Ever since I started reading fan works last spring, I’ve realized how much creative freedom they give fans. They’re not restricted by censors, age ratings, or executive meddling. As a result, fans are free to take a story they love and push how far it can go. For example, if they didn’t like the direction of a show went, they can rewrite it in a way they’ll enjoy. Which is a good thing if a lot of fans feel like a show wasted some great ideas. Case in point, this next fan work, In the Pale Starlight, takes the more mature themes of Disney’s magical girl show, Star vs. The Forces of Evil and sees how far they can be taken. As it turns out, very far!

In the Pale Starlight

Author: LordCornwallis

First Published: July 14th, 2019

Type of Fan Work: Alternate Re-Telling

Status: Ongoing

Synopsis

After Jackie breaks up with him because she knows he can’t forget about Star, Marco decides to move to Mewni full time so he can spend time with his best friend and become a knight. Like in the show, though, he realizes his timing’s less than ideal. Star’s gotten back together with her ex, Tom, and is more focused on being a better Princess. Thus, it’s off to the Knights of the Wash for Marco. Unlike in the show, though, Marco’s first quest almost proves fatal for the young man, but also brings the two closer than ever before.

This near-death experience makes the two teens how much they mean to each other. Before they know it, love begins to blossom between the two best friends! Despite their newfound happiness, though, the forces of evil still lurk in a dimension struggling to rebuild following Toffee’s Invasion. In the shadows, a conspiracy is brewing against the Kingdom, one that threatens to upend the Butterfly Family. Can Star and Marco uncover this new threat to her home before it’s too late?

Star vs., But Now Rated M for Mature

The first thing that needs to be established is the age rating for this story. It falls squarely in the range of PG-13 and R-Rated stories, for several reasons. Secondly, Star and Marco have been aged up to age 16; again, for purposes. 

First and foremost, Pale Starlight gets very violent; Game of Thrones level violent. For example, take the first chapter where Marco fights the Lint Monster as he does in the show, the writer describes his near-fatal injuries in detail so vivid that it made my stomach churn. His arm was fractured, he had a gash across his face, and he was barely able to stand from blood loss. This sets the standard for the story, and it maintains it throughout the whole story.

The second reason why this story is M-rated is due to the romantic aspects. Star, Marco, and their friends are aged up to 16. LordCornwallis says this is to make the more mature Starco situations more believable. As with the violence, the writer does an excellent job of describing the events in great detail. 

Personally, I enjoyed the writer’s decision to make this story an M-Rated one. The show already dealt with some heavy adult things like institutionalized racism, unrequited feelings of love, and the mistakes of the past. Add in the fact that it got a lot past the radar (“smooch buddies”), and this feels like a natural transition. 

A Vicious New Enemy

While I still think Meteora will eventually play a role, for now, the story has a new antagonist. One who, while not as crazy or power-hungry as the show’s villains, is just as deadly. Enter Duke William Appleton, the biggest jerk in all of Mewni.

Even though he’s only twenty-two, Appleton’s already the wealthiest person in Mewni. He’s even wealthier than Star’s family and thinks that gives him the right to treat everyone like trash. Worse, he’s also Star’s cousin through his mom’s side, and after Star, he has the best claim to the throne. Not content with what he already has, though, Appleton’s plotting to seize the throne for himself. To that end, he’s undermining the Kingdom through any means necessary. And he sees Marco as a genuine threat to his plans, one that he will go to great lengths to get rid of.

It’s hard to say if Appleton’s a good villain, as the story’s not over yet. Here are my two cents, though. As villains go, he seems very two dimensional, especially when compared to the villains found in the show. Like Toffee, he’s good at manipulating events behind the scenes to get what he wants, and is a deadly warrior with a cruel streak. However, he also wears his emotions on his sleeve and easily gets angry. He’s like Joffrey, only smarter. Given how the story’s progressing, though, I can see him becoming a dangerous enemy for the main characters, especially Marco. The guy has a hate-on for the boy!

No Disney to Hold it Back

In my honest opinion, In the Pale Starlight is an example of what the show could have been like if it didn’t have to be restrained by the fact that it’s a kid’s show. By Disney. LordCornwallis is a passionate fan of the series and sees how much potential it has as a means for storytelling, and he channels that passion very effectively. The end result is a Star vs. story for older fans who wished the show could have explored its more adult side without those pesky censors. Plus, the scene where Star and Marco admit their feelings is ten times sweeter than it was in the show. No offense.

If you’re one of those teen or adult fans of Star vs., then give In the Pale Starlight a look. It doesn’t get as much love as it should.

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Have you ever looked at two shows and thought that they would work great together? Whether its the premise or the characters they have, you just think these two shows would go together like peanut butter and jelly. However, that dream PB&J crossover sandwich can never happen for one reason or another. Fortunately, the power of fandom’s and the Internet can change that. For my next fan fiction pick, this is one such case where we get the sandwich. Only the peanut butter and jelly’s made from two bright stars.

Oh, and if the timing doesn’t make it obvious, this is to commemorate the finale to Steven Universe! In addition, minor spoilers regarding this story.

Believe in the Weird and the Wild

Author: 616MCU

Type of Fan Work: Crossover

First Published: June 17, 2017

Status: Ongoing

Synopsis

Growing up as the princess of the Kingdom of Mewni, Star Butterfly was no stranger to amazing things in life. But nothing could have been more amazing then when she found a baby boy with a gem in his stomach in the woods. She knew right away that he was special, and when she saw he could use magic like her family, her eyes filled with her namesake. All she could ask her parents was one thing:

“Can I keep him?”

Everyone happily welcomed the newest member of the Butterfly family, little Quartz Universe Butterfly, but none more so than Star. These two bright stars would spend their days together as brother and sister. That is, until a whirlwind of events lead to Star being sent to Earth. What no one knows is how strong the bond between these two is, or Quartz’s connection to Earth. Together, the two stars of Mewni will change their world in ways they can’t even begin to imagine.

Basic Exposition

As a crossover story, Believe in the Weird and the Wild combines the worlds of Star vs. and Steven Universe into one. In this story, Rose Quartz was not only the protector of Earth. She found a way to travel to other dimensions and became friends with the Magic High Commission and the Butterfly family. Known as the Rose Guard, she was one of Mewni’s greatest heroes. Thus, when Star finds baby Steven/Quartz in the woods, Moon takes him in as her son.

