Hey, everyone, and Merry Christmas! I know that I said I’d be on break until after Christmas, but I had some free time, so I thought I’d go back and look over old posts. See if I could spice them up. Then I remembered the review that I did for this Star vs. Fanfic in July 2019, Light of the Sun and Stars. In hindsight, I could’ve done better with it. So, as a Christmas gift to ThDorkMagnet, I’m going back and doing the review over. Now more in-depth, with better clarity! 

Light of the Sun and Stars

Written by: ThDorkMagnet

First Published: July 13, 2017

Type of Fan Work: AU

Status: Ongoing

Synopsis-

Since he was born, Marco Diaz has never seen another Mewman like him. He’s never gone far outside his home, never had any friends, or enjoyed all life has to offer. All he’s known are the Monsters who raised him. And while he loves his adopted family, he can’t help but long to see the world. Yet the Monsters cold leader, Toffee, refuses to let him leave. But when an innocent walk in the woods leads to a terrifying punishment from the lizard man, Marco’s father, Buffrog, realizes he’s no longer safe with them, and, in the dead of night, sends him away, telling him to go and never look back.

Now all alone, Marco doesn’t know where to go, or what to do. Until, by chance or by fate, he’s found by a certain blonde, magic-wielding princess. Before he even knows what’s happening, this girl, Star Butterfly, brings him to her home, showing him a universe full of wonders that he never knew existed. Yet for all the joy they both bring, neither Star nor Marco can escape the secrets of their pasts. Together, though, they may change not just each other’s lives, but their entire world, forever.

Mewni Reimagined

Unlike the show, where the primary setting was Earth before switching to Mewni, Light of the Sun and Stars focuses almost exclusively on Mewni. However, ThDorkMagnet must have taken notes on compelling world-building as they rebuild Mewni from the ground up.

One big change to note is Mewni’s relationship with Earth. Whereas in the show, Earth was more or less isolated from everyone, here they’ve been an established part of the Universe for decades. Mewni tried to conquer them once, but when that failed, thanks to humanity’s scientific know-how, they gave up. Now the two are firm allies, with humans traveling to and from Earth at their leisure. 

Another big change is that here, cheekmarks are a universal trait for Mewmans, with each one giving a Mewman an innate talent or trait. DorkMagnet says they got it from RWBY, but it reminds me more of cutie marks from My Little Pony. 

The last thing to know that this fanfic puts a lot more focus on the Monsters and their lives. They’ve got their own society away from the Mewmans, but like in the show, they don’t have it as nice as them. 

Now, for the characters themselves.

The Main Characters

ThDorkMagnet manages to stay more or less faithful to the character’s portrayals in the show. Whatever they have to change, they do a great job of justifying it in the writing context.

Marco Diaz

Unlike in the show, here Marco’s reimagined as a Mewman. Well, half-Mewman. His father was from Earth, and his mother was Mewni. His parents were the only people to try and help the Monsters, making them beloved by them. Thus, they took him in as a baby when his parents died. And while he may have been one of their hated Mewman enemies, the Monsters grew to love him, anyway. Except for Toffee.

Initially, Marco doesn’t seem to have much in common with his canon counterpart. He doesn’t know how to fight, he’s not as streetsmart, and his lack of self-confidence and insecurities are initially more prevalent than in the show. However, these are less of actual personality traits and more the result of his isolated upbringing. Once he gets out to see the larger world, his true personality starts to shine through. 

At his core, this version of Marco’s comparable to Steven Universe. He’s got a childlike curiosity about the world and is eager to learn as much as he can about it. Many find his enthusiasm, compassion, and genuine desire to be nice to everyone to be very charming, helping him make friends fairly quickly. More importantly, like Steven, Marco seems to bring out the best in others, often without meaning to. 

Marco’s not without his problems, though. Besides the insecurities mentioned above, he’s got a deep-rooted fear of Toffee that seems to haunt him for a very long time.

