Cartoon Splurge: Star vs. the Forces of Evil: Season 1

Hey. If you're new here, let me do a quick introduction: I'm Matt, and I write bits of analysis that are so pedantic that all fun is lost. (Riveting, I know.) I'm not a massive cartoon fan, though I'm currently infatuated with The Amazing World of Gumball; it is for that reason that I'm doing this right now, indebted to Mr. Anonim. So, uh... hello. Hope everybody's doing okay.

As you probably know, his grand idea was to hop between communities and spread word of other cartoons to establish a sort of "Community Watching" and give some shows some new fans. Since so few people seemed to be playing along with it, I decided I had nothing to lose and that I was diving straight in. Though he planned out a few episodes of Star vs. the Forces of Evil, I saw the first episode, recognized its potential, and decided to stick around for the whole first season. That's what this is: a so-called "Cartoon Splurge," where I go all in on a cartoon and review a season of it at a time. At the very least, I can offer an outsider's opinion, and that's good, right?

Oh, and as a disclaimer: I apologize for any anachronisms or technically incorrect assumptions: I haven't seen Season 2 and know basically nothing about it, so my views of the show might be slightly incorrect as I lack the complete image.

First things first, though: one of the things that Anonim repeatedly tried to warn me of was that Star was an insanely plot-heavy cartoon, but it's really not, at least not yet. (I've endured HIMYM - this isn't that, thankfully.) Yes, there's some chronology to it all, but it's still light. You can tell that the show is slowly building up, what with Toffee and the Headmistress (?) of the Reform School, but the show doesn't ever let that detract from simple character interplay and quirky ideas. It's a lot like Wander Over Yonder's approach in Season 2, where four, plot-heavy, 22-minute episodes were punctuated by interludes of 12, lighter, 11-minute ones; through it, the story could build up without compromising on any light fun. For Season 1, at least, Star seems to be following a similar course of action. (The two's similarities may or may not be intentional as per Craig McCracken's post discussing Disney's more rigid views towards serialization.)

Since this is going to be long (very, very long), I decided to break it up into the semi-digestible chunks of "Main Characters," "Supporting Characters," "Episodes," and "Final Thoughts."

Main Characters:
Right off the bat, one of the best things about the series is how distinctly relatable the characters are, especially Marco, who, more often than not, is just sort of in for a ride regardless of if he wants it or not (usually not). If I were to compare the show to my beloved TAWOG, then Star would be the complete opposite of Gumball (a cautious pessimist with a fistful of snark), whereas Marco is basically just like Darwin: the necessary moral compass who objects to Star's more insane whims, though he's honestly a much better character. He has a lot of depth for one thing, but he's also incredibly important, and the show doesn't discredit that; instead, he's literally just as important as Star, and not just symbolically.

While both shows exploit a very similar dynamic between their two main characters, Star actually gives Marco an objective importance that doesn't need to be fancily interpreted to be fully comprehended - something that Darwin struggles with - though that's solely out of the different ways in which both shows were constructed.

In all honesty, he's already becoming one of my favorite cartoon characters, period. There's just a lot to like about Marco.

That's not to discount Star herself either, who's an equally fun character in her own right. Basically, she epitomizes her role as the excitable protagonist, but she also holds a lot more depth to her character and naivete. I give praise where it's worth, and writing a character that's deliberately on the frenetic side is a daunting task - you have to make sure that they have energy that defines them without growing tiresome. Star, however, pulls it off effortlessly: she's just a fun-loving character that radiates happiness, and it's infectious.

The Supporting Cast:
A while back, a very nice individual by the name of Taliats complained that he'd noticed a pattern as of late with people over-analyzing supporting characters and that they only existed for the sake of interacting with the main character (I can only assume he was jabbing at me very rather vicariously, but such is my egocentrism) - I don't think his point could be any more relevant. Sure, some of the characters seem really underdeveloped, but do they really need to be as fleshed out as Star or Marco? Not really. They exist, at their most fundamental level, to be reacted off of, not to take any unique stance. They don't necessarily tell the jokes; they're one big, masquerading joke, and that's fine.

As pointless as I think characters like Brittney, Ferguson, or Alfonso are, it's not like the show was trying to make them something different in the first place. They exist to be interacted with, not to captivate the audience in their own right.

There are certainly exceptions to the rule. Marco's timid love interest, Jackie Lynn Thomas, has a nice, mysterious air about her - it's almost like a Scott Pilgrim/Ramona Flowers sort of relationship. Meanwhile, Star's love interest, Oskar, is equally peculiar, with a dweebish too-cool-for-school bravado. There's also the weird girl Janna, who hasn't done too much at this point, but who spurts some nicely twisted non-sequiturs along the way.

Regarding the villains... Ludo's alright. He's nothing more than the kooky villain that you'd expect, but at least he does his part serviceably enough in spite of never coming across as much of a threat. Toffee, on the other hand, is fascinating. There's something legitimately sinister about him. He doesn't follow the textbook definition of "cartoon evil villain" in the same vein as Ludo; he comes across as a real threat. Methodical, well-calculated, and with an unnerving sense of cool, he gives a nice edge to the last few episodes of the season. I can only assume he'll have a more prominent role in the second season, pumping some more drama and tension into the show's goings-on.

