The drama of friendship is as much of a centric theme of amphibia as any other and i really love how it portrayed it as a normal part of growing up and how that’s something friends just do sometimes, lately I have find that friendships in media are just… too nice? Friends never argue, never disagree, they are just always perfectly polite and supportive. In Amphibia friendship is messy, and something that is always changing and growing, and it really hits.
I think part of it is backlash from a lot of early 2000s cartoons having toxic friendships that made people wonder why the characters still talked to each other, let alone friends, but that just makes amphibia even more refreshing bc the beef was handled well and not just for comedic purposes
Like all things gone wrong in media today, It's politically driven. . . . Some people would have you believe that concepts like "girl drama" or girls fighting or backstabbing are just a Men's straw man of women, and if you believe that you are an incel. Those same people make overly sanitized versions of friendship in shows and want you to think a certain way.
@@nellewoodruff6337 Definitely a poor balance from the 2000s and 2010s period - Proud Family (even the reboot), As Told by Ginger just have you questioning WHY they're even friends in the first place, the batch after that aren't a-holes, but what personality? They're just there to ride and die for the main protag, even if the mc's wrong, they're nothing without the mc as their sun in their orbit 🫠🙃
I think Sasha not wanting Anne to go to her birthday party is also specifically because it's her parents setting up the party. Sasha's a child of divorced parents, and I think a part of her didn't want to let go of Anne to hang out with her parents because Sasha herself wouldn't want that; could be jealousy, could simply be projection and maybe even well-meaning intentions, but I think the minute she mentioned her parents that's what set her off.
The jealousy angle has a lot of merit to it, espcially when you consider what she said to Anne in True Colors when she attempted to send her back to Earth, "Say hi to you're parents for me." Sshe didn't mention her own parents, so it's very possible she's jealousy of the relationship Anne(and maybe to a lesser extend Marcy) has with her parents, compared to her own relationship. Now I don't think ehr relationship with her parents is an extreamly bad one, like that there abusive or something or that they don't care about her, because if that was the case then obviosuly she would choose to stay in Amphibia with Grime her true family whose better then her parents, but she didn't. Most likely her parents are good parents, but the divorce has straighed their relationship with Sasha. Plus, as we learned in Marcy's Journal, after the divorce, Sasha's mom got remarried and has a kid with her other husband, so now she has to divide her time up between her new family and Sasha who most likly lives with her dad, so Sasha sends even less time with her mom. Also, given she mentioned in the Season 1 finale she had a pool at her house it's very likely she's rich, which could also mean her parents are often busy with work, leaving even less time to spend with Sasha. So a combination of divorce, busy work scheduals, and her mom having another family, leads to Sasha being neglected, leading to her jealousy of Anne and her relationship with her parents. But I, and many fans, like to beleive that with the lessons Sasha learned from her found family in Grime, that she was able to repair her relationship with her parents after Amphibia.
i dont know who i was before bc i was in gamer friend groups not girl ones but rn in college(were theres 1 guy cause its an animation college) im a marcy walking around watching youtube in headhones while my 2 girl friends talk while we go to a mall XD
Here we go... my rant about amphibia and my relationships !! My friends when i was young werent very nice and ignored me a lot when i was young. Causing me to jump to different friend groups a lot. Im not sure why i did it but i think i needed change because no one seemed to care about me. This started many issues in the future, in 4th grade especially, after my friends in 3rd grade left my school, i had no one. I immediately blamed it on myself and for months i hated myself because of it. Skipping to around march, i decided to try to make a friend. I was done with waiting for someone. So surprisingly i did. I started talking to her at lunch and we became friends instantly. Now we are getting to amphibia stuff… During our first years of friendship, i was very attached to her. Protective and dependant. I saw her as mine and dreamed of life with her. I didnt think much past high school. But i knew we were going to be THE best friends. It was the only friendship that i had felt that closely connected to someone. Also in my head i saw her as a savior. She was the person i befriended after the worst year of my life up to that point and she saved me from more loneliness. Skipping again to 7th grade, oh boy. VERY long story shorter. We started to be in less classes together and starting in october, she started become close friends with another person. I immediately became jealous but i had hope my friend wouldnt replace me. A lot of confusing feelings. But i saw more of their friendship and i was seeing mine shrivel. I was scared and became really depressed. Not to mention my only other good friend was moving across the state that year too (worst of all, i found these things out around the same time). I was possessive and started became resentful to her new friend. I didnt consider her a friend for awhile. I didnt outwardly show it but internally i was wrecked. Theres a billion things thats happened since but luckily we are still friends. I find myself still attached to both of my friends now. Amphibia came into my life at the right time. I was scared my friends hated me because of the complexity of our ever growing toxic friendships that i was praying we could salvage. I was scared of growing up and what that meant for our friendship and lives. I relate to Anne and especially Marcy. Really about everything about their lives. Annes self hatred. Marcy’s obsessions, third wheeling in the friend group, her friends reacting to her wildness. Even Sasha at times. If my friends had also been set into this world and in these circumstances i wonder what would happen to us. I see us in these three girls and im glad i gave this show a chance. It helped me understand my place in the relationship and how we worked as a group. Its gotten better in the past year since ive finished the show and i know now that it isnt over. Though i am scared for the future. I keep thinking to myself that im not sure well make it out when we are separated after high school. But i will forever be in debt to them because they are my best friends and i love them and i will for the rest of my life even if we only talk every once in a while. And i learned that from this show. Thank you for this essay and im so happy this show exists :)
(20:11 - 20:25) and let' not forget, Sasha's parents are divorced, so she probably doesn't have that high of a regard to blood families, compared to found families in friendships. So this is probably an added factor to why she is dismissive towards Anne's parents throwing her a party.
I’m autistic and I was the Marcy in the group, constantly having to change my mind, make compromises, and basically give myself away in fear id loose my friends, so holy crap I love this show so much. The fact she even has the same interests as me, making a webcomic, loves nerdy stuff like DND, the one thing that’s missing is an unhealthy addicting to MCR. Edit: this comment I made motivated me to draw Marcy wearing her school uniform with the classic 2000s emo stripe shirt and stripe socks underneath.. it’s adorable!!
I still remember my first best friend; we bonded over waking up at night on school days to watch the anime hour, especially Ranma 1/2. It was one birthday of mine, and I was freaking out because she hadn't showed up yet, then she called that she might not be able to get in time due to traffic. I remember vividly how I yelled "no habrá fiesta! (Party cancelled!)" to the chagrin of my mom who planned and put it all together; luckily for her, my friend did manage to attend. That's how irrational and possessive girl friendship can be!
This show definitely deserves as much praise as the owl house. I’ve been obsessing over the silly frog show since 2022 it’s so nice to see Amphibia content in 2024 after the fandom sorta died 😭
As a teenage girl myself, your words near the end really hit my heart. Also, warning! A lot of text. I have had friendships I regret. I don’t think I could even call them friends, but I definitely have a friend I’m still comfortable calling my best, I’ve recently moved my school and I haven’t seen her in many months. There’s something there I’m still trying to salvage even with our dramatically different interests and hobbies. I have finally found a group I can consider real friends at my new school, and she’s always had a big group of friends I’ve got along with okay, but when I finally get her to invite me to lunch with them I just found myself never getting a word in. I’ve always been so paranoid about how others see me and desperate to negate selfishness from the way I act so I seldom would want to talk about myself or step into other people’s groups uninvited so I never asked and ended up on my own a lot. I really wish girl drama was represented more often in fiction. Amphibia really has helped me reflect on myself in a meaningful way. And thank you for talking about it!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA i loved this video. I knew what amphibia was a about but i didin't think it was THIS deep. Oh man, im gonna have to watch it jeje as a trans male i really apppreciate your mention of what growing up as a girl is like Despite what you turn out as an adult, bc it's really important to me, I grew up as a girl and had the same experiences as many other women and trans men who also grew up as little girls this is so touching fr,... marcy's journal excerpt at the end... how you are not bound by the time you actually spend with the people you love... my heart... that was so real...
