Princess Turdina / Starfari (Star vs the Forces of Evil Season 3 Episode 9) - 'Toon Reviews 27

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Princess Turdina

Among the iconic character moments in the show is Marco in a fancy princess dress leading a revolution for all interdimensional princesses to rise up and be true to themselves.  This particular moment has left a striking image and stands as one of the biggest things Marco has done in the grand scheme of the series.  Now that he’s living in Mewni fulltime, Marco is open to making a great impression through frequent visits to St. Olga’s Reform School for Wayward Princesses. 

The place that was once a dark prison where all untraditional, fun-loving princesses were stripped of their identity is now a central hub for all princesses to hang out and party.  In fact, there’s not much to the majority of this episode apart from exploring all the details of how wild and crazy the school has become without anyone to utilize harsh unforgiving rules.  Yes, everyone seems to be too out of control, but these actions are understandable when past events have shown them to be under such oppression.  This is just all these youths expressing happiness that they’re finally free to enjoy life as they know it. 

Other than this, there isn’t a major hook to the look around the school.  It’s just different princesses having fun and talking about how amazing Marco, or Princess Turdina as he’s referred to, is for inspiring the movement.  That makes the episode drag a little and even feel repetitive.  The best thing we have to a conflict is Marco uneasy about telling the princesses that he’s a boy.  It’s a relatable instance where he finds with legit reasons to tell the truth as well as reasons to keep it a secret.  His movement has gone on and let itself be known for so long, yet no one knowing that it didn’t come from a princess has it built on a lie.  This would especially be a problem given that the school’s host, a princess with four arms, shows disdain of the idea of the movement being built on a lie.  However, all the moments of the princesses being happy for what Marco started, monotonous as they seem, are reasons for Marco to not want to let them down.  It’s especially worth noting that this strong point comes from a true delinquent like Pony Head which Marco finds himself siding with.  That’s at least true at first when Star pushes him to be open and honest. 

By then, however, it’s too late for that. The school’s former headmistress, Ms. Heinous, suddenly appears to expose his boyhood by a single chest hair she noticed in Marco’s phony apology video.  This would be the part where everyone would just turn on Marco exposed as a liar and say he’s horrible because of this one misstep which would be cold and depressing.  In a pleasing turn, the princesses are very understanding of Marco.  They think nothing of this reveal and know that what he pushed for is still very true.  While this is great to see and refreshing from the usual liar reveal setup, it shows that all the worry Marco and his friends had was for nothing.  The princesses’ fun continues as normal even before Ms. Heinous showed up. 

That said, the episode ends with something to look forward to. Following up on an inadvertent claim Ms. Heinous made that she needs the princesses while trying to get the school back, she appears to suck the energy out of one of the princesses.  That brings more light to clovers in her cheeks really suggesting something big.  That’s one of the key sources of substance in an episode mostly dedicated to showing the effects of Marco’s revolution and a conflict that turns out to not matter.

B+

Starfari

This episode explores the theme of monster prejudices on Mewni which soon gets apparent how unreasonable their treatment is. 

Out of it is strong development for Star, the only one to notice how ridiculously unfair monsters have it such as how they’re separated from Mewmans.  She even confronts her own mother about the treatment and its blatant hypocrisy.  Moon says monsters are kept out because they’re dangerous.  However, there are plenty of supernatural creatures not deemed monsters. These include some Magic High Commission members, the Pony Head kingdom, Tom’s demon family, and a family of pigeons with human legs.  Moon’s reasoning for why they get a free pass have shallow excuses like their royal status or being rich.  This is concerning since she has realized monsters can be wholesome and caring too.  It’s like that development never happened.  She does tell Star of the right person to see on the matter, the royal monster expert, Dr. Jelly Goodwell. 

However, when Star storms in on Dr. Goodwell, something about her doesn’t line up with the prejudices.  Rather than openly exclude monsters, she studies them and has wished to meet someone who shares her interests.  Along with a calm positive attitude, Dr. Goodwell certainly makes good first impressions.  It does beg the question of how she’s allowing monster treatment to persist this way if she’s in charge of these matters.  Fortunately, change in treatment seems imminent when she and Star venture into the forests of Mewni to explore monsters in their habitat.  It comes with a lot of strange yet enjoyable steps like wearing flimsy disguises, and doing field research work in a small treehouse. 

During the research work, there’s a reveal of monsters living civil lives in a village outside of Mewni’s borders including Buff Frog and his babies which is nice background.  It’s here where Dr. Goodwell’s stance on monsters feels confusing.  She’s fascinated by them instead of hating them, but chooses to observe them from afar instead of getting to know them when they live like regular Mewmans.  When it comes to reasons for this, she too is irrational when she says that Mewmans and monsters should be separated to prevent bad things from happening to each other.  She does so with a crazy plan to blow a dam and flood the whole monster village. 