How Steven wound up on Mewni, I don’t know. However, I think it will be explained in time.

Perfect Blend of Two Shows

Steven Universe and Star vs. have several basic premises in common. Firstly, they draw influence from shonen and magical girl anime. Secondly, they take place in vast worlds with detailed backstories and filled with magical beings. Finally, at their heart, they share a lot of the same morals about choosing love over hatred and to not judge people for being different.

Thus far, 616MCU does a good job of blending both shows together to create that PB&J crossover sandwich I mentioned. Instead of Beach City, though, Echo Creek is the main Earth setting and now home to the human characters of both shows. Save for Connie (yes, she’s in this) and cameos, they have yet to make any meaningful appearances. To be fair, though, that’s because the story’s still in the first season of both shows. I think it will grow as time goes on.

Star and Steven, the Two Bright Stars

Even with all the crazy events in the story, the main focus remains on the relationship between Star and Steven. The two bright stars of the story, the two are inseparable and mean the world to each other. Rather than keep them the same as they are in show, the author goes the extra mile to show how being in each other’s lives affects their growth.

Star has the most notable personality changes of the two. As a result of having a little brother who looks up to her, she’s slightly more mature early on. She takes being a sister very seriously and tries to balance her desire to impress her brother with her desire to keep him safe. Steven/Quartz is the catalyst for her to become better earlier on, like how Marco was in the show.

Steven, or Quartz as he’s first known, starts the story largely the same as what we first see in his show. He’s got a big heart and wants to help everyone he meets, loves his adoptive family and idolizes his sister and the Rose Guard. At the same time, he’s getting to the age where he wants to find his own identity outside of his sister and make his own friends. He loves Star and her antics, but even he needs a break sometime!

Right now, though, their relationship is as strong as they come. Given what they go through in their shows, this could end up helping them a lot with any emotional scars. If it gets as far as Future, then I hope it helps them out. Heaven knows Steven needs help with what he may go through.

Two Worlds, One Family, One Steven

Steven is, for lack of a better term, the glue that binds the two worlds of the show together. In the show, he becomes what connects the Diamonds and Crystal Gems together. I hope he does in this story, but he’s already becoming this for the Butterflies and Crystal Gems.

I could tell that Steven/Quartz has a positive impact on Star’s immediate family. Firstly, having him around helps Star to mature faster than she initially does (not by much, but it’s a start). River gets someone to spend time with him on his “lectures”. Best of all, his calming presence seems to help Moon relax more and not be as uptight. As a result, she’s a lot more tolerant of Star’s antics. In other words, he’s helped Star’s family grow closer as a whole.

Then we eventually get the Crystal Gems. The story’s only just started to feature them, but it seems like they have more problems than they had in Steven Universe. Not knowing where Steven was all this time has led to some strain between them. When they meet Star’s family, they’re very angry and aggressive. Star even considers Pearl to be like her mom, only way more uptight. How their relationship will develop, I do not know, but am eager to find out!

A Great Story of Two Great Shows

As a fan of both shows, I love Believe in the Weird and the Wild. It takes two shows that mesh so well together and gives us something new and unique. At the same time, it retains enough to keep each property recognizable for the fans. It’s both new and exciting while also familiar enough to follow along! That’s a tough balancing act for a crossover!

The best part to all of this is that I have no idea how this will end up impacting the ending to both shows. Which one will end first? Will they wind up mirroring the show’s endings or create a new, cooler one? It’s the uncertaintity that makes me want to know more!

With Steven Universe: Future ending tonight, I think now’s the time when fans will start looking for good fan works to fill the void left behind. When that happens, I cannot recommend Believe in the Weird and the Wild enough. Two bright stars that will change their world forever.

Special thanks to Gogola for getting me this fan art done in time for the finale. If you haven’t already, go check them out on Instagram. They’re big fans of Star vs. and Steven Universe and they accept payment for commissions!

Click here to see more of Gogola’s work

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Over the last few months, I’ve covered a lot of fan fiction revolving around Star vs. The Forces of Evil. It’s my way of dealing with the need I have for more Star vs. content because, despite enjoying the finale, I was left wanting more. Lucky for me, a lot of the fan fics I find end up being pretty good. However, I don’t think I’ve found a fan fic quite like Royal Secrets by BlackWolfWrites.

Royal Secrets

Author: BlackWolfWrites

Type of Fan Work: Alternate Re-telling

First Published: June 19th, 2019

Status: Ongoing

This fan fiction’s an alternate re-telling of Season Four of SvTFOE. Unlike in the show, following the fight against Meteora, Star and Tom did not remain a couple. Having realized that she still has feelings for Marco, the two proceed to become boyfriend and girlfriend before they go looking for her mom. However, with tension between Mewmans and Monsters at an all time high, Star and Marco have to deal with royal secrets while keeping a big one of their own…

…which I will now tell you. You saw the episode “Britta’s Tacos”? Remember the joke about how everyone thought Mariposa was Star and Marco’s kid? That’s not a joke anymore. Star and Marco gave into their feelings, “quested”, and now Star’s pregnant.

Review

Before I get into the royal secrets nonsense, I just want to say this to Blackwolfwrites. I think that they’re a very good writer, and that Royal Secrets is among the best of their fan fictions. I’ve covered some of their other works, but I think he should know that. Any critiquing me or others do for your work only comes from a place of love and we want it to be the best it can be.

Secondly, while I love the show, I think the final Season was its weakest. Season Three, while not fully cohesive at times, was the best the show had. It started off with the final battle against Toffee, then worked its way through the various plots of the season, from Star’s sleep-portaling to the final battle against Meteora. Season Four, though, lacked that cohesion beyond the vague plot of Mina. Blackwolf, though, ties their version of Season Four together with two unifying threads: Starco and the fact that Star’s with child.

A More Realistic Approach

As sweet as it was for the show to give us StarCo in the show’s 11th hour, in hindsight it would have made more sense to do it after the fight with Meteora. We saw Star and Marco both realize they still had feelings for each other in “Booth Buddies”, and that infamous kiss left them both a wreck. The proceeding disappearance of Moon and the fight against Meteora forced them to leave the feelings about what happened unresolved. Yet in the Season Four premiere, we learn that they’ve been looking for Star’s mom for months, and were within contact with Tom. How did they not bring any of this up during that time?

