8/9. "Festival of Fall" Episode Review (GREAT, both parts)
"Wait, what?! Someone's after me? After us? Neppy, can you track this girl, cat-girl? I'll go find the others. They're in too much danger to be bobbing for apples." - Thyme, after receiving Neppy Cat's report
"Of course I remember! When we were kids, you had fun just being around me! You didn't need us to go spelunking in some stupid volcano full of hot knives just to consider it a fun day! And you were never, never this annoying!" - Sage, releasing her anger at Rosemary
"I'm far from the only enemy you have. We hide well, and they'll keep sending us. The others won't be so nice." - Olive, when she is cornered by Rosemary and Sage
"No, Rose. I... I want to be alone right now." - Sage, refusing Rosemary's offer to join her
[part one]
"Festival of Fall" is more than just "the Halloween episodes." With the exception of Parsley, each of the girls are taken to their limits. Thyme has to confront her mother again while a rift forms between Rosemary and Sage.
I pretty much have to review both episodes at the same time because the first part is the calm before the storm and the second part is completely action-oriented. Raye Rodriguez has said that this is his favorite episode, and I can understand why.
The episode is well animated, and while the Autumn Processional is Halloween, it is visually interesting. There are not only moving crowds in the episode, but every character is wearing a different outfit. It takes much more time, effort, and money for animators to adapt to different characters wearing different clothes. Rosemary's dragon costume is the best because completely suits her character, and because it is the plush she has in her bedroom (in the opening intro of the show), this shows continuity. All of these elements give the two-parter its own unique identity.
Additionally, the festival, or holiday, is integral to the conflict. The main antagonist, Olive, is a cat that can transform into a cat-girl; and because cats are a popular costume to wear, she practically blends in with the environment, despite not wearing a disguise or shapeshifting into a human girl. When Thyme realizes this, she is unable to find her.
Speaking of, Neppy cat is one of my favorite characters of the show, and he is a main character in this episode. Despite his inability to articulate himself, he is benevolent and altruist. He's also clumsy; so when a group of girls take interest in him, he has an embarrassing accident at the bandstand. This causes him to cross paths with Slimeboy, and this forces him to run away while a crowd of people just stare at him. It's just awkward and cute.
As for Rosemary and Sage, the first real conflict emerges between them when they begin disagreeing over what event to attend. Rosemary would like to throw flaming axes while Sage would like to carve gourds. Their argument eventually culminates when Sage confronts Rosemary. Even though she is the character I would be most similar to, I actually agree with Rosemary, especially because Sage approaches the festival like a to-do list. In all honesty, this is a confrontation that was bound to happen, due to how Rose and Sage are almost polar opposites to each other, like I said for the first episode.
As for Thyme, she is not so stoic throughout the processional. She can show emotions such as fright, but also horror. These happen when she runs into a man wearing a tree costume and when Olive drops the vial of healing water. In the latter moment, Olive successfully tests her limit, and breaks her character.
Although at the same time, Thyme makes the goofiest face of the entire show. Even though it breaks the drama (and because of it), I think it's funny. So, for this reason, I am half critical of this.
But my biggest criticism towards the episode, which also applies to the second part, is the credits. Despite closing on a dark ending, and a cliffhanger, no less, the closing credits play and bring sudden happiness on-screen.
This isn't the first time I have found an episode abruptly shifting in tone at the every end; this time however, it's baffling how no one at Ellation Studio bothered to change or remove it. Starting from this episode onwards, the credits should have been replaced with a different one. Not only that, but it's not like the credits are meant to cheer the viewer afterwards, because this is only part one.
[part two]
For whatever reason, part two of the festival, or episode, starts off very slowly. In some fairness, it could be every character recovering from the shockwave, or aftermath of Olive's spell. Still, there is an unusual delay when the girls should be confronting each other. Olive does nothing while the girls recover., and then the girls do nothing while Olive is finished recovering.
But eventually, they do fight, and Olive easily incapacitates Sage and Thyme; but as for Rosemary, she hesitates due to Rosemary carrying her sword with her. She retreats before Rosemary chases after her.
The majority of the episode after is action, inbetween Rosemary and Olive fighting, and Sage and Thyme searching for them, with Amaryllis and Snapdragon even joining the fray. But, the fight between Rosemary and Olive is tense; and it is also one time on the show where the blood looks good. Rosemary puts up a good fight with Olive and beats her.
What I don't think receives enough respect is Rosemary's character. Despite her current feuding with Sage, she goes after Olive anyways and risks death, again. Her character shines with courage, selflessness, and heroism in this episode.
Not only that, but the overall atmosphere of the episode is eerie, something that Halloween, or the Autumn Processional is not. The environment is spooky, as the girls and Snapdragon navigate themselves through a city that, despite its population, is not alive, the result of Olive turning everyone into stone and making dead silence. Any move can literally knock someone down and shatter them, hereby killing them.
But as a minor criticism, it should not be hard for the group to find them. If no one is making noise, it should be easy to hear someone, or two people running through town square. In fact, it would be even easier to hear two people fighting. Additionally, Olive could have also transformed back into a cat so that it is easier to flee.
Despite having nowhere to run when Rosemary and Sage confront her, Olive still manages to escape when Sage blasts her terrasphere. Afterwards, Sage reverses the spark spell by destroying the terrasphere and de-stones everyone in Lyngarth. Interestingly, Rosemary is the one that fights Olive, but Sage is the one who reverses her spell. The warrior does her job, and then the mage finishes it.
As for the outro to the episode, I initially thought it is long and drawn-out, but the reason is, Rosemary is exhausted from fighting; more importantly, her walking alone emphasizes the schism between herself and Sage. Despite being a genki girl with energy and morale, the events of the episode break her and she is left tearful, if not completely devastated at the end. The conclusion is absolutely effective at showing this. Despite the ongoing revelry of the festival, Rosemary leaves town square in order to cry. Unfortunately, despite the dark ending, the credits play seconds after.
As an interesting fact, even critics of High Guardian Spice like this episode; or at least see some of its merits. This proves that the show's studio is (or was) capable of making a good (or even passable) episode. And it seems the creators really put a decent chunk of their effort into these two episodes. Because of this, I thoroughly enjoyed them for the reasons above.
Like an actual festival, there are moments that will be remembered for a long time.
Having a nice fall
previous episode review: Cave of Vinca
next episode review: Rainy Day Memories