After following this crazy charade for so long, Star takes action and formally introduces Dr. Goodwell to Buff Frog and they both seem to get along well.  Buff Frog even shows acknowledgement of her watching him for years.  Their interaction inadvertently blows up the dam though causing all the monsters to rush and stop the flood in an exciting fast-paced sequence.  Star helping them out shows Dr. Goodwell the truth of what monsters and Mewmans are like together, and the results please her.  Despite all this, it’s a little frustrating that she ridiculously thinks this all means Mewmans should act barbaric like monsters which she proceeds to do.  For that matter, for all her observations, how can she not get that the monsters live as civilly as Mewmans?  Even with this disappointment, Star proves as developed and proactive as ever as she steps in and names Buff Frog as the new official royal monster expert.  This is a welcome direction with a lot of potential that sadly goes nowhere, but that’s for another episode. 

As for this episode, in spite of making the monster prejudice issue rather one-sided, it’s made strong by proactiveness doing justice for the characters trying to resolve it.

A-

The Ranking

1. Moon the Undaunted
2. Stranger Danger
3. Return to Mewni
4. Rest in Pudding
5. Demoncism
6. Toffee
7. Club Snubbed
8. Puddle Defender
9. Sophomore Slump
10. Starfari
11. Lint Catcher
12. Princess Turdina
13. Scent of a Hoodie
14. King Ludo
15. Marco and the King
16. Book Be Gone
17. Trial by Squire

The next Star vs the Forces of Evil review develops the nature of Star's new butterfly form, and shows a potential new love life for Marco.

Next time on MC Toon Reviews is two scary Hey Arnold cartoons "Headless Cabbie" and "Friday the 13th.

If you would like to check out other Star vs the Forces of Evil reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.

The Cat in the Hat - 'Toon Reviews Shorty

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On this day, March 2, I’d like to celebrate the birthday of a talented and noteworthy figure in entertainment, Ted Geisel, or as most people know him, Dr. Seuss.  Most of the world has grown up with at least a selection of his vast library of children’s novels and for good reason.  Through his appealing art style invoking plenty of personality in the characters, and nonsense words that feel believable, his works are a huge definition of the idea of imagination.  For this reason, Dr. Seuss has the right to be seen as inspirational to any aspiring artist or entertainer, right down to his birthday being celebrated at schools every year.  They make a note to introduce kids for reading, but there’s a definite vision to the stories he set out to tell, and that’s why many people fondly remember them into adulthood.

It goes without saying that Dr. Seuss is revered when it comes to literature and early reading, but most people don’t know that he’s made a name of himself in animation as well.  Now the TV adaptation of How the Grinch Stole Christmas is quite popular, but others don’t have the same recognition.  A majority of them were made throughout the 1970s and 80s by DFE Films or DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, run by former Warner Bros employees David DePatie and Friz Freleng.  Despite this, you hardly see them rerun these days and are more likely to find a majority of them on streaming services or home media.  This MC Toon Reviews Shorty is designed to give recognition for one of them.  Considering that this is the day to fondly look back on Dr. Seuss’ greatest accomplishments, I’ll look into the TV special of his best-known work:

The Cat in the Hat

(July 4, 1971)

When people think of this title, they instantly think of either the acclaimed children’s book known the world over, or the critically panned live-action film version from 2003.  However, this short half-hour special deserves just as much recognition for how it successfully brings Dr. Seuss’ literary vision to life.  It’s one of the works that show that even when a story sounds simple, that doesn’t matter.  All you have to do is go all out with a good story idea and you’ll have it leave many strong impressions.  What we have here is successful at just that, highlighting the original story’s relatability and memorable moments, while also offering a few of its own.

Now, the story is mostly in line with what was in the original book.  A brother and sister are left home alone on a rainy day with nothing to do for fun until they get an unexpected visitor.  It’s the titular Cat in the Hat who lets himself in with the intent of showing a lot of fun tricks and games the kids can do to keep themselves entertained.  All the while, he’s berated by the pet fish, here named Karlos K. Krinklebein, for his antics while constantly making the point that he shouldn’t trespass here when the mother’s out.  While there are a few unfortunate implications with the protagonist getting away with breaking into homes, what really shines is the intriguing theme.  Most works would admonish the audience for breaking rules and preach that they’re here for a reason.  While this is true, this story also makes a point to say that bending the rules for the sake of a good fun time can be harmless. 