Star Butterfly

When we’re first introduced to her as she’s practicing spells in the woods, this version of Star looks like the same happy and upbeat girl fans of the show know and love. And for the most part, she is: she’s kind, friendly, helpful, and draws people to her like a magnet. Being the first person he ever meets from the outside world, Marco’s instantly drawn to her. He thinks she’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. 

I did say for the most part, though. It’s established early on that this version of Star has more in common with her counterpart in the latter half of the show. In other words, she’s more responsible and level-headed than she was in the pilot, trying to do her best to help the Kingdom of Mewni. She’s already trying to use her magic to help other people and, most notably, opened her family’s castle to those orphaned by war. It’s this very nature that leads her to take Marco in with few questions asked.

However, these actions aren’t entirely by choice. Different circumstances forced her to mature far earlier in life than she does in the show. While avoiding spoiler territory, let’s say that she went through a very traumatic experience that left her emotionally broken when she was younger. While she seemed to recover from it, those closest know that it’s partially an act to keep people from worrying about her. On top of this, her parents are away on business when the story starts, leaving Star to run the Kingdom on her own. In other words, she’s got a lot of issues to work through, but no one knows how to help her. That is until Marco comes into her life.

Janna Ordonia

The show’s resident troublemaker, here Janna’s reimagined as one of Star’s closest friends. Star first met her trapped in an abandoned village when they were kids. While Janna was initially hostile to Star, the latter’s willingness to help her won the former over. From then on, Janna’s lived in Butterfly Castle with Star, spending her time researching the weird and getting into trouble. Oh, and her Mewman Trait lets her turn into a bat. Fitting.

On the surface, Janna seems to be the same weird girl from the show that loves to mess with others (much to Marco’s dismay). However, DorkMagnet gives her a lot more emotional depth as time goes on. And it takes a character I already liked and makes her a thousand times better! Without going into spoiler territory, we learn that part of her tough act is a front to keep her from getting close to others. This came about because someone very close to her that she thought she could trust abandoned her when she needed them the most. Yet, she can’t help but open up to Marco when he wants to help her. 

Oh, and for JanTom shippers out there, rejoice.

Jackie Lynn Thomas

Like in the show, Jackie was born on Earth to human parents, who she got her love for sports from. And while it has yet to be revealed, I think DorkMagnet implied that she lost her parents to a freak sporting accident on Mewni. However, Star was there to give her a hand and take her in. Now, she’s living in Butterfly Castle as Janna’s roommate and the voice of reason.

The big difference between this Jackie and the one in the show is that she’s not meant to be a love interest for Marco. At all. Instead, she’s more like a big sister to Marco, always there to help explain things he doesn’t understand or help him with something. And DorkMagnet manages to make it work very well here! In the show, Jackie could be very nurturing and encouraging to others, so it fits with her personality. 

Buffrog

Of the many Monster characters in the show, Buffrog had to be my favorite. After Ludo threw him out, we saw how kind-hearted and fatherly he was, becoming one of Star and Marco’s closest friends and allies. In Light of the Sun and Stars, that paternal nature’s on full display when it comes to Marco.

For context, Buffrog was a close friend of Marco’s parents before they died. He vowed to keep their son safe in honor of their memory, but due to Toffee, he couldn’t bring him to other Mewmans and had to raise him under the lizard’s eyes. When it became clear Toffee would never let Marco be free, Buffrog felt he had no choice but to send his adoptive son away, kickstarting the story.

At his core, Buffrog is a good person who’s forced to do bad things. Things that he’s deeply ashamed of and desperate to atone for, especially when it comes to Marco. While this makes a very good father for Marco, it can also lead him to do very dangerous things in the process. Part of his ongoing arc is to come to terms with his past and to learn to forgive himself for his failures.  

There are plenty of other characters in the show that appear in this story, by the way. Some in ways that you may not expect!

The Villains are Scarier

Star vs. the Forces of Evil never lacked for any colorful villains throughout it’s run. Some were better than others, admittedly. In Light of the Sun and Stars, though, the big villains managed to get an overhaul that makes them even more menacing.

I owe it to the fact that the restraints of Disney don’t confine fanfics. Case in point, we have Toffee.

