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Acebuckeye13
Nov 2, 2010


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Ultra Carp

Click for the Season 1/2 intro and incredibly catchy theme song

What is this?

Star Vs the Forces of Evil is an American animated show created by Daron Nefcy, currently airing its third season on Disney XD. Inspired by Nefcy’s childhood love/obsession with Sailor Moon, the show follows the adventures of Star Butterfly, a magical princess sent to Earth for being too destructive, and Marco Diaz, a normal teen who becomes her best friend and roommate. Loaded with stellar comic writing, great animation, and surprising emotional depths, Star is a show that is well worth watching if you aren’t already.

Main Characters

(Some Season 1 and 2 spoilers below)



Star Butterfly, voiced by Eden Sher, is the show’s lead protagonist. A princess from the magical land of Mewni, at the age of 14 Star was bestowed the immense responsibility of protecting and wielding her kingdom’s two most important magical artifacts: the royal magic wand, and her family’s book of spells. This did not go well, and Star was very quickly sent to Earth to limit the damage she could cause to her own kingdom. A self-described warrior princess with fists like hammers, Star loves nothing more than fighting monsters with her magic wand, partying with her friends, and desperately avoiding her impending future as queen.



Marco Diaz, voiced by Adam McArthur, is the show’s deuteragonist. A straight-A student at Echo Creek Academy with a reputation for being the “safe kid”, Marco’s life was turned completely upside-down when Star Butterfly came to live with his family. Fortunately, even though he lacks Star’s magical talents, Marco is more than able to stand up in a fight thanks to his extensive karate training. Significantly more grounded than Star, Marco frequently serves as a balancing influence on Star’s more destructive impulses, though he’s not without his own faults.

Friends and Allies



Flying Princess Pony Head is Star’s best friend from Mewni. She is voiced by Jenny Slate, and is basically Slate’s character from Parks and Rec in animated form. She’s aggressively terrible, but for all her faults is a loyal friend to Star.



Tom Lucitor, voiced by Rider Strong, is the Prince of the Underworld and Star’s demon ex-boyfriend. Burdened with severe anger issues, Tom was dumped by Star before the beginning of the series, and his first several appearances focused on him trying to win her back. After recognizing he couldn’t force Star to get back together with him, he chilled out considerably, and even began a sort-of-friendship with Marco.

Or could it be… something more? It’s not.



Sir Glossaryck of Terms, voiced by Jeffrey Tambor, is an enigmatic magical being that lives in Star’s family spellbook. Extremely powerful and possibly omniscient, Glossaryck’s stated purpose is to help Star reach her full magical potential as she prepares to become Queen. Purposefully vague, never quite truthful, and obsessed with pudding, Glossaryck is nevertheless Star’s most powerful ally, if not always the most useful… until he, and the spellbook, are captured by Ludo.



Queen Moon and King River Butterfly of Mewni, voiced by Grey Griffen and Alan Tudyk respectively, are Star’s parents. The ruler of the Kingdom of Mewni, Moon Butterfly is a strict and focused individual who is constantly pressing Star to focus on her training and to prepare for her future as queen. By contrast, King River Butterfly (né Johansen) comes from a family of barbarian warriors, and is much more open and caring towards his daughter (When he’s not sneaking off to fight monsters). Both of them love Star very much, and worry if they did the right thing in sending their daughter to Earth.



Yvgeny Bulgolyubov, aka Buff Frog, voiced by Fred Tatasciore, is a former member of Ludo’s army. Originally a scout assigned to spy on Star, Buff Frog was ejected from the castle as an early victim of Toffee’s machinations. After adopting a group of tadpoles, Buff Frog refocused his life into becoming a loving father to his children and an occasional ally to Star.



Rafael and Angie Diaz, voiced by Artt Butler and Nia Vardalos, are Marco’s parents. Excitable and enthusiastic parents, if somewhat inattentive, they are happy to have Star living with them in spite of Star’s frequent destruction of their house.



Janna Ordonia, voiced by Abby Elliot, is a fellow student at Echo Creek Academy. Enjoys nothing more than exploring creepy occult mysteries and tormenting Marco, making her an ideal friend for Star.



Jackie-Lynn Thomas, voiced by Grey Griffin, is a fellow student at Echo Creek Academy. The living definition of chill, Jackie is easily one of the coolest kids in school, and is Marco’s long-standing crush.

The Magical High Commission



Tasked with protecting magic in the universe, The Magical High Commission is a group of exceptionally powerful interdimensional beings that show up in Season 2. Currently, they consist of:



High Chancelor Lekmet, voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson. Elderly and frail, he is nonetheless exceptionally powerful and wise. At least, he probably is, but there’s no way to know for sure since nobody can understand him. Nobody, that is, except for…



Rhombulus, also voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson. The so-called ‘Muscle’ of the Magical High Commission, Rhombulus is a tough fighter and is capable of encasing his foes in unbreakable crystal shards. He is, however, not very bright.



Heckapoo, voiced by Zosia Mamet, is the forger of all dimensional scissors, the primary method of travel across the universe. Don’t get on her bad side.



Omnitraxus Prime, voiced by Carl Weathers, is the master of time-space space-time. Hangs out in a dimension with Father Time.



The final member of the Magical High Commission is none other than Star’s mom, Queen Moon Butterfly. Turns out she’s a badass


The Forces of Evil



Ludo Avarius, voiced by Alan Tudyk, is Star’s primary antagonist throughout the series. Greedily desiring Star’s wand so that he can grant himself his big boy body and take over the universe, Ludo constantly leads his group of monsters on ill-fated quests to attack Star and steal her wand. After the first season finale, however, Ludo’s castle is destroyed and his monsters dispersed, forcing him to survive on his own for the first time-a process that hardens him, and over time crafts him into a viable, if increasingly unstable, threat.