I honestly like the friendship between Anne Savisa Boonchuy, Sasha Elizabeth Waybright, and Marcy Regina Wu, despite the fact that their friendship had problems before they even went to Amphibia. It's sad because their friendship started off genuine. Anne and Marcy became friends first, then Sasha coming to their aid later on which Anne and Marcy became a fan of. Over time, life actually changes Anne, Sasha, and Marcy's friendship for the worse before they go to Amphibia. At first it seemed like Sasha's manipulative and controlling nature was the problem with the trio's friendship, but by the time of the events of true colors, it was made clear that Anne, Sasha, and Marcy were all responsible for their friendship having problems. Anne was too complient to Sasha's controlling behavior and ignored Marcy's interests. Sasha was too controlling of her friends, with Anne in particular, while also ignoring Marcy's interests and not even connecting as well to Marcy. Marcy having her interests being ignored by both Anne and Sasha, even though it's her way of trying to connect with them, caused Marcy to feel like she was drifting away from the two people she cares about, and it only gets worse when Marcy's going to move away. Marcy bringing both Anne and Sasha to Amphibia without their consent, even though she wasn't sure it would happen, shows how much she wanted to hold on to her friendship with them. All 3 girls going to Amphibia and being separate from each other has changed them for better and worse. Anne was actually changing for the better as a person, but she had a wrath that actually pushed her to try to kill Sasha during their second battle because of Sasha's betrayal during true colors. Sasha's worse tendencies were enabled by Grime, and she had to learn the hard way that her actions had consequences, as she almost permanently lost her friendship with Anne, while pushing away her friendship with Marcy after learning that she's the reason all 3 girls were in Amphibia. Marcy essentially ran away from home, using her time in Amphibia as an escape, while also unintentionally helping an invasion across the multiverse just for her own personal misguided fantasy of going off on more adventures with Anne and Sasha. By the end of true colors, Anne, Sasha and Marcy's friendship is at its worse, but the threat of invasion does give Anne and Sasha a chance to repair their damaged relationship and make it better, while Marcy almost dying and essentially be made into Darcy, a vessel for the Core, the true villain of Amphibia, gives Anne and especially Sasha a chance to repair their friendship Marcy too. Marcy is even forced to confront her own personal fears and issues after very nearly dying and losing her friendship with Anne and Sasha, and gained the courage to face the changes in her life. By the end of Amphibia, Anne, Sasha, and Marcy have drifted apart somewhat due to the changes in their lives, but their friendship was made better and stronger than it was before. I am honestly a fan of Sashannarcy. ❤️🩷💙💚 Side note: the 3 stones deity ISN'T the god of the Amphibia multiverse. Such a being wouldn't need to retire.
Well another element of Sasha's issue is likely her parents' divorce. Her family isn't discussed in depth as much as Marcy's or Anne's, but the implication is there. She couldn't control her parents separating, but she thinks she can control her friends leaving her ... until she can't
I love Amphibia! I introduced it to my younger brother when he was 7 and we both fell in love with the show. He sees it as the funny frog show, I see it as a comfort show that heals a part of me.
Oh hey, I’ve seen your prior Amphibia videos and this is a very well done video essay! I appreciate how you related the show to yourself, so as to give a more unique and personalized perspective on the show. It has me thinking about my own friendships, and how they developed and changed. Not sure how much of that you’d truly want to hear though, but the psychology of relationships is a very interesting topic to ponder.
Oh my gosh i ADORE YOUR ART SO MUCH AAAAA seeing your prints in the back makes me so envious!! I wish I wasn't a broke art student :') I'm so excited to listen to this and CRY (SOON!!) but I wanted to share my story abt why the show means so much to me too. I think one of the biggest things for Amphibia was the focus on the complexities of friendships/relationships with more than two people. There really hasn't been a show like Amphibia that tackled this nuanced topic (as a main focus) and I think it was able to hit home for so many people, one of which includes me haha Just before I found the show, I was struggling with the aftermath of two of my friends leaving our close friend group. In the beginning of the group, it really was just me and the two of them, goofing off and making art for each other and voice calling until my throat hurt. But in the end, they both had belief differences and had cut ties without really telling me the full story. I really felt like Marcy in the situation, stuck between two of my closest friends. I couldn't really choose a side and I had felt like I had just lost both of them. Even now, it's hard to talk to them after it happened. I started watching Amphibia when it first came out. At the time I wasn't super interested, it was funny and the finale did get me interested but it didn't instantly draw me in. It was only when I rediscovered it near the time after my friend group broke up did I really feel like it hit home for me. Anne's relationship with Sasha and Marcy were just so real and made me feel seen in a way I never had before. The show really helped me get through so many rough times and helped me cope with that loss that I had gone through. All of the episodes just feel so much more personal when you've gone through something similar. And especially when it's about female friendships! I haven't seen another piece of media that's encapsulated it so perfectly and authentically in such a nuanced way. That their relationship is very complicated but they'll still stick together till the end! I think about Matt's drawing of them with the quote "It's Complicated" (as a way to remind himself that they'll make it through) all the time. IT MAKES ME SOB!!! ANYWAYS thank you for coming to my TED talk haha Also sidenote: THE FANDOM IS AMAZING??? I LOVE the art and writing so much it's just incredible and has made me cry multiple times YIPEE!!!
I'm honestly so happy and surprised to see a new video touching on this subject about amphibia (my hyperfixation, and one of the best things that happened during my high school years). Marcy was the one character that got me the most emotional purely because of how much I can relate to her as a neurodivergent nerd myself (I know I'm a boy and this is a video about "girl relationship/drama" and such, but the relationship between me and my platonic female friends are rather similar to this tbh)
This was such a good video. I love Amphibia and I like how thy handled the friendship between the Calamity trio. It does a good job of showing how toxic and complex their friendship was. I'm autistic, so Marcy being so passionate about her interests, desperately wanting to share them with her friends, only for those friends to not care about them definitely hit close to home. I actually liked how they drifted apart as they got older. Not only was it more realistic, but it also tied into the message of the finale. They didn't need to constantly be in each other's lives in order to still be friends. They still have their connection even after growing up and going on their own paths. Even when they're apart and don't see each other too often, they're still friends.
Omg, I've watched so many of your Amphibia animatics and I didn't even realize it was the same artist as one of my favorite Omori artists! Your video essays are always AMAZING, they're so informative but also have an emotional perspective and feel a lot more personal/introspective than a lot of other video essay writers. You really get to the emotional core of the characters. The little drawings are so cute too, really makes these essays so fun to rewatch over and over again! Your essays actually analyze the characters instead of just recounting events on a shallow level, but they're also well-organized and concise. You're my favorite video essay writer for sure!!!
I've literally never watched Amphibia but I did watch this entire video because I love when people express their passions! I also wasn't involved in a lot of girl drama despite growing up AFAB (it mostly happened around me and I didn't even have a best friend), so I don't even know if I'd be able to relate a whole lot to the show, but you've definitely made me interested in it.
My friend always told me that life is like a road trip, you'll have passengers but at some point they will leave off to their next destination, it hurts knowing you cant stop them from leaving your life.
Seeing this video inspired me to through in my two cents about my own experiences since there's a lot of interesting stuff covered here! Being autistic, Ican't help but view girl drama and female friendships through a similar, but still different lens than most other people. Socializing and making friends is inherently difficult for me in ways that just _aren't_ for allistic people. And because I'm more socially inept than other people, I've been (and probably always will be tbh) more prone to losing to friends and ending up alone because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't seem to connect with anyone. So when I was lucky enough to find someone new, all of the possession and intense feelings were heightened (which ofc led to toxic behaviors and all the stuff that was gone into in depth in the video). The desperation Marcy felt when she learned she was moving away is what I felt (and still sometimes feel) _constantly._ There was no big moment where I realized everything between my friends and I could change and that we wouldn't be like this forever. Instead, that truth has _always_ been present for me. The end of a friendship was viewed as an inevitability, and so was the crushing loneliness that always followed. During those times when I didn't really have any close friends, I had to try to get used to being alone at a very young age, and I coped with it disastrously. And this has all had ripple effects that effects the way I interact with my friends today. I'm slowly starting to heal from these wounds, though, and am learning to be less ... afraid, I guess. I've done a lot of reflecting too, and I'm sure it has made me a much better friend. I have no doubt hurt other people just as much as they've hurt me, and I'm working hard every day to not repeat those mistakes. I still have a long way to go, but I'm so much better off from where I started.
This is an excellent video that perfectly encapsulates why I love this show so much. Also thanks for delving into the queer subtext of the show, I love seeing that expressed
YESSSSS this video was so needed!!! one of my favourite aspects of amphibia is the representation of female friendships growing up and how dramatic they can be, even though they seem so insignificant once you grow up. but for the little girls going through those experiences, it's like the world is ending. i was once in a position where i just couldn't make proper friends due to lack of confidence and other factors. now that i've become more secure in myself and know how to make friends, i can charm just any other person lol i think little me would be happy to know that the current me is accepted and loved.
okay, this is totally random and off-topic but i decided to go back to this video and leave a comment because it was kind of a breakthrough for me. i just clicked on it for the first time cuz wow sashannarcy but then i saw a nerd nerding out for 40min and i thought wow that's so nice and refreshing and real. somewhere at some point i started thinking that this is wrong, that the things i do should always be made to get clout and make money because otherwise they were useless and it was time wasted. but then i saw you being your authentic self, happy to talk about the things you like, just being, doing something because you want to do it. and i know i don't see the whole picture and i don't know how you feel, but it still made me think "wow, i wanna be free again, just like they are". free from my own mind, my own limitations, you know. it made me try out a lot of new things and i'm working on making a reappearance on youtube. so yeah, just wanted you to know that you inspired someone out there :]
I watched Amphibia as an adult, but I loved the story, characters, animation, and well, how it portrayed being a 12-13 girl. I was in a very gay love triangle at that age that the three of us didn’t even know because we were at a Catholic school in the South (we found out much later in our twenties catching up one time and had a good laugh over it). Boy, the feelings of possessiveness and jealousy back then were INTENSE. However, we all went to different high schools, and well, we all went our separate ways as time passed. That friendship is still dear to my heart even if I haven’t seen them in years. The ending to Amphibia was very realistic in my eyes, and I was very happy the team went that route. It’s an important message to tell kids even if it’s a little scary to them. I have a deep fondness for kid shows and how they can portray deep and complex themes in a way that’s suitable for a young audience. I wish I had stuff like that at my age (it’s no wonder I latched on to anime when I discovered it). While the show I’m on is NOT AT ALL for kids, I hope that one day I can work on a kids show (preferably a magical girl one ahaha).