Toffee

By far the best villain on the show, ThDorkMagnet takes him and cranks the evil factor up to 11. As a result, we get a Toffee that’s not restrained by the standards of children’s cartoons that the show had to follow. And the result’s downright terrifying. 

Retaining the hatred of Mewmans that his counterpart has, Toffee rose to become leader of the Monsters many years ago. By the start of the story, he’s led them in a brutal war to reclaim Mewni from the Mewmans for years. And he’s winning! He’s razed hundreds of villages and slaughtered countless Mewmans to the point that no Mewman has seen him and lived. He’s less of a person and more of a boogeyman to Mewni.

While already a formidable warrior, Toffee’s greatest strength lies in his ability to manipulate others to do what he wants. In Light of the Sun and Stars, through a mixture of fear and charisma, he forces the Monsters under him to obey his commands even when they know its wrong. Perhaps more chillingly, though, is how he’s able to emotionally manipulate Marco for years, making him feel guilty for wanting to leave. It’s the epitome of a toxic relationship.

I compare this version of Toffee with Claude Frollo from Disney’s version of Hunchback of Notre Dame. Both are psychopaths with an unwanted ward that they keep imprisoned through emotional abuse. The big difference is that, unlike Frollo, Toffee’s willing to resort to physically beating Marco to force him into line.

All told, this is one of the most effective uses of Toffee that I’ve seen. 

If you want to learn what happens to Toffee, and what the show’s other big villains are like, then I urge you to read the story. 

A Meaningful Title

One of the more abstract things I love about this story is the title. There’s a good reason why the story’s called “Light of the Sun and Stars.” It’s referring to the relationship that Star and Marco develop and how much they mean to each other.

Star becomes this shining star that draws Marco in, lighting up his world and showing him things he never thought were possible. Conversely, Marco’s warmth and kindness help Star begin to recover from her past trauma, something that everyone around her notices. Marco becomes her sun, radiating warmth and making her happier than she’s been in a long time.

The way Star and Marco’s relationship develops may seem cliche to some, but I love it. The way they quickly become friends and the most important people in each other’s lives is delightful. I couldn’t help but feel it tugging at my heartstrings a bit. Everyone needs at least one friendship like the one Star and Marco have.

Yes, they do fall for each other. The cute thing about it, though, is that Marco doesn’t even realize its love. All he knows that being around Star makes him happier than he’s ever been. It makes you want to go, “aww.”

A Fan Fiction On Par With the Show

Light of the Sun and Stars is one of the best fanfictions that I have ever read, hitting all the right notes. It keeps the show’s mythology intact and remains faithful to its source material. At the same time, it’s not afraid to come up with new and original stories, each of which ends up being very entertaining. ThDorkMagnet updates every two-three weeks, and she says that she plans on continuing it even though the show’s over. That shows that she’s committed to seeing this story through to the end.

As far as I’m concerned, ThDorkMagnet’s a true fan of Star vs., and it shows in the care and attention to detail She puts into her writing. If you haven’t read Light of the Sun and Stars yet, then I urge you to do so. Its one fan work that you won’t be able to stop once you start.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! And Click Here to See DorkMagnet’s Christmas One-Shot

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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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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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Even though I have spoken enthusiastically about Star vs. The Forces of Evil in the past, I think we can all agree that it could have done some things better. However, if there’s one thing that I think was a missed opportunity, it was the Blood Moon Ball. Some Starco shippers saw it as the moment that decided that the two were meant for each other. Then Season Four’s “Curse of the Blood Moon” seemed to kill it for good. Only, not only did they end up together anyway, but the Blood Moon had nothing to do with it.

While I personally didn’t want Starco to happen because of some soul-binding, I see why some fans would be upset. The show doesn’t even explain how it’s a “curse” that well, making it even more of a letdown. However, a fan going by Blackwolfwrites decided to explore the potential of the blood moon in his own writing. The result is a trio of compelling stories that explore what could have been. This is what I like to call The Blood Moon Trilogy.

