#wsd rewatches amphibia

[writesailingdreams]

All In

All my immediate thoughts were more about Anne and Sprig and the Plantars and Andrias a little and Sasha and Grime. 😛

The intro does show off how, while Marcy felt she couldn't be open and felt ignored in some ways, she was still an influence in getting Anne to do things she maybe wouldn't want to do. (Also, Marcy, did you throw that pupper??)

Maybe it's the not-having-goals/working-hard-on-anything of Anne that resonates with me. Which is weird, since in school I was more like Marcy, getting good grades without having to strain myself. School stuff (socializing, assignments) was the thing you did outside and where you act a certain way, while home stuff was when you could just be yourself (you know, the self you didn't want to/couldn't/shouldn't share with others).

BUT ANYWAY.

I think Aldrich is a jerk for trying to sell Marcy on her fantasy.

I am proud of Marcy for rejecting it. I was then. I still am. Recognizing that she can't run away from problems is probably an important step to take. There's nothing wrong with loving fantastical stories. (I do.) But you can't just... I'm not sure how to say but...

Like, Marcy's rejection of the Core's offer is essentially her saying no to the ideology of the Core -- a highly sterilized, tunnel-vision that is only concerned with how everything benefits it; everything is for the Core; it deserves everything; it's smarter and better than everything and everyone else. And while Marcy never got that far, she did place a lot of importance on her intelligence.

But unlike the Core, this came from a place of human fear and fallibility; it came from a place of actually wanting to have friends and share things with those friends. And because she had the human (or emotional) element she could recognize that the Core/Aldrich was asking her (1) give that up (assimilation) and (2) to live in a restricted reality.

(Genuinely feel that if Andrias hadn't closed his heart off after, what was to him, Leif's betrayal and Barrel's failure, I think him and Marcy could have been actually close? And possibly a good influence on the other? Andrias gets to learn to have a friend again and Marcy gets someone who finds her interests captivating. (He sent a murderbot to get the second book in a series she got him hooked on.))

I do actually love that Marcy recognizes she can't live in a world where everything is exactly how she wants it to be. Then she puts her trust in her friends coming to rescue her, which is a BIG step for Marcy, imo. Instead of trying to plan how she can be useful or trying to find the way to likable, she's going to trust in other people.

(I had a thought that it was this isolation from the rest of the Core that allowed Marcy to be freed so easily. Cut the interface, Core's gone, but Marcy's no longer linked up to it.)

I also like that Marcy recognizes she can't make people like what she likes or do what she wants. The next step would be recognizing that there can be other ways to make/be friends. Who knows, there may be something outside of her usual interests that she might be able to connect with Anne and/or Sasha over? Or heck, maybe there are others out there who might be interested in the same subjects *cough*like Maddie*cough*

Additions:

Plantar - call me an anomaly but the heron stuff in this gets me like a sucker punch 😭

Sasha - her character development and relationship with Grime has been exceptionally amazing. I love it.

Story & Spranne - parallels b/w Anne and Sprig to Andrias and Leif, one positive, the other half negative/half positive. Basically, friends separating but having memories, but in one set, one of the friends becomes bitter, instead of treasuring the memories.

Plus, Sprig being the only one (friendship!) to go to help Anne (and read the letter). (foreshadow to The Hardest Thing)

#marcy wu #marcy wu chronicles #wsd rewatches amphibia #wsd watches amphibia #amphibia #all in #king andrias #sasha waybright #captain grime #anne boonchuy #sprig plantar #polly plantar #hop pop plantar #amphibia meta #amphibia analysis #wsd opinion piece #the core

[writesailingdreams]

True Colors

Ah, here we go.

It was pointed out to me, after this viewing, that, even if you removed Andrias' using Marcy and wanting to use the music box for invasion, Marcy would still have to deal with Anne and Sasha's reaction to, uh, the plan Marcy thought she and Andrias were actually going with -- that is, the plan that the girls would all keep having adventures together.

That is, if Andrias said "okay girls, time to go on world-traveling adventures" wouldn't Anne and Sasha want to know why they aren't just going home? Wouldn't Marcy have to at some point suggest they don't go home (not right away)? And wouldn't it eventually come out that she set the stage for getting the girls to Amphibia because she was afraid of moving and losing her friends?