I feel like Marcy being autistic further complicates her need for her friends to like the same things she does. As an autistic teenager, I very much relate to Marcy in many ways, including but not limited to having my nerdy special interests be dismissed multiple times by my friends.
I’ve only seen like 5 episodes of Amphibia, but wow this makes me want to binge the entire show. This video was so well done and hit so close to home. Great work!
not gonna be a very long comment, but,,, thank you. i had a really messy friendship in middle school and i was,,, well i was closest to sasha, i'd say? and i blamed everyone but me, because i couldn't bear to look at myself long enough to see i wasn't a saint. and the final bits of the video,,, it's true, isn't it? the friendship may have been toxic, but i learned a lot from it. i wouldn't be myself without it, and i quite like myself- most of the time, anyway. i can do great good in the world even through heavy clinical depression and Undiagnosed Neurodivergency, and a large part of that comes from the absolute train wreck disaster of one hormonal teenage friendship. and i. this video really solidified for me, i can acknowledge the hurt i caused without hating myself for it. i can accept that being a tween is messy, and painful, and too much, and it gives us invaluable tools to use for the rest of our lives. so. thank you
Oh, i can’t wait to watch it, while I have not watched amphibia. I hear it is very similar to owl house. Speaking of which, have you watched the owl house? And if you have, any video plans for it?
As much as I love TOH, I feel like all the aspects of the show that intrigue me have already been covered by other people. As of now, there's nothing about the show that I feel inclined to deep dive on
I came back to say I'd love to see your take on Centaurworld and it's relationships, especially between Horse, Rider, Wammawink, and the Villian's relationships. I think you'd have a lot to say.
Okay so not to derail the discussion, but I have always found it weird how much of the discussion is on Sasha and Marcy. Like don't get me wrong, they're my 2 favourite characters as well, but I think we should acknowledge how little they are in the show. Marcy doesn't appear in S1, has sporadic appearances in S2 and is in a coma for most of S3. Sasha is in the 2 best episodes of S1, a few appearances in S2 and doesn't show up until the second half of S3 aside from 1 episode. I'm not accusing anyone of anything, I do the same thing, it's just really weird and I haven't really seen something like this from another fanbase
I think that's because we see Anne's whole journey onscreen, so we already know how she goes from point A to B to C. This makes her story powerful and relatable and the most fleshed out as befits her as the main character, but also means that we have to do a little more connecting of the dots for Marcy and Sasha
I LOVE AMPHIBIA! It such a bitter sweet show it makes me so happy and sad at the same time. I relate to the main characters so much, especially Anne! Also I love how the girls aren’t made super stereotypical “feminine” characteristics and the drama isn’t petty and dramatic like people say girl drama is. I will say, the 3rd season did disappoint me but I will never stop loving the show. Also I’m a marcanne WARRIOR
This is a Great video, You talk about amphibia in a perspective that i never seen before, and you final speech make me think about a lot xd, Thx for making this video ❤
As someone who had a sasha in my life, it is really hard for me to look at sasha and anne and marcy as a cute lesbian throuple (which like they deffo- like it's definitiley there but...) My friendship/realationship with my sasha had irreversible damage to my life and I think there's as element of abusive behavior in from sasha in the show that is hard for me to look past. Like I think there is a fine line between possessiveness within crushes to straight up toxic and abusive behavior and when it's a mix of both it kind of drowns out how much emotional damage it can make. I don't really know where I want this thought to go I just think it's an interesting thing that I don't see a lot of people talk about. This is the first time I have ever seen a friendship dynamic in a show mirror my own and it's hard to watch but also healing in a way.
That's valid as hell. It's a fictional show so in the end interpretations and perspectives will vary. I totally understand the angle of seeing Sasha and feeling retraumatized, even though she was a kid the bad behaviour she exhibited still affected people and that's not something to invalidate. I think for me, as someone who has been Anne, Marcy, and Sasha throughout my adolescence, I find it easier to overlook things and enjoy the more romantic shipping content. That's how I most enjoy consuming fiction afterall
And that’s so so fair!!!!! No knock to you or shipping I fucking love shipping and I really love the perspective you shared! At the end of the day I honestly learned a lot thinking deeper about where each character was coming from. It’s absolutely one of my favorite shows and the fact it came so close to my personal life and had a really positive angle and ending was.. I don’t know if cathartic is the right word for it but it felt like nostalgic. I don’t know! Hope that made any sort of sense!! Anyway loved ur video ur so awesome
32:00 To be fair, Anne, Sasha and Marcy are only 13 because Disney said so, Matt originally wanted them to be 15 and honestly they do feel like that, especially since we see Anne working, driving and generally talking and acting like a regular teen rather than a girl who just got out of being a preteen lol
Also unpopular opinion and I know I'm gonna get flack. But am I the only woman that likes female vs female story? Okay everyone calm down yes I know the issue with this topic. But please here me out. Yes I know the sad implications of cat fighting and also the media problem of genders fighting each other as a sexist thing. But I feel like Netflix's She Ra and Amphibia showed I like girl drama. I get people do want to see more roles be diffrent. Not have it loosely based on gender all for the sake of the toher. I do agree the damaging trope of women fighting over a man for romance. But I wished we had stories of females and dramahood because in real life I had many women who despised me or controlled me. As well as showing that yes we women can be horrible too to each other. But the Calamity Trio weren't spite for the sake of it. Anne, Sasha and Marcy wanted to do better with their friendship but sometimes things may not work out. Because all three struggled with communication and friendship goals, once Marcy decides to have them stuck in a dangerous world then their friendship breaks apart. Marcy genuinely wanted to protect their friendship but it also shows...friendships can be a danger like love too. They broke apart despite their best intentions and it's only able to survive when all of them realized they need to let go and reunite once they deal with their own issues. (Love you My Little Pony FIM but your show didn't toxic friendships very easily.) I loved Amphibia because it didn't shy away from girl drama. Or friendships im general can get toxic. If we swapped Amphibia's calamity trio towards the opposite gender I don't think it wouldn't have been effectice if they were girls. If anything if Sasha was a boy I think the show would be more controversial because boy fights has been overdone. As well as Sasha be toxic because you know the thing of Alpha guys. So when girls fight it makes me relate to it because I unfortunately had even adult women used their power against me. So I feel maybe some media could try to tackle heavy topics despite the demographic. That sometimes friendships are complicated and ugly and messy and even unsatisfying. But it's okay for things to change by drifting apart yet reunite together again.
Hey Nerdy Arty thanks for making this video. I am a casual Owl House fan and while I did enjoy the story of the Owl House, I honestly feel Amphibia touched me the most especially with the characters and all. Originally I thought Amphibia looked generic and wasn't ambitious compared to Owl House thanks to its animation as well as a better villain. No offense Andrias I love you but villainwise you weren't as menacing and terrifying than Belos. Though when I gave it a chance since both shows ended on Disney +, I realized this show was a hidden gem and I shouldn't judge a book by its cover. I love Hunter, Luz, Eda, King or other characters but I enjoyed the Calamity Trio the most and their girl friendship is a breath of fresh air. I've always felt friendships in fiction are getting too say sanitary. Like the power of friendship can save us all like how MLP FIM does that. I feel Amphibia was the antithesis to that kind of story, where the friends slowly separate and misunderstand each other and start to fight. Sasha, Anne and Marcy's bond is something I relate to and I had faced girl drama before where I sadly liked another girl who was a friend. Too bad she ended up being bossy and left the school never to be seen again. And unlike Anne I wasn't able to reconnect with my former friend because she left during high school as well as being rude. But because I realized I was the one who caused a friendship to crumble unintentionally, I had to accept it and learn to make better friendships. I was able to make some friends...until a certain event at 2020 destroyed my chances and here I am stuck in the middle. As much as I enjoyed Owl House's message of staying true to yourself and fighting against people who challenge your status quo. I always felt Amphibia's story of change resonated with me. And bittersweet in a way because change is inevitable. Friendships will never be the same and I related to the girls because they're both messes. Anne was like the middle of the two who only followed her friends. She never found out who she was and her arc of standing up to those who used her...even if it they were her friends resonated with me. I related to her slightly more than Luz. I aldo enjoyed how Anne is trying to be a better friend and I happy for her. Sasha I thought was a typical mean girl or control freak. But she was a person trying her best to protect her friends. She still was a toxic one and I feel she should've had more episodes to fully flesh her character. But overall I love Sasha too as she learned how to give the girls a chance for their own choices and trust them. And out of all the girls Marcy was the best girl for me. At first I thought she was going to be another Genki or another adorkable girl. But how wrong I was. She was smart, knows how to make sure the girls were woekin together, and a friendly geek that wasn't judge for her interests. Also I believe she is Autistic in my headcanon. Anyways, when she revealed she was the one that trapped them there I cannot blame her because she didn't want their friendship to fail. She didn't want to move away from their friendship all because her parents want to move away. She didn't want to separate their friendship and as a result she learns the hard way that her escapism caused the girls to fight against each other. So when she stops agreeing with the Core's offer and that their friendship has to inevitable accept change I felt her arc was the most bittersweet yet beautiful Overall Amphibia touched me on ways I didn't understand until I cried. I literally cried when Sprigg talked about his mother passing away and it remind me of my late grandmother. As well as crying hard when the girls had to leve Amphibia and cannot return. As a result Amphibia may not be the most ambitious but it was impactful for me. And that's why I'm glad I watched it.
