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DoubleCakes posted:Also I'm not terribly sympathetic to Higgs. The show having Higgs screw around with Marco for ten minutes then treat Marco like a bad guy when he makes her plant on her face was a bad evocation of a trope I dislike, where the bullied nerd gets revenge on the bully and everyone treats the nerd like a bad guy because he hurt someone's feelings. That was a subversion, though, since Marco is right and Higgs is faking. Star only takes pity on Higgs because she doesn't care about the armor wax either way, and their conversation afterwards is about how what the other squires think doesn't matter.
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Nov 11, 2017 20:51
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Higgs is too cute to be a bad guy. Must be a new love interest for Marco. There's already fan art. 
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Nov 11, 2017 23:38
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DoubleCakes posted:I'm not sure if I like how the show's progressing. After the Battle For Mewni the show's lost its thread and honestly although it's cool they're doing a roles reversed thing with Star and Marco, I don't like how quickly people are falling out, getting together. Word. I remember feeling kinda miffed with the first half of S2, but I realized they weren't necessarily bad episodes, just kinda slow and not at all in line with how crazy S1 was, to say nothing of how you'd watch the intro which is always action packed and then watch an episode that was really mellow by comparison. So I'm really hoping they're not biting off more than they can chew and actually lose the magic this time around, because the human characters were pretty cool even when Ludo wasn't doing his monster of the week schtick. And I really liked the storylines they made outside of Ludo's comeback too. Shitenshi fucked around with this message at 04:43 on Nov 12, 2017 |
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Nov 12, 2017 04:37
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It definitely feels uneven but I think it can get back on track. I'm glad they didn't immediately dive into a love triangle story line with Marco, Tom and Star. I hope we haven't seen the last of the Earth crew because I think they definitely had a place in the show. I preferred the fish out of water we got with Star on Earth but can see how that could get old and understand them trying to change things up. I feel like I could use a couple more Marco/Star solo adventures to get back into the swing of things and maybe throw in a funky Ludo one-off. Also Eclipsa is pretty great so far, I hope we get some back story episodes.
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Nov 13, 2017 05:10
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Nov 13, 2017 08:53
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Hey, Tom and Macro get along, why can't Star have both? One bad boy, one knight in shining armor. She could even use magic to combine them into some Cronenberg-esque monstrosity. Good times.
Skippy McPants fucked around with this message at 10:28 on Nov 13, 2017 |
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Nov 13, 2017 10:19
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Skippy McPants posted:Hey, Tom and Macro get along, why can't Star have both? One bad boy, one knight in shining armor. She could even use magic to combine them into some Cronenberg-esque monstrosity. Good times. There's a very tenuous connection to Rick and Morty via some Gravity Falls cameos, so we're already halfway there!  Anyway, today's episode descriptions: Princess Turdina: A surprise visitor pressures Marco to reveal Turdina's true identity Starfari: Star goes out into the field to understand why Mewmans treat Monsters unfairly. My reaction: Seriously, what the gently caress is up with Heinous  Also it's neat to see Star being proactive and asking a lot of the same questions the audience has vis a vis "What is a monster," and I'm sure that'll get expanded on even further as the season goes on.
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Nov 13, 2017 15:57
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Geez these episodes are coming so fast. A big hiatus then all of a sudden like 8 come down the pipe! I can't keep up!
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Nov 13, 2017 16:09
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Between "Princess Turdina" and the last three half-episodes from last week, it looks like Marco's the one getting the season-long character arc. Instead of Star always running from her problems, we've got Marco and his self-worth issues.
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Nov 13, 2017 16:14
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Is nice that they acknowledged the double standards Mewmans have with 'monsters' vs other obviously nonhuman/mewman people, and that, like real life prejudice, it's arbitrary and more based on history and ignorance than any real hard rules.
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Nov 13, 2017 17:43
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Mewni is so incredibly racist. (specist? speciesist?) Eclipsa was probably the first queen who didn't act like she was King Leopold II.
cant cook creole bream fucked around with this message at 18:11 on Nov 13, 2017 |
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Nov 13, 2017 18:09
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Inescapable Duck posted:Is nice that they acknowledged the double standards Mewmans have with 'monsters' vs other obviously nonhuman/mewman people, and that, like real life prejudice, it's arbitrary and more based on history and ignorance than any real hard rules. That and the fact that the foremost scientific expert on Monsters thinks of them as particularly clever tool-using animals rather than equals. It's played for laughs, but that was a prevailing view once upon a time.
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Nov 13, 2017 18:21
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Not long after discussions on how Mewni categorizes monsters we get an episode illustrating how arbitrary the "monster" label is in Mewni and the blurred lines between monsters and the non-human races on Mewni.
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Nov 13, 2017 20:21
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This show is just phenomenal at its slow deconstruction of Mewni culture. Its been really well-paced and executed.