Blackwolf takes a bit of a realistic approach to this whole scenario. In their story, the realization that they still love each other, combined with the fact that they almost died, leads them to do what many young couples would do in those circumstances: they give into their feelings. As a result, they’re a couple when the story starts. This gives Blackwolf time to make Star and Marco’s status as romantic partners develop. The result is every bit as sweet and heartwarming as you’d expect.

Starco Child

Now, for the narwhal in the room: their unborn child. I chatted with Blackwolf, and they told me they felt worried about how fans would react to it. I can’t blame him either. Teen pregnancy can be an awkward subject for many people. The fact that the show’s writers were able to sneak in those teen parent jokes into “Britta’s Tacos” is beyond me.

That said, I honestly think they shouldn’t have worried about it as much as they did. they chose to handle the matter in a very mature and respectful fashion, not playing it for jokes or making light about it in any way. Even more impressive, they had the two lovers remain in-character as they react to the news.

On Star’s part, she freaks out at first, which is understandable considering how she’s fifteen and all she’s got in her life. Yet any fear she has gets replaced by sheer joy. She loves Marco more than anything and knows that they’re meant for each other. As terrifying as it is to become a parent at such a young age, she can’t help but feel overjoyed. As for Marco, despite knowing the odds of teen parents (and almost fainting), he refuses to run away. Both decide to stand by their decision, even if all of Mewni hates them for it. Better yet, all of their loved ones who know about it thus far have been nothing but patient and supportive of them. They’ll need that support to beat the odds.

Tom Reverts Into Total Jerk

This is the one critique I have of Royal Secrets, and that’s how he’s dealt with Tom. When we first met him back in Season One, he was a total jerk, but he eventually started to change for the better. By the end of the show, he’s calm enough to break up with Star because he knows they’re not meant to be. Here, though, it feels like Tom not only didn’t get that message, but becomes even worse than before.

Apparently, Tom didn’t actually break up with Star, and the whole thing was a big misunderstanding. Thanks to circumstances beyond their control, Star can’t tell him the truth, and then he starts getting possessive and creepy. Even after confirming what he already knew, Tom still tries to get her back, which makes it even creepier than in the show.

I get what Blackwolf’s trying to do. Not everyone can get over Tom’s 180 by the end of the show and think he got off too easily for his earlier actions. That said, it still feels a little out of left field for me. Really hope he goes into more detail about it before the story ends.

What Could Have Been

At the end of the day, though, it feels like Royal Secrets is a look at what Season Four of Star vs. The Forces of Evil could have been. It keeps most of the plot threads of the final season, but it does a better job of tying them together than the show seemed to do. Granted, I know that straight-laced Disney would never agree to the “Star’s pregnant” story since it’s a kids show. That’s not the point, though; the point is that they could have done a better job with the story, and I think Blackwolf’s doing just that. If you’re reading this, Blackwolf, don’t stop this story! I want to see how this ends and how it will affect the ending to the show!

Special thanks goes to h2so3_art, who was kind enough to do this commission for me for the fan fiction. Go check them out on Instagram when you have a free minute; they’re good!

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Shows like Star vs. The Forces of Evil tend to take a lot of influence from anime coming out of Japan. The whole premise was inspired by Daron’s Nefcy love for Sailor Moon, after all. However, I’ve also noticed that the show wound up taking influence from other genres of anime without meaning to; specifically, the harem anime genre. Case in point, we have our main male character, Marco Diaz.

A running gag throughout the Star fandom is the fact that Marco winds up having a bunch of different girls attracted to him. Thus, he’s the subject to heavy shipping in the fandom. Starco, Jarco, Janco, Markapoo, Kellco, Higgsco! The guy’s like a harem anime protagonist. So, in this next fan-fic, we run with that idea and see how far it can go.

Marco’s Highschool Harem Life

Author: NoHonor

Type of Fan Work: AU/Harem

First Published: July 15, 2019

Status: Ongoing

Synopsis

Marco Diaz is your normal 16-year-old high schooler. When he’s not getting good grades in school, he’s hanging out with his friends, his twin sister Mariposa, or practicing his karate like his idol Mackie Hand. Then one day, his life changes when the Principal tells him he’s been accepted into an exchange program with a school call Mewni High. The catch is that this isn’t a normal school: it’s in another dimension. And most of the school’s population consists of humanoid monsters.

In this new world of strange and incredible beings, Marco quickly feels out of his depth. Fortunately for him, he’s met with a cast of familiar faces who help him adjust. Together with his new friends, Marco begins his new life as the first human to attend Mewni High, with all the adventures you’d expect from a harem story!

Backstory Time!

Firstly, I think I should provide the premise behind this story. In this story’s timeline, Queen Skywynne Butterfly (aka Eclipsa’s grandmother) chose to abolish the monarchy and founded Mewni High. Which may or may not be Butterfly Castle converted into a boarding school. Eclipsa eventually became Dean, and somewhere along the lines, she accidentally made herself immortal. Thus, she’s been Dean for three hundred years.

Secondly, Mewni High’s home to students and faculty from all across the multiverse, including the Monsters of Mewni. Thanks to the school’s efforts, Monster’s are treated as equals from the get go, so things are much more peaceful. In addition, some of the adults from the show work as teachers at the school, including members of the Magic High Commission. This is the world that Marco Diaz finds himself in, and it’s pretty fun.

Reimagined Cast

Beyond Marco and characters explicitly from Earth, the rest of the cast are either Mewmans, monsters, or characters re imagined as monsters This includes Marco’s group of friends in Mewni High, who all happen to be the girls he’s close to on the show.

Firstly, we have Star Butterfly herself, who’s stuck in her Mewberty Form full-time. Unlike the show, though, it’s not boy-crazy and has to do with helping her body soak up magic. Jackie Lynn Thomas is a mer-girl, which is a nice nod to the fan theory that she was a mermaid. Hekapoo’s the same as she’s always been. Janna’s a witch, which is no surprise, and Kelly now has pointy ears and a tail under her hair. What is a surprise, though, is the last three members of the main cast. The first is Tammy, a gender-bent version of Tom, and Meteora, who’s been aged up to Marco’s age. Rounding out the group is Higgs, who starts out as mean-spirited as she was in the show, but eventually becomes the tsundere of the group; and she’s also a Valkyrie.