I honestly don't know how i feel abt sashanne. Like, sure. on the surface, it could be cute. but I don't know if I can get over manipulation,and, y'know, the attempted murder. yes, i'm saying this as a basil lover and kinnie. but at least basil had a reasonable motivations and intentions. plus, hes mentally ill. sure, i can agree to some extent that all 13 yr olds are little shits, but that does not mean you try to kill your best friend just because she stands up for herself. and then she plays the victim for attention, pretends she changed, and still gets mad when they cut her off. then she still tries to get revenge like what. I feel like calling this "first love" is a really bad way to present an blatantly toxic friendship dynamic at the time. like I seriously doubt Anne had any romantic feelings for her "friend" when Sasha literally tried to kill her. I like how this show puts us in the shoes of Anne by seeing good and toxic moments between them, but having Anne to keep trusting Sasha, and For Sasha to keep betraying Anne just shows that most of these good moments pretty much fall flat as Sasha still ends up hurting Anne. Even when she does move on, I just don't see Sasha and Anne liking each other when they've grown further away. And I feel like a romantic relationship is something that requires full commitment.I do feel that they are capable of change but it just doesn't make sense for them to date or even have feelings for each other after what they both went through. ( I admit i say this as a sunflower shipper but I feel sunny would be able to empathize with Basil In a way that goes far beyond forgiveness. And now that they've gone through so much together and are ready to start the healing process together. Idk just something abt sunflower feels a lot more healthier)
@@harrybechtle4333 ik what you mean but I feel it's kinda unrealistic to ship them after that when I feel like Sasha would rather try to focus on herself to be a better person. I feel like so many ppl think that Sasha became a completely changed throughout the course of the series and I think she would still have a lot of growing to do before getting in a relationship with someone like Anne
oh my gosh ive been subscribed for a while HOW DID I NOT SEE THIS VIDEOOO AMPHIBIA IS MY FAVORITE SHOOOWWWW edit: YOU DIDNT POINT OUT MARCY CALLING ANNE AND SASHA "My loves" IN HER JOURNAL
About ten minutes in, enjoying the video immensely. If you want other good toxic girl drama media The autobiographical graphic novels "Smile" and "Real Friends" brought me back vividly to my younger sister's struggles. (I was a weird loner kid. Honestly think I dodged a bullet)
Some very well thought out anaylise on the characters, their growth, and their dynamic. Although, if I may play Giratina's advocate here, I would like to defend the point of why several fans don't think the girls just drifting apart at the end makes no sense. I mean, I do get the message about change and friends drifting apart, but still, it seems odd to me that it happened to these three after everything they went through. I mean they fought in a war together, and one of the lessons my all time favorite show, Star Wars The Clone Wars, taught me is that the bonds you forge in battle are nearly impossible to break, loyalty and all that good jazz. You look at teams of heroes who fought side by side together for so long, like teams of Power Rangers or Ash and his friends from Pokemon, and even after their adventure ends and they go their seperate ways they all usually keep in touch and if theres ever a problem, like an old foe or an emergency they call the others and the others regarless of where they are don't even hesistate to come help. A true friend never leaves you hanging as the old saying goes, at least I think that's an old saying. Or here's a line from the Bakugan series, where the team is splitting up with some going back home to Earth and others to Vestal, that best describes this, "Dan, try not to get into too much trouble okay. I won't be around to watch you're back all the time, but if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to reach out." However, I can't be too mad at the ending because at the end they all get back together, and thus they prove the old saying: "If you love something set it free and if it comes back then it was meant to be." After 10 years Marcy and Sasha came back to Anne, so there all meant to be together, whether as friends or a couple is up for debate, but regardless there back together again and that's great and shows how powerful their friendship truly is. Several others, myself included, even headcanon that after reuniting after 10 years they start hanging out more regularly, Marcy gets a job and moves back to the city, and the trio spend a lot of time together just like old times but even better now that there friendship has grown out of it's toxicness.
I also love Amphibia. And if you love Amphibia, watch The Earth Guy, it gives off a lot of the same vibe. It's still in development because it's an indie animation.
I sat through the whole 40 minutes and I do not regret the time that this video consumed. Seeing someone summarising and relating it to real life scenarios really drew me in. One of my favourite shows and which yet I still hyperfixate on it after all this time. This video was beautifully put together, and your humour was just right. Splendid upload once again, Nerdy Arty!
I remember seeing reactors get upset at the finale, with the girls not being as close anymore, and just sighed as they all missed the whole point. That people grow up and move on, but that doesn't change the love and friendship they feel for each other. Adults not grasping this hurt my head.
"she might as well be gushing to a wall" YOU HAVE >NO< IDEA HOW I BARKED AT THAT, THAT'S THE FUNNIEST SHIT I'VE EVER HEARD BAHAHAHA (i'm sleep deprived but i swear to frog i barked so hard i woke up my cat (who's not sleep deprived at all)) btw i'll maybe edit this with more insight once i finish the video, for now that's my contribution :3
I loved, loved, loooved this essay! Honestly, it was so refreshing and easy to listen to you talk about these themes. Great job, can't wait to see more of you on here!
I honestly love your videos. They're so much fun but also handle the topics really well. I haven't watched Amphibia yet, but this video was great! Looking forward to more videos in the future!
The drama of friendship is as much of a centric theme of amphibia as any other and i really love how it portrayed it as a normal part of growing up and how that’s something friends just do sometimes, lately I have find that friendships in media are just… too nice? Friends never argue, never disagree, they are just always perfectly polite and supportive.
In Amphibia friendship is messy, and something that is always changing and growing, and it really hits.
I think part of it is backlash from a lot of early 2000s cartoons having toxic friendships that made people wonder why the characters still talked to each other, let alone friends, but that just makes amphibia even more refreshing bc the beef was handled well and not just for comedic purposes
Like all things gone wrong in media today, It's politically driven. . . .
Some people would have you believe that concepts like "girl drama" or girls fighting or backstabbing are just a Men's straw man of women, and if you believe that you are an incel.
Those same people make overly sanitized versions of friendship in shows and want you to think a certain way.
@@nellewoodruff6337 Definitely a poor balance from the 2000s and 2010s period - Proud Family (even the reboot), As Told by Ginger just have you questioning WHY they're even friends in the first place, the batch after that aren't a-holes, but what personality? They're just there to ride and die for the main protag, even if the mc's wrong, they're nothing without the mc as their sun in their orbit 🫠🙃
You had me at the word drama
I think Sasha not wanting Anne to go to her birthday party is also specifically because it's her parents setting up the party. Sasha's a child of divorced parents, and I think a part of her didn't want to let go of Anne to hang out with her parents because Sasha herself wouldn't want that; could be jealousy, could simply be projection and maybe even well-meaning intentions, but I think the minute she mentioned her parents that's what set her off.
The jealousy angle has a lot of merit to it, espcially when you consider what she said to Anne in True Colors when she attempted to send her back to Earth, "Say hi to you're parents for me." Sshe didn't mention her own parents, so it's very possible she's jealousy of the relationship Anne(and maybe to a lesser extend Marcy) has with her parents, compared to her own relationship.
Now I don't think ehr relationship with her parents is an extreamly bad one, like that there abusive or something or that they don't care about her, because if that was the case then obviosuly she would choose to stay in Amphibia with Grime her true family whose better then her parents, but she didn't. Most likely her parents are good parents, but the divorce has straighed their relationship with Sasha. Plus, as we learned in Marcy's Journal, after the divorce, Sasha's mom got remarried and has a kid with her other husband, so now she has to divide her time up between her new family and Sasha who most likly lives with her dad, so Sasha sends even less time with her mom. Also, given she mentioned in the Season 1 finale she had a pool at her house it's very likely she's rich, which could also mean her parents are often busy with work, leaving even less time to spend with Sasha. So a combination of divorce, busy work scheduals, and her mom having another family, leads to Sasha being neglected, leading to her jealousy of Anne and her relationship with her parents. But I, and many fans, like to beleive that with the lessons Sasha learned from her found family in Grime, that she was able to repair her relationship with her parents after Amphibia.