The Cat in the Hat’s intentions are genuinely to help the kids out of their funk, and they’re certainly better off actively following him than sitting around watching it rain.  In fact, the push for fun and leisure is one I tend to support, balancing out the will of the mind to do the right thing, and the will of the heart to satisfy one’s own needs.  This is the basis of the impression the Cat leaves on the kids as they transition from depressed and bored to full of life and energy.  Sure, they don’t have much to their personalities, but through the effectiveness of the fun the Cats shares, they’re quite endearing and relatable as blank slate characters.  I mean, there’s sure to have been many times when we were impressionable of what peers had to offer.  Speaking of relatable, the fish also stands out as a visual metaphor of a conscience and sense of reason.  He’s like a little shred of doubt that’s persistent when bending the rules, reminding us that we know we’re doing wrong, yet we choose to ignore it for self-satisfaction.  His portrayal in the special kind of nails this sensation like with his growing temper and frustration while trying to get the Cat out of the house. 

The story makes a point to support putting reason aside, but with emphasis on the mess they’re making, there’s also a reminder that there’s a catch to this.  When you are bending the rules, there’s a chance it could cause harm, so make a note to get it under control. That’s what everyone does when they clean the house before the mother returns, and the Cat doing most of the work shows that for his recklessness, he knows what he’s doing.  As you can tell, even as a simple children’s story, it leaves a lot to think about when it comes to living life, and can reach out not just to kids, but adults too.  With several fun moments to highlight the phases of the theme, it turns out to be very memorable and easy to see why it’s still celebrated to this day.  That’s just for the basic story in general that this special follows, but how does the special itself work on its own?

For one thing, running at a short half-hour, it’s able to avoid falling into the trap most adaptations of Dr. Seuss’ work fall into.  You go in expecting the story of The Cat in the Hat to come to life, and that’s just what you get.  There’s a tall cat wearing a red and white hat visiting two bored kids on a rainy day and entertaining them with his tricks and activities.  There are no extraneous subplots to take away from the fun tone.  The entertainment factor feels from the heart and doesn’t try so hard to appeal to one particular demographic.  Simplicity is key in the story and character personalities so the main theme can leave an impact.  This wouldn’t be the best direction if this were an adaptation of a long chapter book, but this is a short simple Dr. Seuss children’s novel we’re talking about.  Shorter lengths are a necessity when bringing these works to life.  Also, animation is the true way to adapt the story as well, for the medium where literally anything can easily happen is honestly the only way to accurately interpret the unique style.  Not to mention, it’s the medium to capture all the main players.  The Cat in the Hat is a calm and laid back as he goes about his mission to spread fun also helped by enjoyable voice work from actor, Allan Sherman.  The kids may be blank slates, but as I previously mentioned, they clearly show the effects of the Cat’s antics as they become livelier the more they go on.  Also mentioned earlier, the fish’s temper at the Cat is fun to watch and really defines his role as the shred of conscience in the fun.  There’s also Thing 1 and Thing 2 as the Cat’s sidekicks who are honestly more destructive and rowdy than he is, resulting in some of the special’s more fast-paced sequences.  Even if there isn’t much to see, it suits its purpose of adapting the classic story well and doing so faithfully.

Faithful to the tone as the special is, unlike most Dr. Seuss TV special adaptations, it’s not really direct.  There is one other reason the Cat in the Hat comes to the kids’ house than to just help the kids have fun on the rainy day.  In fact, he’s quickly sent away at the commands of the fish as the special just gets started.  Then he instantaneously returns, claiming that someone stole something called a “moss-covered three-handled family gradunza” and sticks around to find it in the house.  This gives the special more backbone to the story than just teaching an interesting lesson, but this being the main reason the Cat stays begs a few questions.  The biggest one is of what exactly a gradunza is.  Upon research, I’ve found out it’s either a piece of furniture, or a wrestling move, but neither definitions are implied in the special proper.  Then again, this is a Dr. Seuss work we’re talking about. 

This setup allowing the Cat to stick around is the reason behind most of the antics which are still really fun highlights to the special.  He has an activity where he and the kids look at different spots in the house and write symbols on all the places the gradunza isn’t located.  It also helps that it comes with an unbelievably catchy song to explain the process and puts a larger emphasis on the creativity of the strategy than the main goal.  There’s also some truth to it when it comes to finding lost things and can help avoid the common mistake of looking in the same place twice.  Another fun sequence relating to the gradunza search is the introduction to Thing 1 and Thing 2, suggesting a more helpful side to them not seen in the book.  However, they’re just as reckless as ever, messing up the house in many oddball ways, also set to a crazily amazing song sequence.  Heck, they’re clearly interested in calling out the fish for not liking fun, and don’t search for the missing object at all.