But if Andrias hadn't made his suggestion and Marcy hadn't shared her feelings with him while playing flipwart, then I'm really curious what Marcy would have done when presented with the option to go home. Would she have tried to get the girls to stay longer? Would she have finally admitted her fears?

I seriously doubt she'd do the latter, at this point. Marcy's whole operating principle is to avoid being alone and that means not being open about unpleasant emotions. Expressing enthusiasm and gushing about what she likes, that's fine. That's a positive emotion; that has positive benefits (even if some of it actually annoys or frustrates due to lack of awareness, look how smart she is, let's not talk about that bad stuff, right?).

On one hand, I don't think I'd have the capacity, at any age, not to express my unhappy feelings. On the other, I did have a phase where I tried to be positive and agreeable, but that was as a young adult not a 13 yr old. So, there's a bit of limited relatablity, but for the most part, I'm too (pedantic? honest? stubborn?) to not, usually, share what I feel, even if it isn't always nice. (This is more of an in-person thing than an online thing, I think.)

But since her goal was to not be alone and her solution (thanks to Andrias) was to continue having adventures, that's why it was so important that the girls continued to all be friends and get along; if the girls didn't, then it would make all of Marcy's motivation to this point (getting the music box, agreeing to Andrias' (fake) plan) moot. Because then the friendship would be over, the thing she was trying to avoid.

It's also interesting how important it is for Marcy to take credit for the "adventures" and "growth." This needs to have been a good experience; it needs to have been positive; it needs to have been something good that she contributed to. Because then it's just her getting scared and making a mistake.

And see, there's nothing wrong with Marcy's impulsive mistake or even her fear. If anything, the whole resolution with Hop Pop and Anne over the music box (in the first temple!) shows off why this is: everyone at all ages can make impulsive bad choices. It will get messy and be worse the longer it festers. But bad choices and good experiences don't have to cancel each other. Life is complicated and complex.

I'm not sure Marcy has quite grasped that (but she's 13, c'mon).

But it is telling that Marcy does quickly recognize Andrias' plan is bad and that someone should save Sprig. She has enough emotionally intelligence at this point to recognize that.

The thing she doesn't get to deal with is the fallout with Sasha and Anne. She never gets any closure, at this point, with what this means for the three in the future. Will the two still be her friends? She doesn't get an answer to that, probably the most important factor to her. Which, you know, while not relatable, is very heart-touching to me.

#marcy wu chronicles #marcy wu #true colors #amphibia #amphibia meta #king andrias #wsd rewatches amphibia #wsd watches amphibia #wsd opinion piece #while marcy might never be my fav character from the show nor the source of biggest emotional feelings in regards to story #I feel i'm getting a better grasp of her as a character

[writesailingdreams]

A Day at the Aquarium

I still stand by feelings that it wasn't Marcy's place to dictate when and how Anne said goodbye to the Plantars.

Like, I'm sorry it upset Marcy and made her feel abandoned, but she can't just tell Anne "the Plantars brought you here to me and now you don't have any reason to stay with them." Yes, Anne wanted to find Marcy, but she should get to decide how she wants to depart from her frog family herself.

Maybe I just don't like the idea that Marcy can just dictate how Anne should handle her emotional connections. I suppose it could show that, as much as Marcy spends times with the Plantars, at this point, she sees them as important in a passing way.

I wonder if it's at this point that Marcy starts to see that the Plantars (and Sprig) are important to Anne in a more genuinely enduring way (this will be relevant in True Colors).

Anne addition: It makes me wonder if Anne followed Marcy's ideas, while both followed Sasha's plans.

Or more specifically, Anne, thinking herself dumb, let Marcy decide things/think things through. Hence, why Anne didn't even question Marcy's logic that it was time to say goodbye to the Plantars. It also might be why Anne was so overprotective; that was something she could do, something Marcy needed, as Anne understood it.

This doesn't expand on Marcy but may explain the music box -- Marcy thought of it and Sasha insisted on it and Anne couldn't say no either way, since Marcy, however exasperating, is smart and Sasha is in charge. (These girls are not good at communicating.)