LETS GOOOOO NERDY TALKING ABOUT THE BEST DISASTER THROUPLE IN RECENT ANIMATION 🗣️🗣️🗣️🔊🔊🔊🔥🔥🔥
Let’s goooo!!!
as someone who was the toxic Sasha friend growing up, this video FUCKING HIT ME!!
I was like a combination of Sasha and Marcy.
i dont know who i was before bc i was in gamer friend groups not girl ones but rn in college(were theres 1 guy cause its an animation college) im a marcy
walking around watching youtube in headhones while my 2 girl friends talk while we go to a mall XD
I always love and hate it that I relate to Sasha, because I feel presented.
I was and still am the Marcy 💀💀
Did she grow out of it?
Here we go... my rant about amphibia and my relationships !!
My friends when i was young werent very nice and ignored me a lot when i was young. Causing me to jump to different friend groups a lot. Im not sure why i did it but i think i needed change because no one seemed to care about me. This started many issues in the future, in 4th grade especially, after my friends in 3rd grade left my school, i had no one. I immediately blamed it on myself and for months i hated myself because of it. Skipping to around march, i decided to try to make a friend. I was done with waiting for someone. So surprisingly i did. I started talking to her at lunch and we became friends instantly. Now we are getting to amphibia stuff…
During our first years of friendship, i was very attached to her. Protective and dependant. I saw her as mine and dreamed of life with her. I didnt think much past high school. But i knew we were going to be THE best friends. It was the only friendship that i had felt that closely connected to someone. Also in my head i saw her as a savior. She was the person i befriended after the worst year of my life up to that point and she saved me from more loneliness.
Skipping again to 7th grade, oh boy. VERY long story shorter. We started to be in less classes together and starting in october, she started become close friends with another person. I immediately became jealous but i had hope my friend wouldnt replace me. A lot of confusing feelings. But i saw more of their friendship and i was seeing mine shrivel. I was scared and became really depressed. Not to mention my only other good friend was moving across the state that year too (worst of all, i found these things out around the same time). I was possessive and started became resentful to her new friend. I didnt consider her a friend for awhile. I didnt outwardly show it but internally i was wrecked.
Theres a billion things thats happened since but luckily we are still friends. I find myself still attached to both of my friends now. Amphibia came into my life at the right time. I was scared my friends hated me because of the complexity of our ever growing toxic friendships that i was praying we could salvage. I was scared of growing up and what that meant for our friendship and lives. I relate to Anne and especially Marcy. Really about everything about their lives. Annes self hatred. Marcy’s obsessions, third wheeling in the friend group, her friends reacting to her wildness. Even Sasha at times. If my friends had also been set into this world and in these circumstances i wonder what would happen to us. I see us in these three girls and im glad i gave this show a chance. It helped me understand my place in the relationship and how we worked as a group.
Its gotten better in the past year since ive finished the show and i know now that it isnt over. Though i am scared for the future. I keep thinking to myself that im not sure well make it out when we are separated after high school. But i will forever be in debt to them because they are my best friends and i love them and i will for the rest of my life even if we only talk every once in a while. And i learned that from this show. Thank you for this essay and im so happy this show exists :)
You got no friends. weirdo.
(20:11 - 20:25) and let' not forget, Sasha's parents are divorced, so she probably doesn't have that high of a regard to blood families, compared to found families in friendships. So this is probably an added factor to why she is dismissive towards Anne's parents throwing her a party.
I think, it’s something about childhood friendship that is so complex. People know each other for years, but change so drastically while growing up
I’m autistic and I was the Marcy in the group, constantly having to change my mind, make compromises, and basically give myself away in fear id loose my friends, so holy crap I love this show so much. The fact she even has the same interests as me, making a webcomic, loves nerdy stuff like DND, the one thing that’s missing is an unhealthy addicting to MCR.
Edit: this comment I made motivated me to draw Marcy wearing her school uniform with the classic 2000s emo stripe shirt and stripe socks underneath.. it’s adorable!!
I still remember my first best friend; we bonded over waking up at night on school days to watch the anime hour, especially Ranma 1/2.
It was one birthday of mine, and I was freaking out because she hadn't showed up yet, then she called that she might not be able to get in time due to traffic.
I remember vividly how I yelled "no habrá fiesta! (Party cancelled!)" to the chagrin of my mom who planned and put it all together; luckily for her, my friend did manage to attend.
That's how irrational and possessive girl friendship can be!
truly nothing hits the same as girl drama between 12 year olds
This show definitely deserves as much praise as the owl house. I’ve been obsessing over the silly frog show since 2022 it’s so nice to see Amphibia content in 2024 after the fandom sorta died 😭
As a teenage girl myself, your words near the end really hit my heart. Also, warning! A lot of text. I have had friendships I regret. I don’t think I could even call them friends, but I definitely have a friend I’m still comfortable calling my best, I’ve recently moved my school and I haven’t seen her in many months. There’s something there I’m still trying to salvage even with our dramatically different interests and hobbies.
I have finally found a group I can consider real friends at my new school, and she’s always had a big group of friends I’ve got along with okay, but when I finally get her to invite me to lunch with them I just found myself never getting a word in. I’ve always been so paranoid about how others see me and desperate to negate selfishness from the way I act so I seldom would want to talk about myself or step into other people’s groups uninvited so I never asked and ended up on my own a lot. I really wish girl drama was represented more often in fiction. Amphibia really has helped me reflect on myself in a meaningful way. And thank you for talking about it!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA i loved this video. I knew what amphibia was a about but i didin't think it was THIS deep. Oh man, im gonna have to watch it jeje
as a trans male i really apppreciate your mention of what growing up as a girl is like Despite what you turn out as an adult, bc it's really important to me, I grew up as a girl and had the same experiences as many other women and trans men who also grew up as little girls
this is so touching fr,... marcy's journal excerpt at the end... how you are not bound by the time you actually spend with the people you love... my heart... that was so real...
YESSS I love amphibia!! 😭😭
Amphibia pfps
@@adeinld8548 Beautiful. I shed a tear.
I honestly like the friendship between Anne Savisa Boonchuy, Sasha Elizabeth Waybright, and Marcy Regina Wu, despite the fact that their friendship had problems before they even went to Amphibia. It's sad because their friendship started off genuine. Anne and Marcy became friends first, then Sasha coming to their aid later on which Anne and Marcy became a fan of. Over time, life actually changes Anne, Sasha, and Marcy's friendship for the worse before they go to Amphibia. At first it seemed like Sasha's manipulative and controlling nature was the problem with the trio's friendship, but by the time of the events of true colors, it was made clear that Anne, Sasha, and Marcy were all responsible for their friendship having problems. Anne was too complient to Sasha's controlling behavior and ignored Marcy's interests. Sasha was too controlling of her friends, with Anne in particular, while also ignoring Marcy's interests and not even connecting as well to Marcy. Marcy having her interests being ignored by both Anne and Sasha, even though it's her way of trying to connect with them, caused Marcy to feel like she was drifting away from the two people she cares about, and it only gets worse when Marcy's going to move away. Marcy bringing both Anne and Sasha to Amphibia without their consent, even though she wasn't sure it would happen, shows how much she wanted to hold on to her friendship with them. All 3 girls going to Amphibia and being separate from each other has changed them for better and worse. Anne was actually changing for the better as a person, but she had a wrath that actually pushed her to try to kill Sasha during their second battle because of Sasha's betrayal during true colors. Sasha's worse tendencies were enabled by Grime, and she had to learn the hard way that her actions had consequences, as she almost permanently lost her friendship with Anne, while pushing away her friendship with Marcy after learning that she's the reason all 3 girls were in Amphibia. Marcy essentially ran away from home, using her time in Amphibia as an escape, while also unintentionally helping an invasion across the multiverse just for her own personal misguided fantasy of going off on more adventures with Anne and Sasha. By the end of true colors, Anne, Sasha and Marcy's friendship is at its worse, but the threat of invasion does give Anne and Sasha a chance to repair their damaged relationship and make it better, while Marcy almost dying and essentially be made into Darcy, a vessel for the Core, the true villain of Amphibia, gives Anne and especially Sasha a chance to repair their friendship Marcy too. Marcy is even forced to confront her own personal fears and issues after very nearly dying and losing her friendship with Anne and Sasha, and gained the courage to face the changes in her life. By the end of Amphibia, Anne, Sasha, and Marcy have drifted apart somewhat due to the changes in their lives, but their friendship was made better and stronger than it was before. I am honestly a fan of Sashannarcy. ❤️🩷💙💚
Side note: the 3 stones deity ISN'T the god of the Amphibia multiverse. Such a being wouldn't need to retire.
