'Toon Reviews 17: Voltron: Legendary Defender Season 2 Episode 9: The Belly of the Weblum

The Belly of the Weblum

The Paladins all have their own distinct personalities as well as their own bonds with other teammates.  Keith, for example, has attitude issues, but also clearly has a good heart as he slowly prepares to become a potential leader for the Paladins, mostly teaming up with Shiro.  This episode shakes things up by teaming him up with another Paladin, the kind-hearted overly nervous Hunk, which is a good way to exercise his leadership skills by bonding with the rest of the team more. 

It happens when, following a light-hearted explanation on the team’s new plan to defeat Zarkon, they split up with Keith and Hunk assigned to collect huge teludav lenses from the inside of a giant planet-eating worm called a weblum.  On the way, there are some nice interactions from Keith and Hunk.  It’s not just their personality clashes that stand-out.  After learning that Keith is part-Galra from the Blade of Marmora, Keith himself feels uncomfortable about being around the team, particularly feeling that Allura, who’s frequently been harboring major Galra prejudices throughout this season, hates him now.  Hunk, despite being nervous about the new information, still treats him as a friend and teammate which is very endearing.  In fact, there are little to no moments of anyone being affected by Keith being part-Galra, and the most we see of Allura is one little look of discomfort at Keith which makes it feel like Keith is worrying about nothing.  If there were more scenes of others reacting to the information, Keith would be more justified to feel how he does. 

As for the weblum, how Keith and Hunk learn about it continues the trend of fun light-hearted material delivering serious information. It’s through a 10,000-year-old video with Coran explaining about the creature as if he’s doing an infomercial.  With a peppy attitude and working with a cute Altean in a weblum costume, Coran’s video is another entertaining highlight for the episode.  Another thing that makes the instructional video stand out is how it keeps skipping information due to its age.  It seems like an amusing side effect at first, but it plays to the dangers of Keith and Hunk actually facing the weblum without knowing what to do.  Eventually, when the information comes too late, there’s a mad dash to utilize it to get away from harm and inside the beast through its blind spot. 

From there, the two Paladins search for the teludav lenses inside the weblum via many creative challenges.  They’re pursued by the worm’s antibodies which seem too cute to be dangerous, Hunk is set down a wild slide of the bloodstream, and he only escapes through literally getting farted out, making for possibly the most productive fart I’ve seen in a show.  Hunk also gets a crowning moment by shooting at the weblum’s face, breaking the number-one safety rule which is the right thing to do to help obtain the teludav lenses.  Keith’s moment in the weblum is saving a Galra soldier trapped inside, claiming that Paladins should help everyone in need, even if they are Galra.  It seems like the soldier’s on his side through watching his back and helping him out of trouble.  However, in the end, the soldier takes some lenses and leaves Keith behind which doesn’t tie into his genuine help earlier.  You could argue that the soldier was hiding his true intentions, but in a season that’s showing not all members of a villainous race are bad, it doesn’t feel appropriate. 

Regardless, with an interesting rarely-seen character dynamic, legitimately entertaining moments to convey big information, and more of a sense of imagination to its missions help the episode stand strong. 9/10

The Ranking

1. Shiro’s Escape
2. Greening the Cube
3. The Blade of Marmora
4. The Ark of Taujeer
5. Eye of the Storm
6. The Belly of the Weblum
7. Across the Universe
8. The Depths
9. Space Mall

The next Voltron: Legendary Defender review covers a jailbreak featuring Shiro, Pidge, and Lance as we explore their part of putting the defeat plan together.

Next time on MC Toon Reviews is a look at another Steven Universe episode, "Keystone Motel."

If you want to stay updated for more reviews, become a follower of this blog, click here to like the official Facebook page, and click here to follow me on Twitter.

If you would like to check out other Voltron: Legendary Defender reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.

'Toon Reviews 17: Voltron: Legendary Defender Season 2 Episode 7: Space Mall

Space Mall

This episode offers significant progression on the main plot following up on the previous episode’s reveal that Zarkon keeps finding the Paladins because of his strong connection to the black lion.  Its current Paladin, Shiro, sets off to rectify this issue by making his own connection with the black lion stronger so Zarkon can’t overpower it every time Voltron is formed. 

Given the title of this episode, there’s also a lot of focus on the rest of the team going to a space mall for replacement teludav lenses for wormholes.  The mall trip plays out like a comedy with everyone getting up to some wild and crazy antics.  The mall perfectly resembles a common Earth one, meaning the only thing to set it apart from ordinary malls are the alien creatures who work and shop there.  The antics at the mall are very fun and play to each of the characters’ personalities. Hunk is forced to pay off a debt at a food court washing dishes but becomes chef thanks to his culinary interests. Keith gets caught in an auction for his Galra blade.  Lance and Pidge look for money to get a game console.  Coran winds up in an energetic bidding spree for the lenses at a shop resembling an old alien swap meet. 

Some of these antics allow many characters to shine like Hunk becoming a chef bringing something impressive out of his constant thoughts of food, and a deeper look into Keith’s Galra roots through his protection of his blade, suggesting it’s from his family.  All the same, it’s concerning that these subplots take up a lot of the episode. They’re fun sequences, but that’s all they are.  They only exist for humor’s sake and that’s a problem when your show is heavily plot-driven.  There’s more focus on the light-hearted mall scenes than far more important ones like Coran getting the lenses, which doesn’t feel right.  If they existed in short scenes like humorous moments in other episodes, that would be a much better way of integrating them while still focusing on the main story. 

Fortunately, enough time is devoted to the most important plot information we have at this point.  Referring back to Shiro attempting to bond with the black lion, this part is done insightfully.  When he goes to his lion, it flies to Zarkon’s home planet, and grants Shiro visions of when Zarkon piloted it, forming Voltron with other original Paladins including Allura’s father, King Alfor.  Zarkon was even able to unlock powers of the lion that Shiro hasn’t.  The memories are interrupted when Zarkon locates the black lion again, and Shiro ends up fighting the leader of the Galra Empire inside his mind.  It nicely interprets how strong Zarkon’s connection to the black lion is with him constantly popping up around Shiro who can’t strike a blow.  However, as soon as Shiro points out that the true bond to a lion depends on trust, the black lion sides with him which helps him win a fight he could’ve lost.  Then there’s the interesting twist that everything Shiro saw, even leaving, was just a vision set up by the lion, implying that the strengthening of Shiro’s bond was all in his mind, and the growth was all done through his power.  It’s an interesting and creative depiction of overcoming one’s innermost turmoil and a great one to lead into the next phase of our heroes’ mission. 

The episode still loses points for giving too much focus to frivolous stuff no matter how fun it is, but it’s still enjoyable and several moments offer great plot and character progression that must be seen to be believed. 8/10

The Ranking

1. Shiro’s Escape
2. Greening the Cube
3. The Ark of Taujeer
4. Eye of the Storm
5. Across the Universe
6. The Depths
7. Space Mall

The next Voltron: Legendary Defender review officially introduces us to the Blade of Marmora while also brings interesting reveals about Keith.

Next time on MC Toon Reviews is another review of a Steven Universe episode, "Chille Tid."

If you want to stay updated for more reviews, become a follower of this blog, click here to like the official Facebook page, and click here to follow me on Twitter.

If you would like to check out other Voltron: Legendary Defender reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.