You make fair points. Amphibia was a fantastic show and did nicely work in some darker moments, but it's true that it did pull its punches at crucial moments and it's not until the very end that the show truly did anything bittersweet. I think it mostly works out fine, but I can see why someone might've preferred that it took a few more risks.
These days I wonder how many people throw out the term "deconstruction" when they aren't familiar with the genre their preferred series supposedly "deconstructs". It feels like it's starting to just be used as a way to describe something as a well done example of a genre, not something that really takes it apart.
I don’t disagree. While enjoyed the show overall I think its biggest issue is just the pacing. Not so much that individual episodes are badly paced but rather that the pacing of the overall story arc is wonky, as all three seasons spend way too much time on Breather Episodes while slowly building up to the main story beats and then having to pay off a lot within one “big event” episode. Like, for example, the first third of season 2, which involves the characters traveling to Newtopia, felt way too drawn out considering that only two episodes became Chekhovs Guns later on. Season three was better with the pacing but it too got hampered by the fact that half of it took place on Earth. Overall, the big issue in my opinion is the show not knowing how to compact the frivolous elements and (ironically) not spreading out the plot crucial ones and allowing them to breathe more.
I adore the series, but I will consider your criticisms fair. Unfortunately, to me, it seems that people misled you on the nature of the show. I never saw it as a Deconstruction of the \"isekai\" genre, but rather a fairly straightforward (albeit very well-done) example of the genre. I suppose the problem is more that a lot of people don\'t really know what makes a Deconstruction a Deconstruction; too many people just call any dark series or moments in a lighthearted show \"deconstructive\" and leave it at that when the term is so much more complex.
"Detecting trace amounts of mental activity. Possibly a dead weasel or a cartoon viewer"
Thanks everyone for being respectful. :)
Deconstructions are overrated. The Rising of the Shield Hero is a more faithful example of a deconstruction, portraying three isekai characters as selfish jerks that feel entitled to do whatever they want due to their power. Yet its an awful series. The isekai characters are poorly developed, their thought processes are filled with Insane Troll Logic, and exist mostly to show how the main protagonist is so much better than them. The main conflict is resolved by main character beating the tar out of them and commanding them to be better. Just cause a show is a deconstruction, doesn\'t make it well made or actually good.
She-Ra wastes much of the relationship between Adora and Catra, by having Catra repeatedly flip-flop between being on the side of the good guys or the side of the bad guys. I\'ll take a more light-hearted interaction, if it means the characters can convince me as why the dynamics of the characters work so well together. Consequently this means that forgiveness is easier, but the advantage is that characters\' conversations feel more natural and relationships are more interactive rather than obsess over angst.
Owl House had a turbulent relationship between Luz and Amity, but I can\'t say the same for Amity and Ivy. Ivy forgives Amity so fast, it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth, especially since Ivy was briefly lobotomized by Amity in attempt to cut the remaining cord of their relationship. Even before Amity reasons for bullying were revealed to Luz, Luz tried to befriend Amity which comes off as wrong to me. In general their relationship works itself out because its convenient as opposed to Amity making genuine effort to repair it.
Steven Universe has so many \"I am struggling to forgive you\" episodes the melodrama slows down the pacing. It can cover some important relationships but it can be repetitive and emotionally tiresome.
I don\'t dislike any of the above shows, but I am pointing out that their own attempts at padding out the drama of guilt, regret, and forgiveness have their own drawbacks which Amphibia can bypass because its more light-hearted. I don\'t think forgiveness should be given immediately in shows but pacing can slow down when these kinds of plots are drawn out which is why I say that Amphibia isn\'t any worse for choosing the direction that it does.
I was going to write my own review, but this is, for better or worse, my feelings about the show. It's good at being what it is, which is a funny and sometimes heartwarming fantasy cartoon that aspires to bigger things. But I feel like a lot of fans praise it above and beyond that, and treat it as though it were the second coming of Gargoyles or even Avatar: The Last Airbender. And while I love Amphibia itself, I don't really think those comparisons are fair. Amphibia shouldn't be thought of as a serious, deconstructive drama because that's not the show it's trying to be. And I think that, instead of trying to recommend Amphibia as being "mature" and "serious", we should just let Amphibia be itself.
Leave a Comment:
Creative? Absolutely! Funny? Hilarious! Deconstructive? Err…
When getting recommended Amphibia I often heard it described as “the show that deconstructs the isekai”. Now having watched all of it from beginning to end, my opinion is that… this is reading into it too much. Amphibia is a fun show with a memorable setting, lovable cast, and a sharp sense of humor. But though the story sometimes pokes at mature themes, it seems unwilling to actually commit to them and, worse, will sometimes undermine them in order to get back to light adventure.
In an early episode, Anne encounters a fuzzy cat-like critter and, missing home, decides to raise it like a kitten. This backfires when it turns out to be a ravenous wild beast with no domestication, and Anne learns a harsh but essential lesson about not chasing the past. But then in Season 3 she goes back to chasing that same wild animal, with nothing more than a good feeling, and it totally works this time, just because. This encapsulates the whole series, prone to portraying something shocking and then casually undoing it later.
Oh no, Sasha betrayed Anne’s trust again! Anne vows to end their friendship for good… and then forgives her literally the next time they meet. Oh no, Marcy selfishly stranded her friends! She feels guilty about this! And now she’s mortally wounded and had her mind controlled! She… only feels briefly upset about these then once free goes back into “woo yeah, anime fantasy mode”. Oh no! Anne has been betrayed by Sasha, by Andrias, by Marcy! She’s afraid she can’t trust anyone! …but that’s just her own paranoia, she can totally trust this random stranger scientist just because they’re quirky even though the last quirky scientist she met messed up her life. Oh no! Someone might die for real to end the calamity for once and for all! Never mind, God is Ruby and a cat and just has to Word document copy+paste.
The cartoon shows that I appreciate the most were willing to let consequences stick and linger. When Steven Universe revealed the truth about Pink Diamond, it spent four episodes ruminating on the effects and how the cast felt about all the repercussions dumped on them. When the She-Ra reboot had Catra cross a line too far for Adora’s tolerance, it kept them at odds for a whole season until Catra fully digested how toxic she was and showed proof of her change. And when it had a significant death with seemingly an easy out, it didn’t take that out and let the impact of the loss change the characters. The Owl House also has truthfully demonstrated how forgiveness takes time, with Luz and Amity, and Amity and Willow, and Amity and her father all taking it slow in mending their relationships. Amphibia felt to me like it was eager to open a can of worms for shock value, then just do that again and again without actually doing much about the implications. And in the end there’s a whole lot of worms.
If the genuinely engaging setting had just stuck to being funny, I wouldn’t fault it for knowing its strengths. But trying to do more and then not committing makes me long for what could be.