Well another element of Sasha's issue is likely her parents' divorce. Her family isn't discussed in depth as much as Marcy's or Anne's, but the implication is there. She couldn't control her parents separating, but she thinks she can control her friends leaving her ... until she can't
I love Amphibia! I introduced it to my younger brother when he was 7 and we both fell in love with the show. He sees it as the funny frog show, I see it as a comfort show that heals a part of me.
Oh hey, I’ve seen your prior Amphibia videos and this is a very well done video essay! I appreciate how you related the show to yourself, so as to give a more unique and personalized perspective on the show. It has me thinking about my own friendships, and how they developed and changed. Not sure how much of that you’d truly want to hear though, but the psychology of relationships is a very interesting topic to ponder.
Oh my gosh i ADORE YOUR ART SO MUCH AAAAA seeing your prints in the back makes me so envious!! I wish I wasn't a broke art student :')
I'm so excited to listen to this and CRY (SOON!!) but I wanted to share my story abt why the show means so much to me too.
I think one of the biggest things for Amphibia was the focus on the complexities of friendships/relationships with more than two people. There really hasn't been a show like Amphibia that tackled this nuanced topic (as a main focus) and I think it was able to hit home for so many people, one of which includes me haha
Just before I found the show, I was struggling with the aftermath of two of my friends leaving our close friend group. In the beginning of the group, it really was just me and the two of them, goofing off and making art for each other and voice calling until my throat hurt. But in the end, they both had belief differences and had cut ties without really telling me the full story. I really felt like Marcy in the situation, stuck between two of my closest friends. I couldn't really choose a side and I had felt like I had just lost both of them. Even now, it's hard to talk to them after it happened.
I started watching Amphibia when it first came out. At the time I wasn't super interested, it was funny and the finale did get me interested but it didn't instantly draw me in. It was only when I rediscovered it near the time after my friend group broke up did I really feel like it hit home for me. Anne's relationship with Sasha and Marcy were just so real and made me feel seen in a way I never had before. The show really helped me get through so many rough times and helped me cope with that loss that I had gone through. All of the episodes just feel so much more personal when you've gone through something similar.
And especially when it's about female friendships! I haven't seen another piece of media that's encapsulated it so perfectly and authentically in such a nuanced way. That their relationship is very complicated but they'll still stick together till the end! I think about Matt's drawing of them with the quote "It's Complicated" (as a way to remind himself that they'll make it through) all the time. IT MAKES ME SOB!!!
ANYWAYS thank you for coming to my TED talk haha
Also sidenote: THE FANDOM IS AMAZING??? I LOVE the art and writing so much it's just incredible and has made me cry multiple times YIPEE!!!
just when i thought i'd finally gotten over amphibia lmao, i guess i should re-watch amphibia AGAIN!!
I'm honestly so happy and surprised to see a new video touching on this subject about amphibia (my hyperfixation, and one of the best things that happened during my high school years). Marcy was the one character that got me the most emotional purely because of how much I can relate to her as a neurodivergent nerd myself (I know I'm a boy and this is a video about "girl relationship/drama" and such, but the relationship between me and my platonic female friends are rather similar to this tbh)
This was such a good video. I love Amphibia and I like how thy handled the friendship between the Calamity trio. It does a good job of showing how toxic and complex their friendship was. I'm autistic, so Marcy being so passionate about her interests, desperately wanting to share them with her friends, only for those friends to not care about them definitely hit close to home. I actually liked how they drifted apart as they got older. Not only was it more realistic, but it also tied into the message of the finale. They didn't need to constantly be in each other's lives in order to still be friends. They still have their connection even after growing up and going on their own paths. Even when they're apart and don't see each other too often, they're still friends.
Omg, I've watched so many of your Amphibia animatics and I didn't even realize it was the same artist as one of my favorite Omori artists! Your video essays are always AMAZING, they're so informative but also have an emotional perspective and feel a lot more personal/introspective than a lot of other video essay writers. You really get to the emotional core of the characters. The little drawings are so cute too, really makes these essays so fun to rewatch over and over again! Your essays actually analyze the characters instead of just recounting events on a shallow level, but they're also well-organized and concise. You're my favorite video essay writer for sure!!!
Please don't use God's name in vain
I LOOOVEE AMPHIBIA
I've literally never watched Amphibia but I did watch this entire video because I love when people express their passions! I also wasn't involved in a lot of girl drama despite growing up AFAB (it mostly happened around me and I didn't even have a best friend), so I don't even know if I'd be able to relate a whole lot to the show, but you've definitely made me interested in it.
I was about to do my math homework, then I just HAD to refresh and see a 40 min Amphibia video that I MUST watch
*Short black-haired girl talking about stuff* Me: Hey, holy crap, it’s me trying to explain manly anime to my friends! Lols
marcy is bassically all us ranting nerds in animated form. Im a guy and i see her as bassically a female more hyper version of me
Anne Boonchuy has one of the best character arcs since ZUKO from ATLA.
Fight me.
I miss amphibia so much!!😭 Seeing an Amphibia video on my fyp felt amazing!!!!!!!
Great watch! Awesome editing as always, Nerdy.
My friend always told me that life is like a road trip, you'll have passengers but at some point they will leave off to their next destination, it hurts knowing you cant stop them from leaving your life.
Seeing this video inspired me to through in my two cents about my own experiences since there's a lot of interesting stuff covered here!
Being autistic, Ican't help but view girl drama and female friendships through a similar, but still different lens than most other people. Socializing and making friends is inherently difficult for me in ways that just _aren't_ for allistic people. And because I'm more socially inept than other people, I've been (and probably always will be tbh) more prone to losing to friends and ending up alone because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't seem to connect with anyone. So when I was lucky enough to find someone new, all of the possession and intense feelings were heightened (which ofc led to toxic behaviors and all the stuff that was gone into in depth in the video). The desperation Marcy felt when she learned she was moving away is what I felt (and still sometimes feel) _constantly._ There was no big moment where I realized everything between my friends and I could change and that we wouldn't be like this forever. Instead, that truth has _always_ been present for me. The end of a friendship was viewed as an inevitability, and so was the crushing loneliness that always followed. During those times when I didn't really have any close friends, I had to try to get used to being alone at a very young age, and I coped with it disastrously. And this has all had ripple effects that effects the way I interact with my friends today. I'm slowly starting to heal from these wounds, though, and am learning to be less ... afraid, I guess. I've done a lot of reflecting too, and I'm sure it has made me a much better friend. I have no doubt hurt other people just as much as they've hurt me, and I'm working hard every day to not repeat those mistakes. I still have a long way to go, but I'm so much better off from where I started.
HAVENT SEEN NERDY SINCE THE KEL VID AND THIS RANDOMLY SHOWED UP TODAY. WHAT THE HELL ALGORITHM, IVE LIKED AMPHIBIA FOR AGES.
This is an excellent video that perfectly encapsulates why I love this show so much. Also thanks for delving into the queer subtext of the show, I love seeing that expressed
YESSSSS this video was so needed!!! one of my favourite aspects of amphibia is the representation of female friendships growing up and how dramatic they can be, even though they seem so insignificant once you grow up. but for the little girls going through those experiences, it's like the world is ending. i was once in a position where i just couldn't make proper friends due to lack of confidence and other factors. now that i've become more secure in myself and know how to make friends, i can charm just any other person lol i think little me would be happy to know that the current me is accepted and loved.
my hyperfixation is baaaaaaack!
also i appreciate the abundance of undertale music, it really works for the tone of the video.
okay, this is totally random and off-topic but i decided to go back to this video and leave a comment because it was kind of a breakthrough for me.
i just clicked on it for the first time cuz wow sashannarcy but then i saw a nerd nerding out for 40min and i thought wow that's so nice and refreshing and real. somewhere at some point i started thinking that this is wrong, that the things i do should always be made to get clout and make money because otherwise they were useless and it was time wasted. but then i saw you being your authentic self, happy to talk about the things you like, just being, doing something because you want to do it. and i know i don't see the whole picture and i don't know how you feel, but it still made me think "wow, i wanna be free again, just like they are". free from my own mind, my own limitations, you know. it made me try out a lot of new things and i'm working on making a reappearance on youtube.
so yeah, just wanted you to know that you inspired someone out there :]
I watched Amphibia as an adult, but I loved the story, characters, animation, and well, how it portrayed being a 12-13 girl. I was in a very gay love triangle at that age that the three of us didn’t even know because we were at a Catholic school in the South (we found out much later in our twenties catching up one time and had a good laugh over it). Boy, the feelings of possessiveness and jealousy back then were INTENSE. However, we all went to different high schools, and well, we all went our separate ways as time passed. That friendship is still dear to my heart even if I haven’t seen them in years. The ending to Amphibia was very realistic in my eyes, and I was very happy the team went that route. It’s an important message to tell kids even if it’s a little scary to them. I have a deep fondness for kid shows and how they can portray deep and complex themes in a way that’s suitable for a young audience. I wish I had stuff like that at my age (it’s no wonder I latched on to anime when I discovered it). While the show I’m on is NOT AT ALL for kids, I hope that one day I can work on a kids show (preferably a magical girl one ahaha).
