The Lowdown:

Show: Star vs. The Forces of Evil

Network/years aired: Disney X.D, 2015-

(NOTE: THIS REVIEW HAS SPOILERS. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.)

AniB’s thoughts:

In a change from my usual reviewing style, I’m actually talking more about some specifics of this past season of Star vs. The Forces of Evil. For the first time here on AniB Productions, I’m looking at a second review of a show I already did (after season 2), and it would be some sense of folly to rehash thoughts that existed after the prior season’s events, most of which has changed drastically at this point. However, for reference, here’s a link to post Season 2’s thoughts if you’d like to see what I said back then.

Season 3, in a word, was wild. A huge season for a franchise that was building massive expectations after its second season wound up panning out well for the most part, with the interesting choice to open with a movie (‘The Battle for Mewni”) which resolved a variety of long-standing plot questions, but in turn opened up some major new ones- and the ending of the season, when the unexpected revival of a certain antagonist paved the way for some truly intriguing plot points moving forward.

One of the stronger moves the show made in order to increase its scope and storytelling was actually moving away from Echo Creek as the main locale to Mewni. The “Star as an exchange student” plotline had run its course, and as a princess-in-training, the logical next step would be for her to slowly get more engaged in the kingdom she’d be running day to day. It also allowed the writers a chance to work far more with the “magical” characters on cast, such as Tom, Kelly, and the Magical High Commission, and in turn, the Earth characters not named Marco didn’t make too many appearances, outside of an episode featuring Marco’s parents, some appearances by Janna, and the final breakup of Jackie Lynn with Marco that was both inevitable (and sort of wrote her out of the show as a key character, but season 2 was her big shining moment.)

The aspect that impressed me the most though (and became very noticeable this season) were the layered implications of changing events in all the aspects where Star’s life had touched up to that point- from the Diaz family, who unexpectedly were revealed to be having another son, to the underflowing current of monster society that was in the background of the entire season (and show, for that matter.) Star vs. The Forces of Evil has slowly, and rather subtly, transformed much like the Mewman princess’s character growth- it has come a long way from the early season 1 episodes of Ludo and his band of monsters showing up to try and steal Star’s wand- a goal and stakes that seem positively petty to the current situation at the end of Season 3.

Star’s progression as a show has been incredibly encouraging from season to season, continually building on its plot points in new and often unexpected ways. A season that began with a somewhat inaccurately titled “Battle for Mewni” and a presumptive threat in waiting from Ludo changed more drastically than a chameleon on a bad day- the return and fall of Toffee, the unexpected entrance of Eclipsa into the show, though her kind and playful demeanor made plenty of viewers give pause to the “Eclipsa is definitely evil!” theory; and then the dramatic re-emergence of Miss Heinous, previously relegated to second-tier villainy, as an incredibly important and dangerous force in the Mewni puzzle: revealed to be the princess Meteora, Eclipsa’s flesh and blood; a bastard child in the eyes of the kingdom at the the time to all but her mother due to her unique mixed-race lineage as a monster and Mewman.

Fundamentally, Meteora’s role was symbolically important in the show’s narrative: here was a flesh and blood example that threw the “established truths” about the relations of the two major groups residing in the kingdom in a sort of chaos, and furthermore, there was actually serious questions of legitimacy to right of the throne. This topic in particular actually was a strongly reoccurring theme this season, not only with Star’s return to Mewni, but Ludo/Toffee’s brief hostile takeover of the kingdom (the crown by war and force), and then later, by the re-emergence of Eclipsa who never died and her daughter, who by the general rules of heredity that exist in royal lines (and Mewni’s is passed through the females, not the males,) Eclipsa is actually the rightful Queen and her daughter has a claim to the throne as well. In turn, there’s a strong argument both Moon and Star in turn have no right to the throne, which is a thematic twist of brilliance borne out of “our so-called heroes have actually done terrible things and the so-called bad guys are like they are because of such things.” This isn’t your simple little Disney show anymore when you think about it…

The entire royal tangle is part of what makes the emerging political game so intriguing in this show, especially with the end of season reveal that was Globgar- Eclipsa’s monster husband, who like her was encased in crystal. Needless to say, a royal rumble of sorts might just be about to emerge- and season 4 is shaping up to be something very promising indeed, for a show that has really shaped up into something special.

Animation Quality: Traditional 2-D animation, with some anime influence. It’s a unique art style that has roots in the magical girl-type show, with a bright and vibrant color palette. It’s rather clean for the many different monsters and locales on display, and comes off nicely. 4.25/5 points.

Characterization: The show revolves around two main characters: the titular Star Butterfly, the free-spirited princess of a dimension known as Mewni, who is sent to Earth in an attempt for her to mature and grow as a young woman, and Marco Diaz, her host family’s son and best friend. Through three seasons however, the supporting cast has grown and played strong re-occurring roles in several episodes, particularly Star’s own family, who took on a much more prominent position in the show’s narrative starting with the end of season 2.