It's also kind of interesting that of the three girls, Anne seemed to have the greatest desire to go home, yet she forms the deepest community roots. She gets a second home and second family, so she, at the earliest stage, has the most to lose by going home.

#marcy wu #marcy wu chronicles #anne boonchuy #a day at the aquarium #sprig plantar #hop pop plantar #polly plantar #hopidiah plantar #wsd opinion piece #wsd rewatches amphibia #amphibia #wsd watches amphibia

[writesailingdreams]

The Dinner

Now this is an interesting Marcy episode!

I really showcases how important harmony is for her. She wants everyone to get along. And that is important to her because (1) she seems very determined to avoid all conflict, even open communicate that might be messy and difficult* and (2) for her plan with Andrias to work out the way she wants, the girls have to be friends.

*interestingly, I feel this is something Anne learned pretty well with the Plantars -- sometimes to get through things, you have to be messy and communicate.

Plantar Addition: I legitimate don't think the Plantars were that bad in this episode. By that I mean, some of their behavior strikes me as how they'd act anyway? Like when Sprig roasts Sasha about being wrong because the drawing doesn't look like a weeping dirtsnake, or Hop Pop insisting Sasha sit in the shame corner for breaking the rules.

#marcy wu #the dinner #wsd rewatches amphibia #amphibia #wsd watches amphibia #hot take: the plantars weren't terrible; they're just actually abrasive naturally :p #marcy wu chronicles #wsd opinion piece #sprig plantar #hop pop plantar

[writesailingdreams]

The Beginning of the End

This is the first episode since True Colors (and I guess Olivia and Yunan) to real explore Marcy's emotional status and character.

More particularly, it addresses the aftermath of True Colors and represents Marcy as sympathic; maybe her needs and feelings were being ignored, hence why she acted the way she did.

What's weird is that this is one of the most personally relatable Marcy moments -- enthusiastically sharing something you love with someone and not getting much enthusiasm back.

But wooo, the fact that Anne and Sasha agreed to watch the movie, even if they never saw the whole thing, kind of impresses me?

Like, the other two girls were okay enough with letting Marcy play the movie over and over again. Neither of them may have been very interested in it (Anne watching but not really interested and Sasha not really paying attention), especially after having seen parts of it over and over. But they're still letting her play the movie. I don't know if this is just my experience talking, but the idea that someone, who maybe isn't interested in the thing you care about, sits around with you while watching something more than once, would kind of blow my mind.

Also a three hour movie is a lot.

The other weird thing about the whole Marcy flashback is how I read Anne and Sasha's responses. Anne's comes across as her trying to be encouraging, not wanting to dismiss Marcy's love for a movie which Anne herself doesn't find engaging; I think that at least shows she doesn't want to hurt Marcy's feelings. As for Sasha, her "I don't actually care" reads to me as an "I don't care about spoilers," but, to Marcy, probably reads as "I don't care about the things you care about." Then the falling asleep bit tells Marcy that neither of the other girls care about what she cares about.

But I'm not sure that's entirely true? Or at least, it's not as simple as "Marcy likes things and Anne and Sasha ignore & dismiss those things." We see Marcy going on a lot about her interests, more than the other two; we see the three seemingly attempting one of the DnD-type games. We see Marcy making a suggestion (stealing the music box) that is followed through. We see them watching a movie of Marcy's preference at sleepovers, despite her being the only one interested in it.

On one hand, yeah, Marcy's feelings were ignored, her interests were treated as obscure weirdness that the other two put up. There was a real sense that Marcy felt her feelings/interests/enthusiasm was unpalatable. And that's both incredibly sad and also very explainable for her actions in S2.

One the other hand, I still stand pretty firm on the idea that Anne had to suppress her actual enthusiasm and interests. While Marcy may have felt hers were dismissed/ignored, she still continued to express them (and Anne continued to haphazardly engage). Anne didn't really get that, far as I can tell.