Really crazy cast huh?

Three Great Advantages

I’ve developed a soft spot for harem stories over the years, though I do have some standards regarding the genre. That said, I think NoHonor does a good job of adapting the show to fit this, and he has three things working in his favor.

Firstly, the idea of a harem for Marco’s not new: a lot of jokes have been made about how many girls are attracted to Marco in the show. As a result, they all transition well to this type of story.

Secondly, thanks to the show’s premise of inter-dimensional adventures and magic, the idea of a high school with students from across the multiverse doesn’t sound too far-fetched. Third and finally, this story takes a lot of inspiration from a harem anime called Rosario+Vampire. The premise is the same: human boy goes to school for monsters in another dimension and befriends a bunch of cute girls who all end up attracted to him. The difference is Marco doesn’t have to keep his human identity a secret.

Believe it or not, Rosario+Vampire was my first harem anime.

A Light-Hearted, Loyally Good Time

It may be because of my enjoyment of good harem anime, but I like Marco’s Highschool Harem Life. NoHonor clearly knows what he’s doing in regards to the show’s cast. Each of the characters retains enough of their personality to be recognizable, but unique enough to do their own thing. In addition, NoHonor stay’s pretty faithful to the show’s lore, throwing in a lot of easter eggs and references for eagle-eyed fans to look for.

In addition to all this, NoHonor also throws in references to other popular works, fan-made or otherwise. One chapter takes its name from a quote from Dragon Ball Z Abridged by Team Four Star, which I’m a big fan of. That same quote even recreates the most iconic scene from the 2000 animated The Emperor’s New Groove, which I found hilarious. Another chapter was basically a JoJo reference that will make fans of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure drool.

In short, I’d recommend you’d go read this if you like Star vs. The Forces of Evil or harem stories.

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Hey there, everyone, J here with the first in what will hopefully be a series of posts I’m calling “Fanfic Author Spotlight.” It’s where I give a shoutout to some of the fanfic author’s that I’ve gotten to know fairly well. That can mean both through their writings or through conversations I’ve had over the Internet with them. First up, we have a good friend of mine, someone’s whose talent as a writer’s only matched by her skill as an artist, KPRS4Ever!

A Little Bit About Her

I first met Sarah, AKA KPRS4ever, on Twitter not long after Star vs. The Forces of Evil ended. We both loved the show and were sad to see it end, and after chatting a lot on Twitter, we got along great. So now, I guess you could say that we’re friends or Internet buddies.

From what she’s told us, KP’s a New Jersey native who’s currently attending college and pursuing her major. She’s worked as an intern at Disney World, and said its one of the best experiences of her life. So much so that once she graduates, she plans on moving to Florida and getting a job working with Disney. And if Disney doesn’t hire her, then the mouse fails to see a talented writer and artist.

Brilliant Writer and Artist

KP may be one of the biggest fans of Star vs. The Forces of Evil that I’ve ever met, and she channels that passion into her fanworks. Having already written some fan works for Miraculous Ladybug and Kim Possible, she turned her focus to Star after the show ended. Her story, When Two Worlds Collide, picks up where the show left off as the cast deals with their new world. While I think the story starts out a little slow for my tastes, once it gets going, its as good as the show. Plenty of others seem to think so, too, as her story’s one of the most popular for the show on Wattpad:

In addition, KPRS4ever’s talents extend to fan art. She’s a passionate fan artist who’s made plenty of drawings for shows like Kim Possible and Star vs.. You wouldn’t be alone if you mistook one of her drawings as an image from the actual show:

As a matter of fact, KP’s so good that she’s even gotten recognition from the cast of the show. In October, Adam McArthur, the voice actor for Marco Diaz, hosted his first ever Boba Meetup at New York Comic Con. Not only did KP help organize and attend the event, but she made a special print to be signed by Adam himself for the occassion. Adam even went so far as to give her a shoutout on social media for it. Now that’s recognition!

KPRS4ever Needs Help

Between her writing and her artwork, all signs seem to point to a good future for KPRS4ever. However, not all is well for her. A few months back, she told us on Twitter that, due to some dumb technicalties, she was unable to get the final 0.5 credit she need to graduate college. As a result, she’d have to pay for an entire semester for a single class, or something. I don’t remember, I was too busy ranting about how unfair it was.

I believe she was able to work something out in the end. However, she still needs to take a final semester of college in order to graduate. The problem is that it’s going to cost her an extra $2,000. So instead of taking out more loans, she’s going the entrepreneurial route. That’s where you come in.

Right now, she’s got a Gofundme campaign running in order to make the money she needs for her last semester. In addition, she’s begun selling merchandise featuring her artwork over on Redbubble. All you need to do is to go to either of those places and give her the money she needs. That way, she can graduate when she wants, fulfill her dreams, and potentially make the next big cartoon at Disney in 8-10 years. It’s like a long-term investment!

So, what are you waiting for? Go over to these sites and check her out. You can also find her on Tumblr, Instagram, and Wattpad. Know that you’re helping to support a talented artist and writer by doing so!

KPRS4ever’s Gofundme page

Here’s her Redbubble page! I just bought myself a phonecase from her with the wand on it!

Click here if you want to read her fanfic.

Click here to see my review of When Two Worlds Collide

And if you still need convincing, here’s some of her artwork. All rights go to KPRS4Ever, Daron Nefcy, and Disney.

Remember that week of Star vs fan fiction I did a few months ago? There was actually another pick I had that I ultimately chose not to include. However, I’ve decided that this story’s just too good to not talk about. It captures the spirit of the show in writing style and in artwork. Not to mention I’ve become good friends with the author on Twitter. So, time to get a little weird and a little wild when two worlds collide!

When Two Worlds Collide

Author: KPRS4ever

Type of Fan Work: Fanmade Sequel

First Published: May 23, 2019

Status: ongoing

Synopsis

In just the blink of an eye, Earth and Mewni were fused into one, creating Earthni. Equal parts wondrous and terrifying, this new world’s going to require some adjustments for everyone. Despite all the chaos, though, Star Butterfly and Marco Diaz couldn’t care less! They’re able to spend the rest of their lives together going on adventures. No royal responsibilities, no Magic High Commission, no magic to ruin everything! Were it only so simple.