Toffee, voiced by Michael C. Hall, is the series’ most capable and mysterious villain. Oozing charisma and cool from his very first appearance, Toffee quickly proves to be a far greater threat to Star than any of Ludo’s ineffectual efforts.



Miss Heinous, voiced by Jessica Walter, is the former headmistress of Saint Olga's Reform School for Wayward Princesses. Strict, domineering, and intent on crushing undesirable traits such as "free will" and "independent thought," her harsh teaching methods have made St. O's a name feared by princesses throughout the multiverse.



Eclipsa Butterfly, voiced by Esmé Bianco, was once a Queen of Mewni long ago. Powerful and feared, she abandoned her kingdom after falling in love with a monster and was sealed away. That is, until a certain young, impressionable queen decides to make a deal. secretly the best character on the show

Other Stuff
  • Gallery Nucleus recently held a Star-themed exhibition, featuring works of art from several members of the crew. Many of these works were collected onto imgur and posted here. There’s some good stuff in there! (Some of which is posted below)
  • Brian H. Kim, the show’s music director, is fairly active on Tumblr, and often posts the music tracks he creates for the show. Go check it out!
  • Daron Nefcy, the show’s creator, is also semi-active on social media, and will post about upcoming events or other information about the show. Tumblr Twitter
  • The book Star and Marco’s Guide to Mastering Every Dimension and the comic collection Deep Trouble are now available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and fine booksellers everywhere. Both were written by members of the show’s core team and feature flashes of the show’s humor as well as interesting background information on the show’s universe, if you’re into that kind of thing.
  • Another book, Star's Magic Book of Spells, was just recently released, and is so packed full of ~deepest lore~ that Daron Nefcy herself considers it to effectively be Season 3.5

Questions

So where can I watch this?

If you’ve got a cable subscription, you can watch new episodes through Watch Disney XD or the Disney XD app. Seasons 1-3 are also available to steam on Hulu, and can be purchased on iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon.

What episodes should I watch?

I’d personally recommend starting with the first episode, Star Comes to Earth, and rolling on from there. Every episode is worth watching at least once, and as the series goes on there’s an increasing number of callbacks to old episodes. If the first episode doesn’t do it for you, however, you can also try watching Blood Moon Ball or Mewberty from Season 1, or Mr. Candle Cares or Running with Scissors from Season 2 to see if the show is really for you.

Bobbin Threadbare has also taken the time to create an episode guide!
Season 1
Season 2A
Season 2B
The Battle for Mewni
Season 3B

Why should I watch this show?

There’s a couple of reasons: Number one, it’s funny. The show has some excellent comedic writing and timing, and isn’t afraid to make full use of its half-fantasy, half-sci-fi premise. Going beyond sheer humor, however, the show is just well-written in general, with surprisingly well-executed narrative and emotional arcs that cut across both seasons. The character writing alone is worth watching the show for, and Star in particular is great to watch (Thanks in part to Eden Sher’s terrific VA work).

Basically, if you enjoyed cartoons like Gravity Falls or Avatar, you’ll almost certainly enjoy Star.

Also:

Acebuckeye13 posted:

Since the promos are starting to get pretty spoiler-heavy, make sure to use tags when talking about the crazier stuff that's starting to pop up, like Toffee falling from the top of Nakatomi Plaza or Star shooting a man in Reno just to watch him die

Acebuckeye13 fucked around with this message at 22:59 on Sep 12, 2018

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Acebuckeye13
Nov 2, 2010


If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling
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Ultra Carp
Art and Gifs

(Open the image in a new tab and remove the l at the end of the address for the full sized versions)

Episode Promos

Season One



Season Two



Season Three



Season Four


Star Crew Art



Gifs (Feel free to add suggestions)



Now strap in losers, ‘cause it’s gonna get wild

Acebuckeye13 fucked around with this message at 20:43 on May 19, 2019

Acebuckeye13
Nov 2, 2010


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Ultra Carp
Current Events

Show's over, folks! It had a good run.

https://twitter.com/DaronNefcy/status/1130002225227554816

Acebuckeye13 fucked around with this message at 22:14 on May 19, 2019

Digamma-F-Wau
Mar 22, 2016

It is curious and wants to accept all kinds of challenges
missed a promo

https://twitter.com/zach2themax/status/834584861524385792

Junpei Hyde
Mar 15, 2013




Janna is the best and should kiss Star imo

DoubleCakes
Jan 14, 2015

I hope Janna is party of this new hero party, she's really cool

Pakled
Aug 6, 2011

WE ARE SMART
When you aren't in the new intro

Junpei Hyde
Mar 15, 2013




Pakled posted:

When you aren't in the new intro



If jackie isnt involved in this season i will be rather upset.

Acebuckeye13
Nov 2, 2010


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Ultra Carp

Added because it's too great not to be in the OP.

Pakled posted:

When you aren't in the new intro



Couldn't even make it into the intro over one-off joke characters, she's as good as dead :rip:

Bobbin Threadbare
Jan 2, 2009

I'm looking for a flock of urbanmechs.


This gif needs the context of the teddy bear neck snap.

Bobbin Threadbare fucked around with this message at 00:15 on Jun 14, 2017

Acebuckeye13
Nov 2, 2010


If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling
1-800-GAMBLER


Ultra Carp

Bobbin Threadbare posted:

This gif needs the context of the teddy bear neck snap.



School Spirit really was a great early episode.

Venuz Patrol
Mar 27, 2011
my favorite thing about this show is that pixtopia, the last episodes to feature the two boring backup dude characters, had an excellent opportunity to write both of them out of the show forever, but instead they stuck around only to not do anything for the rest of the series

Senerio
Oct 19, 2009

Ooh! Are we messing with Adora?



