
Anne Hunter
27.
Wally and Anne
28.
Children of the Spore
29.
Friend
or Frobo
30.
A Night at the Inn
31.
Bessie
and MicroAngelo
32.
Handy Anne
33.
Scavenger Hunt
34.
Lily Pad Thai
35.
Dating Season
36.
Anne or Beast?
37.
Combat Camp
38.
Little Frogtown
39.
Cursed!
40.
Snow Day
41.
Civil Wart
42.
Maddie and Marcy
43.
Stakeout
44.
Croak and Punishment
45.
Taking Charge
46.
Flood, Sweat, and Tears
47.
Bizarre Bazaar
48.
The Plantars Check In
49.
The Sleepover to End All Sleepovers
50.
Wax Museum
51.
Return
to Wartwood
52.
Sprig Gets Schooled
53.
Swamp and Sensibility
54.
Trip to the Archives
55.
Toad
to Redemption
56.
Anne Theft Auto
57.
Hop Luck
58.
New
Wartwood
59.
Ivy on the Run
60.
Night
Drivers
61.
Quarreler’s
Pass
62.
Hop Pop and Lock
63.
Plantar’s Last Stand
64.
Fort in the Road
65.
A Caravan Named Desire
66.
The Big Bugball Game
67.
Fiddle Me This
68.
Truck Stop Polly
69.
Family Fishing Trip
70. Hop ‘Til You Drop
71.
The Ballad of Hoppediah Plantar
72.
Girl Time
73.
Breakout Star
74.
Grubhog Day
75.
Cane Crazy
76.
Lost in Newtopia
77.
Sprig vs Hop Pop
78.
Cracking Mrs. Croaker
The next review shows Sprig use a food truck to help him become a real part of Anne's family, and the Plantars try to prove they're not freeloaders by taking care of Anne's cat.
Next time on MC Toon Reviews is more DuckTales reviews.
If you would like to check out other Amphibia reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.
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