I'd prefer not to make it an either/or debate. Both Marcy and Anne had problems in their friend dynamic. That's the kind of the point; there was toxicity between all the three girls in different ways. :P

#amphibia #wsd rewatches amphibia #wsd watches amphibia #marcy wu #anne boonchuy #marcy wu chronicles #also wow darcy doesn't appear in many eps #kind of expecting to get some push back from this #wsd weird brain #wsd opinion piece

[writesailingdreams]

thinking how Spider-Sprig and Hollywood Hop Pop would have been a better pair; there's more thematic connective tissue via movies and trying something before realizing it's probably not what you should be doing.

this I think would be a better lead into If You Give a Frog a Cookie, which would be paired with Olivia and Yunan with the connective tissue of technology and science and it's harmful effects.

#amphibia #amphibia season 3 #spider sprig #hollywood hop pop #olivia and yunan #if you give a frog a cookie #i think s3a did such a good job up til spider sprig of having thematic connectivity between each part that the pairing it had was jarring #feel the eps b/w sprig's birthday and froggy little christmas have some tonal dissonance (on this watch) #but i think rearranging it this way would work better #but pretty sure disney wasn't going to allowed a thematically connective ep to be showed alongside olivia and yunan #wsd opinion piece #wsd rewatches amphibia #wsd watches amphibia

[writesailingdreams]

The Hardest Thing

I was happy that Marcy got to do the whole anime-fight-save-the-world for awhile with her friends. She deserved it.

But there were a few scenes and lines that got me thinking...

Since most of my emotional time and attention is occupied, for the most part, by Anne and Sprig (and the Plantars), getting to the point of actually wondering about Marcy feels like an effect of doing these posts. While I haven't found Marcy to be highly relatable or a strong favorite, it has made me think more about her.

The main thing I got to wondering was:

How did Marcy feel about everything that was happening?

From her perspective, there was the fallout with True Colors, then coming to terms with how she can't run away/hide from problems and learning to trust others whether her exact feelings are shared/she's useful. Then there's the Prophecy and powers, and then Anne's saying she'll do it all alone and probably die.

What's going through her head at this point? How does she feel?

And when Anne says that she always followed and looked up to and trusted the other two, what did that mean to Marcy?

(What is it referring to? Can you say Anne trusted or looked up to Marcy? I certainly think Anne followed Marcy's lead, as much as she followed Sasha. While she saw Marcy as "super oblivious," she also saw Marcy as smarter than her, so Marcy must know better, right? from Anne's pov anyway at the beginning of the show)

I can't make a guess about how Marcy felt, but the questions did shimmer in my mind.

Also, always very happy that she's working on a webcomic. Yeah!

I want to say: yes! use your experiences and what you love (rpg and botany) to tells stories!! which is, kind of, what I've wanted to do, to some degree since I was a kid. So, uh, adult Marcy may be the most relatable she's ever been?

#marcy wu #marcy wu chronicles #amphibia #the hardest thing #wsd rewatches amphibia #wsd watches amphibia #anne boonchuy #wsd opinion piece #creative marcy for the win!

[writesailingdreams]

Olivia and Yunan

(was I subtly putting off watching this ep? yeeah, a little bit)

Rewatching it now, I think one reason it still gives me extremely uncomfortable chills, in a way True Colors doesn't, is because this new plot-terror with Marcy isn't packaged with the friendship feelings of Anne and Sprig. I'm not getting inundated in passionate platonic fierce feelings of friendship which is my main emotional investment in this show.

But here, it's just Marcy alone, upset and then forcibly caught and possessed. Do. Not. Like.

That said, while I definitely had a lot of concern for Marcy's well-being, this didn't make me like her more (or make her more relatable); it only made me horrified/concerned for her.

And I think that by this point, she was already probably one of the most popular aspects of the show (I often find I don't like/like as much the popular aspects/characters of some media? looking at you Disney's Hercules and Aladdin), so it hit with a harder punch for the fandom in general.

I will say, this ep does a good job of showing off more of Marcy's internal emotional feelings at this point in her life and how much she values (and puts pressure) on her interpersonal relationships and whether those are welcoming/acceptable to others in the relationship.

I do regret there wasn't more of Olivia and Marcy together.

I actually wonder if some of Marcy's love for Amphibian botany owes anything to Olivia's influence -- Marcy learning about a legacy of environmental guardianship.

