Marcy's Journal - a Guide to Amphibia

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Aside from a handful of spoilers and amazing moments the fans can discover for themselves, show creator Matt Braly and publisher Tokyopop have given me relative freedom to explore the book however I like ahead of release. There are a lot of moody sentiments in the Journal that would have utterly halted the pacing of some of our episodes…but on the page we were able to make them feel as if they were happening in tandem to the action/comedy found in the show. Here’s one - I saw some people wondering why Anne makes a joke as she’s about to wither away after using the combined powers of the stones to obliterate the Core. Now that this much time has passed, what feelings do you have looking back on the ending and where we left all these characters? Whether she wants to admit it or not, there is something very fruity going on with Marcy Wu that we’ve used as a foundation to create adorable art of her smooching to the tune of saying poggers, or hugging her friends tightly before a final farewell at the airport.

Don’t force queerness onto a lead like a necessary checkbox, even more so if the show doesn’t have the structure to reinforce that development in an authentic way. Far removed from the teenage hijinks that defined them, the timeskip was a bittersweet farewell to a show many held dear.

TG: Is there any question or thing about Amphibia you haven’t been asked before but would like to bless me with? There’s something about Amphibia’s story that I don’t think I’ve ever had the guts to say, but I’ll say it now - it is in many ways a break-up story. The show was really a wonderful opportunity to smash all these cool things together like some mad scientist in a lab. But she’s also 13, and is still figuring out that part of herself that we don’t really have the right to interfere with.

TG: One thing I’ve noticed with female heroines in recent years is the theme of self-sacrifice and a lack of worth in who they are as people and what they’re capable of. We left Anne Boonchuy, Sasha Waybright, and Marcy Wu several years in the future as they’d grown into confident young women, all following their unique paths in life. The slightest bits of serialised storytelling would often result in finger wagging from the top and a speech about how these choices would cost us viewers. Additionally, because you, as a viewer, KNOW what happens at the end of Season 2, we were able to bake in a lot of dramatic irony with Marcy’s early solo adventures. Magic Knight Rayearth, Gunbuster, Diebuster, Shin Getter Robo Armageddon, Sonic Adventure 2, Mobile Suit Gundam Char's Counterattack, Powerpuff Girls, Dragonball Z, Majora’s Mask, and Madoka Magica.Saying goodbye to things you love is part of life, and we owe it to our audience to be truthful with our stories. For example, the space battle in The Hardest Thing is such a powerful moment for Anne, Sasha, and Marcy because it’s their last dance together.

Knowing those pages I had picked indirectly brought up a queer debate surrounding Marcy’s character, it only feels right to set the record straight before we move forward. As a scoop I’d love to give you something big to share with the fans…I can’t OFFICIALLY confirm it yet, but I will go on record saying it’s looking like more Amphibia books are coming.The past few months have been jam packed with great games - I also loved Xenoblade 3, the RE4 remake, and am currently enjoying Jedi Survivor. With that in mind, an ending where the characters continued to go on adventures together ad infinitum would have felt dishonest. TG: It’s also surprisingly dark when you take away the fact Marcy is a zoomer weeaboo and Anne is a lovable dork, with a deeper glimpse into mental health and personal introspection than I could have expected.

The episode Escape to Amphibia had two car chases, a hallway action sequence, and a giant killer mantis attacking throngs of FBI agents. Many artists/creatives tend to be meek as well and have trouble asserting themselves or speaking up when they’re struggling or unhappy…so once again, I think it’s an easy quality to pass on to our heroes. MB: I think a lot of artists struggle with self-worth, so it’s an easy thing to project on our characters.Things change, friends, leave, and life doesn’t stop for anybody, and the journal solidifies that tragic inevitability while allowing readers to interpret where exactly the trio’s relationship sits.