1. "Journey to Lyngarth" Episode Review (GOOD)
"We're gonna sit on each other's laps, at the same time!" - Rosemary, making a nonsensical, outlandish statement to the ticketmaster
"Pebble looks so... small." - Rosemary, observing the scale of her hometown to the rest of the world
"Is sleep a food?" - Rosemary, after she and Sage make it to Lyngarth. She's probably hungry after all that traveling
"I'm sorry! Is there a better time to get mugged?!" - Rosemary, answering Thyme's question in their second encounter
Despite how notorious, if not scandalous High Guardian Spice has become, its first episode starts slowly and innocuously.
The first two minutes do not explain who Rosemary's family and Sage's family are and why they are important. The series could have easily started at Lyngarth or High Guardian Academy, owing to how their families only have a major appearance in this episode. With the exception of Lavender, the other family members do not appear on the show again, unless it's the opening intro or minor flashbacks. The latter only applies to Rosemary's family and even though Sage will struggle with new magic, her parents are not relevant again.
Not only that, but Chicory could easily be mistaken for an uncle, cousin, or close family relative. I did not know he is Rosemary's brother until I researched it. And in the show's intro, I wonder why he is upset or annoyed at her every time she walks down the stairs. It could be anything, from jealousy, to simply being peeved. For these reasons, I would really like to know about him, because surely, he had some role in Rosemary's childhood.
The plot of the first episode is designed to move Rosemary and Sage to their destination; and even if the first quarter of the episode seem lengthy and/or drawn out, it at least emphasizes how far they have to travel, as in, the amount of time, as well as effort, they must sacrifice in order to become guardians. It also represents the amount of responsibility, or maturity that they will have.
Their journey together is a journey into the beginning stages of adulthood, and it also shows the uniqueness of their world, as they go through majestic forests, great plains, and high mountains. The scenery is nice to look at and well detailed; and the music that accompanies it emphasizes how Rose and Sage are little girls in a grand world, as well as the impact of leaving their home, a town so small, it is literally named "Pebble." Rosemary even references this fact.
When they reach Lyngarth, they do very little, but this represents the carelessness of childhood and the lack of responsibilities. The girls explore a city they have never visited before, and why they do it so enthusiastically. In the process, they also have two cute encounters with Thyme. While Sage is intimidated both thymes, Rosemary is comically annoyed at her.
Rosemary and Sage themselves are highly appealing characters, in terms of design and personality. The former is red (or pink), and the latter is blue. What's ironic is that despite their color schemes, Rosemary is tomboyish while Sage is girly. Even more ironic is that in the past, pink was actually associated with boys while blue was associated with girls.
But despite the stark difference between them, they have such a close bond that their stomachs align. Rosemary allows Sage to use her neck as a pillow and Sage allows her to sleep in her bed.
And while I have been defending the episode so far, I will agree that the breakfast scene looks terrible, due to the number of stock assets that do not match the general aesthetics of the show. The only way it could look worse if if the production studio used CGI models. And yes, there is a lamp post with a visible watermark towards the end of the episode.
Because the girls will attend High Guardian Academy, which will function in loco parentis, the scenes at Aunt Anise's house could have been skipped entirely. Even though Aunt Aloe demonstrates the power of new magic, which can create entirely new rooms out of thin air, this is not an interesting application, useful as it might be. I could also criticize Anise's character design; but to me, it doesn't seem out of place. If magic is possible, in a fantasy world with dwarves and elves, then her blue hair and tattoos should be just as plausible, even if she looks like a sci-fi character.
Rosemary's nightmare could have made a better intro for the show. In spite of her being a cheerful girl, she is still agitated by her mother leaving. Lavender is the hero that she aspires to be.
The trixies could technically be removed from the episode, but then Rose and Sage could not meet Parsley nor encounter Thyme again. Even then, they show how Rose is unfamiliar with Lyngarth and why she becomes a victim of trixie theft. And much like her father and brother, the trixies are not relevant again on the show.
Surprisingly, Rose and Sage do not question why Parsley is a blacksmith. Blacksmithing has always been and will always be a male occupation. Either of the girls should have mentioned this fact.
According to Raye Rodriguez, the storyboard process for this episode was in progress before the script was finished. He and his studio were completely rushed and under-financed during its production. This is an easy explanation for why they resorted to using stock assets.
But in spite of everything, the series premiere of High Guardian Spice doesn't irritate me as much as it does to the average critic. While nothing significant plot-wise happens, the girls have such enthusiasm, excitement,and optimism for going to High Guardian, it's difficult to not share their feelings.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
next episode review: Disorientation Day