I do think a good argument could be made that initially Marcy's feelings on also helping care for and protect the environment of Amphibia was flavored by a sense of adventure-world rpg-ing. That's sort of why I wish there had been more of Olivia and Marcy; to show some genuine Marcy making a connection and growing.

But then Marcy's story is prominently, as it seems so far, about loneliness and the struggle to avoid it. If she had been making connections that helped her feel less fear about being abandoned and alone, she wouldn't have been as vulnerable to Andrias' plot. And a lot of all that is pretty much a large portion of her plot.

(There's more to her character and personality than that, but in terms of her plot significant, it's pretty much "I don't want to be alone, so I try to avoid that but doing that only leads to me being more alone because I didn't talk to others and I have to actually trust others to not leave me alone". This is contrasted to Andrias' whole friendship and father backstory.)

I will say also: I love a lot of what this episode does in it's setup to rescuing Marcy. The focus on environmental degradation as a turning point in Marcy's rescue + just as a general antagonistic aspect is something I love. One because it fits with Marcy's love for the wildlife (botanical and animal), and two because I just really like that idea.

#marcy wu chronicles #marcy wu #lady olivia #olivia and yunan #wsd rewatches amphibia #wsd watches amphibia #amphibia #can I still call it marcy wu chronicles now that it's also darcy? do I include ones where there's no marcy but just darcy??? #up to now i didn't count references to marcy; she had to appear in the ep. now \(:|)/ #i'm not even sure what to call this anymore. it's more analysis of the plot as tied to character w/ fandom divergences from my experience #wsd opinion piece #wsd weird brain

[writesailingdreams]

Battle of the Bands

I see you watching Anne as she talks about going home, Marcy.

(these last few eps have been more Sasha character heavy)

#no marcy thoughts for this one #not even really story thoughts #except: #all my feelings forever #for anne and wartwood and her performance #marcy wu chronicles #wsd rewatches amphibia #amphibia #wsd watches amphibia #i suppose this would have been a better place to put that personal introspection

[writesailingdreams]

The Third Temple

I'm drawing a blank about anything to comment on about Marcy. She's there. She is clearly happy to see Sasha. She doesn't seem to have any issues with all the girls just being friends again.

I could talk about how her insistence that they've got to take the music box to Andrias is foreshadowing for True Colors, but that's more plot....

I suppose it shows that Marcy is really good at being read as entirely honest - whatever she says, is what she intends and means. And honestly, so far, she has come across as very upfront about how she feels. I mean, she comes across as also very awkward and oblivious, but those traits feel straightforward? If she missed something or forgot something, you'd assume it's because she was so busy focusing on something that it slipped pass.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around why, while my heart breaks for her storyline and I think she's decently fun character, she never jumped out to me in as emotionally a deep way as Anne and Sprig. I feel like she should, you know?

Maybe it's how forward she is about her interests. It feels way more open than I would be. But when I was 13...I'm sure I didn't mind expressing my opinions...yet at the same, looking back, there was a kind of (or so it feels to me) social self and personal self. Like the you at school wasn't really you in the same way as when you were at home? I don't know if that's why Anne resonates more to me. I just can't plug Marcy as feeling like she has to hide/not show herself. (I can believe she feels she has to perform a certain way, which is low-key relatable, but also not the same thing to me.)

Story (Sasha) Addition: It continues to fascinate me how different this third temple feels to me. And I think that's because the other two had lessons that exhibited positive growth for Marcy and Anne -- to be more aware of others while still recognizing her talents, and to recognize her mistakes while still showing impetus kindness. The third temple doesn't really teach Sasha anything she doesn't already have; we've seen in the flashback that she has perseverance.

I think is this because, since Sasha and Grime are plotting to overthrow Andrias at this point, she can't really have a growing moment out of where she is currently, mentally and emotionally.

Also, strength paired with perseverance always feels a little lackluster to me? Like, to me strength would be better paired with reliability or trust? Like, it's one thing to be strong, but having the strength to trust others or trust in others to help you be stronger... (kind of what I feel Sasha figures out while living in Wartwood and with the rebellion). Or maybe it's too similar to the intelligence/humility dichotomy?