I am excited for it to get a little weird and a little wild.

Junpei Hyde
Mar 15, 2013




Senerio posted:

I am excited for it to get a little weird and a little wild.

I'm not from round here













I have my own customs! LOOK AT MY CRAAAAAAAZY PASSPORT!

kidcoelacanth
Sep 23, 2009

Pre-bummed about lack of Jackie

Acebuckeye13
Nov 2, 2010


If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling
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Ultra Carp

Venuz Patrol posted:

my favorite thing about this show is that pixtopia, the last episodes to feature the two boring backup dude characters, had an excellent opportunity to write both of them out of the show forever, but instead they stuck around only to not do anything for the rest of the series

Fun fact, those characters only existed because Disney basically mandated that Marco had to have some male friends, and disappeared after the first season because the writers had no idea what to do with them.

kidcoelacanth posted:

Pre-bummed about lack of Jackie

It has been confirmed that we'll be seeing more of Jackie in Season 3, so I doubt the writers completely forgot about her.

Digamma-F-Wau
Mar 22, 2016

It is curious and wants to accept all kinds of challenges

Acebuckeye13 posted:

Fun fact, those characters only existed because Disney basically mandated that Marco had to have some male friends, and disappeared after the first season because the writers had no idea what to do with them.


It has been confirmed that we'll be seeing more of Jackie in Season 3, so I doubt the writers completely forgot about her.

It's also been confirmed that there will be more of Alfonzo and Ferguson in season 3 because the writers finally figured out what to do with them

Bobbin Threadbare
Jan 2, 2009

I'm looking for a flock of urbanmechs.

kidcoelacanth posted:

Pre-bummed about lack of Jackie

Right now I'm seeing five possible futures.

1. Jackie fights for Marco's attention, but he can't keep away from Star.
2. Jackie turns out to not be that invested and tells Marco to "go to her." (Feels like a cop-out, probably won't happen).
3. Jackie turns out to be the wrong kind of weird for Marco once they really get to know each other.
4. Marco turns out to be the wrong kind of weird for Jackie. (Also unlikely since his weirdness has been on full display since before they started dating).
5. Jackie remains Marco's long-distance girlfriend despite everything that happened/will soon happen. (Would be anticlimactic considering the season 2 ending, but it seems like there's an outside chance it could work if the creators decide to kill Starco for good).

The Ayshkerbundy posted:

It's also been confirmed that there will be more of Alfonzo and Ferguson in season 3 because the writers finally figured out what to do with them

Having Alfonzo follow through on "Pixtopia" and become an evil tyrant Star and Marco have to defeat could potentially be amazing. Then again, the guidebook and comic emphasized their time as a double centaur, and that could go in some very weird and interesting directions.

Venuz Patrol
Mar 27, 2011

Acebuckeye13 posted:

Fun fact, those characters only existed because Disney basically mandated that Marco had to have some male friends, and disappeared after the first season because the writers had no idea what to do with them.

my assumption was that they did some character polls after a few episodes and immediately adjusted the plot to feature janna and starfan26 more instead of those schmucks, who i refuse to remember the names of even though they were just posted a few replies up

Benne
Sep 2, 2011

STOP DOING HEROIN

Acebuckeye13 posted:

Fun fact, those characters only existed because Disney basically mandated that Marco had to have some male friends, and disappeared after the first season because the writers had no idea what to do with them.

At least they turned this into a really funny joke in Season 2 when Star was like "and you guys, I haven't seen you in a long time but we're still friends!" and you only see their hands raise from a crowd, not even their faces.

Benne
Sep 2, 2011

STOP DOING HEROIN
Also (don't know if I have to use spoiler tags but just in case)

I'm still hoping they run with the idea that Marco is actually in his 30s now after getting trapped in Heckapoo's dimension, which opens up so many story possibilities. But it's probably just a one-off gag they won't address again, so oh well.

kidcoelacanth
Sep 23, 2009

Bobbin Threadbare posted:

Right now I'm seeing five possible futures.

1. Jackie fights for Marco's attention, but he can't keep away from Star.
2. Jackie turns out to not be that invested and tells Marco to "go to her." (Feels like a cop-out, probably won't happen).
3. Jackie turns out to be the wrong kind of weird for Marco once they really get to know each other.
4. Marco turns out to be the wrong kind of weird for Jackie. (Also unlikely since his weirdness has been on full display since before they started dating).
5. Jackie remains Marco's long-distance girlfriend despite everything that happened/will soon happen. (Would be anticlimactic considering the season 2 ending, but it seems like there's an outside chance it could work if the creators decide to kill Starco for good).

Just let them stay together! They're cute and stuff!! Dang it!

Acebuckeye13
Nov 2, 2010


If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling
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Ultra Carp

Benne posted:

Also (don't know if I have to use spoiler tags but just in case)

I'm still hoping they run with the idea that Marco is actually in his 30s now after getting trapped in Heckapoo's dimension, which opens up so many story possibilities. But it's probably just a one-off gag they won't address again, so oh well.

I tried to avoid/mark major spoilers in the OP, but for the thread itself go wild.

Pakled
Aug 6, 2011

WE ARE SMART

Benne posted:

Also (don't know if I have to use spoiler tags but just in case)

I'm still hoping they run with the idea that Marco is actually in his 30s now after getting trapped in Heckapoo's dimension, which opens up so many story possibilities. But it's probably just a one-off gag they won't address again, so oh well.

Yeah this was simultaneously a really cool plot development and woefully under-utilized. I'm hoping they expand on that this season.

Benne
Sep 2, 2011

STOP DOING HEROIN

Pakled posted:

Yeah this was simultaneously a really cool plot development and woefully under-utilized. I'm hoping they expand on that this season.

