RJ Writing Ink

At long last, we’ve got confirmation, people. After months of rumors and speculation, Disney offically confirmed the release of new episodes of The Owl House and Amphibia. Starting Saturday, July 11th at 8 PM, Disney will be running a ninety minute animation block. The block will feature new episodes of Big City Greens, Amphibia, and The Owl House. Three of their biggest cartoons back-to-back.

Block Power

If you’ve read my blog, then you’ll know that I’m a big fan of both The Owl House and Amphibia. I think they have the potential to be among the stand out cartoons of this coming decade, if done right. And having them air as part of the same animation block is a dream come true. Don’t forget, these two shows were created by Gravity Falls alumni, and share a lot of that famous show’s DNA. Therefore, it’s only logical that they be aired back to back.

What’s more, unlike last year, this year will see Amphibia air on a weekly basis. While that means it will take longer, this is actually a good thing. Over on Twitter, series creator Matt Braly said that the rollout method we saw wasn’t good for the people who worked on the show. When a bunch of episodes roll out as one, people are less likely to notice who worked on them. And in the animation business, getting credit is everything.

What We Know So Far

Let’s recap where we left off when Amphibia and The Owl House last aired.

On the Amphibia front, Anne just went through a very traumatic experience. Not only did her adoptive family almost die, but she has to contend with the fact that her best friend, Sasha, is now her biggest enemy. According to reports, Season Two will see Anne and the Plantars leave Wartwood behind and travel to the city of Newtopia to find a way to get Anne home. And there’s going to be some big guest stars this season. Everyone from George Takei to Alex Hirsch to even Kermit the Frog! In addition, the show’s been renewed for a third season already, so we got even more to look forward to.

As for The Owl House, the second half of the season should see Luz begin the next stage of her witch training at Hexside. But the show’s also building to something big in the future. If you’ll recall, the elixir that Eda uses to keep her curse at bay no longer works. I have a feeling that this will be a huge problem that will come to a head as the season ends. How, or even if it will be resolved, though, is something I don’t know.

So Pumped!

I, for one, am super pumped for this new animation block to come out in July. I don’t care what anyone else thinks: these cartoons are amazing. And the fact that plenty of adults like them, too, makes them even cooler in my eyes.

What are you guys hoping to get out of the next chapters in these stories, though? Let me know!

One Last Thing!

If you haven’t watched these shows or aren’t caught up on them and want to learn more, don’t worry. I’ll be posting a recap of the stories so far for each show. Click the links down below when done. For an episode-by-episode look, check out my posts for each episode of Amphibia and The Owl House.

Or, if you want to see them for yourself, then you can find them airing on Disney Channel. If you prefer streaming, you can find Amphibia and The Owl House on the DisneyNow app. And the whole first season of Amphibia’s on Disney+, with plans to add The Owl House when the first season’s done.

Click here my for my recap of Season One of Amphibia.

Click here for my recap of the first half of Season One of The Owl House.

Click here to see my other animation stuff.

Edens Zero Chapter 99 Review/Recap

It feels like it was only yesterday that Edens Zero began. Now here we are, on the cusp of a hundred chapters, and an anime in the pipeline. With the fight against Drakken Joe won, the time has come for Demon King Shiki to begin his next adventure. Only one problem remains to be addressed: where the heck is Connor? The answer…will not be found in this chapter!

Recap

Having been defeated in the mother of all finishing moves by Shiki, Joe begins to rapidly age into a decrepit old man. Thus ends his reign over the Sakura Cosmos Criminal underworld. However, Weisz refuses to forget about how Joe killed his mother, and holds the monster at gunpoint. He’s just a trigger pull away from ending him for good. However, Shiki and everyone else tells him not to do it.

Despite desperately wanting to do so, Weisz cannot bring himself to end the crime lord’s life. Old Sibir says it’s because he unlike Joe, he understands the value of life. And on that note, the gang reunites to celebrate their victory. As for Shiki, he vows to never make his friends cry like he did the first time around.

With the fight over, the team departs Belial Gore for good. Amira hauls Joe off to prison, while the people of Belial Gore are free to live their lives. As for Weisz, he gets back his mother’s pendant from Old Sibir. Turns out, some punk from their gang stole it. The original Weisz, though, refused to take it back, saying it was a reminder of when he didn’t trust his friend. As for the Weisz we know, though, he happily accepts it. Now, though, it’s a reminder of the great friends he has in life.

Elsewhere, Rebecca, Shiki, and Happy talk about how they won through the power of teamwork. Everyone pitched in to help; except for Connor. However, when Rebecca mentions Connor, Shiki and Pino have no idea who she’s talking about.

Review

Let’s get this out of the way: this chapter was a great way to wrap up the biggest adventure Edens Zero has had thus far. The saga of Drakken Joe is now over, but I doubt we’ve seen the last of him. After all, knowing Shiki, he’ll still try and be friends with the old man, no matter how bad he was. You precious cinnamon bun Shiki, don’t ever change. Plus, it looks like Labilia, Sylph, and Jinn will be traveling on the Edens Zero for the time being. More friends means more fun to be found!

Speaking of friends, though, I find the lack of memory about Connor to be troubling. My current theory is that Rebecca traveling back in time had a butterfly effect. In this new timeline, they never found Connor adrift, and Rebecca’s the only one who remembers it happening. Not only does this throw a big wrench in how they made it to Sun Jewel, there’s the implication that there are dozens of events that were erased that we don’t know about. How much of the story is accurate, in the end? I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS!

Regardless, next week is the 100th chapter of the manga; a big milestone. As such, I hope we celebrate it with a big event that will take us into the next saga of Edens Zero. That, and we learn what happened to Connor.

I Give “The Pendant” A 3.8/5

Click here to see more animanga stuff.