Reviews

The episode itself is amazing, but holy cow, what makes it is that ending! I knew it was only gonna be a matter of time before Amphibia would go heartbreak mode...but I didn't see this coming. It hurt...it really hurt.

One thing I love about the final scene is the location I always love scenes that involve summer nighttime ambience, beautiful colours and calm music. Amphibia's always had that from the get go, but x10 this time around. It helped make this scene all the more heartbreaking.

Also, and this may be an unpopular opinion, but I feel that the emotional ending to Hopping Mall hit a lot harder than Agony of a Witch's ending. Don't get me wrong, they both are heartbreaking, but the thing Amphibia has that The Owl House didn't do, was the expectation factor, as, with Agony of a Witch, there was always that knowledge that yes, Eda will no doubt be back in some way or form. There would be that resolution in the end. But with Amphibia, I feel that's not gonna be the case. You can heal, but never recover from a loss like that. And I think that's the point. This is tackling that loss which you really can't do anything about. It's a really unique subject, especially for a Disney cartoon, and I think that's a good thing. Life always throws heartbreak...loss especially. It's something I think we all in one way or another can say we've experienced. Both shows do a great job showing a type of loss for their respective stories...but I feel that the relatablness, and knowledge of the fact that this is a loss you can't truly ever overcome, make Amphibia's the more impactful one. I've loved this show from day one back in June 2019, and Iove it even more now.

I've been a Phineas and Ferb fan since 2009. This show means a lot to me as it was the first proper cartoon I really ever watched (not aimed for a really younger audience). When it ended in 2015, it really hurt me, and it wasn't till 2017 when I saw Gravity Falls for the first time, that I really got back into cartoons. So, you can easily interrupt that when CATU was announced in 2019, I was through the moon for it.

In terms of the movie itself, it really was what I had hoped for and more. The first thing that really struck me was how well animated it was. It's been 13 years since P&F started, so no doubt, the animation here excelled from the show.

After that, what struck me immediately was Candace and her breakdown over not busting them again. I'll get more into that later, but I really saw a different kind of person to the Candace I knew in the show in many ways.

In terms of the others, I really liked the rivalry between Doofenshmirtz and Isabella. It was really unexpected and it made me laugh quite a bit. Alongside that, can we take a moment to acknowledge how Perry literally was everyones guardian angel in the film? He deserves more credit!

Okay, so in terms of the aliens, alongside Super Super Big Doctor being a really weird name, it was interesting to see what a weird yet amazing planet it was. Of course, in true Phineas and Ferb fashion/Weirdness, it was kinda hilarious how the inhabitants of Feebla-Oot were literal cowards, being controlled by a plant. Like, this and the plants in Milo Murphy's Law...I'm seeing a real pattern here.

In terms of jokes and 4th wall breaks, there were so many to pick, but easily my favourites were the light speed 4th wall break and the axe-inator. It's Phineas and Ferb humor at its absolute best, and it's what I love to see.

Okay, so the emotional part. Dan and Swampy really did understand the audience of their show. Us Phineas and Ferb fans have grown up a lot since it ended. We may not always feel like we matter or belong, or are still figuring that out. This scene...this moment...I've loved this show for so long now, and very rarely have I ever gotten emotional because of it. This was one of those times. I love Phineas and Ferb so much, and this moment has given me more reasons to add to that list.

And finally, how could I forget...the songs! It's not Phineas and Ferb without songs, and CATU kept that tradition. The songs here really were amazing, catchy, and also really fun. They provided both a ton of great moments and references, while also bringing back so many old memories of when I'd spend hours as a kid watching Phineas and Ferb marathons and lowkey singing the songs...Yes, I'm not ashamed to admit it!

All in all, Candace Against the Universe was an amazing movie. I'll be honest, Across the 2nd Dimension still reins as my favourite, but imo, there's no bad episode of Phineas and Ferb (well, almost), or in this case...movie. Something I realized midway through the film was how much I miss them. Phineas and Ferb was my childhood. It was my life at one point. I was obsessed with this show to a level I don't think even my Gravity Falls obsession has reached (and that should tell you how much this show meant to me). When I heard it was ending in 2014, it really did hurt.