Star is a rebel princess through and through; and while she’s hardly a “by the book” type of individual, she possesses a great deal of natural talent in magic and a sense of freewheeling adventure. Her relationships she’s made on the show have continually developed, and as a result, become more complex- you could technically even say “multiversal.” None of the above has necessarily changed by the end of season 3, but Star has become (slowly) a more responsible individual, and one committed to the future of her kingdom in a way that simply wasn’t present when she first appeared in Season 1. She’s shown extreme loyalty to her friends, a willingness to understand all sides of a story, and gained the full power of her Mewberty butterfly form as well. Star was truly outstanding in the past season.

Marco Diaz serves as Star’s best friend and exchange host on Earth in the first 2 seasons . Cautious and straightforward, Marco’s a good kid who is hopelessly naive about veiled references and hidden feelings- he’s a straight shooter. He’s also a red belt in karate after the events of season 2, and is inexperienced (as you’d expect from someone his age) about romance. In Season 3, Marco moves to Mewni and becomes Star’s squire, sworn to protect her from danger. While the “Starco” plotline makes some progress in certain episodes, it certainly wasn’t the biggest aspect of the season for me, though as for Marco as a person, his bravery and sense of loyalty might have never been stronger. However, he’s now actively dealing with the tensions of living in another dimension, meaning a visit or two back to Echo Creek wouldn’t be a bad thing for our young hero as his family awaits a new baby!

A much bigger role appears for Star’s family as mentioned in my thoughts above. Leading the way on that front is the increased involvement of Queen Moon, who from the end of season 2 takes on a whole new role that really elevates her from this stodgy queen figure to a ruler who bears the stresses of her kingdom usually with dignity, but also with a level of uncertainty and insecurity, considering her past and what she hopes to pass onto the future in Star. She’s less tolerant than her daughter though when it comes to dealing with threats, and this tendency in turn costs her dearly by the end of the season.

Something that actually bothered me this season was the role of River, Star’s father. He sometimes was portrayed to have extreme levels of incompetence to the point of stupidity, which I believed was at odds to his prior characterization in the first two seasons: a loving father, devoted king, and on the inside, a wild man with the heart of a lion and the occasional good advice. One thing did remain consistent though: A love of corn.

The supporting cast continues to be pretty zany, but it works in the frenetic style of the show. I’ll mention Ludo, the main “villain” of the show in season 1, who has gone through a very interesting little character arc of his own; Toffee, the actual main villain through “the Battle of Mewni”, and a variety of Star and Marco’s friends and acquaintances, which include Tom, the demon prince who wound up becoming Star’s official boyfriend again (and amazingly enough, great friends with Marco), Kelly, a girl who first appeared in Season 2’s “Goblin Dogs” and since then became more or less a part of the core “friend” group of the show, Janna, a troublemaking girl who becomes close with Star; Ponyhead, the wild princess who was Star’s first friend before coming to Earth, and Jackie, a friend of Star’s and longtime crush of Marco, though her future relevance is very much in question after the events of “Sophomore Slump.” 3.75/5 points.

Story quality: Episodic, with an underlying story that began to pick up much more strongly in the final 3rd of the first season. Since then, the show has developed an interesting plot about coming of age, dealing with relationships, and the pressures of royalty mixed in with its usual fun, wacky, and free-flowing style, meaning a solid balance of humor and seriousness. I wrote in my prior review “It’s an effective mix that I hope to see keep developing. So far, it’s a good start- not the level of season 1 Gravity Falls, but certainly worth a watch.” Since then, Star has really taken off on its own, and I’m impressed- it’s an enjoyable watch that stays unpredictable with plenty of twists that work. 4/5 points.

Themes: Initially, there’s this idea of mystery and magic mixed with the idea of growing up and friendship, which then becomes more complicated with time. At the end of season 3, there’s definitely a stronger development on the “growing up” aspect, but there’s also some royal lineage stuff that gets a history buff like your truly going, some latent questions about the truth of the Mewman kingdom and perhaps an undercurrent of “do we really understand and listen to all parts of our society?” Interesting developments continue to await. 3.75/5 points.

Don’t insult the viewer: The show’s bursting with a good sense of fun and energy while staying rather clean. The theme song and outro are both very catchy, and there’s something infectiously enjoyable about watching this show, which is hard to describe. As of season 3, a new outro was introduced and the opening recieved fresh graphics more in line with the show’s current events. 5/5 points.

Total Score: 20.75/25 (83%). A third season that unfolded with big-time expectations mostly delivered, setting up another intriguing season that may or may not be the last. Watching the development of this show has been rewarding, and it’s an entertaining watch that’s definitely worth picking up (and that’s for anyone who read this despite the spoiler warning!) For everyone else, three seasons are in the book. What comes next will once again determine how the show is viewed as a whole.

Like what you see? Big Star vs. fan? Leave a comment!

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