In the wake of hit shows like Gravity Falls and Phineas and Ferb, there’s been a lot of pressure placed on any animated series that premieres on the Disney Channel. There have been highs, sure, but arguably a greater number of flops, disappointments, and outright cancellations. Even shows that started off great can quickly turn sour, as was proven by Star Vs. The Forces of Evil, and the number of shows that are dead on arrival is surprisingly high. However, as someone who grew up on the greatness the network produced in the past, I couldn’t help but wonder what their next standout series might look like.
Well, with its third and final season coming to a close, I think we might just have a winner: Amphibia is a surprisingly excellent show, and an instant classic for the Disney Channel catalogue. Its characters are equal parts lovable and nuanced, its comedy and worldbuilding are top notch, and the stories it is able to tell within the constraints of a kids TV network are commendable. It may struggle to outrun its basic premise and pseudo-episodic nature, but when Amphibia really nails it, even the all-time greats are left shaking in their boots.
At the onset, there honestly isn’t much that seems remarkable about Amphibia. Its art style is clean and colorful, if a bit basic, and the character designs don’t leave a strong impression when you first see them. The story itself is a standard fish-out-of-water tale, following cheery and optimistic Anne Boonchoy as she is accidentally thrust into a world of talking frogs, newts, and toads. The plot follows her adventures around this new, swampy land as she tries to locate her two missing friends and find them all a way back to Earth. As a premise, it does its job well, but doesn’t have anything that immediately sets it apart.
However, that base simplicity is part of what makes Amphibia work so well. Beneath its simple exterior is a whole load of character, depth, and heart that would have been harder to implement into a kids show had the premise been more complex. This may be a fairly typical fantasy adventure story, but it’s also a very well executed fantasy adventure story.
And nothing exemplifies that better than the show’s characters. The Plantars, the family that take in Anne after she arrives in Amphibia, are a joy to watch, sporting the sort of spontaneous, chaotic energy that would make Kermit the Frog blush. The amphibians of this story are all especially expressive, making way for some excellent visual comedy that had me laughing out loud at least once per episode. This may be the funniest animated Disney Channel show I’ve seen, and I don’t say that lightly.
This strength is only helped by a solid selection of voice actors. Special mention goes to Justin Felbinger as Sprig and Bill Farmer as Hop Pop. Whether it’s the hilarious delivery of jokes or the surprising nuances of more poignant scenes, I can’t imagine these characters voiced by anyone else.
Even after three seasons, I can’t think of a single character that really rubbed me the wrong way, which is especially impressive given that this is comedy utilizing leads that are almost all children. Making characters as funny as these ones work consistently for almost 60 episodes is no easy feat, and making child characters likable while still feeling realistic is even harder, so to see that Amphibia can do both at once is undoubtedly impressive.
But none of that would matter if the story itself didn’t work well, and thankfully, it does without question. The land of Amphibia and its many inhabitants are a central part of the ongoing narrative, and attention is given to fleshing out the unique races and cultures that appear throughout the story. The frogs may be simple farmers, but the newts are adept scholars, and the toads ruthless warriors. This is a world that feels complete and well crafted, and this only aids the feeling of a grand adventure that permeates the second and third seasons.
The way that the world and lore ties into themes of growth and maturity in the story is also well done, especially when it comes to the villains. These are far from being static characters, and the journeys they take are a joy to follow along with.
However, it is important to note that while Amphibia does a lot to overcome its limitations, it is still an animated children’s show, and often feels held back as a result. The first season is especially guilty of this, including entire episodes that feel disconnected from the rest of the show for the sake of creating content that can be rerun easily by the network.
There are also many times when the events of the story rub up against Disney censorship policies, to the point that the second season’s finale needed a full content warning before the original airing. I commend the creators for being so bold in their ideas, but I couldn’t help but yearn for what might have been without the restrictions of eleven-minute episodes and children’s TV censorship.
Verdict
At the end of the day, Amphibia is everything I had hoped it would be and more. Between its engaging world, well written characters, and excellent comedy, I often found my expectations exceeded in ways I didn’t see coming. The more story-inclined might find it hard to get through to where the plot really takes off in the second season, but the journey is absolutely worth taking.
Given its simplicity and middling level of popularity, I honestly wasn’t expecting to love Amphibia going in. Don’t make the same mistake I did; this is the next big hit for Disney Channel, and a great animated show in its own right.