But seeing this movie really made me smile. I've watched a lot of cartoons and episodes for them this year, but none made me as happy as this movie did. Maybe it's just nostalgia's powerful grip on me, happy to see my once absolute favourite cartoon return in one way or another. Maybe it was just the story. Or maybe both. I wouldn't be able to tell you. But either way, I'm happy.

Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Candace Against the Universe was a true winner in my books. I loved every bit of it, and I really hope this isn't the end. From what I heard, Dan and Swampy are in talks about a possible 3rd movie. You can bet everything that I'll be waiting for that if it happens. But until then, we have Canace Against the Universe...a truly amazing movie, for one truly amazing show.

Gravity Falls is a show that really doesn't have a true bad episode. Yeah, episodes like Dipper vs Manliness or The Love God are below the show's high episode standard, but even they're not really at terrible levels. Roadside Attraction though seems to always get slack for being the worst episode of the show. Often it comes down to 4 points...

Plot: The episode felt out of place, rushed, last minute, a real shift away from where the show was going.

Romance: The romance was forced and felt like something out of a fanfic.

Placement: Why in between two important plot episodes and why was Ford not in it?

Bill: Why did they go on a road trip right after the shack was Bill proofed?

In terms of plot, RA is pretty simple in terms of being about the Pines going to other roadside attractions and vandalizing them. It's your classic roadtrip episode with a twist of shipping given Dipper is still trying to get over Wendy. This was the first proper GF episode to take the main characters outside of the town. It's a chance to see Oregon state in all its beauty. Whether you love or hate this episode, don't deny that it's visually stunning. The backgrounds are beautiful. Roadside Attraction was inspired by Mystery Tour 2013; a real life roadtrip that the GF crew took between S1 and S2 across Oregon. Many places they visited are in it. Old fans will understand this.

Speaking of the crew, Alex stated in the box set commentaries that this was an episode he wished aired earlier in the season, which can explain why many people dislike this episode for its placement. But I like where it is cause it gives the show a breather with a bit more fun and season 1 type adventures before everything goes all Bill mode.

Shipping wise I can get why people dislike this episode. The Dipper and Candy stuff seemed too forced. But then again, after all the pick up lines and stuff, Dipper sort of walked into that one. Not that it matters given the ship dies before it even begins. But eh, it's a one off thing, big deal! It doesn't ruin the show.

As for Bill, remember that in the finale we learn that Bill can't escape GF cause of that barrier. So even if he wanted to go after the Pines, he couldn't. And with Ford back, he'd be tackling him rather than them. Oh, and may I just say, in the IRL Journal 3, Ford actually is on record as agreeing to letting Stan go on the roadtrip. Gravity Falls' most hated episode is Ford's fault in a sense, go figure.

Long story short, this episode is hated for a lot of reasons. Some I can understand like the shipping and placement. But overall, it's a much better episode than it gets called out for being. IMO, try watching it as if it was a Season 1 or Season 2A episode. You'll love it a lot more.

This episode is no Not What He Seems. But it's in no way a dud. It's a much better episode than it gets the rep for.

In my opinion at least.

This show. Where do I begin?

I watched Babar as a kid and even into my teens, I always remembered how insane and unique it was. This I think it is the best of all the Nelvana cartoons. The thing I love about this show is that it's from an era when kids shows were serious, mature, and not afraid to take risks.

I mean, the very first episode of this show involves death with Babar being orphaned after his mother is killed by the Hunter. I mean, how many other CARTOONS have done that? Especially in the last decade. That's right. This is a show meant for kids that did that. Kind of like how a show like the Office would not survive today, Babar wouldn't either. Small wonder then why you'll never see it airing on TV anymore.

But that aside, the show overall is so good. From dealing with, again, maturer subjects and showing a realistic sense on life while being a show about animals that can walk and talk, Babar is able to portray its story and tell it beautifully.

I've seen many cartoons in my time. But none of them even get close to how good Babar was. And this is a show that's 30 years old. Again, a product of its time.