Given the show's history of slow-burning arcs and referencing continuity at unexpected moments, it wouldn't surprise me if that did come up again at some point. Especially if Marco is playing a bigger role in Mewni plots, which the new season appears to be hinting at.



E: Also Marco/Heckapoo>>>Starco, don't @ me.

BioEnchanted
Aug 9, 2011

He plays for the dreamers that forgot how to dream, and the lovers that forgot how to love.
I'm looking forward to seeing what Ludo will do when they finally get Toffee out of his head. I wouldn't be surprised if he gave up on magic on the whole considering how badly it screwed him on both fronts (both Toffee and Glossaryck) last season. He's definitely unlikely to be quite the same at least.

Benne
Sep 2, 2011

STOP DOING HEROIN

BioEnchanted posted:

I'm looking forward to seeing what Ludo will do when they finally get Toffee out of his head. I wouldn't be surprised if he gave up on magic on the whole considering how badly it screwed him on both fronts (both Toffee and Glossaryck) last season. He's definitely unlikely to be quite the same at least.

Yeah, I think they're setting up a Ludo redemption arc, especially after the Season 2 finale. His whole story up till now has been about he's always felt small and powerless, compared to the rest of his family -- remember, he only wanted Star's wand at first so he could be big and strong. This inferiority complex has led him down a dark road where he allowed himself to get manipulated by Toffee, who is way cooler and smarter than he'll ever be.

The conversation with Moon showed a slight spark of Ludo's real personality -- sweet, humble, vulnerable and more than a bit broken, but willing to let people in. He's worth saving, but first he has to get rid of Toffee's influence and truly learn to love himself.

Acebuckeye13
Nov 2, 2010


If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling
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Ultra Carp
It's hard to say what they'll end up doing with Ludo, since there's a lot of directions they could take his character. They've done a lot throughout the series to highlight his emotional immaturity and naiveté, but even without Toffee's influence he's still a vindictive, violent, and cruel character with little regard for anybody but himself (He might not hate Dennis like he does the rest of his family, but that sure didn't prevent him from kicking him out of the castle along with everyone else). In a way, he kind of reminds me of Tuco from the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly-he's a character defined by his tenacity, his lack of refinement, and his willingness to do anything to get what he wants, up to and including subjecting himself to significant self-harm to unlock the power of the wand.

That's not to say that I think a redemption arc is unlikely, of course-like I said, there's a lot of directions they could take his character from here. But at the same time, I wouldn't exactly take it as a given.

Nerdietalk
Dec 23, 2014

The lack of Jackie has me wondering, is the fact that Kelly is in the final image of that new theme supposed to imply that she's a main character now?

Space Cadet Omoly
Jan 15, 2014

~Groovy~


nerdman42 posted:

The lack of Jackie has me wondering, is the fact that Kelly is in the final image of that new theme supposed to imply that she's a main character now?

I think I remember reading somewhere that Kelly will be getting more development and a larger role in season 3, but I can't recall who exactly said it.

About Ludo: I really hope he gets a redemption arc, because I've always loved that little poo poo and I want him to be okay. In both "The Hard way" and "Starchrushed" he showed signs of wanting to change, even if he's not quite sure how to go about doing that. It'll be interesting to see what they do with his character once he gets that lizard out of his brain.

paradoxGentleman
Dec 10, 2013

wheres the jester, I could do with some pointless nonsense right about now

Acebuckeye13 posted:

Fun fact, those characters only existed because Disney basically mandated that Marco had to have some male friends, and disappeared after the first season because the writers had no idea what to do with them.

Oh man that is hilarious.

Acebuckeye13
Nov 2, 2010


If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling
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Ultra Carp

The Ayshkerbundy posted:

The main reason why the new intro doesn't have the same kick is due to a change in animation studios: the original was Mercury Filmworks while the new one is almost certainly from one of the post-season 1 studios (Rough Draft Korea or Sugarcube)

Replying here because we have a thread for this now :v:

That's probably part of it. A lot of the changes, funnily enough, remind me of when The Simpsons transitioned from the original intro to the modern one. There's a similar shift in how the animation in the new introductions to both shows became a lot more stiff, and as a result loses the impact and character the originals had.

It's disappointing, but it's still a good intro, so :shrug:

Xelkelvos
Dec 19, 2012
Janna and Tom are totally going to be a couple. Calling it now.

Bobbin Threadbare
Jan 2, 2009

I'm looking for a flock of urbanmechs.

I said I'd make an episode guide, so I figured I might as well post it now. The next two will go up 22 and 11 days before the season 3 premier because that seems convenient.

Fair warning: I am a Star vs. superfan, so my response to "Which episodes are worth skipping?" is "Watch them all. Multiple times." This episode guide avoids spoilers for the sake of readers who are interested in getting into the show but also has some of the stuff you might miss if you aren't paying attention. I also threw in some personal thoughts and theories because why not.



Episode 0101a: Star Comes to Earth

Star Butterfly, a magical princess from another dimension, obtains the Royal Magic Wand on the day she turns 14. After she burns down a town with it later that same day, her parents ship her off to Earth as an alternative to St. Olga's Reform School for Wayward Princesses. Meanwhile, Marco Diaz of Echo Creek Academy High School (located in a Los Angeles suburb) must wrestle with his reputation as "the Safe Kid" and the new foreign exchange student who has come to his house.

Fun facts: Watch Star's parents closely for an early cameo by Glossaryck. Both Janna and Jackie-Lynn are in the classroom at the start. The kid grabbed by Star's moth monster reappears during the first scene of "Brittney's Party," so don't worry about him. On the other hand, Star creates eight puppies in this episode, but then one gets sucked into the void in Marco's room and there are only seven puppies at most from then on. Puppies who are incredibly sad when Star is at the window. Star's archnemesis Ludo has his own theme, but he also has a theme instrument in the theremin. Star is right-handed, but she uses her wand ambidextrously.