#marcy wu #sasha waybright #wsd rewatches amphibia #amphibia #the third temple #wsd watches amphibia #wsd opinion piece #wsd weird brain #got a little personally introspective here #storytelling

[writesailingdreams]

Bessie and Micro-Angelo

:D :D :D 🐌🐌

But onto Marcy... I think this episode shows off how she's still concerned with role-performing. As she tells Anne, "This is your last chance" to live some kind of cool fantasy before going home. I'm ascribing this attitude, personally, to Marcy's nervousness around being social. She can solve problems and puzzles but actually interacting with people -- what is that??! So, it's easier for her socialize via the stories and games she likes. So that's how she processes stuff.

Anne addition: In contrast, Anne's whole thing this ep is basically recognizing that she's genuinely happy with how she sees herself and that's beautiful.

#sorry not sorry i'm beginning to get main story distracted from making notes on marcy #marcy wu chronicles #marcy wu #wsd rewatches amphibia #bessie and microangelo #amphbia #wsd watches amphibia #anne boonchuy

[writesailingdreams]

The Second Temple/Barrel's Warhammer

No real Marcy thoughts beyond she doesn't think well under pressure or situations that need immediate answers without taking time to reflect (she's like Luna from MLP: FiM that way).

What actually predominated on my brain:

more emotional about The Second Temple than The First Temple - Anne's whole thing was more moving to me than anything that happened with Marcy

I continue to be interested by why this Temple is so mysterious liminal and why it has a specific guardian kind of. Why is Valeriana's order so (seemingly) settled at this Temple?

archway entry to the temple being a frog shooting its tongue at a fly was A+ background architectural design and storytelling

brought home the emotionall instinct of Anne v. the intellectual know-how of Marcy

I noticed that a lot of Anne's moments of growth are paralleled in some ways to Sasha. Not necessarily in the same trajectory of growth, but usually when something significant happens that shows off how Anne's changed, there's a complementary Sasha episode showing off how she's handling her journey in Amphibia. The only exception I can think of is Toadcatcher. Anyway, it's a neat narrative structure.

Sasha "we're the best team in this world or any other world"

loved the environment of the Second Temple. Winter world yessss!

Anyway, Anne's my girl and I love her. Her impulsive kindness really impressed and moved me. I love her so much.

#marcy wu chronicles #i feel weird calling it that #anne boonchuy #sasha waybright #marcy wu #amphibia #wsd rewatches amphibia #wsd watches amphibia #barrel's warhammer #the second temple #all my feelings forever #narrative parallels #narrative structure #amphibia meta #narrative design #worldbuilding #amphibia worldbuilding #wsd weird brain

[writesailingdreams]

Bessie and Mirco-Angelo is one of my favorite episodes, I swear to frog

#it just makes me so happy when i watch it #bessie #microangelo #bessie and microangelo #wsd watches amphibia #wsd rewatches amphibia #amphibia

[writesailingdreams]

New Wartwood

Aw, it was neat to see Marcy trying to make an effort to be social. She really is interested in Amphibian history and wants Wartwood to like her. As she says, the place means a lot to Anne.

What was most interesting to me was the cultural difference Marcy probably experienced in a small town like Wartwood vs. a big city like Newtopia. Wartwood is more insular; they don't like outsiders, while Newtopia is more cosmopolitan; they're most types living there. Additionally, Newtopia is a center of history and learning -- it's the kind of blame Marcy would thrive, I think.

That said, I also think she would have been happy in Wartwood, if only because she'd be so interested in the botanical ecology. (Though how much was that influenced by what she learned in Newtopia...)

She continues to be very energetic but appears to recognize when she makes mistakes.

I do think she does overcompensate and try harder than she probably should to get others to like her. For some reason, this feels like a new trait?

I don't get the impression, thus far, she was much concerned with being well-liked back on Earth. Admittedly, that's Anne's experiences. But it felt like a lot of her feelings stemmed from a desire to be specifically likable to Wartwood.

She started with plain ol' curious enthusiasm. When that didn't work, she did what she did in Newtopia -- be useful and helpful and that'll get others to like you.

I feel there's a subtle shift in Marcy, from how she was on Earth, but I don't know if I have the words to express.