As with many things in their lives, Star and Marco’s solving of one problem gives rise to a new one. While keeping peace between the people of both worlds is hard enough, they soon discover that magic may not be gone for good. Worse still, it looks like some figures from Mewni’s past have come back to haunt them. With their friends by their side and their unbreakable bond, Star and Marco set off on new adventures when two worlds collide!

Review

If you want to hear me praise KPRS4ever, then I’d recommend you read my shout-out to her that accompanies this review. All you need to know here is that she manages to continue the story of the show as though it never ended. When Two Worlds Collide takes full advantage of the new world of Earthni and the best elements of Star vs. The Forces of Evil to create a story that fans of the show will enjoy. And yes, there’s plenty of romantic moments between Star and Marco, along with a few other ships.

What I like most about When Two Worlds Collide, aside from the amazing artwork, is how KP goes beyond the show’s material to write her story. A large part of the plot comes from info found in the real life “Book of Spells.” As a result, it creates a unique story that keeps the spirit of the show intact while telling something new. If you’ve read the Book of Spells, or just read the chapters on the show’s wiki, then you’ll find some hints as to how the plot’s going to unfold.

Now, this next thing may just be because I was so distracted reading a bunch of other fan fics after the show ended, so I’m sorry, KP. When Two Worlds Collide can be a slow burn at first, taking a few chapters to help us start to piece together the plot. Once it gets going, though, it starts to get wild, especially once magic returns.

I know that’s a spoiler, but it had to be done. As it turns out, the Law of Conservation of Mass applies to magic, as well. While I’ll leave the rest for you to read, I’ll add two things. Firstly, only Star can use magic, and this happens:

Go Read This Story

I’m not sure if I say this a lot, but KPRS4ever’s got some serious talent. Years from now, when and if she’s working on some big cartoon, we’ll be able to look back and say this story is where she got her start. When Two Worlds collide is a worthy successor to Star vs. The Forces of Evil, and if Disney+ decides to give the show a fifth season, I’d want it to be this. That, or I want to see Starco wedding!

Click here to read my shoutout to KPRS4ever

Monster Love Character Analysis Part 2- Star the Monster Princess

Welcome to part two of my character analysis The Wandering Hippie’s Monster Love fan fiction. Based on the show Star vs. the Forces of Evil, Hippie has some of the best fan writing that I’ve seen. I wanted to take a look at how he portrays the characters, but my initial post was too long. So I chose to split it into smaller posts about the main characters from each story and the supporting. In this portion, I analyze the heroes of his sequel, Star the Monster Princess.

Whereas his previous story was more or less his own creation, here Hippie follows the show as much as possible. At least, he does at first. As time passes, he plans on diverging from the show and make his own story.

Star Butterfly

The one and only heroine of Star vs. The Forces of Evil, Princess Star Butterfly. Born the daughter of Moon and Toffee six years after the defeat of the Shadow Clause, she got her name from her parents hopes that she would become the star of hope for Mewni. However, the road to becoming that shining star hasn’t been easy. Star’s had to face great hardship due to being half-monster, and that’s deeply impacted her personality. So when her wand inheritance ceremony goes awry, she takes it poorly. As a result, her parents send her to Earth where she can make friends and master the wand away from Mewni’s prying eyes. Thus begins her adventures with Marco and her friends as she works to master the Wand and become the Princess that Mewni needs.

Unique Mix of Characters

From the outset, I was impressed at how Hippie strove to make his version of Star so unique. On the surface, Star retains many of the positive and endearing traits she has in the show. While not as hyper, Star retains her friendly attitude and tries making friends with everyone she meets. Steadfast and loyal, Star already has plenty of friends even before she came to Earth and won’t hesitate to help them. Even if her attempts sometimes backfire.

Ironically, though, Hippie’s version of Star can be less a social butterfly and more a wallflower at times. To put it bluntly, she’s got a lot in common with Fluttershy from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Star can be incredibly shy and socially awkward at times, and she even has anxiety issues that she deals with. However, this isn’t an inherent personality trait. Rather, it’s the product of a lifetime of stigma for being a Mewman-Monster hybrid.

A Lifetime of Stigma

To say Star got bullied a lot growing up is an understatement. She’s been the subject of everything from cruel pranks by other kids, been called an abomination, to even multiple attempts on her life. It also doesn’t help that most boys who try to court her do so only for the throne. In other words, Star’s been put through hell because of what she was born as.

All these horrible events took a toll on Star’s personality. As a result, she can suffer from low self-esteem and anxiety attacks, and is very insecure about her appearance. This is in spite of the fact that nearly everyone on Earth considers her to be very pretty and charming.

I can tell that Hippie put a lot of thought into Star’s personality, and that he didn’t pull his punches regarding her past trauma. He even admits in the author’s notes that he cried while writing some of the things about Star’s past. I almost cried when I read them. If Hippie’s reading this, then he should know that he deserves the highest praise for what he did with Star.

Marco Diaz

Still the resident safe kid of Echo Creek, Marco gets tapped to be Star’s guide to Earth. It goes as well as it did in the show, but once they get past the rough start, they develop the strong friendship that fans know and love. In this story, though, Marco’s role as Star’s best friend becomes magnified. Having learned of her past trauma early on, Marco takes it upon himself to help Star heal. As a result, he becomes the emotional rock that Star never knew she needed in her life, moreso than in the show.

A More Confident Marco

Early in the story, it became apparent that Marco already had some of the self-confidence he would display as the show progressed. According to Marco himself, about a year before meeting Star, he was assigned to look after Janna and Oskar. As a result of interacting with them, Marco became more willing to stand up for himself and try new experiences. Case in point, when Ponyhead tries to intimidate him during their first meeting, he doesn’t take it lying down. Instead, he pushes back.

From a reader’s perspective, it felt like Hippie took some of Star’s confidence from the show and injected it into Marco. Besides being pleasantly surprised, I thought that this was a smart move. It helps to offset how shy and insecure Star can be in this story, so their dynamic remains balanced as a whole.