Episode 0101b: Party with a Pony

Star's best friend from Mewni shows up to take her and Marco on an interdimensional club crawl. However, Flying Princess Pony Head and Marco get along like oil and water, and she may have ulterior motives for showing up so suddenly.

Fun facts: Depending on whom you ask, Pony Head is either the best character or the worst character. She is one of the few characters to carry over from the original comics Daron Nefcy drew for Star, but in the comics she dripped entrails instead of glitter. The show's tie-in guidebook mentions that Princess Pony Head is the oldest of 13 sisters, and it looks like we may meet some of them in season 3. The Squares of the Amethyst Arcade are voiced by Eddie Deezen, famous for playing Mandark of Dexter's Laboratory.

Food for thought: I'm pretty sure Star's wand can open dimensional rifts (Mystic Room Suck Transform), but the user would have to master a different spell for each dimension. Dimensional scissors are thus safer, more reliable, easier to use, and more plentiful than wand-based dimension hopping.



Episode 0102a: Matchmaker

Marco introduces Star to some of the high school cast members: his friends, Alfonzo and Ferguson, his long-time crush, Jackie-Lynn Thomas, and his math teacher, Miss Margaret Skullnick. Star's first math grade is an F-, so she decides to hook Skullzy up with a man to get herself a better grade. Meanwhile, Star's archnemesis, Ludo, decides to make a move while Star's distracted.

Fun facts: Official launch of the Jarco ship. Watch the crowd at school in the first scene for early appearances by Oskar and Janna. This is the first time someone uses a Mewni mirror like a phone, and a misdial manages to establish Star's history with her ex-boyfriend Tom in three lines. And while Skullnick's stomach gem might be a reference to Steven Universe, it could also be a reference to the first generation of troll dolls that also had stomach gems. Dolls Steven Universe might have been homaging too, for that matter.



Episode 0102b: School Spirit

When Echo Creek Academy gets hyped up for a football game with the Silver Hill Prep Warriors, Star mistakes the rivalry for a literal battle and prepares accordingly. Meanwhile, Ferguson has taken over mascot duties and so Marco dedicates himself to protecting him from the annual Warrior kidnapping prank.

Fun facts: Miss Skullnick's appearance in this episode is our first indication that the show will have strong continuity. The flag in the dead possum cutaway is at half-mast. Marco doesn't in fact know about football: he says, "Spritz 'em! Bring out the kitty-cat offense! Throw a couple of big bombs!" when he means to say, "Blitz 'em! Bring out the wildcat offense! Throw a couple of long bombs!" This is the first time we see that Star's cheek hearts don't have to be hearts and her wand doesn't have to look like a wand.



Episode 0103a: Monster Arm

Marco breaks his hand instead of three boards when thoughts of his rival Jeremy distract him during his karate training. When he asks Star for help, she pulls out the giant Book of Spells she's had all along (but doesn't use since it's a disorganized mess). However, the spell she picks turns his arm into a giant tentacle with a mind of its own.

Fun facts: The monster arm hasn't reappeared since this episode, but the guidebook makes it clear the creators haven't forgotten about it. Watch carefully when Star flips through the Book of Spells for Glossaryck's second early cameo.

Food for thought: Star vs. references a lot of other shows and movies. Do you think Day of the Tentacle is one of them? Because that might be why the tentacle is purple. Lars the bully is part of the crowd in the intro, but this is his only speaking appearance in an episode. I guess the creators must have realized a bully wouldn't be much of a problem to protagonists who regularly beat up monsters who are even bigger.



Episode 0103b: The Other Exchange Student

One of the Diaz's previous foreign exchange students shows up for a three-week visit, much to Star's chagrin. But is that just jealousy she feels, or does Gustav really have something to hide? Gustav is voiced by prolific voice actor Rob Paulsen.

Fun facts: Star's camera blinks when she takes a picture. Look closely at Star's dragon: it incorporates the wooden bridge. Bakersfield is a real city about two hours north of L.A.



Episode 0104a: Cheer Up Star

In a story told as flashbacks, Marco describes the worst day of his young life and how Star cheered him up afterwards. He then describes Star's first Earth crush, Oskar Greason (voiced by Jon Heder aka Napoleon Dynamite), and how she gave him her number. When he didn't call, Marco had to find some way to cheer up Star.

Fun facts: Official launch of the Ostar ship. "Space Unicorn" is a real song by Perry Grip. Star's quiz from "Matchmaker" is sitting on her desk, complete with Skullnick's spittle stains. Marco spits the dimensional scissors out of his mouth the same way Pony Head did back in "Party with a Pony." Marco's backyard and shed are full of art projects because his dad is a professional artist.



Episode 0104b: Quest Buy

Star loses her wand charger, and she needs to find a new one at the interdimensional big box store Quest Buy before it runs out of power. Meanwhile, Ludo is at Quest Buy to find a Beak 'N' Trim.

Fun fact: Watch Marco closely during the first minute to see him cause the episode to happen.

Food for thought: Lobster Claws only appears in this episode and the one that bears his name. Do you think they switched the production order to avoid implying that Marco accidentally killed him?



Episode 0105a: Diaz Family Vacation

It's the Diaz's wedding anniversary, and when Marco's parents praise his gift of fanny packs (despite not really liking them), Star invites the family on a Mewni vacation.

Fun fact: I've heard some folks complain that Marco drops his "safe kid" persona after the first episode, but the fanny packs are proof that he doesn't lose touch with it completely. Plus his ability to prepare and organize is almost supernatural.

Food for thought: The episode passes it off as a joke, but there are some serious social stratification issues in Mewni. This isn't the last we'll see of them, either. How very devious of you, Nefcy.



