Welcome back to Multiversity Comics’ Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts reviews. This week there’s canned cheese, feta, gouda, chèvre, fromage, cheese training, cheese prophecy, cheese-on-the-face greetings. . .
I think it’s clear I really need some cheese. I’m craving it SO MUCH right now.
“The Goat Cheese Prophecy”
Written by Bill Wolkoff
Directed by Bridget Underwood
½. Deathstalkers
The Deathstalkers were first mentioned in very first episode of Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, so it was cool to finally see one and have it live up to my expectations. Just a small thought, I know, but it made too much of an impression to not merit a mention.
1. Welcome to Vanland
In the wake of the last episode with Ratland being destroyed and Scarlemagne threatening Brad and Amy, it was really nice to see how these two weathered that and came out the other side. They’ve lost a lot, and they’re both clearly very upset about what’s happened, but they’ve kept their core values intact through it all and won’t be intimidated into changing who they are.
And they’re going to rebuild. Look, I know this is only a small part of the episode, but I think it’s an important element to focus on because so much of this series is about exploring who its characters are and what they hold onto.
2. A portrait of Scarlemagne Hugo
Oh boy, talk about a scene that shows us who a character is. Scarlemagne is literally at war with himself. It’s rather telling that as the tension builds through the scene and it looks like he’s going to lash out at his servant, instead he lashes out at himself, destroying his portrait, visually communicating who he’s really angry at and who he wants to destroy.
Hugo’s still in there.
3. Feta, gouda, chèvre, fromage
Look, in case the title didn’t make it clear, you’re going to be seeing a lot of cheese this episode, so it’s best to be prepared. I’m going with a double cream Fromager d’Affinois. It’s a like a really gooey Brie, which is perfect for this episode. If you don’t have cheese, this might be a tough episode to get through. The cheese is so wise. Embrace the cheese. Smeer it all over your face.
I really enjoyed all the stuff with the Chèvre Sisters. Purely from a design standpoint, I just loved how distinctive their mouths were. If that was all you could see, you could still easily tell which character is which. They are three goats, all women, all the same color, and yet their designs are really specific in a way that accentuates character. This was great stuff.
In terms of story, I’ve got a thing for wacky teachers. Maybe it’s something Yoda instilled in me from a young age. Maybe it was further nurtured by King Bumi. Maybe it’s just because I love cheese. Or maybe it’s just that most of the time when it comes to training, most stories get a bit dull at this point, but in Kipo the energy is kept up all the way through. I mean, Wolf, Mandu, Benson, and Dave are all made to wait outside, and yet even the waiting scenes are engaging because each character waits differently and bounces off each other. There aren’t any stagnant scenes where we aren’t learning about the characters or plot in a fun way.
4. Mandu
This episode takes a little time to focus on Mandu. A lot of the time she’s used as a reactive character, a barometer, mainly to tell us how to feel about new characters—she’s got good instincts—and while this episode still does that quite a bit, it explores her wants and needs a little bit too. She’s just a piglet still, and she’s genuinely in awe of seeing her own kind and what she’ll grow up into. It kind of makes me wonder how she got separated from her parents. Seeing her walking around with her heart so prominently displayed on her sleeve was really cute.
Continued below
5. Wax on, wax off—er, I mean, herbs in, herbs out
This whole training sequence was pretty fun. Great comedy, great music, and great visual exposition. I mean, the writers want to explain what triggers Kipo’s transformation, and they could’ve done that by explaining it verbally, but instead they threw knives at Kipo’s face and ghost peppers in her eyes.
And then we get to learn more about young Lio and what Kipo’s pre-teen years were about. Above all else, she had to feel secure.
So suddenly things from the first season are making a lot more sense, like when Lio was teaching her ways to manage her fear and not let it get the better of her. At the time, it was a moment of character building about her relationship with her father and how Kipo was carrying that with her into the surface world, but now there’s an extra layer of meaning to it.
The writers are making a show that’s going to be even better on a rewatch.
What did you think of this episode? Let me know in the comments.