I feel kids shows these days are WAY too kiddy. Even shows that I adore like Gravity Falls really are tame compared to this one. Small wonder then why animation gets stereotyped as being for children. If a show like Babar aired now, it would get so much backlash by overly sensitive parents and would most likely be cancelled in a week. Sad but true. And do people really think a show this violent would affect a child? I'm no expert so I can't say for sure, but I'm fine, and I used to watch this show all the time.

In the end though, I highly recommend Babar. It's not your regular cartoon. It will make you cry. It will scar you. It will make you emotional. But it will leave you all the more better. It's a wonderful show with a beautiful story to tell.

You just need to give it a try.

Edit: Ignore my review! This finale sucked!

Cleaved was a very odd finale. I was pretty shocked to learn the finale would be only half an hour. I mean, GF got an hour finale. So did Phineas and Ferb and Ducktales when its first season ended. Star's pretty much Disney's biggest show right now and this just seemed odd.

In terms of the finale, it was an up and down battle. I really am glad Star and Marco's ark is complete and they're reunited. But so many things both in characters and plot holes feel incomplete.

One big bone I have to chew is the whole part where Marco gets stabbed by the unicorn. There was so much build up to that and in the end it meant nothing. I feel if Daron and her crew had an hour to do this finale, we may have gotten a satisfying context to that. I don't want Marco gone or anything. I just want to see this thing which Disney XD used to hype the finale up be used as well.

Speaking of Disney XD, they hyped this show WAY too much. I literally stopped watching promos given they I got to a point where I knew the promo may make the episode more action packed than it really is. Not so much the Star team's fault as it is Disney's for how they act. Yeah, they need to hype the show up so it gets views but that much just feels like they're taking a page out of the YouTube clickbait rule book.

But in the end, Star's finale was actually truly fun to watch and I really did feel bad in the end that it was all over now. With all these questions left, I hope we get maybe a graphic novel like how Gravity Falls got Lost Legends and Journal 3 that can tie up these loose ends. I don't want every question answered, but I don't want too many questions unsolved either.

I've been following along with Amphibia ever since the show got announced back in 2018. Being made by Matt Braly, one of the geniuses behind Gravity Falls, I knew this was going to be a show worth checking out. I'll admit, I was more so excited for Dana Terrace's show The Owl House which was announced alongside Amphibia, but with that show still having a year to go until it premieres, this one came out this summer so I decided to give it a try. Amphibia came out at a really odd time in my opinion, which made it's entry into Disney Channel a bit tough. That's because Star vs the Forces of Evil ended last month and quite a few (toxic) fans of that show had been calling this a replacement and stuff and using promos to promote their hopes for a 5th season. I'm a fan of Star too but the fandom's treatment to Amphibia was truly sad and just made me wanna watch this show even more.

Moving on from that drama and back to the actual show, Amphibia truly got me right from episode 1. It has a more mature feel to it. What with talks of death, alcohol references and more. Dare I say it feels in some ways more mature than Gravity Falls. And I truly liked how it dealt with the concept of peer pressure and how it can make one do drastic things to fit in. It really plays on a real issue many children face which can lead them down a path they'll regret in later life. Combine that with the incredible voice actors and breathtaking animation, and you've got one incredible show.

I had my doubts before about not just Amphibia but also Disney Channel as a whole, and how it would survive once Star ended, with Ducktales and Big City Greens being practically the only ongoing cartoons on it worth watching. But I don't anymore after watching episode 1. Sure, it's just the first episode and may or may not mean anything. But first episodes are meant to introduce you to a show and its main characters, setting and feel. Amphibia does the brilliantly. I'm really looking foreword to the next episodes and I wish Matt and his team the best of luck. They've given Disney Channel another good and original cartoon to add to their collection. And I really hope Disney will learn from its mistakes in the past and treat this show (and The Owl House when it airs in 2020) better than they've done with ones in the past.

This show was my childhood. I learned many life lessons from it that other shows could never teach. There were things in this show that no other kids show had.I really can't say much more without spoiling it. I recommend this show over *almost every other kids show that is out there currently airing. Its old but gold. A show like no other that I will never forget, no matter how old I get.

*there are some good kids shows out there currently airing, but many are really bad or just show the same things 5 other shows maybe showing just with in different way.