Minor Spoiler Warning, though

Sign of the Moon

Author: Blackwolfwrites

Type of Fanfic: AU/Shipping/Drama

First Published: Dec. 31, 2017

Status: Complete (Redux in progress)

Synopsis

Following the events of the first half of Season Three, Star Butterfly’s life is a mess. Her attempts to bring Mewman-Monster equality have stalled, her relationship with Tom is becoming strained, and she just found out that one of her worst enemies may be related to her! Through all these trials, though, she’s had her loyal best friend, Marco, by her side. Their bond, forged through countless adventures, has always been strong, in spite of feelings left unrequited and issues left unsolved.

Then, one fateful mission brings them back to the site of the Blood Moon Ball, and what they experience affirms what they already knew from the start: they’re meant for each other. Finally acknowledging their feelings for each other, the two best friends vow to be together, no matter what Mewni may think of them. They’ve overcome monsters, the Neverzone, St. Olga’s, Toffee, and more; what are some scheming nobles compared to that?

Little do the two realize, there’s a dark conspiracy in play that could decide to the future of Mewni itself…

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 3- Everyone Else

I’ve made my love for Daron Nefcy’s show, Star vs The Forces of Evil, very obvious on this blog. However, as much as I love the show, it bums me out how some of the supporting cast eventually fell by the wayside. Which is why I’m a fan of The Wandering Hippie’s fan fiction series, Monster Love. He not only manages to keep several secondary characters involved, but even has time to throw in his own creations. Not to mention that his series is filled with references and cameos from pop culture.

In order to wrap up my character analysis of the Monster Love series, this post will take a look at Hippie’s versions of the supporting cast and his original characters. I’ll try and cover most of them, but some will get more focus than others due to the changes to characters.

Supporting Cast

Alfonso and Fergurson

Daron Nefcy may not have found a good way to use Marco’s two guy friends, but I think Hippie was able to. Firstly, he gave Alfonso and Fergurson actual personalities. In Monster Love, Fergurson’s close friends with Janna, due to them sharing an interest in magic and a penchant for mischief. Alfonso’s shown himself to be tech-savvy and capable, something that’s come in handy every now and then. In addition, Hippie made it so the two aren’t dead weight for Star and Marco. As a result, the two participate more in some of Star’s adventures without getting too much in the way.

Eclipsa

While she has yet to make any impact on the story in the present day, Eclipsa has a big impact on the story as a whole. Without spoiling too much, let’s just say that here, her monster love was a jerk. Like in the show, she’s trapped in crystal by Rhombulus, only this time its due to the manipulation of the Shadow Clause. Thankfully, the MHC doesn’t persecute her once she’s eventually freed, realizing they were all played by the Shadow Clause. Instead, they put her on probation. Other than that, Eclipsa’s perfect the way she is.

Higgs

Despite only making two appearances in the show, this girl keeps appearing in fan fiction for some reason. Thankfully, Hippie takes her obnoxious personality and gives it an upgrade. While she still doesn’t get along with Marco at first, in Monster Love she soon warms up to him and even befriends Star. I’d go so far to say that Higgs’ become a part of Star’s circle of friends and a valuable ally. Considering everything that Hippie has in the pipeline, this is probably a good thing, too.

Janna

Still the bane of authority figures everywhere, Hippie only had to make some subtle changes to Janna’s character. Already an established friend of Marco, she doesn’t tease him nearly as much as she does in the show. Despite maintaining her love of causing trouble, Janna proves to be one of Star and Marco’s most loyal friends, and is quick to help either of them out. Considering how she’s learning how to use actual magic, something tells me that she’ll remain a powerful ally to Star as the story progresses.

Also, she has the ability to break the fourth wall and talk to the author, to his annoyance.

Jackie Lynn Thomas

Still the cool skater girl of Echo Creek Academy and the object of Marco’s affections, Hippie went out of his way to include Jackie more in the story. To help with this, he made a few changes to Jackie. Firstly, not only is she aware of Marco’s crush on her, but she’s the one who approaches him about it. However, Jackie later admits that she made that leap because she saw how close Star was with Marco. She thought that if she didn’t make her move when she did, she’d lose her chance altogether.