With all this in mind, you could argue that there being a specific reason for the Cat doing his thing devalues the message of there being benefits in rule bending for fun.  Well, consider that even in these activities, there’s more focus on the chaos of writing on walls and running around than actually finding the Cat’s gradunza.  Even after sounding strict and emotional about finding it, he’s not worried for it at all.  It even hits a few tangents that don’t relate to the search at all.  The Cat uses insults from the fish to sing about how he’s a punk, and entertain with a few tricks with his hat. 

Then near the end, everyone forgets about it all together in a spectacular sequence of saying the phrase “Cat in the Hat” in various languages.  Even the fish gets in on that fun, showing that even reason can’t hold out of fun for long.  Just to add to the fun tone, rather than just teaching languages, they make most of them up, especially in the second half of the song. E.g.: Chapka and Shlyapa are actually both Russian for the word ‘hat.’ 

Technically, the special is all over the place by focusing on finding the gradunza for one minute and then doing something completely unrelated another.  This could be a major flaw, but thanks to the execution establishing the tone of the special, what threatens to hold the special back elevates it to impressive status.  The lack of urgency, even when they are looking for the gradunza, which they by the way never really explain what it is, suggests the Cat’s using it as an excuse to stay.  By the time he puts more care into proving to the fish that he really is a Cat in a Hat, it’s practically obvious that he was making that ploy up the whole time.  This turns out to be an interesting way to teach how having fun really works where everyone gets involved to do a task, but have fonder memories of everything in between.  This move is so clever, the twist at the end with the kids’ mother saying she saw the Cat walking with the gradunza feels somewhat redundant.  The whole special captures the message and tone of the original book well, but it’s also great to know that it has enough appeal to stand as its own thing.

The Cat in the Hat TV special is a must-watch for anyone who’s ever loved the works of Dr. Seuss.  It’s long enough and smartly crafted enough to match the author’s original vision and clever moral, but it has its own surprises.  Enhanced by broader characterizations of the main players and amazingly catchy songs, the push for fun is cleverly interpreted.  There’s a clear passion to adapting Dr. Seuss’ work that must be seen to be believed.  After all, when it comes to animated storytelling, there’s no better way of saying that it’s fun to have fun, but you have to know how.

Highly Recommended

That’s it for this ‘Toon Reviews Shorty, and I'll see you next time in the regularly scheduled review roster. There’s nothing left here to say except:

Happy birthday, Dr. Seuss (1904-1991)

Stay Animated Folks!

The Beeper Queen / Oskar Can't Read? (Hey Arnold Season 4 Episode 5) - 'Toon Reviews 28

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:

The Beeper Queen

It’s well-established that Helga’s bad side is a result of her bad home life, mostly from her parents neglecting her.  However, despite both her mom and dad not being good at their jobs on the whole, even they have moments.  For this cartoon, we get a sense of that with Miriam who gets away from her alcoholic habits around the house and enters the work world. 

A freak event causes Big Bob to throw out his back which means he has to stay home to heal and won’t be able to run his beeper emporium.  Miriam is the only option to cover for him, and there’s some believable hesitation with this move given what she’s usually like.  Shortly after the first day, it turns out that Miriam can pull off running the emporium very well.  She doesn’t succumb to any of her usual shortcomings, gets the work done, and establishes a good rapport with the investors.  It’s like she’s a whole different person without her lethargic habits and “smoothies.”  Have her get out more, and she’s a productive individual with potential. 

The most noteworthy thing of all is what it does for Miriam’s role as a mother.  She and Helga become much closer than ever, for when work is done, they bond through socializing as Helga does her homework.  Plus, she’s far more attentive of things she usually neglects, mainly preparing Helga’s lunches.  All this seems like a positive change of pace the Pataki family desperately needs.  Miriam pulls off the usual workload with a positive attitude while Big Bob takes it easy for once by obsessing over soap operas.  Helga being happy with everything for once seals the deal. 

Then comes the very sad part of the affair.  Even with these positive changes, Helga gradually faces the same neglect.  It’s not because Miriam is somehow swayed back into her old habits.  She just adopts new ones where the job she enjoys consumes her so much, she values it over every other thing, including her family.  As a result, over time, because of her attachment to her job, she pays less and less attention to Helga who’s left unnoticed again.  This job may not be alcoholic, but Miriam’s attachment to it is honestly not far off from what she usually indulges in.  It goes to show that you can put either of Helga’s parents in different settings, but their faults will still persist. 