Episode 0105b: Brittney's Party

Echo Creek's resident Rich Mean Girl Brittney Wong holds her birthday party on a bus, and Star misunderstands her way into showing up with Marco. Meanwhile, Ludo hatches a brilliant scheme to catch Star.

Fun facts: First appearance by an as-yet unnamed StarFan13. First appearence of Star's pink horns; she wears her red set throughout season 1, but she wears the pink horns with a new green dress with poofy sleeves during season 2. At one point you can see a street exit sign list "Cahooga," "Holliwood," and "Setsun," which are takes on Cahuenga, Hollywood, and Sunset Boulevards. This is what confirms that Echo Creek is an L.A. suburb. The old Japanese man apparently has a bad (American) accent, but what he says is "I may be 80, but I'm still energetic!"

Food for thought: Brittney kind of has a reason to be upset. Her party may have been miserable, but that was intentional on her part since forcing others to suffer affirms her social standing. But then a crazy magical foreigner shows up, hogs the spotlight, and gives everyone a fun time in the bargain. How messed up is that?



Episode 0106a: Mewberty

Star enters "destroy-the-school weird" territory when she starts going through Mewberty. When Marco looks through the Book of Spells for a way to stop it, Glossaryck makes his first formal appearance.

Fun fact: Official launch of the Janco ship. This is also the first episode in which Janna has a speaking role. Despite that, Janna would turn out to be much more interesting than either of Marco's friends. Glossaryck has six fingers instead of the standard four. He won't be the only one, either, so keep an eye out.

Food for thought: If the episode's events are what has to happen for Star to go back to normal, what has to happen for her to not return to normal? Furthermore, note that Star's Mewberty is purple. Is that significant, or just a random color? Does every Mewman go through Mewberty, or just the ones with cheek symbols?



Episode 0106b: Pixtopia

Marco, Ferguson, and Alfonzo spend a day making crank calls on Star's mirror, but they run out her minutes in the process. As a result, all four of them have to head to Pixtopia to pay off Star's bill.

Food for thought: The shard mines block magic. So what would happen if someone fused those shards into a pane of glass? Would it also resist magic? Do you think it could regenerate itself? Also, Alfonzo will continue to show up despite the ending. Supposedly he explains why during "Mewnipendence Day," but I haven't heard the line.



Episode 0107a: Lobster Claws

When Lobster Claws (voiced by comedian Brian Posehn) horribly fails an easy wand grab, Ludo fires him on the spot. He's still in the backyard when Star and Marco get back from school, and while Star wants to blast him until he goes away, Marco thinks Lobster Claws might be able to reform.

Fun facts: This episode seems like just another crisis of the week, but this is the start of a major paradigm shift for Star. When Lobster Claws rampages, it's on "Setsun Boulevard." Apparently they took a bus to downtown L.A. between scenes.

Food for thought: Season 2 depicts different magic types as different colors, but it's more random in season 1--at least apart from this episode. Purple-black clearly represents evil magic, and the show sticks to this several times more in the second season and even the third season promo.



Episode 0107b: Sleep Spells

Star has begun unleashing her magic in her sleep, so Marco decides to use psychology to try and find out why. But just how much does he really understand about Star, and what should he do about his own issues of inadequacy?

Fun fact: Marco could have figured out Star's issues earlier if he had bothered to analyze her painting. Take a look at the head of the snake that's constricting Star.



Episode 0108a: Blood Moon Ball

Star's demon ex-boyfriend Tom shows up to take her to an Underworld party, and in the process he checks off all the boxes for "controlling boyfriend with anger issues." Still, he's trying to change himself, so Star decides to give him a chance. But what does Marco want?

Fun facts: Official launch of the Starco ship (the unofficial launch was when Disney first released the protagonists' character designs). Oskar's car got booted. Every appearance of Tom from this point on has him wearing something over his right wrist, implying that the injury Marco gives him hasn't gone away. The show's composer, Brian H. Kim, created and released a full-length version of the Blood Moon Waltz during the break between seasons 1 and 2.



Episode 0108b: Fortune Cookies

After a fun afternoon of fighting monsters, Marco and Star go out for Chinese food and Marco tricks Star into thinking fortune cookies actually predict the future. Meanwhile, Ludo gets sick of his constant failures and hires a monster known only as Toffee (voiced by Michael C. Hall of Dexter) to wrangle his idiots.

Fun facts: The chicken cries over spilled milk soda. I don't think it's been officially confirmed, but Toffee's name (TOFE) could be an anagram of "The Forces Of Evil."



Episode 0109a: Freeze Day

When Marco is late to his daily nod to Jackie, he asks Star to magically freeze time. She does so, much to her own surprise, but it then turns out that starting time back up involves convincing Father Time (voiced by comedian Jim Gaffigan) to get back on the Wheel of Progress.

Fun facts: During the freeze day montage, the family whose cake they eat is the one hosting "Gustav." This episode technically includes a non-speaking cameo by a season 2 character.

Food for thought: The second season character is probably the reason the Book of Spells explains how to fix time even though time never froze before. The guidebook says Jackie-Lynn Thomas' aqua hair streak is natural, but it's not there when we see her in kindergarten. Animation error, guidebook error, retcon, or something that developed over time? Father Time's final warning is probably the showrunners explaining why Star doesn't stop time as the ultimate trump card in future episodes.



Episode 0109b: Royal Pain

Star's father shows up at the Diaz home when the queen kicks him out, and Star learns that not everyone enjoys all her whimsical activities when her father starts inflicting a few on her.

Fun facts: This episode marks the first appearance of the recurring spell/character Cloudy. Star calls a golf ball a tiny moon because Mewni has like a dozen huge moons.