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Nov 13, 2017 20:48
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So, Moon was desperately trying to find a legitimate reason for punishing Eclipsa when Star came in, right?
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Nov 13, 2017 21:32
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Really starting to think that Eclipsa is either not evil or evil for reasons considerably different from whatever Mewni's problem with her is. Mewni is just the worst. Even if she turns against the place, she's probably totally justified in it. Honestly Toffee was also pretty justified in destroying the place, he was just a dick about it.
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Nov 14, 2017 00:21
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We've got another episode poster! This one's from Casey Crowe, who boarded on Starfari: nerdman42 posted:This show is just phenomenal at its slow deconstruction of Mewni culture. Its been really well-paced and executed. Imagine going back a couple years and telling someone that the "evil" in the title of this new show about a magical princess who fights monsters is actually going to turn out to be racism and imperialism. Star vs the Forces of Evil: Come for the  stay for the thorough deconstruction of Manifest DestinyEdit: Seriously though, it's impressive in and of itself just how unsubtle they've been with their anti-imperialism messages. I mean, Goodwell is an exaggerated character, but not by much-"The indigenous population are savage beasts that must be isolated from ~civilized society~" is a statement that could've been taken straight from the pages of Harper's Weekly in the mid-19th century, and those attitudes still worm their way into entertainment media today. Acebuckeye13 fucked around with this message at 05:25 on Nov 14, 2017 |
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Nov 14, 2017 05:17
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Acebuckeye13 posted:Imagine going back a couple years and telling someone that the "evil" in the title of this new show about a magical princess who fights monsters is actually going to turn out to be racism and imperialism. I dunno, I think they might believe you if you show up after "Lobster Claws" and "Mewnipendence Day." And that's the best part: Nefcy and company have been patiently waiting for years and multiple season renewals to tell this story.
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Nov 14, 2017 05:36
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Nephthys posted:Really starting to think that Eclipsa is either not evil or evil for reasons considerably different from whatever Mewni's problem with her is. Mewni is just the worst. There's something very... off about Eclipsa. Then again, she looks normal next to Star, so that might just be a Mewni queen thing. Princess Marco episode is interesting. They play up a bit how Marco realises the rebellious Princess Turdina persona has gone quite a ways from his structure-focused personality, but then don't really do much about that more than Marco feeling guilty about pretending to be something he's not. And that, especially with the hated alternative right in front of them, the princesses don't care if Princess Turdina is actually a non-royal boy from Earth, because it doesn't actually change or invalidate anything they admired about her. Does make me wonder where they might go with St Olga's from here. The typical next step would be the revolution going full circle with a new tyrant in charge, though that's probably too obvious for this show. The take on racism and colonialism works well given it doesn't just dwell on how those things are bad and harmful, but also utterly absurd and arbitrary, and that good people can't make a bad institution much better.
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Nov 14, 2017 05:58
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Nov 14, 2017 09:12
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Also interesting how Star and Marco have switched roles in more ways than one; now Star is more willing to work within the system even when others won't (albeit willing to bend the rules to get her way- but also has learned how to enforce the rules to get her way) and doesn't kick up a stink even about things she doesn't necessarily want to do but is expected to, when they're not that big a deal. (Thinking that Queen Moon's attitude might ultimately stem from coping from losing her mother young and having to grow up fast; the rules and laws, and embracing queenly authority, are what kept her kingdom together when she was forced into the throne too early. Star, on the other hand, has the freedom to figure out her own priorities and understanding of the world) But now Marco is feeling the pressure to live up to a princess ideal he doesn't necessarily agree with or feel he is able to, and dealing with arbitrary rules and weird traditions he doesn't understand the importance of. (But also understanding that having power and respect gives you a measure of freedom to choose how you handle things) And on the other hand, now Marco's faced with the mundanities of a world that's all new and strange to him, like the laundry room for a gigantic castle (the Knight of the Wash is a true hero) and the trials of equipping a knight. (Fun thing, an old man squire isn't necessarily a weird thing; I'm pretty sure back in the days when knights and squires were relevant things, only some squires or pages might actually have the opportunity to become a knight in their own right, and 'squire' could well be a respected career for the rest of your working life. Then again, the definition of 'squire' changed radically through the Middle Ages, so I might be mixing things up)
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Nov 14, 2017 09:44
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These look more like Garfield faces than Star faces. Sorry, artist. 