Rather than being annoyed by all this, Helga is surprisingly depressed and saddened, and believably so.  She really thought things would get better now that her mom is working, but they really haven't.  Then, in an interesting scene of Arnold taking interest in Helga’s problem despite hearing nothing about it earlier, she’s moved to actually talk to her mom about how she feels.  She does so when Miriam is dong an elaborate Broadway-like commercial for beepers, which is kind of ironic considering how irrelevant they are today.  She blows off her daughter’s request to talk, but when she sees herself tell her to go on a TV later, Miriam shows her humanity is intact.  This brings a heartfelt scene where Miriam walks out on the commercial, and personally lets Helga know that she’ll always be there to be her mom. 

The last scene suggests some change as she goes back to the status quo, but does so in a much healthier positive attitude.  Like her taking the job though, it’s also disappointing.  As before in an earlier cartoon, “Road Trip,” after all her genuine development, it doesn’t carry over into other cartoons, and Miriam’s back to her old habits.  This is an unfortunate sting for sure, but through the character moments and emotions, this cartoon as a work by itself is very pleasing and endearing.

A

Oskar Can’t Read?

If you were to ask me who my favorite resident of Arnold’s boarding house is, it’s Oskar Kokoshka.  Sure, he’s a lazy, self-absorbed, conman always looking for the easy way out, but as a character like that, he’s a lot of fun to watch.  His feeble attempts to get money and duck out of the hard work it takes to live a healthy life are just certain things that get a laugh out of me.  Part of his appeal is how his lazy ways are frequently called out, and how it never really feels like he’s trying to be unlikable.  He feels more naïve and unaware of how to act socially appropriate.  As an interesting change of pace, what he goes through in this cartoon is not about him doing something beneficial because of how other people react to his laziness.  Rather, it’s about him acting as a result of what his laziness does to him personally. 

It’s shown right away when he makes mistakes or feeble excuses when people ask for his help.  Arnold deduces this behavior as Oskar covering up the fact that he apparently doesn’t know how to read.  It goes without saying that reading is an important skill to know to get around in life.  With Oskar never learning how to do it, that really shows the depths of his faults.  It begs the question on how he can possibly be a paperboy since that involves reading routes.  However, they do reference this fact, so maybe the reason for keeping the job is something that shouldn’t be read too deeply into.  Arnold sets up basic exercises to help Oskar learn to read, but in typical Oskar Kokoshka fashion, he doesn’t put in an ounce of work, even if the exercises are so easy.  Excuses for not filling out the sheets and bribes to make it look like he can read something complex abound just so he can win a bet, but by the middle of the cartoon, they’re discovered. 

The thing is, although Oskar is admonished for faking that he was getting better at reading, that doesn’t feel like the biggest reason he’s crushed.  As he observes the world around him, it feels like he’s saddened that he can’t read signs or directions like everyone else.  Ultimately, Oskar decides he doesn’t want to read for a bet or for others, but rather for himself, and for the rest of the cartoon, his efforts to do that are so genuine. 

It makes for many memorable moments, in particular a scene where he reads a simple book about petting a kitty. The appeal comes from a grown man delighting in reading something for really young children. 

Following this scene is a special stunt to determine if Oskar can read once and for all where Arnold leaves him across town to read directions to find his way home.  Some may call this move extreme for an illiterate person, but I’m not too bothered and see this as an interesting exercise.  Not to mention, Oskar does a pretty good job of reading the routes, towns, and street signs, and only messes up because of an honest mistake anyone could’ve made.  Even when despondent over it, he’s reading without even trying.  Even if this does get him lost for a long time, he’s endearingly moved to realize that literacy was inside him all along as finding a stray cat makes him think of the one book he read.  As a result, we close with an endearing moment of Oskar finally coming home, as well as a hilarious scene of Oskar reading Pet the Kitty while everyone’s trying to sleep into the credits. 

There’s a great sense of strong comedy, genuine heart, and an overall sympathetic portrayal of Oskar here. You really don’t need to read too hard into this cartoon to see it as his best starring role.

A+

The Ranking

1. Oskar Can’t Read?
2. Dinner for Four
3. The Beeper Queen
4. Stinky’s Pumpkin
5. Big Gino
6. Phoebe Skips
7. Eugene’s Birthday
8. Student Teacher
9. Jamie O in Love
10. Full Moon

The next Hey Arnold review takes on a spooky tone with the tale of the Headless Cabbie and things going wrong on Friday the 13th.

Next time on MC Toon Reviews is a special review for March 2, the birthday of Dr. Seuss.

If you would like to check out other Hey Arnold reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.