The downside to this newfound confidence, though, is that this can lead to Marco being somewhat reckless. Firstly, in Monster Princess, it’s Marco who proposes that they break Ponyhead out of St. Olga’s rather than Star. Moreover, this can even lead to him inadvertently hurting Star. Fortunately, his concern for Star’s well being, plus some criticism from Toffee, helps him to grow out of this.

Star’s Protector

While Marco more or less took his role as Star’s guide and friend in the show seriously, it gets magnified in Monster Princess due to her past. While most of her friends from Earth know she’s been through awful experiences, Marco’s the only one who knows the full extent of what she’s gone through. As a result, Marco becomes fiercely protective of the princess, vowing to never let anyone else hurt her again. His concern’s so great, that when that brat Jeremy called Star “a lizard freak”, he went berserk with rage. In other words, don’t mess with Star around him.

Star & Marco’s Relationship

Whether you’re a fan of the ship or not, there’s no denying that Star and Marco’s relationship is an integral part of the show. As it just so happens, Hippie’s a big Starco shipper, and makes no attempts to try to hide it. In fact, around the time he gets to “Brittney’s Party”, he flat out admits he has plans for Starco. Why did I spoil it for you? Because Hippie does so in the author’s notes. His exact words were:

Well I’M AT MY WITS END WITH THE WAY THE SHOW IS DANCING AROUND STARCO LIKE THIS AND YOU DESERVE SOME STRAIGHT ANSWERS FOR ONCE! *pants for a few seconds to compose myself*

Brittney’s Party, part 1, Star the Monster Princess

Hippie’s very passionate about his work, and I respect him for that.

Angry fan rants aside, Hippie does his best to develop Starco without compromising what makes it one of the best couples I’ve ever seen in fiction. I honestly think that he succeeds in doing so, and in less time than the show takes. Props to you, Hippie!

Like in the show, in Monster Princess, Star and Marco’s relationship is incredibly strong. The two become the most important people in each other’s lives, and try to support each other as best as possible. As I said before, Marco becomes the emotional support Star needed; meanwhile, Star becomes Marco’s motivation to improve himself. The two are so close that almost everyone realizes they’ve fallen for each other before they do.

Laying the Foundations

In the story, Hippie drops hints early on that Star’s fallen for Marco earlier than in the show. The biggest hint has to be during the whole “Mewberty” thing. The last thing she thinks of before sucumbing to her Mewberty form was the thought of a shirtless, toned Marco offering to protect her. Also, she eventually goes after Marco and him alone, something she doesn’t do in the show. Star does eventually realize that she’s fallen for Marco, which worries her even more than it does in the show.

Like in the show, Star tries to keep her crush a secret at first. However, it’s not just because Marco likes Jackie, but something more troubling. The combination of a lack of confidence in her appearance, cruel rejection by past crushes, and the few relationships she has had ending poorly, took their toll on Star. Simply put, she doesn’t see herself as someone people would find attractive. Again, this is despite most guys her age on Earth considering her pretty cute.

Star and Marco’s relationship is as complicated in Monster Princess as it was for them in the show. However, I think that helps makes the hurdles they face even sweeter to look at in the end. While I won’t say how Hippie resolves this, I will say that the payoff is more than worth it, and as sweet as it is in the show. Also, he does resolve it sooner than the show did, so I have to give Hippie points for that.

That’s All for Now

I think I’ve bent people’s ears enough, already. Next up I will looking at all the secondary characters in the Monster Love series, both from the show and original characters.

And click here to go to Hippie’s Page on Fanfiction.net. From there, you can find all his stories in the Monster Love series.

Click here to see my other animation stuff.

Monster Love Character Analysis, Part 1- A Tale of Moon and Monsters

Hey folks, Jay here with a very special post. Remember a few months back when I did that week about Star vs. fanfiction? I ended up doing another post for another writing, TheWanderingHippie, and his Monster Love series. At the time, I thought I did a good job. However, in hindsight, I don’t feel as satisfied with what I wrote. Hippie’s stories are simply too good to not talk about, like A Tale of Moon and Monsters.

Hippie’s Monster Love series is very well written, and I can tell how much he likes the show by his dedication to it. He goes all-our with his writing, from world-building to defining the characters. I’ve been rereading his stories a lot, and I’ve made a habit of analyzing how he portrays some key characters. I find it fun comparing and contrasting how he writes characters compared to their canon counterparts. As a result, I decided to share my thoughts on his take on the show’s cast.

After I started writing this, however, I realized that it’s too big for a single post. So, I’m splitting it up into separate posts for readability. In this first post, I talk about the two main characters from Hippie’s first story, A Tale of Moon and Monsters.

Main Characters

Moon Butterfly

Future Queen of Mewni and Star’s mother, Hippie introduces us to Moon when she’s at Star’s age. However, apart from the flashback episode and the few books on the series, we know little about what Moon’s like at her daughter’s age. As a result, Hippie builds her personality from the ground up, and it, ironically, has a lot in common with Star.

Like Star in the canon, Hippie’s version of Moon’s compassionate, quick to make friends, and has a very strong moral compass. Additionally, she can sometimes be as reckless as Star, but this gets downplayed thanks to her sense of responsiblity.

The main difference is that, unlike in the show, this Moon never develops her hatred of Monsters; she actually befriends not only them, but many of her countries races. It’s these friendships that lead her to recognize how wrong things are with Mewni. In turn, this leads her to rebel against the dark group that controls her country.

Rebel Leader

When Moon finally flees the Shadow Clause’s influence, she doesn’t do it just so she can be with Toffee. She understands that she has to help all of her people because no one else will. Hippie makes it clear that this isn’t naive idealism, though. Moon fully understands that she must be willing to fight and kill to change Mewni for the better. Her resolve’s strong enough to help her accept that she may have to fight and kill her own mother.

Moon ultimately embraces her role as a literal rebel princess, and becomes the leader that Mewni truly needs. The resulting civil war claims the lives of many of her friends and family, but she refuses to let loss darken her ideals. In other words, she lives up to her epithet of “Moon the Undaunted”.

Queen, Wife, and Mother

As an adult, Moon’s basically the same as Hippie wrote her as a teenager, only more mature. She’s proven to be a very capable ruler, introducing many reforms to help her people and the rights of Monsters. The big difference is that she’s nowhere near as uptight as she is in the show, and this makes her way more likable in my opinion. She keeps her free-spirited nature, and when she’s not ruling, she’s either cooking, hanging with friends, or having romantic time with Toffee. I like her better this way.