Food for thought: Apparently, Star isn't the only Mewman who has trouble adjusting to the Earthian way of life. It kind of makes me hope that at some point the royal family gets exiled to Earth and we end up with a sitcom that blends Perfect Strangers with Game of Thrones.



Episode 0110: St. Olga's Reform School for Wayward Princesses

Star tries to celebrate Flying Princess Pony Head's Birthday Day even though she's still at St. O's, but she accidentally makes her break the rules and the guards drag Pony Head off. Star resolves to rescue her, and Marco comes along mostly because he loves prison break movies. Opposing them is the school's headmistress, Miss Heinous (voiced by Jessica Walter of Arrested Development, Archer, and more).

Fun facts: The school's singing coach is played by Jodi Benson, aka the voice of Ariel. Be sure to take a good look at the princess poster after Pony Head is done with it. Three out of four card suits revealed. I know Star vs. is full of references, but I've never seen anyone bring up the fact that Miss Heinous has a total Grinch grin at the end of the episode.

Food for thought: I really hope Glossaryck and Heinous end up in an episode together so they can make Arrested Development jokes. This episode (along with several other girly moments) has led to a fan theory that Marco is trans, but episode 0216b would suggest he's simply in touch with his feminine side.



Episode 0111a: Mewnipendance Day

Star brings together some assorted friends to celebrate Mewnipendance Day and reenact the Great Monster Massacre, the battle that marked the day Mewmans conquered what is now Mewni from the monsters. Meanwhile, Toffee comes up with a plan to get Star's wand, but what's his real end goal here?

Fun fact: Star's paradigm shift continues as Marco offers a new interpretation of her national history.

Food for thought: Toffee is studying a chapter about wands in the book Mewni: History of Royalty. Maybe he's looking for an important tradition or quality of Star's wand that will make it easier to steal?



Episode 0111b: The Banagic Incident

On a slow day, Star stumbles across an ad for the Banagic Wand. She wants Marco to help her find one, but he has karate practice and he won't skip it just for that. Chaos ensues, both in the dojo and on the streets of Echo Creek.

Food for thought: Star may have caused a lot of trouble, but when you compare this episode to "School Spirit" and how her dad behaved in "Royal Pain," she's definitely getting better at living on Earth. Also, what she does to Marco at the end seems a little mean, but I think she's still upset about the Blood Moon Ball and how he keeps underestimating her. Not that it's hard to see why he would after "School Spirit."



Episode 0112a: Interdimensional Field Trip

When Miss Skullnick takes the class on a boring field trip, Star argues that life should be fun. Skullnick takes this as a dare, so she lets Star get her first taste of power by bringing the class to the Dimension of Wonders and Amazements. Unfortunately, it turns out Star isn't ready yet for the responsibility. But on the bright side, Skullnick gets a new lease on life.

Fun facts: In the guidebook, Alfonzo and Ferguson seem a little obsessed with regaining the double-centaur form they take in this episode. It also comes up in the comic series.



Episode 0112b: Marco Grows a Beard

Marco becomes obsessed with growing facial hair after Jackie compliments another skater on his wimpy beard, and Star suggests using magic as a shortcut. Marco says no, but Star does it anyway to disastrous consequences. Ludo and Toffee try and take advantage of this fact, but Ludo hits a roadblock thanks to a childhood trauma.

Fun fact: This episode kicks off another character development arc as Star starts to rely on herself instead of her wand.

Food for thought: As we learn towards the end of season 2, Ludo's hair trauma was probably not caused by an innocent mistake.



Episode 0113: Storm the Castle

With Ludo out of the picture for the moment, Toffee wastes no time in putting his own more thoughtful plan into action. Star must go without Marco on this occasion, so she gets help from unlikely sources (completing her paradigm shift). Once all the dust settles, Star, Marco, and the wand appear to get out alright, but Toffee doesn't seem surprised or disappointed by the result of his plan...

Fun facts: The sandwich at the start is bread, egg, swiss cheese, spinach, bread, bacon, lettuce, tomato, mustard, ham, bread, and a green olive on top. Another one shows up later, so Star isn't the only person who knows about the Sandwich Dimension. This episode is the first time we hear the dads' first names: River Butterfly and Rafael Diaz. Also, remember what happens to Star's cheek hearts near the end. This will come up again.

Food for thought: If Toffee can regenerate his whole left arm in a matter of seconds, what could have happened to the finger on his right hand?

Bobbin Threadbare fucked around with this message at 04:58 on Jun 19, 2017

Digamma-F-Wau
Mar 22, 2016

It is curious and wants to accept all kinds of challenges
One thing Interesting to note on season 1 (honestly I wouldn't have made this post if it weren't for Bobbin's) is that it appears a vast majority of the episodes (the exceptions appear to be Star Comes to Earth, Party with a Pony, The Other Exchange Student, and Quest Buy) were reworked in some way or another. For most of them it would be that scenes in the episodes were changed by the directors (Mike Mullen, Aaron Hammersley, and Piero Piluso) and storyboard supervisors (Lane Lueras, Dominic Bisignano, and Christofer Graham) to the extent that they would also get "written and storyboarded by" credit: Some of these change ups can be seen in these storyboards for Pixtopia (there was also an animatic from Freeze Day that featured a completely different characterization for Father Time, but it seems to have been taken down). The most extreme example would appear to be St. Olgas (where none of Carlos Ramos's boards survived the final version and director and sole credited boarder Piero Piluso also got "story by" credit)

There's also the episodes written/boarded by Hammersley and Bisignano (Mewberty, Blood Moon Ball, Mewnipendence Day, and Storm the Castle) where the plots and premises were completely reworked between the outline and the storyboards (Mewberty was called "Running with Scissors", wasn't even about mewman puberty, and doesn't even credit whoever wrote the original outline under "story by"). They would be promoted to Supervising Producer and Creative Director respectively on season 2.