Amazing video! Your thoughts on Amphibia are really insightful!
I feel like Marcy being autistic further complicates her need for her friends to like the same things she does. As an autistic teenager, I very much relate to Marcy in many ways, including but not limited to having my nerdy special interests be dismissed multiple times by my friends.
Not a girl but I’m here for the drama. Also Marcy did nothing wrong.
a yes the gay calamity trio
I love amphibia sm Anne was literally the only fictional character I’ve ever related to 3:
fatherless weirdo.
Amazing video
It's rare to see this topic in animation
And it's rare to see anyone talk about amphibia
Also I LOVE YOUR SPRIG PLUSH OMG
I’ve only seen like 5 episodes of Amphibia, but wow this makes me want to binge the entire show. This video was so well done and hit so close to home. Great work!
32:21 i would of definitely taken the Deal if i was her
not gonna be a very long comment, but,,, thank you. i had a really messy friendship in middle school and i was,,, well i was closest to sasha, i'd say? and i blamed everyone but me, because i couldn't bear to look at myself long enough to see i wasn't a saint. and the final bits of the video,,, it's true, isn't it? the friendship may have been toxic, but i learned a lot from it. i wouldn't be myself without it, and i quite like myself- most of the time, anyway.
i can do great good in the world even through heavy clinical depression and Undiagnosed Neurodivergency, and a large part of that comes from the absolute train wreck disaster of one hormonal teenage friendship. and i. this video really solidified for me, i can acknowledge the hurt i caused without hating myself for it. i can accept that being a tween is messy, and painful, and too much, and it gives us invaluable tools to use for the rest of our lives. so.
thank you
UA-cam knows I’ve been watching Amphibia I guess
Hell yeah! I love Amphibia too! 💙💖💚
Oh, i can’t wait to watch it, while I have not watched amphibia. I hear it is very similar to owl house. Speaking of which, have you watched the owl house? And if you have, any video plans for it?
As much as I love TOH, I feel like all the aspects of the show that intrigue me have already been covered by other people. As of now, there's nothing about the show that I feel inclined to deep dive on
I came back to say I'd love to see your take on Centaurworld and it's relationships, especially between Horse, Rider, Wammawink, and the Villian's relationships. I think you'd have a lot to say.
This just popped up in my feed randomly. This was very well done and I enjoyed the perspective I normally wouldn't have gotten. Keep it up
Okay so not to derail the discussion, but I have always found it weird how much of the discussion is on Sasha and Marcy. Like don't get me wrong, they're my 2 favourite characters as well, but I think we should acknowledge how little they are in the show. Marcy doesn't appear in S1, has sporadic appearances in S2 and is in a coma for most of S3. Sasha is in the 2 best episodes of S1, a few appearances in S2 and doesn't show up until the second half of S3 aside from 1 episode.
I'm not accusing anyone of anything, I do the same thing, it's just really weird and I haven't really seen something like this from another fanbase
I think that's because we see Anne's whole journey onscreen, so we already know how she goes from point A to B to C. This makes her story powerful and relatable and the most fleshed out as befits her as the main character, but also means that we have to do a little more connecting of the dots for Marcy and Sasha
It’s because they don’t appear often but are intergrle to the plot and theme’s that theyre at the center of discussion.
I LOVE AMPHIBIA! It such a bitter sweet show it makes me so happy and sad at the same time. I relate to the main characters so much, especially Anne! Also I love how the girls aren’t made super stereotypical “feminine” characteristics and the drama isn’t petty and dramatic like people say girl drama is. I will say, the 3rd season did disappoint me but I will never stop loving the show. Also I’m a marcanne WARRIOR
That Sprig plushie! I WANT ONE! 😭
IM HERE 1H AFTER- I LOVE AMPHIBIA AND OMORI SO I LOVE YOUR CHANNEL SM 😭😭😭😭✋️✋️✋️✋️
screams along with “OBLIGATORY! GAY! TANGENT!”
i loved this so much, such a good analysis
This is a Great video, You talk about amphibia in a perspective that i never seen before, and you final speech make me think about a lot xd, Thx for making this video ❤
Nice, Amphibia and sapphic interpretation.
Another masterpiece
As someone who had a sasha in my life, it is really hard for me to look at sasha and anne and marcy as a cute lesbian throuple (which like they deffo- like it's definitiley there but...) My friendship/realationship with my sasha had irreversible damage to my life and I think there's as element of abusive behavior in from sasha in the show that is hard for me to look past. Like I think there is a fine line between possessiveness within crushes to straight up toxic and abusive behavior and when it's a mix of both it kind of drowns out how much emotional damage it can make. I don't really know where I want this thought to go I just think it's an interesting thing that I don't see a lot of people talk about. This is the first time I have ever seen a friendship dynamic in a show mirror my own and it's hard to watch but also healing in a way.
That's valid as hell. It's a fictional show so in the end interpretations and perspectives will vary. I totally understand the angle of seeing Sasha and feeling retraumatized, even though she was a kid the bad behaviour she exhibited still affected people and that's not something to invalidate. I think for me, as someone who has been Anne, Marcy, and Sasha throughout my adolescence, I find it easier to overlook things and enjoy the more romantic shipping content. That's how I most enjoy consuming fiction afterall
And that’s so so fair!!!!! No knock to you or shipping I fucking love shipping and I really love the perspective you shared! At the end of the day I honestly learned a lot thinking deeper about where each character was coming from. It’s absolutely one of my favorite shows and the fact it came so close to my personal life and had a really positive angle and ending was.. I don’t know if cathartic is the right word for it but it felt like nostalgic. I don’t know! Hope that made any sort of sense!! Anyway loved ur video ur so awesome
32:00 To be fair, Anne, Sasha and Marcy are only 13 because Disney said so, Matt originally wanted them to be 15 and honestly they do feel like that, especially since we see Anne working, driving and generally talking and acting like a regular teen rather than a girl who just got out of being a preteen lol
Really enjoyed this video. You put into words all the parts of their dynamic I enjoyed. Thank you for making it :) subbed !!
THIS VIDEO IS AMAZING !! You have good vibes 💛
Also unpopular opinion and I know I'm gonna get flack. But am I the only woman that likes female vs female story? Okay everyone calm down yes I know the issue with this topic. But please here me out.
Yes I know the sad implications of cat fighting and also the media problem of genders fighting each other as a sexist thing. But I feel like Netflix's She Ra and Amphibia showed I like girl drama. I get people do want to see more roles be diffrent. Not have it loosely based on gender all for the sake of the toher. I do agree the damaging trope of women fighting over a man for romance. But I wished we had stories of females and dramahood because in real life I had many women who despised me or controlled me. As well as showing that yes we women can be horrible too to each other.
But the Calamity Trio weren't spite for the sake of it. Anne, Sasha and Marcy wanted to do better with their friendship but sometimes things may not work out. Because all three struggled with communication and friendship goals, once Marcy decides to have them stuck in a dangerous world then their friendship breaks apart. Marcy genuinely wanted to protect their friendship but it also shows...friendships can be a danger like love too. They broke apart despite their best intentions and it's only able to survive when all of them realized they need to let go and reunite once they deal with their own issues. (Love you My Little Pony FIM but your show didn't toxic friendships very easily.)
I loved Amphibia because it didn't shy away from girl drama. Or friendships im general can get toxic. If we swapped Amphibia's calamity trio towards the opposite gender I don't think it wouldn't have been effectice if they were girls. If anything if Sasha was a boy I think the show would be more controversial because boy fights has been overdone. As well as Sasha be toxic because you know the thing of Alpha guys. So when girls fight it makes me relate to it because I unfortunately had even adult women used their power against me. So I feel maybe some media could try to tackle heavy topics despite the demographic. That sometimes friendships are complicated and ugly and messy and even unsatisfying. But it's okay for things to change by drifting apart yet reunite together again.
I love this video!
Hey Nerdy Arty thanks for making this video. I am a casual Owl House fan and while I did enjoy the story of the Owl House, I honestly feel Amphibia touched me the most especially with the characters and all. Originally I thought Amphibia looked generic and wasn't ambitious compared to Owl House thanks to its animation as well as a better villain. No offense Andrias I love you but villainwise you weren't as menacing and terrifying than Belos. Though when I gave it a chance since both shows ended on Disney +, I realized this show was a hidden gem and I shouldn't judge a book by its cover.
I love Hunter, Luz, Eda, King or other characters but I enjoyed the Calamity Trio the most and their girl friendship is a breath of fresh air. I've always felt friendships in fiction are getting too say sanitary. Like the power of friendship can save us all like how MLP FIM does that. I feel Amphibia was the antithesis to that kind of story, where the friends slowly separate and misunderstand each other and start to fight. Sasha, Anne and Marcy's bond is something I relate to and I had faced girl drama before where I sadly liked another girl who was a friend. Too bad she ended up being bossy and left the school never to be seen again. And unlike Anne I wasn't able to reconnect with my former friend because she left during high school as well as being rude. But because I realized I was the one who caused a friendship to crumble unintentionally, I had to accept it and learn to make better friendships. I was able to make some friends...until a certain event at 2020 destroyed my chances and here I am stuck in the middle.
