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Reviews
Star vs. the Forces of Evil (2012)
A quality show
So, first off, let me say that I really enjoyed this show. It's very creative, has a distinct animation style, the jokes are funny, and it has some solid characters. Star Butterfly and Marco Diaz are 100% solid leading characters with great chemistry, and they have a good supporting cast with the likes of Hekapoo, Omnitraxus, Jackie, Eclipsa, Queen Moon, Janna, Tom, Glossaric and many more. The pacing was solid, the animation was on point, and the plot arcs were well-written. So, why does this show only get 8/10 for me? There are 3 things that really hold it back for me. First, I feel like the direction of the whole show changed on a dime at least 3 times where the creative direction was like "Well, we've milked this set of ideas for what we could think of, so what's next?"
Second, it was really inconstant, particularly through the first 2 seasons. For every great episode like "Game of Flags" or "Starcrushed", there were filler episodes like "Trickstar" or "Pizza Thing."
Lastly, and this might be an unpopular opinion, but I felt the ending was rushed, unearned, and inconsistent with the characters' personalities. It traded in what had the potential to be an epic "Magic is breaking down and it's up to the protagonists to fix it" showdown to a "Magic is bad, racism is bad, let's all live happily ever after" (??) message. Like, what even was the deal with all the dark unicorns in the land of magic, or Eclipsa's spell that destroys spells?
Anyway, I still deeply enjoyed this show, and wish Daron the best of luck on her next project.
Infinity Train (2019)
Every bit as good as cracked up to be
For years Infinity train has been hyped up, ever since its pilot was placed on Youtube, and I gotta say; the first 10 episodes lived up to that. Individually they were good to great, but collectively, they're something far more powerful. Tulip is a wonderful and relatable main character, and all the plot points are tied to her internal struggles just as much as the fantastic world she's immersed in. I particularly love how the show addresses mature topics while still keeping her sense of wonder and innocence. The supporting cast may be sparse, but everyone is there for a reason. I found "The Cat" a particularly interesting case with her split motives and evasive personality. I really hope that the next ten episodes will be just as compelling
Amphibia (2019)
A solid show, worthy of Disney.
My opinion after the first season, for the record:
This show has a lot of potential, and quite a few wonderful things about it. I really love the whole main cast; each character is quirky yet relatable. Hop-hops is a kind old grandpa figure, sprig bounces up and down like a maniac, Polly is sweet yet wants to smash all the grown people, and Anne... Anne is the glue that holds everything together, pulling the viewers feel into the world with her own delightful charisma. The world building is distinctive, the animation smooth and striking, and there are a couple of pretty solid minor characters who actually feel fleshed out. Oh, and there are some wonderful 4th wall breaks, too.
However, I feel that sometimes the plot can be a bit too cut and dry, and I really think it'd be good if they went to having full 22 minute episodes so that they could swap between characters and really develop some nice arcs, sorta like Gravity Falls. That way, every episode wouldn't have to be episodic (like infinity train), and there could be room for more than one concurrent plot.
All in all, I think it's a solid show that has buckets of potential, and I'm really curious to see where it'll go next.