skippercifer:
So I missed everyone blogging about Reasons to Watch WOY yesterday, but you can bet your boots I still made this post a day late.
I first fell for this show because of the animation. I’ve always been fond of Mccraken’s work but honestly this was above and beyond even his usual stuff- from character design to backgrounds to the fluid movements. There’s this whole episode that’s literally a royal banquet for animation aficionados that remains one of the best things I have ever seen on television.
The mixture of nostalgia and novelty hit me like a titanium brick. There is so much of the television shows I grew up with ranging from the 70s to the 90s. Obviously a lot of cartoons, especially Looney Tunes, He-Man and The Masters of the Universe, Johnny Quest, and (surprise,surprise) The Powerpuff Girls. Also things like Monty Python, The Three Stooges, the 600000 bad science fiction movies I’ve seen since birth both with and without MST3K thrown into the mix, and Doctor Who (both the old and the new.) Also a huge shoutout to somehow being able to compete with what remains two of my favorite films of all time, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and The Lego Movie. And even with all these influences and parallels (and let me tell you such an amalgamation would have been fine on its own) it still manages to be entirely unique and like nothing I’ve ever seen before or will see again.
It has that goodwilled goofiness and slapstick that isn’t gross or cruel but still over the top (and to be honest, hilarious.) The humour is, of course, for kids, but it’s so well-paced and cracking and clever that even being conscious that I’m probably being immature it’s the greatest. Just- taking a break from kids shows trying way too hard to be edgy and cool and relatable, and making something that feels genuine (and so wonderfully SILLY.)
Which leads me to talk more about the mcfreaking WRITING on this thing. I’m usually ridiculously picky and snobbish over writing- and tend to like it bone-dry, sarcastic, and witty. Wander Over Yonder’s writing doesn’t really work that way- but like Looney Tunes it’s got this absolutely biting, cracking type of humour that hits hard and fast but at times incredibly gently. There are morals, there are consequences, things are often plainly laid out but at the same time ridiculously fun to analyze (there’s always room for it.)
And of course the writing wouldn’t work without the voice acting. This cast brings me life and they’re so intent and serious about making this show what it needs to be. Just- oh my god.
I won’t say much about the characters or episode plots because this would literally turn into a college-level thesis (this is what happens when you’re autistic and have a special interest in cartoons and television as an adult folks.) I’ll just say that not a single character is two-dimensional (pun intended) or boring in any way, and the episodes are consistently weird and wonderful.
I WILL talk about series one vs series two development because WoW. Series one is Saturday Morning Heaven- it’s very relaxed while still being engaging and you expect every episode to end with ‘tune in next week for another exciting episode of-’ (which doesn’t end up mattering because you’ll just speed through like 10 of them in one sitting.) Series two gets a bit heavier both emotionally and plot-wise. Not hugely focused in like Steven Universe or Gravity Falls, but there’s now an overlying arc that is just fantastic and that you have got to see for yourself. Which brings me to the propaganda portion of this post. Series three was meant to be the final series and was all planned out, but Disney cancelled it because they are a no-fun-allowed-corporate-greed-monster. Disney is now getting bombarded with pleading and there is a petition in need of signing that is not too far away from its goal. Shoot a guy a solid favour and sign on the dotted line, yeah?
Anyway this show means a whole hell of a lot to me, some reasons for which I can’t even go into here and now. If you took the time to read all this I’m impressed- go forth and watch and talk to me about it when you get back. Stay hoopy.
This! ^