Like, she was very much into her own interests and very proud of her intelligence. In Newtopia, she blossoms into being quite good at lots of things, while also absorbing all this new (and very interesting to her) information. It's a continuation of what her life was like on Earth; she's the smart one. But then Anne actually has formed emotional significant connections to actual individuals in this world; Anne's changed, not by expanding into more of who she was on Earth, but by forming new bonds. This doesn't really cause much change until the First Temple, when Marcy is confronted with how her smarts aren't as important as the welfare of others (I feel this ties into what Anne's gained up to now vs. Marcy). After this, she shows more a concentrated effort to earn a likable status in Wartwood; I'm not sure she wants what Anne has, but she does seem to want share in it. And I think that's a very subtle but very neat shift in her character.

Maybe that's what Marcy's about: a much more subtle, secondary to the main emotional plot, story. Which is probably why it was always more peripheral to me beyond a few heartfelt shout-outs.

#marcy wu #amphibia #wsd rewatches amphibia #amphibia meta #character analysis #marcy wu chronicles #new wartwood #wsd watches amphibia #also this ep was straight up hilarious. made me laugh

[writesailingdreams]

The First Temple

I feel like this episode best encapsulates the closest thing I feel is a flaw of Marcy's -- her hyperfocus to the exclusion of others. Her extreme focus to the exclusion of what's happening around her does cause problems for others and also has potential to harm her (by not paying attention to her surroundings).

The trouble with that is that it feels like a mixed bag to call it a flaw. Yes, it causes problems and is something she should work --to an extent-- while at the same time, being super invested & focused on a certain topic isn't really a bad trait to have. (I can get like that myself.)

This episode also really shows off how much Marcy values her intelligence; it's what she has to offer; it's what she's good at. What's more interesting to me, is how much she boosts herself, saying how good she is at things, expressing her deep interest in things (mostly biological with special interest in plants). I know I've mentioned this before, but Marcy's enthusiasm is fascinating to me.

As much as she seems to derive value from how useful she can be (this will appear more in the next episode, oh boy), she's also very confident and expressive. Maybe that's why it's hard (for me) to pin down to think about/explain Marcy --

She's both driven by a desire to not be alone so therefore tries to be agreeable AND openly expresses her interests which she pushes on/tries to share with others WHILE ALSO being oblivious of the world around AND highly hyperfocused on particular aspect of the world around her. She's open and expressive, yet feels awkward in social settings. She prizes her intelligence and skill in puzzles, yet feels it's all she has to offer.

I feel like there's more I could say, but basically: Marcy has a lot of complex character traits that either seem to contradict or simultaneously present as positive or negative emotions.

Also, I think this might have been when Marcy really started seeing the Plantars a little more specifically. Up to this point, she was aware that they were important to Anne. (She loves the found family trope, after all.) But up to now, she may have seen them more as an Important Point in Anne's journey and less as interpersonal relationships Anne has developed.

But then, I think that's because is not very good at reading social cues. I interpret this as a large part of why Marcy tries so hard to be likable by being useful. But I'll probably get into this more next time.

#marcy wu #amphibia #amphibia meta #character analysis #wsd rewatches amphibia #wsd watches amphibia #marcy wu chronicles #the first temple #also lots of interesting lore and backstory now that I know what it all is referring to/where the gems came from #I originally thought the temple was being controlled by whatever andrias talks to at the end. but nope! it's probably the guardian :P #(yes i know the whatever is the core but i didn't know when I first watched) #also the reference to the prophecy being undone makes more sense #i love analyzing stories once they're complete. so much more fulfilling when you've got the whole thing to dissect and know what it means #and where its going

[writesailingdreams]

Lost in Newtopia

P’anne and An-olly for life!

Oh and Marcy discovers a secret library from spilling bug-accinos. I have no strong feelings pr thoughts about this. Is Andrias lying about knowing nothing about? I suspect so.

#marcy wu chronicles #not much to say here #marcy wu #king andrias #wsd rewatches amphibia #amphibia #lost in newtopia #anne boonchuy #polly plantar #I'm loving all the little callbacks: #you chained us together! after the ruins of [whatever] incident i'm not taking any chances (lol) #anne: hop pop i feel sick [in this moving vehicle] #this ep and the next are very anne & polly hijinks