As much as I enjoyed Owl House's message of staying true to yourself and fighting against people who challenge your status quo. I always felt Amphibia's story of change resonated with me. And bittersweet in a way because change is inevitable. Friendships will never be the same and I related to the girls because they're both messes.
Anne was like the middle of the two who only followed her friends. She never found out who she was and her arc of standing up to those who used her...even if it they were her friends resonated with me. I related to her slightly more than Luz. I aldo enjoyed how Anne is trying to be a better friend and I happy for her.
Sasha I thought was a typical mean girl or control freak. But she was a person trying her best to protect her friends. She still was a toxic one and I feel she should've had more episodes to fully flesh her character. But overall I love Sasha too as she learned how to give the girls a chance for their own choices and trust them.
And out of all the girls Marcy was the best girl for me. At first I thought she was going to be another Genki or another adorkable girl. But how wrong I was. She was smart, knows how to make sure the girls were woekin together, and a friendly geek that wasn't judge for her interests. Also I believe she is Autistic in my headcanon. Anyways, when she revealed she was the one that trapped them there I cannot blame her because she didn't want their friendship to fail. She didn't want to move away from their friendship all because her parents want to move away. She didn't want to separate their friendship and as a result she learns the hard way that her escapism caused the girls to fight against each other. So when she stops agreeing with the Core's offer and that their friendship has to inevitable accept change I felt her arc was the most bittersweet yet beautiful
Overall Amphibia touched me on ways I didn't understand until I cried. I literally cried when Sprigg talked about his mother passing away and it remind me of my late grandmother. As well as crying hard when the girls had to leve Amphibia and cannot return. As a result Amphibia may not be the most ambitious but it was impactful for me. And that's why I'm glad I watched it.
I honestly don't know how i feel abt sashanne. Like, sure. on the surface, it could be cute. but I don't know if I can get over manipulation,and, y'know, the attempted murder. yes, i'm saying this as a basil lover and kinnie. but at least basil had a reasonable motivations and intentions. plus, hes mentally ill. sure, i can agree to some extent that all 13 yr olds are little shits, but that does not mean you try to kill your best friend just because she stands up for herself. and then she plays the victim for attention, pretends she changed, and still gets mad when they cut her off. then she still tries to get revenge like what. I feel like calling this "first love" is a really bad way to present an blatantly toxic friendship dynamic at the time. like I seriously doubt Anne had any romantic feelings for her "friend" when Sasha literally tried to kill her. I like how this show puts us in the shoes of Anne by seeing good and toxic moments between them, but having Anne to keep trusting Sasha, and For Sasha to keep betraying Anne just shows that most of these good moments pretty much fall flat as Sasha still ends up hurting Anne. Even when she does move on, I just don't see Sasha and Anne liking each other when they've grown further away. And I feel like a romantic relationship is something that requires full commitment.I do feel that they are capable of change but it just doesn't make sense for them to date or even have feelings for each other after what they both went through. ( I admit i say this as a sunflower shipper but I feel sunny would be able to empathize with Basil In a way that goes far beyond forgiveness. And now that they've gone through so much together and are ready to start the healing process together. Idk just something abt sunflower feels a lot more healthier)
The kind of ignores the point of Sasha’s development, that she becomes a better friend to anne and marcy.
@@harrybechtle4333 ik what you mean but I feel it's kinda unrealistic to ship them after that when I feel like Sasha would rather try to focus on herself to be a better person. I feel like so many ppl think that Sasha became a completely changed throughout the course of the series and I think she would still have a lot of growing to do before getting in a relationship with someone like Anne
@@harrybechtle4333 It just seems unrealistic and kinda toxic for them to be dating and I think it was best for them to not see each other as much
oh my gosh ive been subscribed for a while HOW DID I NOT SEE THIS VIDEOOO AMPHIBIA IS MY FAVORITE SHOOOWWWW
edit: YOU DIDNT POINT OUT MARCY CALLING ANNE AND SASHA "My loves" IN HER JOURNAL
About ten minutes in, enjoying the video immensely.
If you want other good toxic girl drama media The autobiographical graphic novels "Smile" and "Real Friends" brought me back vividly to my younger sister's struggles. (I was a weird loner kid. Honestly think I dodged a bullet)
Some very well thought out anaylise on the characters, their growth, and their dynamic. Although, if I may play Giratina's advocate here, I would like to defend the point of why several fans don't think the girls just drifting apart at the end makes no sense.
I mean, I do get the message about change and friends drifting apart, but still, it seems odd to me that it happened to these three after everything they went through. I mean they fought in a war together, and one of the lessons my all time favorite show, Star Wars The Clone Wars, taught me is that the bonds you forge in battle are nearly impossible to break, loyalty and all that good jazz. You look at teams of heroes who fought side by side together for so long, like teams of Power Rangers or Ash and his friends from Pokemon, and even after their adventure ends and they go their seperate ways they all usually keep in touch and if theres ever a problem, like an old foe or an emergency they call the others and the others regarless of where they are don't even hesistate to come help. A true friend never leaves you hanging as the old saying goes, at least I think that's an old saying. Or here's a line from the Bakugan series, where the team is splitting up with some going back home to Earth and others to Vestal, that best describes this, "Dan, try not to get into too much trouble okay. I won't be around to watch you're back all the time, but if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to reach out."
However, I can't be too mad at the ending because at the end they all get back together, and thus they prove the old saying: "If you love something set it free and if it comes back then it was meant to be." After 10 years Marcy and Sasha came back to Anne, so there all meant to be together, whether as friends or a couple is up for debate, but regardless there back together again and that's great and shows how powerful their friendship truly is. Several others, myself included, even headcanon that after reuniting after 10 years they start hanging out more regularly, Marcy gets a job and moves back to the city, and the trio spend a lot of time together just like old times but even better now that there friendship has grown out of it's toxicness.
I also love Amphibia. And if you love Amphibia, watch The Earth Guy, it gives off a lot of the same vibe. It's still in development because it's an indie animation.
This is my first video of yours. I liked it. I hope to use what I learned in my future writing.
I think you should look up "Queenbees and Wannabes" by Rosalind Wiseman
i loved this video sm, thank you for your thoughts and eloquent wording!
First! Also so cool!
I ALMOST CRIED WATCHING THIS
Amphibia looks more and more wonderful show!
28:13 there's only a certain amount of hearts you can surround drawings of your friends with before it might be a little gay lol
LETS GO!!!
That's amazing how deep amphibia is, and how are you able to point this out
ah the funny frog show that made me realize my best friend was toxic (or maybe it was me). hooray
Amazing. While i have my own issues with the show, the video explains why i love it.
Great work! And I love your cosplay!
YEAYHAAAAAAAA
Amazing video as always!! Tysm for sharing your thoughts and experiences with us!!
Omg, love this analysis so much. These girls' friendship is so relatable which makes them so real
I sat through the whole 40 minutes and I do not regret the time that this video consumed. Seeing someone summarising and relating it to real life scenarios really drew me in. One of my favourite shows and which yet I still hyperfixate on it after all this time. This video was beautifully put together, and your humour was just right. Splendid upload once again, Nerdy Arty!
I remember seeing reactors get upset at the finale, with the girls not being as close anymore, and just sighed as they all missed the whole point. That people grow up and move on, but that doesn't change the love and friendship they feel for each other. Adults not grasping this hurt my head.
This was a really good video. Wow. WOW! Thanks for lending me this framework.
as an introject of marcy i relate to these 3 a whole lot 👍
"she might as well be gushing to a wall" YOU HAVE >NO< IDEA HOW I BARKED AT THAT, THAT'S THE FUNNIEST SHIT I'VE EVER HEARD BAHAHAHA (i'm sleep deprived but i swear to frog i barked so hard i woke up my cat (who's not sleep deprived at all))
btw i'll maybe edit this with more insight once i finish the video, for now that's my contribution :3
I loved, loved, loooved this essay! Honestly, it was so refreshing and easy to listen to you talk about these themes. Great job, can't wait to see more of you on here!
Amphibia taught me that sometimes, some friendships aren't worth it, but sometimes, some are worth savaging.
I honestly love your videos. They're so much fun but also handle the topics really well. I haven't watched Amphibia yet, but this video was great! Looking forward to more videos in the future!
Marcanne forever, Sashanne never
…well, rarely ever
ОФИГЕННЫЙ ВИДОС! вы супер!
I love the video. But it's really hard to focus on you when that Sprig plushie glaring at me with his one eye. 😂
Yessss this was amazing
The EXCITEMENT I’M GETTING FROM THIS ISTG IM NOT OKAY RN IM ACTUALLY A MESS RIGHT NOW GSHSHDHSHHSGSGSHSHHSHS I LOVE THIS, NEW SUB OMGSOMGSOMGSOMGD
ONE OF US ONE OF US ONE OF US!!