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Nov 14, 2017 15:44
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Holy crap, the implications of today's episodes. Queen Eclipsa wants Star to embrace her butterfly superform (like how Glossaryck told Marco to just go with it during Mewberty) while her parents have no idea how to even handle such a thing. The captain painting that warned Marco about the Blood Moon Ball turns out to be a secret passage only Eclipsa knows about. Tad and (indirectly) Tom are forcing Marco to understand his feelings, complete with another sad 50s song by BHK. Bobbin Threadbare fucked around with this message at 15:52 on Nov 14, 2017 |
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Nov 14, 2017 15:45
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Today's episodes: Sweet Dreams: Star discovers she travels through multiple dimensions in her dreams. Lava Lake Beach: Kelly breaks up with her boyfriend and Marco questions his friendship with Star Yeah, those were some pretty heavy episodes You really have to feel bad for Marco, though. He gave up his life on earth to be with Star, but the lyrics from Just Friends are still ringing true, only in the opposite direction. Yeah, Marco, you got dumped, and then the girl you wanted to be with, who is your friend, instead got back together with her ex, who is also your friend, and now everything is super-awkward. I've been there, buddy.   At the same time though, I doubt that Star's feelings for Marco have fully evaporated, and I wonder if the events of Sweet Dreams is the result of that. This isn't the first time that Star's been performing magic in her sleep, after all-Sleep Spells back in Season 1 was all about that, and while at the time it was the result of a literal monster attack and/or Star's crushing mother issues, this time it could be the result of Star's cognitive dissonance in going out with Tom while still liking Marco, and subconsciously seeking freedom and happiness (through goblin dogs)
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Nov 14, 2017 16:43
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Eclipsa is awesome. Given that she can totally leave whenever she wants I think her plan might be to get exonerated at the trial and thus her disinheritance made invalid. Which would make her the true Queen of Mewni. I'm not invested in the shipping war though. Wish it was't such a big part of the show tbh.
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Nov 14, 2017 19:33
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Am I the only one who, while enjoying the main characters fine, is not invested in Mewni at all? It's just a kingdom of idiots, assholes and lunatics, all we've seen of the standard people of Mewni have been people exhibiting the worst kinds of behaviour. Monsters tell stories about Mewmans being assholes, but from what we've seen that's not a stereotype, it's just how it is. Moon's having trouble explaining exactly why Eclipsa is bad, getting stuck on "She eloped with a monster" which is just not helping her case at all - if Eclipsa did something else, anything else then LEAD WITH THAT you idiot. It seems that she really is just doubling down on racism as an excuse to persecute Eclipsa, when you think her meeting with Buff Frog would at least start her questioning things somewhat. The peasants are generally just poo poo people, constantly making GBS threads on whoever they can get away with, which isn't fun to watch, and the High Commission come across as incredibly petty. It feels like Magic may be to blame for how poo poo Mewni is in general, because they never had to understand their world and people as well as Earth did, because if they didn't like the way something worked magic could make an exception, while Earth had no easy way to manipulate it's laws - Citizens of Earth had to LEARN it's laws the hard way developing critical thinking skills to constantly advance their understanding of things and work out how to manipulate things on more and more elaborate levels, while whenever Mewni discovered magic it got stunted by it - they never had to really examine themselves or monsters on any real level for medical purposes, so old myths remained because there was no challenge to them - why challenge traditions when you can use magic to brute-force a solution instead? Certainly Earth had it's issues with scientific racism and things like that, but eventually we started moving past that. Because we had people who could think about it and realise how screwed up it was. I guess my thesis is this: Magic made Mewni Intellectually lazy, and the people have been stuck in a permanent dark age because of that.
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Nov 14, 2017 20:00
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New episode poster from Cassie Zwart: Brian H. Kim also posted the song from Marco's revelation in that episode. Nephthys posted:Eclipsa is awesome. Given that she can totally leave whenever she wants I think her plan might be to get exonerated at the trial and thus her disinheritance made invalid. Which would make her the true Queen of Mewni. I personally like it, which is weird since I typically hate these kinds of romantic plots. I think part of it is because Marco's romantic experiences have thus far tracked uncomfortably close to my own, which adds more than a little personal impact that isn't going to be there for others. That said, I do wish they'd take a break from the relationship drama and the overall plot for at least a handful of episodes, since this season been pretty heavy with both. The show's at its best when it's Star and Marco together kicking rear end, and there's hardly been any of that thus far. Acebuckeye13 fucked around with this message at 20:42 on Nov 14, 2017 |
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Nov 14, 2017 20:24
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BioEnchanted posted:I guess my thesis is this: Magic made Mewni Intellectually lazy, and the people have been stuck in a permanent dark age because of that. Congratulations, you've just discovered what makes Toffee a sympathetic villain.