Acebuckeye13
Nov 2, 2010


If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling
1-800-GAMBLER


Ultra Carp
Nice writeups! Added a link to your post in the OP.

The Ayshkerbundy posted:

One thing Interesting to note on season 1 (honestly I wouldn't have made this post if it weren't for Bobbin's) is that it appears a vast majority of the episodes (the exceptions appear to be Star Comes to Earth, Party with a Pony, The Other Exchange Student, and Quest Buy) were reworked in some way or another. For most of them it would be that scenes in the episodes were changed by the directors (Mike Mullen, Aaron Hammersley, and Piero Piluso) and storyboard supervisors (Lane Lueras, Dominic Bisignano, and Christofer Graham) to the extent that they would also get "written and storyboarded by" credit: Some of these change ups can be seen in these storyboards for Pixtopia (there was also an animatic from Freeze Day that featured a completely different characterization for Father Time, but it seems to have been taken down). The most extreme example would appear to be St. Olgas (where none of Carlos Ramos's boards survived the final version and director and sole credited boarder Piero Piluso also got "story by" credit)

There's also the episodes written/boarded by Hammersley and Bisignano (Mewberty, Blood Moon Ball, Mewnipendence Day, and Storm the Castle) where the plots and premises were completely reworked between the outline and the storyboards (Mewberty was called "Running with Scissors", wasn't even about mewman puberty, and doesn't even credit whoever wrote the original outline under "story by"). They would be promoted to Supervising Producer and Creative Director respectively on season 2.

From what I've read, a lot of heavy reworks of episodes aren't out of the ordinary for shows in their infancy, but the first season of Star definitely had a troubled production. For those who don't know, the first season was intended to be animated by Mercury Filmworks, a Canadian animation studio that also worked on shows like Wander Over Yonder and the new Mickey Mouse shorts. However, about halfway through the season, the studio decided they didn't have the resources to work on Star amidst their other ongoing projects, and backed out of the contract. This forced Disney to scramble to find a replacement studio, eventually settling on Toon Boom, who worked on Gravity Falls and a whole bunch of other shows Actually it's Toon City, see below. Allegedly they also contracted Boulder Media, an Irish animation company, to work on a handful of episodes, but I haven't seen that confirmed anywhere (Though I'm willing to believe it, since the episodes they supposedly worked on, Lobster Claws, Fortune Cookies, and Royal Pain are all terribly animated have a much different feel from the rest of the season).

On top of this, the crew also had to deal with a lengthier-than-normal wait to discover if they'd been renewed for Season 2*, to the extent that many crew members were actively updating their portfolios and resumes in anticipation of having to find other work. Frankly, considering everything the show went through, it's impressive it turned out as well as it did.

*I think it was season 2, it might have been season 3.

Acebuckeye13 fucked around with this message at 01:37 on Jun 15, 2017

Digamma-F-Wau
Mar 22, 2016

It is curious and wants to accept all kinds of challenges

Acebuckeye13 posted:

eventually settling on Toon Boom, who worked on Gravity Falls and a whole bunch of other shows. Allegedly they also contracted Boulder Media, an Irish animation company, to work on a handful of episodes, but I haven't seen that confirmed anywhere (Though I'm willing to believe it, since the episodes they supposedly worked on, Lobster Claws, Fortune Cookies, and Royal Pain are all terribly animated have a much different feel from the rest of the season).

Actually it's Toon City, and Toon City had nothing to do with Gravity Falls (they were infamous for some more off-model looking Kim Possible episodes, and also worked on Phineas and Ferb; Gravity Falls was done at Rough Draft Korea, Digital eMation, and Yearmin). Also I never heard of Boulder Media having anything to do with star (plus I feel they did a good job with season 2 of Wander Over Yonder; hard to tell that Mercury had nothing to do with season 2 of WoY), as they're not credited (and Rough Draft Korea was credited when it was involved in a few of Blood Moon Ball's scenes)

Acebuckeye13
Nov 2, 2010


If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling
1-800-GAMBLER


Ultra Carp

The Ayshkerbundy posted:

Actually it's Toon City, and Toon City had nothing to do with Gravity Falls (they were infamous for some more off-model looking Kim Possible episodes, and also worked on Phineas and Ferb; Gravity Falls was done at Rough Draft Korea, Digital eMation, and Yearmin). Also I never heard of Boulder Media having anything to do with star (plus I feel they did a good job with season 2 of Wander Over Yonder; hard to tell that Mercury had nothing to do with season 2 of WoY), as they're not credited (and Rough Draft Korea was credited when it was involved in a few of Blood Moon Ball's scenes)

Ah, gotcha. My sources are "I read it somewhere", so I'm not surprised to find out I'm wrong :v:

Test Pattern
Dec 20, 2007

Keep scrolling, clod!
Wow. I had though about doing a thread for Star and I'm glad I didn't, it wouldn't have been a thousandth as good as this. Hats off. The show has been constantly improving since halfway through the first season, and I can't wait for S3. Great episode guide pointing out one of my favorite aspects: the groundwork laid well ahead of when it's needed (characters recurring in the background long before they talk, colors of magic).

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Metal Ray Sunshine
Jun 16, 2009

Muta's Mating Dance Rates a 5 on the Muta Scale
Another fun fact: During my brief time as a writer/editor for Frederator's youtube channel, one of the few videos I worked on that has gotten over a million views is the 107 Facts about Star vs The Forces of Evil. I actually loved doing the 107 facts videos, as I loved looking up facts and interesting stories about shows, but I had to stop due to starting a full time job.

Anyways, here's the video if anyone was curious

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0sE88P9uBI

Also I didn't do the 107 more facts on the show, just this one.

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