Episodes:
If there's something that Star vs. does consistently well, it's the construction of its narratives. I'm not saying that the show cares to be complex, because there's a very light feel to quite a few of them: it's that the episodes can balance simplicity with compelling story-telling. While other cartoons tend to veer off in one direction more than the other, Star vs. enjoys occupying a transient in-between (NOTE: READ THAT DISCLAIMER, THIS IS PROBABLY VERY, VERY WRONG).

And you know what? The show holds up very well. Perhaps it's out of an unfamiliarity with this type of cartoon (that is, more action-packed), but putting all of the episodes on a grading scale, none dipped into the C range, and there were only two B-'s. (The vast, vast majority were B's.) That being said, a few stood out as particularly good as briefly as possible:

Star Comes to Earth
I've seen quite a few people disparage the show's pilot, but I can't see why, honestly. It's an episode that does a perfect job of setting up the show, both plot-wise and character-wise. Star vs. isn't the kind of show that could've started without a proper introduction to the characters like a lot of non-episodic shows do: it needed to set a precedent of how the show was going to play out, and I can respect "Star Comes to Earth" for doing so with aplomb.

You get to see every key angle of both Star and Marco, and it shows their dynamic particularly well. The way the episode introduces us to Star, for example, clearly demonstrates what makes her act as she does: there's a clear disconnect between her magical ideals and the more-barren world she's thrown into, and it sticks. You never have to question why Star acts as irrationally as she tends to, because this episode shows that well enough. Meanwhile, Marco is introduced as an impartial, noncompliant character, and while he does change his views on Star by the episode's end and recognizes her as a genuine person, that sense of reluctance and caution is integral to how he acts across the series, and it sticks too. (The whole "safety kid" moniker is a bit loose, but alas, there can't always be winners.)

I get that the episode's light, and I get that it's on the uneventful side, but let it be known that first episodes are a tricky beast. Here's the issue: you have to demonstrate the characters' potential without fully cementing their characterization, lest their character progression end up stilted and long-winded. It's an episode designed as the base of the series, with every subsequent adventure stacking on top of it and making the show more interesting. It only seeks to invest you in the show, and if it fulfills that duty, I can't complain. (I mean, clearly it did something right, or I wouldn't be whiddling away my time writing about it.)

Diaz Family Vacation
"Diaz Family Vacation" is an episode I can appreciate largely because of how Marco is implemented. At the start, he looks like the butt of some lame joke, presenting his gift of fanny packs to his parents. In any other cartoon, this is where the "comedy of errors" routine starts. Star vs., however, still recognizes that Marco is an important player in the show, and in a nice twist, his fanny pack admiration actually serves a practical use. He doesn't just function as the butt of some repetitive joke (a minor complaint I have with other episodes, such as "Royal Pain" with Marco's socks, for instance) - he's really the unsung hero of the whole episode, and the episode proves that he's capable of doing the heavy-lifting even without necessarily leading the proceedings.

Honestly, I don't have that much else to say. As somebody who's interested in comedy writing, it's just something that I commend as well-conceived above all else. There are more important episodes - this one is entirely inconsequential - but not everything has to be some huge notion to be successful, and "Diaz Family Vacation" is a prime example of that.

Mewberty
There's a reason why "Mewberty" is considered one of the show's finest early outings: in Season 1 at least, there's not a single other episode that took advantage of Star's more mysterious qualities as fascinatingly as here. It's one of those episodes that you know will spiral into insanity, but the exciting thing is that you don't know what direction it will actually take. It's all an exciting game of anticipation, and every twist and turn is a delight to watch.

The premise is that Star contracts a case of Mewberty, the Mewnian form of puberty, so she tries to confine herself while Marco sets out for the Magic Instruction Book, a tedious ordeal that involves him appeasing the book's guardian, Glossaryck, with pudding. In the meantime, Star's condition only worsens by the minute until she ermerges from the locker as a winged, six-armed creature and starts taking boys captive.

Sure, there are a lot of episodes that have some surreal angle, but never to such an impressive level, almost bordering on Daliesque. Interestingly, though, the episode never goes for a particularly eerie level, largely because of the goofiness of the episode's sub-plot. It's a nice counter-balance, and it lets "Mewberty" experiment without sacrificing the show's comedic identity.

Sleep Spells
"Sleep Spells" isn't an important episode by any means; it's just a fun one, and it shows Star vs. at its most comfortable. It's pure, unbridled cartoon wackiness. One could easily declare it nothing more than a filler episode - Ludo is suspiciously absent, after all - but it's a nice opportunity to play around with the characters and look at how they think - literally, in this case.

If there's one part that I really enjoyed (aside from "camera phoooone," but who doesn't?), it was the "Dr. Marco, P.H.D." montage, where Marco, notepad-in-hand, tries to dissect Star's subconcious. It perfectly demonstrates how the two play off of each other. It's true, there's a lot of easy humor to be mined from the speculative nature of psychology, but the joke here is more about how Star fails to contextualize and interpret Marco's initiative, at least not intentionally. (She does get choked up staring at a botched inkblot, though, even if her revelation rings false.)