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Nov 14, 2017 20:36
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Acebuckeye13 posted:I personally like it, which is weird since I typically hate these kinds of romantic plots. I think part of it is because Marco's romantic experiences have thus far tracked uncomfortably close to my own, which adds more than a little personal impact that isn't going to be there for others. I don't think you're alone in that. The romantic subplots read as genuine because they're exactly the sort of flailing, confused mess that kids in their teens experience when learning about attraction. Unrelated, but my favorite bit so far this season was the absolute no-sell on Macro coming clean with the princesses. "He can be a princess if he wants to! Turdina's a state of mind!" Skippy McPants fucked around with this message at 22:11 on Nov 14, 2017 |
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Nov 14, 2017 22:08
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BioEnchanted posted:It feels like Magic may be to blame for how poo poo Mewni is in general, because they never had to understand their world and people as well as Earth did, because if they didn't like the way something worked magic could make an exception, while Earth had no easy way to manipulate it's laws - Citizens of Earth had to LEARN it's laws the hard way developing critical thinking skills to constantly advance their understanding of things and work out how to manipulate things on more and more elaborate levels, while whenever Mewni discovered magic it got stunted by it - they never had to really examine themselves or monsters on any real level for medical purposes, so old myths remained because there was no challenge to them - why challenge traditions when you can use magic to brute-force a solution instead? You know, that makes a certain amount of sense. It's sort of like that story 'The Road Not Taken', with magic instead of FTL technology. Also dang, they're really driving the shippers insane right now, aren't they? Although it would be a nice return to the odd 'one and done' story rather than relationship stuff or the myth arc. Also I find it amazing that Star wouldn't know about Marco's birthday. I'm guessing that'll come up in the next episode. Yvonmukluk fucked around with this message at 22:31 on Nov 14, 2017 |
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Nov 14, 2017 22:28
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Bobbin Threadbare posted:Congratulations, you've just discovered what makes Toffee a sympathetic villain. I'd say he might have started a sympathetic villain, right up until he killed Moon's mom. After that he kind of spiraled into outright villainy, y'know, what with starting a plan to systematically destroy all magic in Mewni/the universe(?), murdering several magic-related creatures and attempting to kill a teenage princess who hadn't really done anything wrong.
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Nov 14, 2017 23:50
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TwoPair posted:I'd say he might have started a sympathetic villain, right up until he killed Moon's mom. So the point anyone took note of him? Up until that point he was just an average general. Then he rebelled and killed the enemy leader to stop peace negotiations.
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Nov 14, 2017 23:55
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"What is this, some sort of sword-hand-dance? This looks fun." Eclipsa continues to steal the show.
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Nov 15, 2017 00:56
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So here's something neat about the next episode: https://twitter.com/DaronNefcy/status/930627125538783232
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Nov 15, 2017 05:11
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TwoPair posted:I'd say he might have started a sympathetic villain, right up until he killed Moon's mom. After that he kind of spiraled into outright villainy, y'know, what with starting a plan to systematically destroy all magic in Mewni/the universe(?), murdering several magic-related creatures and attempting to kill a teenage princess who hadn't really done anything wrong. "Villain with a sympathetic cause" would probably be the better way of putting it. Right problem to address, wrong means of addressing it.
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Nov 15, 2017 05:20
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I did love the couples in the newest episode. Skelly/Skelly OTP  Also "I'd fight anyone for you." "Would you fight... me?" "To the death  ""  "
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Nov 15, 2017 05:31
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I'm enjoying these episodes, and I don't even mind what seems to be a Marco/Kelly thing to make up for the void of Jackie, but I'm definitely not feeling Star/Tom. It's not that I like Starco, in fact I thought it was good that it was just a temporary thing that was quickly abandoned as just a weird developing feelings for your friend kinda thing. But I remember she talked to Oskar in the S2 finale and she realized what an idiot he was and it seemed she wondered what the hell she ever saw in him in the first place. After going through all the turmoil of Toffee killing the Magic High Commission, seizing the castle, and nearly trapping her in some weird netherworld only to save the day with her own power, I just can't believe she'd actually still think a dumb bad boy ex-boyfriend would still be seriously worth pursuing, instead of just as somebody to talk to as an old friend.
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Nov 15, 2017 05:41
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Tom got a bit of a behavior adjustment if you remember the demoncism episode. The demon that did get demonsised was the one that made more prone to fly into a rage. Outside of that, Tom was a pretty decent guy from what we know of him.
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Nov 15, 2017 06:31
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He still did that dumb play hard to get stuff at that dance, not mentioning how he still deliberately pushes Marco's buttons for no reason. He's kind of like a male Janna with obnoxiousness instead of her weirdness that make her cool.
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Nov 15, 2017 06:54
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Shitenshi posted:He still did that dumb play hard to get stuff at that dance, not mentioning how he still deliberately pushes Marco's buttons for no reason. He's kind of like a male Janna with obnoxiousness instead of her weirdness that make her cool. He wasn't playing hard to get, he was legitimately trying to give Star some space. Ponyhead was wrong about his motives, the same way she's usually wrong about most things.
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Nov 15, 2017 07:05
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