As a result, her relationship with her daughter is a lot closer than it can be in the show. Moon’s more than willing to be openly affectionate with Star, and does everything she can to keep her happy and safe. In fact, the whole reason she sends Star to Earth in this version is so she can train without fearing for the anti-Monster prejudice still found in Mewni. In other words, she’s a way better mother than in the show.

As a bonus, she also ships Star and Marco early on, as she sees how happy hanging out with Marco makes her.

Toffee of Septarsis

This is the character that I had the hardest coming to terms with being a good guy. Yet Hippie somehow manages to take the best villain on the show and make him into a likable guy for his Monster Love series. At the same time, he keeps what makes him Toffee visible and active.

It doesn’t start out that way, though. Having made a good impression on Moon’s father, Toffee gets himself assigned as her tutor with less than ideal intentions. In other words, he’s trying to use his position to make her pro-Monster for his own survival. We’re well aware that’s an underhanded move. He even openly admits later in life that what he did made him “a douche.”

Fortunately, he grows to genuinely care for Moon and becomes her friend. Her influence leads him to open up to others, and he slowly grows to embrace the new emotions that he’s feeling. Without meaning to, he falls in love with Moon and ends up confessing to her. This fateful decision leads to a war that changes Mewni forever.

Rebel Leader

Knowing that he’ll be killed for falling in love with the Princess, Toffee flees into exile. He never expected Moon to follow him, much less return his feelings, but he’s happy nonetheless. When Moon begins her rebellion, Toffee throws his full support behind his new girlfriend, fighting so for a Mewni where everyone can live in peace.

Once the civil war begins, we see Toffee as we know him from the show: as a skilled strategist and tactician who’s able to help the rebellion fight against overwhelming odds. Thankfully, he’s doing it less for himself, and more to protect Moon and his new friends. By the end of Moon and Monsters, he’s essentially the logic and brains behind Moon’s heart, helping them to win the war.

Husband and Father

By the time of Star the Monster Princess, Toffee’s ruling Mewni alongside Moon as her husband, king, and equal. While he can still seem cold at times, Hippie makes it clear he’s merely being stern rather than cold-blooded. He’s learned to fully embrace the emotions his friends and family make him feel, and enjoys spending time with them.

As her father, Toffee thinks the world of Star, and their relationship is extremely close. He makes it clear that if anyone tries to hurt his little “MonStar”, he’ll kill them. At the same time, he knows he won’t always be there to protect her, and that she needs to make her own life choices. So, he averts the “overprotective dad” trope.

In addition, Toffee develops a unique relationship with Marco. Early on, he makes it clear that he’s putting a lot of faith in Marco’s ability to be Star’s friend, and can be very harsh on Marco when he messes up. However, Toffee only does it because he’s aware of how important Marco is to Star, and that he wants him to be the kind of person who can help her when she needs it. It’s clear they both have a mutual respect for each other, and the two have a mentor-student relationship going.

End of Part 1

With Moon and Monsters done, next we head on to the ongoing sequel, Star the Monster Princess. If you haven’t gotten the chance to do, I recommend you read Hippie’s stories. They’re really good, and he’s got some great taste in music.

And click here to go to Hippie’s Page on Fanfiction.net. From there, you can find all his stories in the Monster Love series.

Click here to see my other animation stuff.

Star vs. Fan Week, Day 5

I have been having a blast writing about the different fan works for Star vs. The Forces of Evil this week. Even if people don’t read them now, it’s been as fun writing about these works as it was reading them. This next one, though, is going to be darker than any of the other ones I’ve done. Marco Diaz becomes an unlikely hero in The Royal Protector.

The Royal Protector

First Released: November 16, 2016

Author: The Eternal Winter

Type of Fan Fic: AU

Status: Ongoing (I hope)

Synopsis:

Unlike in the show, The Royal Protector never has Star sent to Earth, so she and Marco never meet like in the show. Instead, Marco’s put in charge of helping Janna and Oskar Greason become better students, while Star gets sent straight to St. Olga’s, where she’s basically a prisoner.

The abuse that Star ensures for the next two years becomes so bad, it fractures her mind in two. When she finally prays for someone to help her, the universe answers and sends her none other than Marco. Together, the two escape St. Olga’s and set out on a quest to repair the damage to Star’s mind and get her home. With monsters, assassin’s, and more after them, Marco and Star will need each other if they wish to survive.

Review

If this story sounds dark, that’s because it is. It’s one of the darkest and most mature stories in the Star vs. fandom that I could find. The author’s not afraid to include mature themes that Disney would never approve of, but that’s part of the appeal The Royal Protector has. The best way I can describe it is that it’s like if Star vs. was written like Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

For those wondering how St. Olga’s could break Star so badly, remember what it was like in the show? Here, it’s even worse. They took her wand, locked Glossaryck up, and forged every letter she sent to her parents so they wouldn’t know what was happening.

It gets worse. Ms. Heinous subjects Star to what’s essentially mind rape, forcibly separating all her so-called “negative traits” to suppress them. The end result leaves a boring, stereotypical Disney Princess that won’t even defend herself.

I’ve seen a lot of messed up things in fiction, but reading what happened to this version of Star makes me sick to my stomach, especially since the torture backfires, and leaves her with a split personality. You can barely recognize her afterwards. This is the Star Butterfly that Marco meets.

Red Star, Blue Star, And Marco

Marco’s more or less the same as he is in the show, but there are a few key differences. First, he’s a lot stronger since he spent an extra two years practicing karate and other physical activities; he’s got abs. Second, and most importantly, having added Janna and Oskar to his pool of friends has made him less socially awkward and more confident in himself. At the least, when he’s thrust into another world as Star’s Protector, he handles it calmer than canon Marco would have. That’s how I think, at least.

It’s a good thing Marco’s like this, too, because he gets thrown in the deep end right away. Aside from battling monsters and the guards at St. O’s, he has to deal with the antics of both halves of Star. For conveniences sake, he eventually dubs the two personalities Red and Blue.