I also liked the idea of Marco keeping track of his and Star's victories. It's a cute reveal, obviously, but that Marco decides to get rid of the list helps strengthen his and Star's team dynamic. He doesn't necessarily value personal victories any more: he values collaborative ones, and he recognizes that the two of them are equally important to their endeavors. All that matters is that they have each other's backs. It's not a drastic moment, but it's a nice little bit of character development to cap off a goofy episode.

Blood Moon Ball

...Like I would be able to get away with listing off episodes without mentioning "Blood Moon Ball." No shame from me, though: it's an episode that does everything right, with solid jokes, interesting character interactions, and a heartfelt moment at the end to tie it all together. 

The episode's certainly assisted by the presence of Tom, the fourteen year-old demon who takes an interest in Star. It's interesting to see how the episode plays him up: he's obviously a bit dangerous and threatening, what with being a demon and all, but he's still an angst-ridden teenager who's insecure about his unreciprocated feelings towards Star. It's a smart bit of juxtaposition, and it makes for an interesting, unpredictable addition to the cast.

He demonstrates something that the show has proven adept at: normalizing fantasy. Just because Tom's a demon doesn't mean he isn't whiny and immature; the dead carriage horse has an introspective moment of betrayal; and so on. It helps make everything more lovingly low-key, with the show able to underplay some of its more bizarre elements instead of relying on a ton of scenery-chewing to drive the joke across - a technique which, by the way, barely ever works.

The reason we're all clamoring for "Blood Moon Ball," though, is the ending, and it's definitely a standout moment for the season (and, I presume, the series). There's a split second where Star and Marco feel... real. They're humanized; they're vulnerable. It's the first time Star vs. delivered a true emotional punch, and it hit hard. 

The interesting thing is that it's not even that profound of a moment otherwise. There's not some grand gesture, nor some dramatic reveal; the show knows it doesn't need that. It's simply a break in the tension, a moment where Star and Marco suddenly understand each other more, even if they can't explain how themselves. It brings to mind those (hold it, shippers, though I'll endorse it) scenes that punctuate rom-coms where it's just the couple standing there - no jokes, just two people, tangibly raw. That the show is able to take such a little riff and make it so compelling is a testament to how well-crafted Star vs. can be.

Storm the Castle
There's a few things I feel should be pointed out before I can get to the main point here.

First of all, the scene where Star tried to explain what happened to Marco to a police officer was great. I know I wrote about how the show normalized its weirder elements, but it's sort of one-sided: when the characters are looking from the outside in as opposed to vice versa, what we get is a scene like this with such a tangible communication barrier that it's hilarious.

Also exciting was the prospects of Star and Ludo working together. It's an overdone premise - team up the hero with their villain for the greater good - but since both characters are so idiosyncratic, they hold promising chemistry. While I may have been a bit disappointed in that department since they never really team up so much as walk single-file (still sort of counts, right guys?), it makes a good point in accentuating the differences between Ludo and Toffee.

The thing about Ludo is that he's petty to an extent where, even in the face of eminent danger, he's still obsessed with nothing more than potentially getting Star's wand. We don't really know Toffee's motives, but his colder demeanor already establishes him as the actual threat. He's not chasing after some pipe dream - he's a force to be reckoned with, and even the extent of Star's caring benevolence can't do so much as stifle the guy. (That Toffee's cage reconstructed itself twice as strong is pretty much a symbolic representation of it.)

It's because the show was able to hone in on that sense that the episode was able to show Star vs.' potential to be mature. "Storm the Castle," above all, demonstrates the show's emotional capabilities to their maximum potential, all while ending Season 1 with a promising bang for the show's potential. If it's any sign, writing this season retrospective was a chore largely out of how desperate I am to continue the series.
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Final Thoughts
Generally speaking, the show's greatest strength is just how effortlessly it can switch between hilarity and sincerity. It's a show that doesn't sacrifice either part of its identity (fun-loving comedy or delicate character development) to make a point, instead finding the perfect balance between both components. There's no doubt it's the subject of debate - what makes Star vs. the Forces of Evil so distinctive? - but from the perspective of the show's execution, this is where the show succeeds the most: it's fully realized, and it knows what it's doing and how it wants to do it. The rest of the show - its diverse, eclectic cast of characters (all with a seasoned voice cast, no less), cheerful style, and lovingly-crafted narrative - are the icing on the decadent cake.

SEASON 1 FINAL GRADE: B. (7.25)*

...and I'll be doing another one of these for Season 2 once I get through it, so keep your eyes peeled.

*The season score was a calculated average using a grading scale. An A+, the highest grade, is a perfect 10; every grade downwards is .75 less, all the way to 1.0, representing an F. To see the chart with the graded episodes, CLICK HERE. The cumulative score, 174, divided by the number of episodes, 24, is 7.25, which rounds down to a B (7).