One of the hangups I have about the show is how it never addressed how Jackie reacted to Star’s crush on Marco. That would have made for a great character arc, and the show just wasted it. Hippie, on the other hand, dives right into this. I even give him extra points for having her handle this while staying in line with her character. Furthermore, Jackie continues to be a part of the story.

Magical High Commission

Of all the characters in the show, the MHC are the ones who needed an overhaul the most. First and foremost, Hippie rewrites them so that they’re no longer as opposed to monsters as they were in the show. On a more subtler note, Hippie changes their personalities so that they acknowledge that they’re not perfect and can screw up. Case in point, they’re as surprised about the existence of the Shadow Clause as Moon. As a result, they all agree to back Moon in Moon and Monsters.

Hekapoo befriends Moon when she’s still a teenager, and even sneaks out with her to party with monsters. Even more incredible, she actually starts dating a monster girl! It’s a far cry from her stance in the show, but not an unwelcome change.

Omnitraxus more or less remains the same as he was in the show. However, for some reason he has the power to see past the fourth wall and hang out with the author.

Lekmet also remains the same as in the show, only he never actively fights in the rebellion.

Rhombulus actually gets the biggest change in personality. He’s nowhere near as vocal about hating monsters or Eclipsa. In fact, when it’s revealed that the Shadow Clause was behind her imprisonment, he seems to feel remorse for it, and actively tries to make up for it.

Oskar Greason

In the show, Oskar was a one dimensional character created to serve as Star’s initial love interest. Hippie went to town and gave him an actual personality; and a brain. Serving as the laid-back member of Marco’s circle of friends, he’s quick to accept Star into their group. He’s essentially the friend that people can talk to when they have problems, and can even provide some insightful remarks at times.

In addition, Oskar also comes into ownership of Floyd, a giant bird of paradise accidentally created by Star’s magic. The group uses Floyd as a mode of transportation and ally in combat. Which I personally think is awesome.

Tom Lucitor

In the Monster Love timeline, Tom’s one of Star’s oldest friends and cares deeply about her safety. In fact, his main reason for dating her was to protect her from bullies. However, this led to him become very controlling of her. While I won’t say why exactly they broke up, I will say that the fallout left scars on both of them.

I feel like Hippie was trying to bring attention to the fact that some fans can’t forgive Tom for his early actions in the show. That said, he ends up rewriting Tom’s character so that he acknowledges his mistakes sooner than he did in the show. Thanks to the aid of Marco and Jackie, Tom slowly learns to control his anger and make amends with Star. While Star’s initially weary of him, the two do eventually start to mend their friendship. Say what you will, but I don’t hold a grudge against him, either in the show or in Monster Love.

Original Characters

Mavis

First introduced as a minor character in Moon and Monsters, Mavis is Moon’s snobbish cousin who thinks she’s better suited to be Queen. After Moon’s rebellion succeeds, she chooses to go into hiding and wage a decades long guerrilla war against Moon’s new regime. By the start of Monster Princess, she leads a small band of rebels to Earth in order to seize the Butterfly Wand. Her ultimate goal is to overthrow Moon and return Mewni to it’s monster-hating ways.

Mavis’ essentially the Monster Love version of Ludo, albeit one that’s much more dangerous. Unlike Ludo, Mavis is a skilled combatant who can go toe to toe with Star and Marco. More importantly, she’s a much more capable leader who genuinely cares for the well-being of her followers. This makes her all the more dangerous in the long run, especially once Monster Princess reaches its equivalent of Season Two. Now she has her own wand, and in a page from the book of Daenaerys Targaryen, she has a dragon. I am not joking, she has an actual dragon! While she and Star have yet to meet again, it’s clear she’s going to be a huge threat.

Dumronix

One of Mavis’ two lieutenants, Dumronix is a tough old soldier and a veteran of Mewni’s Civil War. Like many of his comrades, he chose to wage guerrilla war against Moon’s rule, helping Mavis lead the insurgency. With his massive size and decades of experience, Dumronix is one of the few in Mavis’ group that can not only go toe to toe with Star and Marco, but even overpower them.