Blue Star’s all the positive aspects of the Star we know and love. She’s kind and compassionate, but she’s also the result of Ms. Heinous’ horrendous abuse. She’s the stereotypical princess who won’t fight back. Red Star’s like the Hulk: she’s all of Star’s pent-up emotions and passions, and above all, she’s angry. Angry at her parents, Heinous, and the world for what happened to her.

One of the things I liked about this story is Marco’s interactions with both halves of Star. Both are smitten with Marco, but Red’s more aggressive with her feelings, to Marco’s irritation. Despite everything, though, Marco understands that Star’s a broken mess and needs help, which spurs him to stay at her side through everything. It’s a very unconventional relationship, but they both end up caring as much for each other as they do in the show.

A Story I Want More Of

As of now, there are only eight chapters of The Royal Protector out, with the last one released almost a year ago. The author claims to have wanted to wait until the final season ended for more inspiration, but we have yet to get anything so far. Despite the lack of activity, though, this is one fan story that I want to read more of.

The Royal Protector is darker than what we see on the show, and seeing what happened to Star makes my stomach churn. In spite of this, I couldn’t stop reading the story. The writing’s good and the relationship between Star and Marco is among the most unique of all the versions I’ve seen of them. There’s a lot more I want to say, but I think you guys should read it for yourself. It’s a good read, and I hope we get more now that the show’s over.

Click here to see my other animation stuff.

Star vs. Fan Week, Day 3

In the Season Two episode of Star vs., “Running With Scissors“, we saw Marco spend sixteen years in another dimension hunting down Hekapoo, the forger of dimensional scissors, all to prove himself worthy of his scissors. He got them in the end, but after learning from Star that he had only been gone from Earth for eight minutes, he returned home, and the show went back to its status quo. Today’s fanwork, Like Father, Like Daughter, asks two things: what if the status quo didn’t go back to normal, and what if Star came a few seconds later? That’s how we get Seraph.

Like Father, Like Daughter

First Released: Feb 17, 2017

Author: ADdude

Type of Fanwork: AU

Status: Ongoing

In this story, rather than quickly readjusting to life on Earth, Marco has a harder time doing so something everyone notices. Just when everyone tries to get Marco to open up to them, Hekapoo shows up with a teenage girl in tow. She then drops a massive bombshell on everyone:

Marco, this is my daughter. Our daughter.

Star took longer getting to Marco, and the flirting seen between him and Hekapoo became more than flirting. A few days after he left, she gave birth to their daughter, Seraph Diaz. Due to time moving faster in Hekapoo’s dimension, little Seraph aged into a teenager very quickly. So Hekapoo brought her to live with Marco and his parents. The series follows Marco and the cast as they help Seraph adjust to life on Earth and help Marco learn how to be a parent. All this on top of the adventures he has with Star, too; things get weirder than normal.

Review

When I first heard about this story, I didn’t think I’d like it that much. I like Hekapoo and the dynamic she had with Marco in the show, but I never saw them as an item. That, and I always liked Star and Marco as a couple more.

Once I got into reading it, though, I was hooked on it. I’ve always thought that Marco’s Neverzone adventures were a missed opportunity for the show. The fact that he so easily readjusted to life on Earth was necessary for the show, but in real life, that doesn’t happen. So, Like Father, Like Daughter puts him in a situation where he can’t go back to the way he was before his scissors quest. Thankfully, having Seraph in his life turns out to be the best thing this version of Marco could need.

Speaking of Seraph, let’s talk about her and how she ends up changing everyone’s lives.

Seraph Diaz

Half-human, half-magical being, this little spitfire’s Seraph Celiosa Diaz. Despite being the same age as Marco and Star, she’s only a month old when the Story first starts. The reason behind her accelerated age is confusing, but here’s the bottom line. One day in the Neverzone ages her 6 months, meaning she would die within a year. So Seraph was sent to Earth for her own safety.

Appearance-wise, people have noted how she looks like a cross between Hekapoo and her grandmother, Angie Diaz. The coolest thing, though, is she inherited Hekapoo’s superhuman strength and ability to wield fire.

Seraph and the Cast

Seraph reminds me a lot of Star when she first came to Earth. She’s extremely friendly and tries making friends with everyone she meets. Each of the show’s cast warms up to her, albeit some sooner than others. There are three characters in particular, though, whose reactions to Seraph I found most interesting: Star, Jackie, and Hekapoo herself.

This fan fix starts at crucial moments in Star and Jackie’s lives. Star was starting to realize she had feelings for Marco, and Jackie was already dating him. Needless to say, the revelation that Marco has a daughter makes things awkward. Star’s initial reaction was really bad:

Star’s usual heart marks on her cheeks had changed into two spinning rainbow balls, and Star herself just remained motionless, only staring off into the space before her with what appeared to be a death grip on her wand. Her right eye appeared to be twitching, a contrast to the rest of the blank expression on her face.

Like Father, Like Daughter Chapter 2

It’s even harder for Jackie, considering how Marco cheated on her, and the two break up, though agree to remain friends. Despite befriending Seraph, later chapters reveal that, deep down, they still feel a bit resentful and jealous of how she symbolizes Marco’s relationship with Hekapoo.

As for Hekapoo, having a daughter serves as a catalyst for the magical entity to mature significantly and become a lot more responsible. She’s still mischievous and likes teasing others, but having Seraph changes her for the better. I also like the fact that some of the more recent chapters have Hekapoo coming to terms with the consequences of her actions. I.E., not telling Marco of the time difference in the Neverzone and then sleeping with him when he has a girlfriend is a bit of a dick move.

Good Story Structure

One of the best parts of this fic is how ADdude structures the story. It has arcs that can span across several chapters, like a n actual show, or a Light Novel series. The writing’s top notch, engaging, and captures the show’s cast very well. One of the first arcs is a tournament arc, and if you know what to look for, you’ll see plenty of cameos and shout outs to great fighters in pop culture. The whole story’s a blast, and I love it

Read This Story.

ADdude took a potentially obscure pairing and made into a compelling story that has a sizable fan base. I’m not a Markapoo supporter, but this story does a good job of showing what could happen. The best part is that ADdude shows no signs of stopping the story, either. From what I can guess, it comes out every month, so it comes at a decent pace. If you like Star vs., then this would be a fun story for you to read.

Click here to see my other animation stuff.