Despite being comparable to The Mountain, Dumronix is not a simple brute. He’s a capable leader in his own right, and shows genuine care for his comrades. In addition, he also develops a begrudging respect for Marco as a warrior. As a whole, I think he’s a good person; he just ended up on the wrong side of a war that, for him, never stopped.

Helsinki Greyjoy

One of my favorite original character’s, Helsinki Greyjoy is Moon’s tomboyish cousin/soul sister. A mechanical genius and inventor, Helsinki was one of the first people to join Moon in her rebellion, putting her skills to work helping the rebellion win the war. By the time of Monster Princess, Helsinki’s Mewni’s chief engineer, helping to pioneer all sorts of new inventions.

I like Helsinki so much because she reminds me a lot of Bulma from the Dragon Ball franchise. Both are feisty women with tomboy tendencies and geniuses. I go so far as to imagine Helsinki voiced by Monica Rial.

Selene Dragon

The second of Mavis’ two lieutenants, Selene’s described as looking like a prepubescent version of Higgs; despite the fact that she’s actually 22. Born the daughter of a Noble family, Mewni’s Civil War saw most of her family wiped out by a band of rogue monsters. As a result, Selene’s Mom left her at an orphanage in the hopes of giving her a better life.

The first chance Selene got, she left the orphanage and sought out Mavis, who took her and trained/raised her. Armed with her twin trench knives and lightning speed, Selene’s a deadly assassin able to keep up with Star and Marco. The latter of the two she holds a grudge against for beating her several times.

Despite how vicious she may act, I can tell that Selene’s not a bad person; she just wants to find her mom. If Mavis were to get the Butterfly Wand, she could use the All-Seeing Eye spell to find her mother. However, when Monster Princess’ version of Season One ends with Mavis’ hideout destroyed, Selene runs off on her own. No one knows where she is, but I have a feeling we haven’t seen the last of her.

The Shadow Clause

The main antagonists of A Tale of Moon and Monsters, this shadowy group’s existed since Mewni’s founding. I believe they were founded with the purpose of protecting Mewni from the shadows. As time passed, though, they became corrupt and power-hungry, and sought to control Mewni at the expense of its people, Mewmans and Monsters alike. Ultimately, though, they meet their match in the form of Moon and Toffee, who proceed to free Mewni from their tyranny. However, their dark legacy lives on in those who oppose Moon’s rule.

Most of the Shadow Clause members seen are the typical villains you’d find in a secret organization. I can’t even remember most of their names. The only ones that need to be remembered are Etheria and Mildrew. Etheria is Moon’s Aunt and has been consistently portrayed in fanfics as a very unpleasant Mewman, so she’s the leader of the Shadow Clause. Mildrew’s that prettyboy that tried courting Moon in the show, but lost to River. Here he’s a ruthless warrior who commits several atrocities to defeat Moon. Like I said, typical “evil organization” villains, not that that’s a bad thing.

The Wandering Hippie

If Daron Nefcy can take part in her own creation as Starfan13, then so can the Wandering Hippie. Starting from Star the Monster Princess, Hippie alternates between being the storyteller and being an actual character in his story. In the story itself, Hippie takes the place of Brian as Tom’s anger management counselor. That doesn’t seem to last long, though, as Tom starts working out his anger issues.

Most of the time, Hippie can be found in the Author’s Comments and notes at the beginning of each chapter where he talks about the story. Oftentimes, he’s assisted in doing this by Omnitraxus, Janna, and for some reason, the French Narrator from Spongebob. It’s part of what makes the story so fun, though.

This Concludes the Monster Love Posts

Well, that’s every that I could possibly want to say about Hippie’s Monster Love stories. I know I missed a lot of characters, both canon and original, but I don’t want to take up anymore of your time. If you’re still reading this, then I have a little surprise for you. I found this great artist on Instagram called Andychipss who does fan-art comissions for shows like Star. Click here to see her work, and message her if you want something done. She made this great piece from my favorite Star fan fic, Light of the Sun and Stars:

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 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.